Seraphimon build (digimon) -armor

ultulva

New Member
Hello again rpfers. I love this community.

So I wanted some major input. I am building this full suit of arms
Seraphymon.gif

One of the major things I am designing is a mechanism for these wings. Since the show does not make them out to be feathers, I will probably be making them out of something thin and solid, (maybe thick pieces of chip board) So to step it up a little i would like to make some kind of mechanism that would allow me to fan out these wings, i.e. allow them to go from this position, to a position where they are all folded down against my back. I have some general ideas, but I would love some input from you mechanically savvy builders.
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So on top of this I am posting my progress on the build on here, I am working on it at least a little each week, so the updates should be fairly regular. Hope you all like.

Much thanks in advance!!
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So first up, the helmet, I tried starting a balloon paper mache, and after a couple attempts i got this:
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Even though it turned out ... alright :/ ... I'm a bit too much of a perfectionist to use it, I cut one side a little too short and there were too many divets to fill, so I thought I would try a different approach.

My old bread and butter pepakura: So not only is Digimon not a popular build, but this particular one did not get a bunch of air time, even though being essentially the end all, of the angelic tier. The point: there are no pep files i could find him, so what to do? well i could have modeled him and unfolded him, but I don't have the knowledge to do it to be honest. So, found a pep of daft punk's Guy helmet, and made some modifications, along with some overlapping cardstock strips for the back. Turned out alright.

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Resined it, and here is the problem. I was a little overanxious to do it, without using all the proper precautions and tools, and i mixed only half the hardener that it needed :/ So now it has some real tacky potions to it.

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So QUESTION: how can I salvage this helmet from the tacky uncured resin? I tried putting a little hardener on a paper towel and dabbing it on said areas, but no dice :/
 
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Re: mechanical wings help needed

One week bump :/ Hmm well what i came up with was some sort of pulley system pulling up the wings up. Wings attached to each other in the centroid like a paper fan, so they pull upwards in succession. Not sure how to use the cords without it being noticeable or impracticable.

Any other ideas or an expansion on mine?

Still need your help rpf!
 
Re: mechanical wings help needed

seems like there is a lot of space in the back between the wings, you might be able to hide a mechanism there... but someone else has to remove the backplate and lower/raise the wings..
 
Re: mechanical wings help needed

That is an interesting mechanical challenge, one that I would take on if not for my A.D.O.S Dalek build, and not to mentions other projects that have been demanding so much of my time.

The feathers, chip board is a pore material to use, to heavy and no strength, may I suggest 3mm or 1/8” MDF partical borad attached to your mechanism.

The first step is to make a cardboard prototype of your feathers to get the shape and to work out how the mechanism to operate the feathers works, 1:1 scale, before you do any manufacturing.
 
Re: mechanical wings help needed

seraphimon?? too epic sir. I would almost make it spring loaded so that they would move faster. But idk how you would trigger it. Please post pics of the armor you have.
 
Re: mechanical wings help needed

To move your feathers I would use an electric actuator, I use this type in the building of Dalek Caan, have a look at this web site.

Firgelli Technologies Actuators - RobotShop

The actuators are very small and very powerfull, this will allow you to open and close you fearther without any assistance from anyone.

Only a suggestion.


@ Rassilon ~ thank you for all your input, I definitely will consider the 3 mm part. board, I was trying to think what would be best, and chip board is fairly light, wouldn't 3 mm particle board be much heavier? Definitely sounds like it would be sturdier and probably cheaper too. And that comes to my second restraint. I usually work with the cheapest materials i can get my hands on and don't mind spending time on the project in exchange. An actuator would be amazing, but $60 -$100 for it unfortunately way out of my range for just one part of the suit :/
 
Re: mechanical wings help needed

seraphimon?? too epic sir. I would almost make it spring loaded so that they would move faster. But idk how you would trigger it. Please post pics of the armor you have.

So happy you recognized him ^.^ Yeah maybe I will post some pics of my progress. It is going somewhat slowly, that's what happens when you dont want to invest in expensive materials but demand perfection haha
 
Re: mechanical wings help needed

Glue a stack of 4 old cd/dvd's together (AOL cd's are useful after all), then use a dremel or saw to cut out gear teeth. Only one pair of wings really needs the gears, the others can be belt driven. You can make the wings from foam board to keep them lightweight. If they are light, you can drive them with a hobby motor. To make the template, get a free cd label software and print out your gear template with it. You don't have to make it expensive.
 
Re: mechanical wings help needed

Glue a stack of 4 old cd/dvd's together (AOL cd's are useful after all), then use a dremel or saw to cut out gear teeth. Only one pair of wings really needs the gears, the others can be belt driven. You can make the wings from foam board to keep them lightweight. If they are light, you can drive them with a hobby motor. To make the template, get a free cd label software and print out your gear template with it. You don't have to make it expensive.


That is a fine way to make a gear, but not sure how to physically implement it, any contraption you can reference me to look up? Also, I would like to unfurl the wings while in costume without another's assistance. Any idea how I can activate it?
 
Re: mechanical wings help needed

seraphimon?? too epic sir. I would almost make it spring loaded so that they would move faster. But idk how you would trigger it. Please post pics of the armor you have.


Springs I feel are a must, if not for actually "shooting" the wings out , but at least for countering thier weight. If I had some heavy duty springs I could have the wings "at rest" being fully unfurled, need some mechanism then that could push the wings down and set them in a sort of catch. hmmm....
 
It has been so long since I've updated this. So bad at it, but I'm working on that. So the time for it's debut finally came around for Otakon 2012 in Baltimore. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts to work ahead of time, the cosplay did not finish in time. I even worked on it in the hotel the weekend of and in the car. Needless to say the detail for the painting is a far cry from what I even deem acceptable and the build is still missing about 20% of the parts. That being said it was the only thing I had brought, so happy with it or not, I was going to be wearing it. To be honest, it turned out much better on camera than I thought it would. Anyhow without further ado I will be uploading some of my process pictures and the "final" build at the end.
 
So from where I left off on the helmet I built it up with layers of a homemade paperclay mixture and smoothed it out.
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And after a few coats and some primer i got this. The shine was actually an experiment using heat shrink plastic. it simply didn't hold up very well, but it was a decent idea.

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Cut the chest front and back out of EVA foam, hot glued some side release snaps on the inside. great feeling to finally get something wearable
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It's getting late , so I will just post the rest tomorrow. Night rpf ;) zzzzzzzzzz
 
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Helm with final coats of paint, PETG cut and hotglued on. Makes for a "visor" with less than desirable field of vision, but I can still see where I am going. :p
 
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