Slade (Teen Titans) WIP [UPDATE: MASK COMPLETE]

Hey, all! Long-time lurker here, just wanted to say how much I appreciate all the help you have been. With help from the many tutorials I've found here on the RPF, I've embarked on my very first pepakura/EVA foam build: Slade (better known as Deathstroke) from the original Teen Titans animated series. To refresh your memory, here's a reference picture:

As I said, I'm planning to use pepakura for the helmet and EVA foam for the armor pieces. I haven't yet figured out how I will do the elbow/midriff sections, as they appear more like cloth than armor. But first, I turned my attention to the helmet. I'm going to modify a Power Ranger helmet base, courtesy of profoatmeal over at DeviantArt (http://www.deviantart.com/art/Helmet-base-power-rangers-super-sentai-469897592).



I have begun the process of carefully cutting out the pieces. When I have the helmet assembled (with hot glue), I'll upload some pictures. I had a question about the eyes. The left eye I'll cut out of the helmet and cover with a white film (like the kind Spider-Man cosplayers use), but there's no eye hole on the right side. Should I leave the helmet as is and deal with the restricted vision, or would others suggest finding a way to conceal a second eye hole?

 

Re: Slade (Teen Titans) WIP

Look forward to seeing this. I wear my one eyed mask to Cons and it isn't really a problem. You get used to it.

 

Re: Slade (Teen Titans) WIP

Yeah, that's what I figured. I wouldn't want to trade the "clean" look of the mask, anyway.

In any event, pepakura assembly is complete! After printing and assembling the helmet base, I saw that there was no way the helmet would fit completely around my head, so I opted for a 3/4 mask design (with plans to add elastic straps to the back). Here's how the helmet looked upon completion:



At this point, I printed out a few different eye templates until I got a feel for one that was the right size. Then, I measured out how big I wanted the mouth slits to be. Once those were cut out of cardstock, I traced them onto the helmet and cut out those sections. The mask was really coming along by this point:



For the last step, I needed to create the half-dome earpieces that Slade has on his mask. After some searching for a pep file of the appropriate shape and size, I found a template for one of those old Jumping Bean toys on the Tamasoft Pepakura Gallery. Here's a link to the file on the creator's (Sinner-PWA) website: http://sinner-playingwithart.blogspot.com/2011/01/paper-jumping-bean.html By trimming the edges off the domes, I found something in the perfect shape and size and affixed it (albeit crudely) to the mask:



The next step will be resining. I'm still doing my homework about different methods, and I'm thinking about going with an epoxy resin. I also plan to construct some supports for the mask out of popsicle sticks and binder clips to give it some rigidity during the resining and Bondo application.

 

Re: Slade (Teen Titans) WIP

Progress update! Now that my pepakura helmet was assembled, it was time to apply resin.

I opted to go with Smooth-On Epoxamite 101, a laminating resin. It was more expensive than fiberglass resin, but it doesn't produce any toxic vapors (and thus doesn't smell) and doesn't shrink as much while curing. I coated the outside first, let it cure, then put a coat on the inside. While the inside coat was still tacky, I soaked squares of fiberglass cloth in the resin and applied those against the helmet's walls. In the final analysis, this ended up being a complete mess, so I'll more than likely try Rondo (Bondo + resin) on my next project instead. Still, it got the job done and provided some more structural support for the helmet. Here's a shot of the mask after the resin cured (hard to see the fiberglass cloth, but it's there):



This step being done, it was time to start applying Bondo auto body filler putty. This turned out to be... a learning experience. For the first coat of Bondo, I was making two major mistakes: A) using way too much hardener, and B) stirring the mix (which creates air pockets) rather than the folding-and-smearing method. On top of that, I was laying it on pretty thick (in part because it was hardening up on me so fast). The mask was a horror show by the time I was done. I took an orbital sander to it with extreme prejudice and got it to a point where it started to look salvageable:



Having learned from my mistakes, I embarked on a second (thinner!) layer of Bondo. Once I had figured out the proportions and mixing, the application went much smoother. I went over all the craters from the first coat and really tried to get everything smooth. By the time I was done, I was much happier with the product. Today I went out and sanded it all down, first by orbital sander then by hand using a 100 grit sandpaper block. There are still trouble spots, particularly around the mouth slits, but I think a third coat of Bondo (and sanding) should get it really close.



Tonight I'll work on the third layer of Bondo. Rather than a full coat, this will be more targeted applications around the low spots and craters. I anticipate (and hope) that this will be the end of the Bondo. From there, I'll use spot putty to tackle the trouble spots. Once it's all looking smooth, I'll slap some primer on it to get one last check for smoothness!

 

Re: Slade (Teen Titans) WIP

Not bad at all. You're on your way to having a really nice mask.

 

Re: Slade (Teen Titans) WIP

I love pepakura builds, for someone who has no experience with it (me) it's like magic watching a real object come to life. Excited to see it all come together

 

Re: Slade (Teen Titans) WIP

Thanks! It's a labor of love for sure.

You and me both! A few months ago, I never would've thought I could make a mask from scratch. Now I'm just excited about the possibilities of future pep builds! You should give it a shot sometime. It's definitely been a satisfying experience so far.

 

Re: Slade (Teen Titans) WIP

My biggest hurdle has always been the actual viewing and printing of the files, and now I dont have a computer that supports Pepakura viewer. Eventually though im going to have to give it a shot.

 

Re: Slade (Teen Titans) WIP

I can relate to everything you both said...I tried my hand at a pepakura build last year and...well....lets just say it was a learning exprience...lol...but I'm also going to try my hand at making Deathstroke using a pep file this year too so hopefully mine will come out as good as yours does so far

 

Re: Slade (Teen Titans) WIP

This is absolutely not true. No odor does not mean there aren't any toxic fumes. I suggest you read the MSDS and tech bulletins of these materials. You do not want any of what it gives off going in your body.

Epoxy, just like polyester resins, need to be used with a respirator and in a well ventilated area.

 

Re: Slade (Teen Titans) WIP

Yeah, learning experience doesn't even begin to describe it. Haha. If I could go back and re-do the first layer of Bondo, I think I could've saved myself at least a week of work. And as I said last time, I'll definitely be Rondo-ing the inside of my next project. Cutting out and soaking fiberglass cloth was just a mess. And now I'm onto the next learning experience: EVA foam!

My mistake. Perhaps I shouldn't have said that it produces no toxic vapors. However, it is relatively odorless, which means I can wear the mask without getting a headache/feeling lightheaded/etc. But you're absolutely right: necessary safety precautions should always be taken.

Well, there were times where it felt like I was going to be sanding forever, but I'm happy to report that the mask is finally complete! With the (major) applications of Bondo complete, it was time for filler putty! The mouth, in particular, had a long way to go, as you can see below. I also had a scare where the mask cracked along the bottom edge of the mouth slits, so there was some heavy application of Bondo and filler putty to patch up that area:



I started to get very excited after applying the first few coats of primer. Seeing the mask all in one color really made it look worlds better, and it helped me narrow down the last few trouble spots:



After primer, I gave everything a coat of matte black. Once dry, I masked off the right half of the mask, masked off the area around the eye, and applied the glossy orange. The pieces for the eye and the mouth slits were made of cross-stitch plastic canvas. Pretty good visibility and relatively opaque (and non-reflective) from the outside. The last finishing touch was the line around the left eardrum, which I made by tracing with a Sharpie around a plastic cap that was the right size:



The last step was making sure I could actually wear this thing! I used Loctite spray to affix foam pieces around the interior of the mask, and I created two straps of elastic: one which goes around the back of my head just above the ears, and one that comes down from the top of the head and meets the first strap in the middle. It's snug, but not uncomfortable. And viola, the mask is done!

 

DUDE!!...that mask came out beautiful nice job

 

Sweet!
Are you going to be wearing something to cover up your hair, or are you going to be wearing it Tobi style?

 

Thanks for the kind words, guys!

I'll be wearing a balaclava underneath the helmet.

 

Nice work!