Could you take pictures from different angles and not just the side?
TheNickFox Presents - Knockoff Nike Mag Buildup
- Thread starter TheNickFox
- Start date
That would be fantastic! The more people we have working on this problem the better.
And to you Mitas, I'm hoping to have the entire final version of the uppers done by the end of the week so I will try to post some pictures or a video then. That said, all my reference materials were pulled straight from google searches. There are more angles of the real shoes than you could ever imagine.
-Nick
cavx
Master Member
It is where I bought my 2 pairs from and where I will order my next pair.
cavx
Master Member
So when you guys cast these new parts, do you use the original for a base or do this from scratch?
I did a bit of research into molding a while back and it is an art form if not a science. Many of the molds these guys made to cast parts in casting resin etc were made from latex rubber. I bought a litre of the stuff a few years ago and it sets when exposed to air, no catalyst required. Goes from a liquid to a solid rubber block in about 12~24 hours (temp pending). The only thing is sometimes the original parts get destroyed in the process of removal. Didn't seem to need a release agent either, so very DIY friendly. Just curious which direction you guys might take here.
I did a bit of research into molding a while back and it is an art form if not a science. Many of the molds these guys made to cast parts in casting resin etc were made from latex rubber. I bought a litre of the stuff a few years ago and it sets when exposed to air, no catalyst required. Goes from a liquid to a solid rubber block in about 12~24 hours (temp pending). The only thing is sometimes the original parts get destroyed in the process of removal. Didn't seem to need a release agent either, so very DIY friendly. Just curious which direction you guys might take here.
Risu
Master Member
I wouldn't recommend latex for a mold, but then I've never cast urethane before. I use silicone for resin casting. I prefer stuff that cures because as long as you get the mix right you don't have to worry about any bits not hardening. There's a mold shop up in LA that carries everything you could ever need and the people that work there really know their stuff. I'll be sure to ask them what to use next time I go up. As for how I plan to do it, assuming the sole inserts really are a flat piece wrapped around the shoe, I plan to peel it off, lay it flat, make a template out of it, and then build the new parts from that template. It won't be accurate to the original shoes, more like an improved version of the knockoff design. Then I'll just wrap that back on to the soles after installing the electronics.
How long did the shipping take?
cavx
Master Member
Most things I get shipped from China are 7~10 days. I'm sure these were closer to the 7 days.
Nick, any updates?
No updates yet. I've been dealing with a nasty stomach bug the last 2 days, so most work has been put on hold.
-Nick
-Nick
cavx
Master Member
Hey Nick,
Given you have performed surgery on your pair, what do you think the original uppers are made from? Are they PVC, vinyl or a combination of both? I am tempted to grey mine a bit and looking on the net, there seems to be many methods to changing the colour, but it is material dependent for a good result.
Given you have performed surgery on your pair, what do you think the original uppers are made from? Are they PVC, vinyl or a combination of both? I am tempted to grey mine a bit and looking on the net, there seems to be many methods to changing the colour, but it is material dependent for a good result.
I'm no materials expert, but PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride, and in my experience is used fairly interchangeably with "vinyl," so despite there being chemical differences between the two I haven't the foggiest which was used on the shoes.
I've just been calling it vinyl but, once again, I'm no materials expert.
-Nick
I've just been calling it vinyl but, once again, I'm no materials expert.
-Nick
cavx
Master Member
Thanks Nick. I was searching for techniques to dye the vinyl and found a forum where they were dying boots and said that there was different dyes and technique to dye PVC to dying vinyl.
Looking at my own pair of K-MAGs and the top of the collar is different to that on the main body. I am curious to know if these can be painted given you showed how the tops of your own silver pair were painted.
Looking at my own pair of K-MAGs and the top of the collar is different to that on the main body. I am curious to know if these can be painted given you showed how the tops of your own silver pair were painted.
You may want to look at vinyl automotive paints. That stuff tends to bond very well with all sorts of plastics (Flexible ones included) since they work on the chemical level.
...Just watch out, they are EXTREMELY toxic. I didn't have an inch of skin exposed when I was working with an adhesion promoter for those types of paint.
As for my build, I'm shaping my buck for heat forming the right toe today. The other thing I've been doing is refining the shape of the main two pieces on the upper since they're not actually symmetrical. Once I've done that, I'm looking at getting the templates for the rest of my uppers laser cut from acrylic so that I can consistently cut the pattern out without leaving it up to chance and my (often) stupid hands. So no matter how many times I need a new upper to skin, I can just drop the template on some EVA, cut around it, and call it a day.
It's a lot of baby steps right now. I'll report back as soon as I have something to show and I'll do my best to field any more questions on the materials or otherwise.
-Nick
...Just watch out, they are EXTREMELY toxic. I didn't have an inch of skin exposed when I was working with an adhesion promoter for those types of paint.
As for my build, I'm shaping my buck for heat forming the right toe today. The other thing I've been doing is refining the shape of the main two pieces on the upper since they're not actually symmetrical. Once I've done that, I'm looking at getting the templates for the rest of my uppers laser cut from acrylic so that I can consistently cut the pattern out without leaving it up to chance and my (often) stupid hands. So no matter how many times I need a new upper to skin, I can just drop the template on some EVA, cut around it, and call it a day.
It's a lot of baby steps right now. I'll report back as soon as I have something to show and I'll do my best to field any more questions on the materials or otherwise.
-Nick
Tiny update before I hit the hay.
I finally got a few test pulls done on my toe cap buck. It's not perfect, far from it, so I'll probably end up sculpting a new one. (I may actually have a way to shortcut that, but I'll cover this in a future update)
Anyhoo, enough jibber jabber, here's the current status:
Note all the duct tape revisions to the shape and size of the uppers to account for the variance between the inner and outer pieces.
Here's a quick shop removing the tape so you can actually see the shape of the shoe itself:
...and now it's time for sleep. I'm going to be out most of the weekend, so this is probably my last update until next week, when hopefully I'll have a new buck made up.
-Nick
I finally got a few test pulls done on my toe cap buck. It's not perfect, far from it, so I'll probably end up sculpting a new one. (I may actually have a way to shortcut that, but I'll cover this in a future update)
Anyhoo, enough jibber jabber, here's the current status:
Note all the duct tape revisions to the shape and size of the uppers to account for the variance between the inner and outer pieces.
Here's a quick shop removing the tape so you can actually see the shape of the shoe itself:
...and now it's time for sleep. I'm going to be out most of the weekend, so this is probably my last update until next week, when hopefully I'll have a new buck made up.
-Nick
McFly88
Well-Known Member
Wow fantastic job so far. I'm jealous my silver Mags won't look like that. LoL I'm not sure if you saw the other thread about the K-mags update but here: http://www.therpf.com/f9/nike-mag-knockoffs-132990/index10.html Apparently next month they're coming out with the 'revised' more accurate mags.
Are you going to cut the back of the sole down soon? Just like you said, it is way too high.
It's EVA foam, very similar to what most people would call "Craft Foam," often going under the brand name "foamies."
I saw...and I'm taking it with a HUGE grain of salt at the moment. As much as I would love more accurate Mags (why I'm doing this build) I just don't see the manufacturer moving that quickly.
You bet I am, if you squint you can actually see the area I've shaded in to be cut off. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it yet. I might try to cut it with a hot wire cutter. if not, it'll probably just be an exacto knife followed by heat to clean the edge
The back of the sole will look even lower when I sculpt the heel cup, as it wil cover part of the heel of the sole as well.
I'm hoping to use the pieces I cut off the soles to test dye baths to see if I can't make the soles more accurate.
-Nick
