TK9336
Active Member
Hey TK9336 here, (if you want to skip the build and evolution of this two year long process scroll to the bottom for finished pictures!)
MWG 2013 Formal 4 by TK9336, on Flickr
I had the honor and privilege of being able to go my first ever Dragon*Con for my 21st birthday (9/2/1992) and got to show off Thom Wall's (Sorenzo Props) wonderful HAA DP Guy-Man sculpt. I finished it from the cast and then proceeded to do the rest of the costumes as accurately as possible. While I am still waiting on the funds to make my own RAM era GM helmet (since it is very form fitting) I mashed the eras and wore the HAA GM lid with the RAM tuxedos. Only one person all con knew the difference, lol. Regardless the compliments gotten all weekend were astounding. I cannot thank you all enough. I'm going to do a recap to show the evolution of this costume and how I reached the final results.
Here is the first professional quality (if you wanna call it that) costume I put together for my entry in the 501st Legion:
SPS - Matthew Crowley Photography! by TK9336, on Flickr
And Rebel Fleet Trooper for the Rebel Legion:
SPS Studio Day - Rebel Fleet Trooper by TK9336, on Flickr
However, this project did NOT start out smoothly. After I finished my Stormtrooper at 17, I wanted to do something different, and altogether...harder. It kicked my white armored butt. I started this project over a few times from lack of time, or money. Here is my first Daft helmet by MrPinski in August of 2011:
2011-08-14 16.25.10 by TK9336, on Flickr
I ended up accidentally melting that with lacquer paint thinner...
156195_4533090642515_1893357940_n by TK9336, on Flickr
After that, I stood a long time researching a new helmet to go with. I honestly chucked the project because I used the wrong pepakura model to make a Thomas lid:
2011-08-12 17.45.41 by TK9336, on Flickr
I was honestly pretty much defeated, and wasted a chunk of change. After a year at Norwich Senior Military College as a rook, then cadet all I could think about was this project. Every time I played the music, I could just see myself in a chrome helmet with a huge crowd of fans before me jamming out. That spring (2011) I bought patterns from God Save the Queen's Fashion to make my own leather suit like Harrison's of Volpin Props. Scratch another $650. I had a friend who was willing to make it for me while I went to Infantry OSUT at Ft. Benning. I left in April, and returned a Infantryman August 17. She hadn't even started yet. It then became an absolute nightmare trying to get the suit done and from her. Fast forward 5 agonizing months of waiting I finally got the suit...BUT IT DIDN'T FIT! Not to mention it was off detail wise in all kinds of places.
HAA Daft Punk Suit 2013 Round 1 by TK9336, on Flickr
HAA Daft Punk Suit 2013 Round 1 by TK9336, on Flickr
Game over man. I literally didn't know what to do with myself. While I was waiting on that I was trying to find THE shoes worn by Daft Punk for their leather outfits. That was another special type of hell. I ended up going through THREE pairs of shoes. Below is what Daft wears, I eventually was told by a fellow Adidas enthusiast in the sneaker industry exactly what they are: Adidas Kareem Jabbar black V2 high top with the suede tow bumper. I didn't find this out until...you guessed it! Much later...but here is a great picture showing the shoes:
daftpunkadidasproof by TK9336, on Flickr
At first when I started my quest I asked Harrison (Volpin) what he ended up using. He used Adidas Top Ten Hi Tops. Close, but not good enough for me.
These are Top Tens next to what I thought at the time was the perfect replacement...Adidas Nizza Hi Tops
Side by Side by TK9336, on Flickr
Problem with the Nizzas...they need rubber soles dyed black...that sounded easy enough.
20121103_210633 by TK9336, on Flickr
But that didn't work. I tried over 14 hours dying them...nothing worked. I got a deep purple. Not jet black. So eventually I started trying new methods:
After by TK9336, on Flickr
I thought that was fool proof. Wasn't. Once I learned the Jabbars were THE shoes, I was hell bent on finding them. I couldn't. I found however a normal white and grey pair. I then went to town, yet again to convert yet another pair of sneakers.
Adidas Jabbars (Round: 3) by TK9336, on Flickr
Daft Shoes @Flynn's Arcade by TK9336, on Flickr
The Conversion by TK9336, on Flickr
Final by TK9336, on Flickr
Next to the Nizzas:
The Conversion by TK9336, on Flickr
I may have a lead on an ACTUAL pair of these shoes. Problem is that the guy wants an arm and a leg for them. Anyways. The shoes were finished. There was the problem of getting my leather suit unfrakked. I learned that eventually was impossible. So I had to start from scratch, AGAIN. Thankfully a lady named Brandie near me was willing to take the project. I learned my lesson from the first time, get properly fitted!!!
So the mock ups got started:
Mock Up Part 1 by TK9336, on Flickr
Final mock up:
The last fitting! by TK9336, on Flickr
Then after waiting over four months I finally had a leather suit in hand. I was happy with it. I am selling the jacket through since we're making V2 to be broader, and tweak all kinds of small things like the collar, and cover cover.
Anyways. In August of 2012 I also got new, accurate casts. I got a Sorenzo HAA Guy-Man and a MrPinski Thomas. I probably will just end up getting Volpin's Thomas. I was really thrown through a loop on just how GOOD that looks. After all the questions asking, "that is the most accurate Thomas sculpt I've ever seen," it's a no brainer that I am going to just get his lids to do my Discovery and HAA lids.
With a world full of Guy-Man sculpts, here is why I went with Sorenzo's:
7313747080_c83e3d05eb_h by TK9336, on Flickr
7486832356_dea5fb9575_h by TK9336, on Flickr
Nobody has paid attention to swoop and squared off chin. That's why this helmet came together as brilliantly as it did.
20121005_231214 by TK9336, on Flickr
252513_4590850926486_1151143795_n by TK9336, on Flickr
After a few weeks sanding and filling off and on I finally had it ready to be shipped to the chromers at Creations'n'Chrome, naturally where Volpin sent his. That turned into a massive headache. As if my problems weren't enough spread over THREE pairs of sneakers, and TWO leather suits my helmet's first chroming didn't go smoothly.
Sorenzo Chromed w/raw fitted visor by TK9336, on Flickr
The whole piece had paint runs like this, and plenty of overspray in other areas. I spent way too long sanding and filling to perfection to have it fail at this part. So naturally, I asked to have it redone.
C'n'C Redux by TK9336, on Flickr
But it came back the WRONG color. I smacked my head, and noticed the filled in details. It had to be redone, thrice again! So, I sent the gloves with the lid and the color was matched, and the results were certainly beautiful. I also found out you can very carefully drill out chrome holes to be bigger (the holes I drilled and sanded were filled in to the point they didn't fit!) 400 grit will take it down, without ruining the finish.
The gloves were thankfully the easiest to put together on this whole build. It was a learning process gluing them on your hands though!
Daft Gloves! by TK9336, on Flickr
So, a month out from Dragon*Con I learned I would be able to attend for my 21st birthday. I biggest downfall I see of Daft Punk costumers is that they only have ONE of the punks! You need to have to both to really hit it home in my opinion. I convinced my buddy Cam to be my other half. Since I finished both gloves, and had both pendants in hand we just needed a helmet. I want to give a BIG shout out to Harrison AGAIN, for cleaning the helmet up before my buddy picked it up. Your a rock star, and your family are super nice people (they caught up to me in Daft Punk while at D*C).
So it was around this time the sequin tuxs started production after I sourced the fabric. It was tough, do I go with 5mm sequins or 3mm? I went with 5mm black square sequins and very glad I did!
RAM Fabric (#2) I went with! by TK9336, on Flickr
Naturally, I went through two pairs of shoes trying to find a exacting match for Daft's RAM shoes:
Mooda Chelsea Boots by TK9336, on Flickr
Then went with:
Giorgio Brutini's arrived! by TK9336, on Flickr
I even re-did the glitter the night before the con because the color Cam found was better than what I had found:
Before and After on the RAM Shoes by TK9336, on Flickr
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories by TK9336, on Flickr
So, things we're finally coming together we stayed up all night, to get lucky. Once in Georgia I crashed at Cam's place twice putting in all nighters to get everything ready for the big Dragon*Con reveal. I was giddy as a little girl at a boy band show. We tried to get electronics going, but just not in time. Instead, for next years Dragon*Con I am making the full Discovery suits, the only time Daft Punk ever had lights. Every time otherwise you see the lights in the helmets, it's just stylized wishful fan thinking. I want to do it to the real guys, which means gauntlets and backpacks. The lightless look was canon accuarte anyways...what I was shooting for!
Anyways, let's get this show on the road and show you good people what you actually came to see!
Parade, Saturday August 31st, 2013.
Dragon*Con 2013 by TK9336, on Flickr
The real Daft Punk.
RAM Daft Punk by TK9336, on Flickr
(If we weren't so darn last minute these suits would've benefited from getting pressed and dry clean, oh well!)
Dragon*Con 2013 by TK9336, on Flickr
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories by TK9336, on Flickr
(I need to re-pad my helmet to sit higher and tilted more downward on my head to more closely resemble the dynamic duo!)
Strutting downtown Atlanta by TK9336, on Flickr
PA by TK9336, on Flickr
(I need a longer gold chain, I know!)
Wrong era helmet, but still cool! by TK9336, on Flickr
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories by TK9336, on Flickr
Dragon*Con 2013 by TK9336, on Flickr
I also got to stand in the shadow of a giant:
Dragon*Con 2013 by TK9336, on Flickr
daft000b-thumb-500x620_large by TK9336, on Flickr
Dragon*Con 2013 by TK9336, on Flickr
busyp_daftpunk by TK9336, on Flickr
Dragon*Con 2013 by TK9336, on Flickr
Thank you for reading!
MWG 2013 Formal 4 by TK9336, on Flickr
I had the honor and privilege of being able to go my first ever Dragon*Con for my 21st birthday (9/2/1992) and got to show off Thom Wall's (Sorenzo Props) wonderful HAA DP Guy-Man sculpt. I finished it from the cast and then proceeded to do the rest of the costumes as accurately as possible. While I am still waiting on the funds to make my own RAM era GM helmet (since it is very form fitting) I mashed the eras and wore the HAA GM lid with the RAM tuxedos. Only one person all con knew the difference, lol. Regardless the compliments gotten all weekend were astounding. I cannot thank you all enough. I'm going to do a recap to show the evolution of this costume and how I reached the final results.
Here is the first professional quality (if you wanna call it that) costume I put together for my entry in the 501st Legion:
SPS - Matthew Crowley Photography! by TK9336, on Flickr
And Rebel Fleet Trooper for the Rebel Legion:
SPS Studio Day - Rebel Fleet Trooper by TK9336, on Flickr
However, this project did NOT start out smoothly. After I finished my Stormtrooper at 17, I wanted to do something different, and altogether...harder. It kicked my white armored butt. I started this project over a few times from lack of time, or money. Here is my first Daft helmet by MrPinski in August of 2011:
2011-08-14 16.25.10 by TK9336, on Flickr
I ended up accidentally melting that with lacquer paint thinner...
156195_4533090642515_1893357940_n by TK9336, on Flickr
After that, I stood a long time researching a new helmet to go with. I honestly chucked the project because I used the wrong pepakura model to make a Thomas lid:
2011-08-12 17.45.41 by TK9336, on Flickr
I was honestly pretty much defeated, and wasted a chunk of change. After a year at Norwich Senior Military College as a rook, then cadet all I could think about was this project. Every time I played the music, I could just see myself in a chrome helmet with a huge crowd of fans before me jamming out. That spring (2011) I bought patterns from God Save the Queen's Fashion to make my own leather suit like Harrison's of Volpin Props. Scratch another $650. I had a friend who was willing to make it for me while I went to Infantry OSUT at Ft. Benning. I left in April, and returned a Infantryman August 17. She hadn't even started yet. It then became an absolute nightmare trying to get the suit done and from her. Fast forward 5 agonizing months of waiting I finally got the suit...BUT IT DIDN'T FIT! Not to mention it was off detail wise in all kinds of places.
HAA Daft Punk Suit 2013 Round 1 by TK9336, on Flickr
HAA Daft Punk Suit 2013 Round 1 by TK9336, on Flickr
Game over man. I literally didn't know what to do with myself. While I was waiting on that I was trying to find THE shoes worn by Daft Punk for their leather outfits. That was another special type of hell. I ended up going through THREE pairs of shoes. Below is what Daft wears, I eventually was told by a fellow Adidas enthusiast in the sneaker industry exactly what they are: Adidas Kareem Jabbar black V2 high top with the suede tow bumper. I didn't find this out until...you guessed it! Much later...but here is a great picture showing the shoes:
daftpunkadidasproof by TK9336, on Flickr
At first when I started my quest I asked Harrison (Volpin) what he ended up using. He used Adidas Top Ten Hi Tops. Close, but not good enough for me.
These are Top Tens next to what I thought at the time was the perfect replacement...Adidas Nizza Hi Tops
Side by Side by TK9336, on Flickr
Problem with the Nizzas...they need rubber soles dyed black...that sounded easy enough.
20121103_210633 by TK9336, on Flickr
But that didn't work. I tried over 14 hours dying them...nothing worked. I got a deep purple. Not jet black. So eventually I started trying new methods:
After by TK9336, on Flickr
I thought that was fool proof. Wasn't. Once I learned the Jabbars were THE shoes, I was hell bent on finding them. I couldn't. I found however a normal white and grey pair. I then went to town, yet again to convert yet another pair of sneakers.
Adidas Jabbars (Round: 3) by TK9336, on Flickr
Daft Shoes @Flynn's Arcade by TK9336, on Flickr
The Conversion by TK9336, on Flickr
Final by TK9336, on Flickr
Next to the Nizzas:
The Conversion by TK9336, on Flickr
I may have a lead on an ACTUAL pair of these shoes. Problem is that the guy wants an arm and a leg for them. Anyways. The shoes were finished. There was the problem of getting my leather suit unfrakked. I learned that eventually was impossible. So I had to start from scratch, AGAIN. Thankfully a lady named Brandie near me was willing to take the project. I learned my lesson from the first time, get properly fitted!!!
So the mock ups got started:
Mock Up Part 1 by TK9336, on Flickr
Final mock up:
The last fitting! by TK9336, on Flickr
Then after waiting over four months I finally had a leather suit in hand. I was happy with it. I am selling the jacket through since we're making V2 to be broader, and tweak all kinds of small things like the collar, and cover cover.
Anyways. In August of 2012 I also got new, accurate casts. I got a Sorenzo HAA Guy-Man and a MrPinski Thomas. I probably will just end up getting Volpin's Thomas. I was really thrown through a loop on just how GOOD that looks. After all the questions asking, "that is the most accurate Thomas sculpt I've ever seen," it's a no brainer that I am going to just get his lids to do my Discovery and HAA lids.
With a world full of Guy-Man sculpts, here is why I went with Sorenzo's:
7313747080_c83e3d05eb_h by TK9336, on Flickr
7486832356_dea5fb9575_h by TK9336, on Flickr
Nobody has paid attention to swoop and squared off chin. That's why this helmet came together as brilliantly as it did.
20121005_231214 by TK9336, on Flickr
252513_4590850926486_1151143795_n by TK9336, on Flickr
After a few weeks sanding and filling off and on I finally had it ready to be shipped to the chromers at Creations'n'Chrome, naturally where Volpin sent his. That turned into a massive headache. As if my problems weren't enough spread over THREE pairs of sneakers, and TWO leather suits my helmet's first chroming didn't go smoothly.
Sorenzo Chromed w/raw fitted visor by TK9336, on Flickr
The whole piece had paint runs like this, and plenty of overspray in other areas. I spent way too long sanding and filling to perfection to have it fail at this part. So naturally, I asked to have it redone.
C'n'C Redux by TK9336, on Flickr
But it came back the WRONG color. I smacked my head, and noticed the filled in details. It had to be redone, thrice again! So, I sent the gloves with the lid and the color was matched, and the results were certainly beautiful. I also found out you can very carefully drill out chrome holes to be bigger (the holes I drilled and sanded were filled in to the point they didn't fit!) 400 grit will take it down, without ruining the finish.
The gloves were thankfully the easiest to put together on this whole build. It was a learning process gluing them on your hands though!
Daft Gloves! by TK9336, on Flickr
So, a month out from Dragon*Con I learned I would be able to attend for my 21st birthday. I biggest downfall I see of Daft Punk costumers is that they only have ONE of the punks! You need to have to both to really hit it home in my opinion. I convinced my buddy Cam to be my other half. Since I finished both gloves, and had both pendants in hand we just needed a helmet. I want to give a BIG shout out to Harrison AGAIN, for cleaning the helmet up before my buddy picked it up. Your a rock star, and your family are super nice people (they caught up to me in Daft Punk while at D*C).
So it was around this time the sequin tuxs started production after I sourced the fabric. It was tough, do I go with 5mm sequins or 3mm? I went with 5mm black square sequins and very glad I did!
RAM Fabric (#2) I went with! by TK9336, on Flickr
Naturally, I went through two pairs of shoes trying to find a exacting match for Daft's RAM shoes:
Mooda Chelsea Boots by TK9336, on Flickr
Then went with:
Giorgio Brutini's arrived! by TK9336, on Flickr
I even re-did the glitter the night before the con because the color Cam found was better than what I had found:
Before and After on the RAM Shoes by TK9336, on Flickr
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories by TK9336, on Flickr
So, things we're finally coming together we stayed up all night, to get lucky. Once in Georgia I crashed at Cam's place twice putting in all nighters to get everything ready for the big Dragon*Con reveal. I was giddy as a little girl at a boy band show. We tried to get electronics going, but just not in time. Instead, for next years Dragon*Con I am making the full Discovery suits, the only time Daft Punk ever had lights. Every time otherwise you see the lights in the helmets, it's just stylized wishful fan thinking. I want to do it to the real guys, which means gauntlets and backpacks. The lightless look was canon accuarte anyways...what I was shooting for!
Anyways, let's get this show on the road and show you good people what you actually came to see!
Parade, Saturday August 31st, 2013.
Dragon*Con 2013 by TK9336, on Flickr
The real Daft Punk.
RAM Daft Punk by TK9336, on Flickr
(If we weren't so darn last minute these suits would've benefited from getting pressed and dry clean, oh well!)
Dragon*Con 2013 by TK9336, on Flickr
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories by TK9336, on Flickr
(I need to re-pad my helmet to sit higher and tilted more downward on my head to more closely resemble the dynamic duo!)
Strutting downtown Atlanta by TK9336, on Flickr
PA by TK9336, on Flickr
(I need a longer gold chain, I know!)
Wrong era helmet, but still cool! by TK9336, on Flickr
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories by TK9336, on Flickr
Dragon*Con 2013 by TK9336, on Flickr
I also got to stand in the shadow of a giant:
Dragon*Con 2013 by TK9336, on Flickr
daft000b-thumb-500x620_large by TK9336, on Flickr
Dragon*Con 2013 by TK9336, on Flickr
busyp_daftpunk by TK9336, on Flickr
Dragon*Con 2013 by TK9336, on Flickr
Thank you for reading!
Last edited by a moderator:
