Wrist Blade Gauntlet (functional)

[MasterAnubis]

So my helmets progress was slowed and I got sidetracked by blades...

EDIT: This is the scaled up version of my son's proof of concept: http://www.thehunterslair.com/index.php?showtopic=15423

I'm using 1/8"(.125") ABS plastic because I have a whole sheet of this stuff.

Going off of this reference pic, I drew up my blades.

I made two templates using manila folder. One was made to be like the pic and the other is shorter and straight to facilitate the movement without being so damn long.

I made a plastic template so that I could have a more permanent template. Not that that matters, the folder paper lasts a while if it's not abused.

I cut my 15" X 2" stripes and glued them into pairs to double up the thickness to get to 1/4". Then taped them all together and traced out the blades.

I band sawed out the shape then clamped them into the vise and filed them down to match each other.

Once I had them separate I filed and roto-tooled them to detail them to resemble the reference pic. I rounded all of the edges and beveled the edges. Overall I'm not thrilled with the way they came out and I have some touch ups to do before I paint them.

This is the lot of blades.

.

 

[Crazy Hunter]

Cool looks very nice,good work.

 

[king jami]

real nice haha i cant seem to make any blades but where did you get the plastic???

 

[king jami]

real nice haha i cant seem to make any blades but where did you get the plastic???

 

[MasterAnubis]

real nice haha i cant seem to make any blades but where did you get the plastic???

I got my plastic at the local Regal-Piedmont Plastics. They sell to the public and they have a location only 2 miles away. Brian’s Email (He's the salesman I worked with trying to pick out the right stuff)
bnicks@regalpiedmontplastics.com
I asked Brian about shipping. He said that they are willing to work with people(like cutting sheets down). But, they only sell full sheets 4' X 8' and if they freight full sheets there is a minimum of some kind.

http://www.piedmontplastics.com/
5720 S. 40th Street
Suite 3
Phoenix, Arizona 85040
Toll Free: 800-829-4770
Phone: 602-437-1000

1/8" sheet of black ABS with the 'hair cell' was about $35 +tax
1/8" sheet of white Sintra was about $30 (Add $5 for the black I got) +tax

Before I found them I called local sign companies. One place didn't know what Sintra was. The second place directed me to Piedmont. They were also willing to order me some if it turned out Piedmont didn't sell to the public. So, your local sign companies might be a good place to call to avoid big shipping bills. They might even have cutoff scraps too.


I should probably do a formal comparison of materials sometime too, here's a quick comp. Keep in mind that there are slightly different techniques for working with them and I am still a beginner at it. I also use TIG welding gloves. They're deer skin and fairly smooth.

ABS
Takes higher temps to shape and is heavier than Sintra.
It seems to be more resilient then Sintra when reheating and can form 3D shapes better.
I have .125", Stormtroopers usually use a .096".
I can glue it using ABS glue found in plumbing departments.

Sintra
Needs lower temps to shape and is the lightest plastic for its thickness.
When shaping it is susceptible to the pressure points of fingers and hands.

 

[MasterAnubis]

I got some good progress done in the last few days. Slow going but ever forward...
I mated the blades with the block to hold them together and now they are a sub assembly. I formed the top and bottom of the action tube and have it screwed together. I have a temporary rubber band in it so that I can test the fit and function of the latch. I still need to finish shaping the tube and then I can start on the decorating it and turning it into a gauntlet.

The sub assemblies:

them together:

the action:


I'll post a better video after I get is edited.

 

[Crazy Hunter]

Top I like it

 

[Naasad Tal]

Killer job man!!! I REALLY need to get some more of my suit done...I need some of the ABS Plastic & a heat gun first though, not too expensive but...well, you know how it is...anyway killer job again man, im TOTALLY jealous that your the first of us to get wrist blades...guess it's time for me to step it up!!!!

 

[Guan Thwei]

I like the way your is coming out man very cool and I can't wait to see them in person @ our next meeting.

 

[MotoGuy75]

That is pretty cool.I have been wondering how to go about making some wrist gauntlets.Nice job dude.And thanks for showing how it's done.Oh your video demo was pretty cool.

Daren

 

[MasterAnubis]

Thanks, guys.

That is pretty cool.I have been wondering how to go about making some wrist gauntlets.Nice job dude.And thanks for showing how it's done.Oh your video demo was pretty cool.

Daren

Thanks,
This is only one way to do it. Carving the blades is a pain and not as consistent and I like. Most people would make an original, then cast it. That way they'd all be identical. At this point it's a matter of using what I have and keeping the money out of it. I don't have much resin left, so casting them would have ment spending more money.

 

[MasterAnubis]

I was going to just do a short update. Then I realized I did more then I've allready posted. I understand this might be some good info for some, so I'm adding more detailed pics.

I added a leaf spring the length of the tube. This has tabs on it to latch the blade assembly forward and back. I added strings to pull them down to unlatch the blades. I did it just like my sons blades and I'm still going low tech on this with large rubberband to launch it (the same effect as daisy chaining smaller rubberbands). There won't be any tension on it when its out, so it's needed to be latched to stay in place. This differs from my sons gauntlet in that his was small(and light) enough that it could be held in place by tension. To scale it up, the size added too much weight to make this effective.

The leaf spring is a bowed strip of ABS and is held in place by a small nut and screw that also hold the plastic strap for the arm band. I will glue the front and rear arm bands when I finalize the setup so they won't rotate. I may glue the leaf spring too.

This is the mechanism breakdown:

I made a template for the bottom and cut a piece of Sintra to shape. I will use the same template for my bomb gauntlet later. I'm using Sintra here because it's lighter and I don't need the strength and rigitidy of ABS.

I warmed up the Sintra in the oven (about 225F) for a few minutes on a sheet of stainless steel I have so that it wouldn't go through the rack. Then wraped it around a 32oz cup I used as the form of my arm. Then, I went over it with a heat gun to get the top bent the way I wanted and to remove the warping.

This is a mochup of what I have minus the blades. This bottom cover will go on after the gauntlet is straped in place and be held with velcro. Because of the weight, the gauntlet needs to be secure or it will flop around. The front strap will go on like a snug watch over the glove. The back strap is adustable but will remain as a loop to go over the skin. The positioning in the picture isn't exactly how I want it. The launch tube will be moved foward a little and get trimmed and shaped for details.

There you go. I welcome questions if I'm not clear on anything.

 

[MotoGuy75]

This is a great idea.I like how you broke down the process.I am going to try and make one blade then cast it in resin.Crossing my fingers,for I have never sculpted or casted before.

Good job,Daren

 

[MasterAnubis]

Thanks!

I'm due for an update, I just wanted to get a little further. I've trimmed it up and streamlined it a little. I've modified the block so that it extends and retracts further. I've added a handle to pull on both strings. Mainly to see how well it would work. So far I'm really happy how it's coming out. The strings go over the back of my hand and then I hold onto the handle. By moving my hand I can pull on one or the other. It fits inside the glove to be completely covered. The arm cover is held on by its own pressure. With it going over the screws to locate it I don't think the velcro is needed.

I've added a front cover to hide the bolt and the hole will get covered when it's all decorated.

The back corner has been knocked down to look smaller. The end of the blades and tube have been trimed slightly. Because I took so much off, it became too floppy. I added the little rail-skid things to reduce the flop. I basically filed them down to fit in the tube the best it could.

 

[Roydraven]

very cool and very imaginative using budget things around the house love this sort of things thanks for posting
cant wait to see what else you can do

 

[SUICIDALRAIDER]

hell yea dude!!! love them. There is definately a market for them. Blades are hard to find and nice looking ones even harder. Will you concider selling just the plastic blades without the housing? you can be the blade guy!!

 

[MasterAnubis]

hell yea dude!!! love them. There is definately a market for them. Blades are hard to find and nice looking ones even harder. Will you concider selling just the plastic blades without the housing? you can be the blade guy!!

Thanks . That’s one hell of a complement! I didn't think people would want them. So, I wasn't thinking about making more of these. I'd have to look into everything about my process before I would.

"The blade guy"... I like that. Oddly enough I have made quite a few wooden knives and letter openers. I’ve also done inlays for a friends swap meet Cutlery shop.

This one's my favorite:
It was a plaque commission for another Marine. The plaque board is Walnut, the handle is Cherry and the rest is Zebra wood. It's life size and you can't tell in this photo but the blade has the blood grooves and is beveled and contoured like the original. It's also removable from the plaque. I never got any pictures of it after they put the engraved plate on it.

Some of the other knives I've done:
MasterAnubis.com

 

[justice]

They look awesome !!! Perhaps the Blade guy can also sell working blade gaunlets as well . Just a thought .

 

[MasterAnubis]

They look awesome !!! Perhaps the Blade guy can also sell working blade gaunlets as well . Just a thought .

Thanks! You guys are great!

But you haven't even seen it done... and I'm callin' it done now. I was worried I was going to over doodad it and then it wouldn't look right. I have issues about when to stop. My wife said she likes it, so I stopped. The paint is all rattle can. I wish the pics could show the highlights better. I might go back and airbrush some highlights to get more contrast.

Dupli-Color
sandable black primer
cast coat iron (engine paint)
aluminum (engine paint)

Eastwood
underhood black
silver cad

Here are the two peices. The main housing and the cover. I didn't paint the bottom of the launch tube because that will be mostly hidden. Where it does show, the black is fine.

Fully extended. I wanted natural lighting to show the color better. the flash was just bouncing back and making it look pretty harsh.

Retracted.

Here are the video links to the discriptions
Yes, I know I say 'fully functional' and that doesn't apply since it doesn't retract.
NOTE: These are the same video.

YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW5HLrlWyDA

Photobucket

 

[lordderak]

my god, they turned out f*?king fabulous dude, well done