Modifying the Struss Dredd Vest
- Thread starter Art Andrews
- Start date
Looks sawesomememe
I've been painting a Dredd poster and your pics have totally cleared up some misconceptions I had about the uniform construction. The movie stills are sometimes a bit vague.
Very cool, Emily Su! If there is anything I can help you with, please don't hesitate to ask!
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Got in Jeff Allen's shoulders today as a replacement for the Struss shoulders. There is good and bad. The good? The left shoulder piece actually looks like it should. Unfortunately, due to production issues, the Stuss left shoulder vaguely resembles the correct armor, but it way off and is covered in leather. The Allen armor is much more curved so it hugs your shoulders like they should while the Stuss armor is very flattened. On the right shoulder, it is again, a mix. The outside edges of the Allen eagle are sharper but the individual feathers are not. Now... you can see where Struss' eagle was heavily modified to give sharper details and not done so carefully, but it DOES result in a sharper look than the Allen. However, again, the Allen curves nicely to the shoulder while the Struss is flat. Also, the Allen has the top stitch line area to the lower half of the eagle, which is a big deal when trying to make these pieces lay right. Other issues? The struss armor is made out of a VERY forgiving rubberized plastic which scars up nicely and bends without breaking. The Allen armor is very rigid plastic that would crack if bent hard enough. It is going to be an interest challenge to put drill holes in this for the stitching. 
On a final note, Jeff shipped these pieces LIGHTNING fast!
Struss armor is gold. Allen armor is black.
On a final note, Jeff shipped these pieces LIGHTNING fast!
Struss armor is gold. Allen armor is black.
Max Replica
Well-Known Member
Art, if you can get access to an industrial sewing machine (at a shoe repair place, maybe?) then you can stitch Jeff Allen's armor on just like they were done for the movie (the ones in the movie were stitched by machine, not by hand). I haven't done mine yet, but I have done tests with Jeff's plastic and it did not crack when stitched by the machine.
Here are the Allen pieces after minimal cleanup to the outside edges.
View attachment 278970
Also more photos to show the difference in the curvature of the Allen pieces compared to the Struss pieces. You can also see the sharpening done to the Struss eagle feathers.
View attachment 278970
Also more photos to show the difference in the curvature of the Allen pieces compared to the Struss pieces. You can also see the sharpening done to the Struss eagle feathers.
After very light sharpening with a flat file.
Hey Art. I may have missed it. What mannequin are you using? It looks awesome!
Would heating the Struss eagle and bending it help to give it the correct shape?
Would heating the Struss eagle and bending it help to give it the correct shape?
GM27E as mentioned here: http://www.therpf.com/f9/what-your-ideal-display-mannequin-191477/index2.html#post3008537
In regard to heating the Struss armor... man... I'd be hard pressed because I'd worry that it would erode detail from the original pull. The nice thing is, the Struss armor is pretty pliable, so if you tighten the straps enough, to some degree, it is going to pull in.
In regard to heating the Struss armor... man... I'd be hard pressed because I'd worry that it would erode detail from the original pull. The nice thing is, the Struss armor is pretty pliable, so if you tighten the straps enough, to some degree, it is going to pull in.
Bountys Hunted
Well-Known Member
When I applied the gold to my shoulders / eagle, I used a fairly stiff brush and used more of a drybrushing / stippling technique. Very happy with the results. Gives you pretty good control as well.
Rex, stop telling us and post some pics!!!
Mobiuscorpus
Member
I know Kurt posted a video to the Dredd FB page showing how he did it, using a sponge and a dry brush sort of technique.
Tvayumat
Well-Known Member
Essentially ALL the detail on this shoulder eagle here is drawn on.
Your v2 may be sharper, but I got one of the v1 eagles and one of the worst of them. They had almost no shape to them whatsoever, so I basically painted depth on by layering colors.
Peter Theobalds has done similarly with good results.
Really looking forward to upgrading to the Jeff Allen plates to go with the new, thick spacer mesh.
It's also worth noting that the "leather" covering on the RI left shoulder is, in fact, vinyl like all the other "leather" details on the vest. At least, this has been the case on every vest I've seen.
Your v2 may be sharper, but I got one of the v1 eagles and one of the worst of them. They had almost no shape to them whatsoever, so I basically painted depth on by layering colors.
Peter Theobalds has done similarly with good results.
Really looking forward to upgrading to the Jeff Allen plates to go with the new, thick spacer mesh.
It's also worth noting that the "leather" covering on the RI left shoulder is, in fact, vinyl like all the other "leather" details on the vest. At least, this has been the case on every vest I've seen.
baron von blondle
Sr Member
Thanks Chris!
I ended up with the pads from my V2 vest looking like this...
I'll also be dusting them down a bit later.
I think the left shoulder on the V1's is much better then on the V2 and vica versa for the eagle. It's soft in places sure but not unworkable with a bit of imagination and effort.
I actually used eye makeup pencils among other things for the above effect :$
I ended up with the pads from my V2 vest looking like this...
I'll also be dusting them down a bit later.
I think the left shoulder on the V1's is much better then on the V2 and vica versa for the eagle. It's soft in places sure but not unworkable with a bit of imagination and effort.
I actually used eye makeup pencils among other things for the above effect :$
Thanks, Art!
Sorry I'm late coming to this thread, I'm finding this very interesting, even though I've vac formed my own armor and had my vest sewn. Everyone might consider taking a deep breath and not stressing terribly about conflicting small details as Many people can be correct. Just as some of the back ground costumes had differing pieces ranging from foam guns to non opening med kits, they may have used differing size zippers on the vests. You can change a zipper to match one known version, only to have another match the previous. Most costumers will not be too concerned with such small details....not sure why we agonize over them. Regarding color, similar issue. You can see the effect of manipulation of color in scenes where blood is plentiful. At the same time that they made the blood vibrant and garish to enhance the 3D effect, Dredd's helmet becomes equally garish in those scenes. It doesn't resemble the Colonial red many people are using. Unless you are able to color scan a screen used helmet and get a custom color mix, you will not replicate that color exactly. I hope this gives everyone a pause to consider the futility of searching for perfection......though for some, that alone is a hobby, I suppose. By the way, for those that have satisfied themselves with Pinsky armor or made their own and want the same texture as on the movie version, they can PM me for the name of a specialty paint, which I used as an undercoat, that replicates the haircell surface texture.
FYI, if anyone has a bright zipper on their vest that they want to darken, a product called "Blacken It" works to chemically darken brass without paint which would possibly gum up the zipper. You can stop the chemical reaction with a damp sponge when you like the look of it. It is available at a company called MicroMark. Better to do it before the zipper is installed but I applied it after and it didn't harm the spacermesh at all, even though it is an acid. The result on my vest is a natural antique look. If you leave it on too long the brass will go totally flat black.
At this late date, it maybe isn't of any interest to you but if you look at my thread on modding Pinsky armor, I not only changed the size of a pauldron, but haircell textured the entire piece which was totally smooth previously. The paint I found is like a miracle for creating that texture. It is actually called "wrinkle finish" paint. You have to use it as a primer because it doesn't come in gold.
So, the vest is now with my seamstress and the armor has been removed. Here is what the first cut is going to remove from the front panel.
