Urdnot Wrex Build

CafeUlg

Member

• Sep 17, 2014

• #1

My next build after making Grunt is going to be Wrex (maybe I secretly wanted to make Wrex all along?)

I've been hoovering up build information from both thevitavink and booksandcorsets Wrex builds, but I'm building mine from a pepakura base like I did with Grunt

I've made three Wrex heads from pepakura so far and have finally made one that looks ok and not incredibly derpy

Version 1 super derpy
Version 2 slightly derpy

Version 3, no cut corners this time
He's been coloured blue because for some reason my printer isn't liking red at the moment, it was either pink or blue

Here's a link to my terrible unfold if anyone want to have a go building him

https://www.4shared.com/file/5uRICPKlba/Wrex-Head-unfold-by-cafe-ulg.html

I'm going to strengthen the paper up with paper mache instead of fiberglass and resin this time because paper mache is free and my budget is a little smaller this time

I've made a bit of a start of the foam unfold for the armour too

I'd also love to have a go with making a movable jaw this time



I'm basing my ideas for this on things like the animatronic alien mask on youtube
and similar non radio animatronics (I wish I could completely figure out how the pulley system works on that alien mask, but I'd be happy with just a direct jaw wire system without the lip curl)

Onto paper macheing over the next couple of days

 

CafeUlg

Member

• Oct 3, 2014

• #2

Quick update, thanks to my partners awesome knowledge of paper mache (it's been twenty years since I've used it XD) and her great idea of backing problem areas with masking tape he's definitely looking much more like a character. I'm going to hit up the front with some cheap resin then apply a layer of clay and get the details and hopefully the symmetry sorted out

 

CafeUlg

Member

• Nov 14, 2014

• #3

Slowly making progress on this, I've got all the armour patterns printed off too which I'm going to cut out over the next couple of days or so

Getting there? XD

 

CafeUlg

Member

• Nov 20, 2014

• #4

Evened out the crest and scraped back the right eyebrow so that both eyes are looking forward now. I've got to sculpt the back of the neck I just got to hope I don't run out of clay again (I'm trying to be all Principal Skinner on this build, 'I'm on a tight budget here' XD)



Cut and glued out 84 pages of armour pattern, ready to transferred to EVA foam once my workshop is cleared of insulation foam XD

 

spazzman31337

Member

• Nov 20, 2014

• #5

This looks awesome great job on the head and face can't wait to see the armor

 

CafeUlg

Member

• Dec 18, 2014

• #6

Pretty much finished the sculpt now, I'm probably going to mould it with silicone due to all the undercuts on his head crest



I probably attempt to skin flexible foam into the silicone mould, I didn't think it was possible but if there's a tutorial for it on the brick in the yard I'll give it go XD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIRbHncayTU

Did a quick colour mock up of what the sculpt might look like when it's finished.



It's so weird it looks like a drawing someone else has done not something I've made XD

 

Wheeljack

Active Member

• Dec 20, 2014

• #7

This is looking real good. Subscribed!

 

CafeUlg

Member

• Feb 14, 2015

• #8

Finally finished routering out the main body of my Wrex armour, I'm going to sand out the imperfections then I might even cut it out (shock horror)



I'm planning on getting as much detail as I can into the foam as I can while it's still flat, flat pack armour making if you will XD

 

CafeUlg

Member

• Feb 14, 2015

• #9

Slowly becoming a thing, still pretty rough at the moment but the shape is there at least

 

CafeUlg

Member

• May 31, 2015

• #10

Been a while since my last update (damn you work XD)

Took the pod apart to achieve the raised spine pieces



Stuck it together roughly



Started blocking out the legs, chest and arms





Made a worbla under skull



Got a Despicable Me Minion toy really cheap second hand and harvested it for it's eye mechanisms, I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to insert them but I lucked out I think these eyes are the perfect size

 

I

itsaplane

Member

• Jun 13, 2015

• #11

Wow, looking good!!! I can't wait to see the finished product!

 

CafeUlg

Member

• Jun 17, 2015

• #12

Bought some jump stilts (on the cheap, £30 for very second hand)



Decided after they arrived that I preferred life over death and took the stilts apart to use the leg brace section



Bolted on some cheap comfy memory foam slippers



A mock up of how the digitigrade-esque legs are going to look, I'm pretty pleased with how they've turned out considering this isn't what had planned originally

I've tried these on and I can actually walk quite well in them, which is a first for my recent batch of costumes



Sprayed the minion eyes with red primer then painted in the detail with some red acrylic then finished them with a bit of high gloss varnish.

Going to try and get the main parts constructed this weekend (got a weekend off yay)

 

Wheeljack

Active Member

• Jul 9, 2015

• #13

Bump for being Epic! looking forward to seeing the finished build.

 

CafeUlg

Member

• Jul 17, 2015

• #14

So near and yet so far...




For the paint job I went for one coat of filler primer, one coat of red primer and a coat of gloss red on top. Then I went in with a big brush and stippled in a load of texture with two different shades of red



Using a cheap radio operators backpack frame from eBay and some wizardry ideas from my family to make this thing easier to wear. My dad welded the brackets to the steel frame and provided me with the pipe clips and my brother ground down the edges of the bolts so they would sit correctly. This thing is now finally wearable




Got to de-mould the head next that's the next major thing *fingers crossed*

 

CafeUlg

Member

• Jul 23, 2015

• #15

Quick costume test, I can walk in this it's a miracle! XD

 

CafeUlg

Member

• Aug 23, 2016

• #16

Re: Urdnot Wrex Build [COMPLETE]

Right one year later and my Wrex costume is finally finished

Lots of problems and set back on this build but it's all a learning process I suppose

As I couldn't run latex into a silicone mould and for some reason I could never get enough material into the giant mould (even expanding foam) due to not being able to afford enough to back-fill the whole thing.



So I ended up using Anything Foam from plastidip, which after some experiments I discovered will cure in a silicone mould leaving a thick latex/foam skin that is tough but flexible

I probably shouldn't have used a silicone mould in the first place, but I know that for next time now

Which left me with this, not much to work with but with the very generous help of Ascension Props sending me his Krogan pepakura for foam unfold I was able to put a EVA foam skull under this and glue it down with contact cement.




From this base I build up layers of a paint latex mix




Then with my partners help we figured out a way of attaching the head to the armour using cheap plumbing parts



I had to borrow an estate car to get him there but I was able to wear him over two days at Amecon 2016





-Notes for next time-

I think I'm going to make any large costumes like this in the future out of soft foam with maybe a covering of Plastidip Anything Foam to make it easier to transport and (hopefully) wear