VQ's WIP - concrit, please! (Pics!)

[virusq]

Ugh.

I took a break to sand and bondo my helmet (Rubies 2 piece) and ... my bondo is solidified in the can.

Maaan.

[Tassone Phoenix]

Dang sorry to hear that. Yeah I don't recommend putting the hardener into the can itself, It's best to pour some of the bondo on to the side and then some hardener and work in sections. I watched a youtube video of some kid making halo armor and using bondo. It was my tutorial for learning how to use it, smear it, and sand it.

[virusq]

Yeah, this was some stuff my dad gave me when I asked him what kind of bondo he recommended.  It didn't come with hardener, which probably should have been my first clue, and then it said "sun hardens!" ... and then the bottom of the can said "Best if used by 1995..."

[Ahab Cromwell]

thats no good
you can find more at a auto zone or checkers they are about 15 bucks a can i think

[Tassone Phoenix]

They also sell it at Walmart too for like $13

[virusq]

Walmart had a small can of Bondo Light Body Filler for $9.  They had a tube of Bondo Plastic Metal for $6, though, so I figured I'd give that a shot.

So, now I'm waiting for the line of plastic metal on the inside seam to dry (1 more hour to go) before flip it over and try to do a nice coat on the top seam.

*finger crossing*

[virusq]

Helmet updates!

Also, I'm pretty sure I'm changing my Mando name to Dha Werda Ka'ra, thanks to Lyat'aag, so I apologize in advance for all the thread name change confusion that may occur.

[ConDar Ward]

I'm anxious to see more of your build .
I love Metal Armor ....... yours looks fantastic .

Good luck with the Bucket as well .    

[virusq]

I'm not dead yet.  D:

So.  It's been a while.  How are you?

I've lost 15 pounds since that first set of photos.  You probably can't tell.  But, what's important, is that I think I may need a new arming coat, now.  Sigh.

Despite the fact, I decided to mount the snaps to the armor and the vest, to see where they lay out:


(Apologies for the obligatory bathroom shot.  My sister's living with me now, so I should get better pictures of different clutter.)

I'm still concerned about the spacing.  The plates feel like they're much bigger than they should be, which makes me wonder if I shouldn't just scratch the project and start over with plastic.  I just.  Really want to finish one set before I start a new set, you know?

Started painting, this week:





I used Rustoleum Aluminum Primer for the base, then two coats of Krylon Bauhaus (a NEW CAN FROM A DIFFERENT WALMART, since the last one curdled everything).  The Rustoleum/Krylon seems to be working fine, but my stencil work is peeling up paint, so I'm starting to worry about how well the primer works.  Sigh.

I'm using Heavy Duty Canvas Snaps from Jo-Ann Fabrics to mount the plates.  The vest and pants seem to be holding up just fine for the grommeting, but the JB Weld on the plates seems to be ... slacking.

I think the costuming gods hate me.  D:

Anyway!  Hoping to get this baby finished for Phoenix Comic Con, so expect more updates in the next two weeks.

ALSO:  I'm desperately seeking someone artistic that can make me a tribal style Vornskr logo for my left breastplate.  I'm willing to pay for the commission, based on ability and time.  Point me in a direction?

[Nate Jangotat]

Looks to be coming along great!

Are those horse shoes under your armour? That has gotta be one big horse...

[virusq]

They came with the house!  My mother won't let me get rid of them, (something about bad luck), so I use them to hold down newspaper. 

[Kel T Skirata]

Looks good  Nicely shaped too .

[Slade Kel (Marrok)]

Part of it's going to be that your vest is now a bit baggy on you, but the spacing definitely looks a bit off. The ab plate should probably come up about half an inch, and it looks like you may have to trim just a bit off of the top of the 'arms' of it, so that it slots nicely into the opening made by the chest plates. Also, and this may just be because your arms are raised to get the picture, but it looks like the whole set could do with being moved up somewhat. You don't have to do so; the collar plate might fill the area in well enough, but typically the top of you chest plates should rest just below your collar bones.

As to sizing, the plates might be a hair on the wide side; you could probably do with taking 1/4 to 1/2 an inch off of just the outsides. Again, though, it's possible that they just look that way due to the fit of the vest. There's a fine line between too-large and just-right, and these aren't that far over the line.

All that said, it looks like you've made some excellent progress. I know my post is sort of 'wall of critiques', but I mean them in the most constructive way possible .

[virusq]

I have had nothing but problems with the aluminum, to be perfectly honest.  They were perfect the day we cut them out and shaped them, but by the time I got them home, they all changed shape just enough to be annoying.

I've had the backplate re-bent three times now, and after a week or two, the shoulder tabs flip out like wings.  My dad insists it has something to do with cold-roll-memory or some such, but it's ... well, just annoying.  Not sure how the rest of you guys put up with it.

I'm going to finish painting and mounting the snaps on these aluminum plates and see how they fit.  I'm really thinking I'll have to re-start the entire project with plastic, if for no other reason than the fact that I can actually re-shape and cut down plastic without having to take a 5 hour trip to visit my dad and his metal shop.

Anyway.  Here are my shoulders, today:



Mythosaur skull and local clan symbol. 



I am *really* tempted to keep the brushed black effect.  It looks sweet...

[Slade Kel (Marrok)]

I say roll with it, even if just for that plate; it really does look cool .

On the topic of the metal; what thickness are you working with? When it comes to aluminum, bending it into shape usually just doesn't work. In my experience, you have to hammer it, with a bit of bending allowed once you've gotten the curve in. I generally use a combination of 14 gauge aluminum (the which is too thick to bend anyway) and 22 gauge steel for my armor. Steel is a whole different animal from aluminum; 22 gauge can be bent into near-to any shape you need, and 26 is workable as well, although the 26 does have a tendency to crease if bent the wrong way.