Plastic and breast plates... HELP.

[Asori Ge'tal]

I'm starting my armor and have run into the issue of...THE BREAST PLATE. Who doesn't have an issue with this..?? lol
I started off with EVA foam... to no avail. While it's easy to shape, it just doesn't sit well against my body... it's too thick.
So I've gotten some plastic storage containers...
I know that the mannequin chest is whats being used mostly for females making their chest plates, but personally, I really don't like the finished look of it... and i'm a bit hefty (cough cough) in the chest area...
To the point, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of how to form the chest, after the plastic is heated... I'm a creative person, but my mind's been boggled on this topic for most of the day, lol.
Any info is greatly appreciated!

[Viradechtis]

I'd stay away from EVA if your making a costume you want approved for the club (the material is banned).

As a busty girl myself i've looked at many tutorials. Were you looking for a fit like the "Mando Bra" or a true mandalorian female look? Both have their difficulties, but solutions as well.

[Asori Ge'tal]

Oh yeah, the EVA was a fail. I got a good looking chest piece, but it's not up to my standards, lol.
I'd like to stick to the true mando female look.

[Viradechtis]

I know a few fellow dalyc have had great run, or their WIPs are a great inspiration. I've been stalking SnowWhite33 progress with hers as I love how she modded the regular templates to accommodate a larger bust.

Here are some other good threads I had bookmarked for later use! (not all are made for bustier women, but they are ones that can be easily modded)
http://mercs.firespray.net/forum/index.php?topic=22673.0
http://mercs.firespray.net/forum/index.php?topic=14354.15

Those are just the ones offhand, but delve deep into the Female Armor thread and you can find some great links!

[Asori Ge'tal]

Thank you! I've actually read through these earlier today, lol.
I'm actually thinking about using the EVA foam as the cast to mold the plastic over... As i've already molded the heated foam to my chest, might as well not waste the foam, lol. And it does fit pretty well over the cup itself, so i'm thinking that with a thinner material like plastic, it'll be pretty easy to form.

[Kebii'tra Verda]

Shameless plug - If you're interested, I sell pre-formed Femmando chest pieces. Check out my site.

http://themandalorianarsenal.host22.com/products.html

It's in the Body Armor section.

dAVid.

[Viradechtis]

@ Asori: Yeah, using EVA as a mold or a practice set of mando armor isn't frowned upon (its just if you tried to use it as your armor to be official that you would run into a problem.) So cast away!

Also, @Jaiden: Your link didn't work, I dunno if maybe you forgot to buy your hosting or something but even in 3 different browsers it didn't popped up as "Not found".

Has anyone else had this problem before that you were able to fix?

[Kebii'tra Verda]

It's working fine for me on about 4 different ISPs. Check your browser and try different ones. Firefox usually works the best. If you are using Firefox and you're still having trouble, check the server where you are logged on. Since the website is hosted at 000webhost.com with the host22 extension, it may not be getting through your server filters as a legit site, just like how FaceBook hates my link as well.

Either way, here's the link to my comprehensive thread here with the pic of the piece in the first post.
http://mercs.firespray.net/forum/index.php?topic=35935.0

If the site still won't come up on your computer, PM me any questions and I'll be happy to answer them.

dAVid.

[Slade Kel (Marrok)]

To put it frankly, if you're a busty lass, then you aren't going to get the plastic to form proper cups without using the 'darting' method of making necessary cutouts, gluing the plastic together into shape and then bondo'ing over the darts for the smooth look. That's if you're set on standard modern armor. Crusader era armor allows for differently shaped chest plates, and Legacy era (which still falls under the modern heading) likewise has a different look to it. My clan leader Sinclair isn't overly busty, but she's found the Legacy chest plates to be a far more comfortable and easy to work alternative to trying for boob plates. You're also allowed to go with a more custom design to fit your proportions, as long as you keep the general 'mandalorian' look to the plates, so you can always go with something sort of in between.

My main recommendation if you go custom is to keep the standard mando diamond. A fair number of people, especially womenfolk going with a custom look, either remove or change the diamond design, but it really is almost as iconic as the T-visor.

[Taglar Dreskk]

Another approach is to try paper/cardstock and fiberglass.  We've had a few peeps make "duct tape dummies" (google it to see how to do it) and then just lay paper and fiberglass down over top to make chest armor that fits right to their body and shape.

The thread below this titled "you could kill someone with those things" is a good resource for the fiberglass method http://mercs.firespray.net/forum/index.php?topic=16740.30

[Viradechtis]

@Jaiden: Got it working, thanks!

[Asori Ge'tal]

Another approach is to try paper/cardstock and fiberglass.  We've had a few peeps make "duct tape dummies" (google it to see how to do it) and then just lay paper and fiberglass down over top to make chest armor that fits right to their body and shape.

The thread below this titled "you could kill someone with those things" is a good resource for the fiberglass method http://mercs.firespray.net/forum/index.php?topic=16740.30

I've been following this thread! Lol. I'm actually going to try this. Seems a little easier and it builds a more custom fit to me, which is what I like.

[BountyhunterQ]

When putting my wife's kit together, we tried one vendor, the plates were not going to work... we tried making our own, it wasn't going to work like we wanted... we went with the TMA (Jaiden's) Femmando chest... MAGIC!

[Kit Jate'kara]

I'm not as busty as some girls but I know several local girls have had good luck using mannequins for chest plates. You just buy a hanging half mannequin off ebay and then cut it up to your liking. Just don't forget to get rid of the nipples lol

[Asori Ge'tal]

I'm not as busty as some girls but I know several local girls have had good luck using mannequins for chest plates. You just buy a hanging half mannequin off ebay and then cut it up to your liking. Just don't forget to get rid of the nipples lol

the chests of mannequins freak me out... lol. i don't know what it is.