cookiemongoloid said:
Wow, this looks really good. I know you answered a very similar question above, ( i read the whole thing) , but you used Styrene plastic for the entire thing? (minus the pvc pipes and oatmeal can). Thanks, and BTW, it looks GREAT so far, i am looking forward toseeing the final product.
When I finish this prototype I will be making a revised Mark II from which I plan to make a mold. I will also be providing an extensive list of found parts and materials used list, along with where the materials can be store bought or ordered online. I'm not into the whole "hide" information from newbies garbage that certain members on this board are holding ideals towards. I myself would lost without this place, and it'd be a real kick in the face to people like Alan who are providing free blueprints or others that have compiled extensive paint lists and tutorials.
To answer your concerns above it breaks down like this.
Base skeleton (backplate, bottom, top flat) of the pack are all 1/4 inch foamboard. I did this to provide a strong basic structure to build onto.
The main tank is as you noticed above an oatmeal container and another chunk of an oatmeal container bonded together.
I traced a circle onto the top of that container and cut a hole in the TOP FLAT foamboard piece with the rocket base tank containers circumference. I then used a bushes baked beans aluminum container as the second tank and adjusted it to be the correct height with the excess length just being hidden inside the lower tank.
From here on i started to fill the gaps between the backplate and the main tank with foam, you can use any light weight filler, whether it be insulation or gardening block foam.
Once you get stuff built up enough to not have any flimsy feel you can start cutting the styrene and constructing what will be the outer shell.
So most things lined up correctly I scored most of the edges of the styrene on any part where the plating bends, such as around the jet pack side tank housings. I also found I was using a lot less filler since the pieces of styrene were still barely connected.
I dunno how well you follow all that, but it will all make sense when I do a Mark II and take pictures at every single step.
But like i said, once I got a basic structure, it was mostly styrene from there on.
Along the way I have learned quite a bit from trial and error on what won't work and what will, so I will be using a few different materials the second time around. Plus I will be constructing the Mark II with the plan of having a mostly hollow inside so that any gizmos that I want to rig up will have space and be easily accessible. If I end up molding it, it will be hollow anyway, i'm just talking about the prototypes right now.
If you have more questions just post.
thanks for the kind words
-=QuinN!