most screen-accurate cardboard/papermache jet pack ever! (pic-heavy!)

Here I am again! 8)

I already started this project during the end of my EIII premiere-countdown after I saw raptorarts great cardboard/papermache jet pack.
I was so fascinated of it, that I wanted to try to make the most screenaccurate cardboard/papermache jet pack ever. ...however as it is my first try, it may turn out as a piece of unreckognizable modern art as well.

To have it complete I post the few early pics from the countdown too and will post pics of every single step and piece, so if it works out in the end, it might be used as kind of a tutorial.


The starting bases are the blueprints that can be found in this forum (which are by the way great work!) for all the measures and shapes.
Afterwords you need a big piece of cardboard and on it goes!


After the cutting and bending (pic1+2) of a shape that covers most of the mainbody, I used another piece of strong cardboard bend to a slight curve for the use as the backplate (always noticed the packs with a flat back, which results in hanging ot far back with the rocket pointing more backwards than up)(pic3).

The next step were the tubes.
I used those pringles chips cardboard tubes, which have suprisingly the exact diameter as needed, but as the are too short I had to use pieces of a third taped above (pic4).
For the maintube I used a thick cardboard tube usually used for accomodating large pieces of drawings and blueprints. Sadly it's diameter is 1cm (1/3 inch) to wide) but still better as the next smaller which was nearly 2cm too small (well, there goes the screen-accuracy ). The Tube is long enough to easily get three maintubes out of it (so next project "screen-accurate stubby jet pack"! WAAH!).
(pic5)

The first detail I worked on in this early stage was the rockets grit at the bottom. I took the measures of the blueprints and cut out the piece. Then I cut the grits into it (pic 6) and backed it up with a piece of black cardboardpaper.
For the "sinkhole" of the grit I used the same cardboard paper (which I will use for all smaller parts) and formed it with enough edge left for gluing it later to the bottom of the pack as well as the gritplate into the sinkhole (pic7+8).
Then simply attached the complete construction to the bottom of the pack (be aware that it still fits with the tube above it, but if the measures were followed correctly it fits like a glove). (pic9+10)


So much for the start.
Please don't expect that my progress on the jet pack will be as fast as on my Jango, as I have to concentrate most time on my studies for exams.
But I think I might be able of making one step a week (just for relaxation of course ).
So please be patient.


PS: Could anybody tell me how I can integrate the pic within the text and not only attaching all the pics at the end?
Would be nice.

that looks very promissing, keep those pics coming mate!!! and keep going!!! :jet pack

That is some nice work there man! Great job, again! Don't quit! Maybe you could try using bondo on the end product to fill in any gaps and so on (if the bondo will work with cardboard, I know nothing of bondo, other than it is kind of like a putty/clay). Goodluck bro!!!

Thanx pals.

@askywalker98:
The gaps and edges will be closed and smoothend at the end while covering the pack with a coat of papermache, so it will then look like out of one piece (hopefully ).

That's impresive and so simple! I'm stunned! I've been trying to make a jp from plastic and fiberglass (and failing so miserably that I've given up!) and here's the answer starring me in the face! Genius! :thumbup You have set those of us who are fibreglass/resin challenged (I just make a solid looking mass of goo!) and/or on a budget (priorities people! You can eat NEXT week!) on the right path. :thumbup :thumbup


BTW: Nice touch using the Star Wars pringle tubes!

NICE!!!

pLS..more detailed pics!! I would like to take what u have done to make it to an Arena Jet pack!!

PLS!! MOREE!!!

Wow!

Just freaking wow!

I love it!

hmm... I may do something simmilair for my "exhaust" port as I dremmeled myn out because it was so bloody inaccurate, haven't gotten aroun to making one though... looks cewl

allthough I might try something with plexi-glas... thnx for the inspiration!!!

any body has Jango's Arena Jet Packs Dimensions??

try search function... but (im NO Jango expert) isn;t the main body about the same size??

you mean the elevated part, so that it will be up a little?

just a straight line of plexiglas, the length of the hole I currently have, heat up at pre-measured "fold-points" and place the part with the "bars in it on top... am I making much sense here??

I'll make something in paint to clearify... brb...

hope this is a little easier to understand..

Any updates yet? Looking great man!

Nope, I'm sorry. No time due to exams.
From tomorrow on I won't be at home (except for a few days in between) till mid of september. So there will be no progress till then.

But the good news is, that after that I should have about two weeks in which I will have plenty of time to concentrate on the JP (and hopefully finish it).

So don't despair and stay tuned, the cardboard jet pack is inevitably on it's way.

Sounds cool man. Take your time on those exams. Don't let a cardboard jet pack stop you from succeeding!(sp?) Goodluck with those exams!

GUESS WHO'S BACK!

Magical me of course!

Good news everyone: To all my fans, who have missed me the last two month I can say, now that I've past my exams succesfully, that the work on the amazing screen-accurate cardboard/papermache jet pack will be continued probably in the beginning of next week. :thumbup

missed you folks
stay tuned
8)

...hey welcome back, can't await ur new process pics

Welcome back homie! Glad to see this think taking off once more. Everything is looking great so far!

welcome back Wasp!!! good to hear from ya again!

Sorry folks. Obviously I wasn't really back after all.
There were some things I had to attend to which didn't leave me any time for the JP.

However, hopefully I manage to concentrate on it this week. I just have to finish another lightsaber...

Although it has nothing to do with this thread, I'm posting a pic of a lightsaber (Count Dooku style) I almost finished today for you gals and guys (just to proove I'm not completly out of business ).

Hopefully more for you soon. :jet pack

heres my take...

Dude!! Keep your shirt on!

put some pants on that kid!



Good work! Looks like it is coming along great.

Nice scratchbuilt!

i was already wearing pants!!!

Anyway, mine looks really banged up compared to those u guys have!! need more work!

At first for any new reader not to get confused (or disturbed ) by the pics above: I AM NOT THE NAKED GUY! That's Bleah with his JP project.

Just to keep you up to date:
The last few days I took the time to study those new templates from Alan Sinclair, who did really a great job on them, and tried to figure out, how I can transfer them best into my project. So I didn't much real work on the JP lately.

I just copied my mainbody plate (very first pic above) onto two further cardboard plates so I have two spares (one for a stubby pack) before I work on the first one further.
Then I reworked the backplate and included that "middlestep" to keep it accurate (that's the goal isn't it? ).

I hope to make some more progress on the rocket and caps section tomorrow, after sorting out the working details the last few days.
I'll keep you informed...

my bad...should have kept the shirt on..

Took a snap on my progress a few days ago:



Now the 'backplate' of the jet pack which rests on my back, is straight, i wonder how am i gonna achieve that curved surface......? I am using foam board....any ideas?

Just look at the third picture from above and you'll figure it out, how I got the curved surface.

It's easy and should even work with a sheet of foam board.

my god wasp!
that's amazing!! keep it up!!

Move over prop dealers! Now you can flip off the Monopoly and still be cool! Thumbs up from the"Sniffer"

Originally Posted by Wasp

Thanx guys.

Well, here some updates:
I reinforced the inner sides of the side-tubes-coverages (what a word! ) to achieve a lil bit more stability in form and a certain "thickness" necessary for an accurate look. I also added some innerstructure for the part between the tubes to lock the shape.
And I finally drilled the holes through the maintube for the thrusters axis, which will stay moveable (but not dangling ) so the thrusters can be positioned in any desired angle.

Most work went into the frontplate of the mainbody.
Well, I know it doesn't look like much, but it took me ages to get the shapes and measures excactly to the blueprints. It contains the main front plate, another one which sits on the mainbody as backside and again I filled the gap for stability and equal thickness with two stripes of cardboard.
The picture of course isn't showing the final state as I only testfitted the part.
Also, let it be said for the accuracy buffs out there; I know the frontplate is also curved "into" the base. That I will do later after completly finishing the mainbody.

Next will be the upper and lower caps of the side tubes, before I'll "close" the mainbody finally.

As from tomorrow university starts again, progress will be slow.
However as there is a trooping event for the DVD release on November the 5th, I set that as deadline to finish the JP. Hopefully building will be finished in two weeks, so I have still a week for the paintjob.



BTW: I'm finally official member of the 501st. So from now on it's BH8877 8)

Man, I've been e-mailing the legion's membership liason for weeks and I haven't gotten any replies. Was this recently?

Man Wasp you always amaze me! You've done a very fine job on all your Fett stuff! Goodluck finishing this JP on your deadline!

Managed to make the uppercaps for the sidetubes today.

Think there's not much to say about.

Just remember that all the gaps will filled and the shape smoothend (hopefully )at the end by the coat of papermache while finishing.



PS: @ Sean Solo: just got my # recently, but had to wait for it also since June!

That looks great! Is that just construction paper?

lower caps done

@askywalker98: I'm not sure if that what's called construction paper in the US is the same thing I use. It's simply a thick cardboardlike paper.

Yeah man, that's construction paper, and it looks AWSOME!!!

Good news everyone!

Hadn't much time lately, but I finally managed to finish the mainbody of the JP mostly.
As for the DVD event tomorrow I fastly constructed a temporary rocketsection and thrusters which will be removed again and replaced with the real thing.

Hope to post pics (a lot ) later...

BH-8877

I for one am looking forward to it!!

Keep up the great work Wasp!

this will be great when painted up!!!

keep going dude!!

Dude this is going to look GREAT once painted! Keep up the great work man. Goodluck bro!

yeah man lookin great. i like how u did the main backing and the rocket fuel holders into one piece.

I am currently making my Srcratchbuilt and it is good to see ppls ideas, and the many different ways they are going about doing the same project. :jet pack

Keep up the good work. and how many coats of newpaper did u paste onto ur jp?

I love the pringles idea for the fuel tanks. i was originally gona do PVC pipe for em, but seeing all these great scratch built ones with Pringles have convinced me to use those tennisball/chip containers.

Keep it up and keep us posted.





pwahahahahahaha

"I am not the naked guy" Wasp

So I finally got to make some pics of the painted jp.
Please remember that the rocketsection and the paintjob is only temporary!

Took pics from all around the jp. On the last you can see there my beloved two curves.
If you're wondering why I've painted the top black, that's simply because silver was empty before I was finished...

This test papermacheing and painting was very useful to me as it showed me clearly that it needs more coats of newspaper to smoothen the surface (especially on the back and behind). I also think that I'll use some filling primer before the real paintjob, to cover the faint lines of the ripped newspaper (which would have eventually disappeared anyway with three or more coats of paint, but just to play save).

However I'm not overwhelmed but still quiet satisfied with the result so far as I was afraid that I might produce an unreckognizable cardboard something on my first try.

@bigsexy: I pasted about 1-2 coats of newspaper onto it so far, but think I will do about 4-5 in the end.

Amazing!!!! :o

did you paint to the newpaper directly?

I have been watching your progess..I honestly didn't think it would turn out this great!!! Amazing!!! Simply amazing. I mean it looks better than most!
I would just make sure to stay away from anything hot or anyone with a lighter....man that JP will burn up like a xmas tree...no?

I love the updates keep 'em comming!!! i'm a UPDATE WHORE!!!!

Do you guys have patterns or blueprints for this? I am helping a friend of mine put together a Jango costume on a budget. Thanks in advance.

..RESPECT ! :thumbup you did it ! :thumbup
amazing job !

how is the weight ¿

Thanx guys! It's really heartwarming to get such positiv reactions after putting so much work into the project so far (the bigest compliment may be Gonzos, as it's always a great feeling to exceed someones expectations ).

As for your questions:

@ Jango Uri:
Yes, I sprayed the paint directly onto the newspaper without any pre-preparation.

@ Gonzo Fett:
Probably it would.
But then on the other hand, isn't PVC or fibre glass also quiet usable for "fireworks"?
But honestly, I have more concerns about something like rain. But I hope with multiple covers of primer and paint, it will sustain at least a lil spray water.

@ Sean Solo:
I didn't made specific patterns except for the big mainbodypiece which I copied to two other plates, but is due to the size, not possible to scan.
As for the Blueprints, I used the ones I found here in the TDH forum (mainly those from Alain Sinclair, who did a absolutly terrific job on them). I don't remember the exact thread, but you should be able to find it via the search function as they were mentioned in several threads.

@ AdmFrancis:
Haha! Now that's the right question!
Also the measuring wasn't too accurat, it's about 1,5 Kilos.
I guess that it will later, with the right rocketsection, the thrusters and several coats of papermache and paint in place, weight about max. 2 Kilos (I don't have any idea how much that's in lbs ).
So it might be one of the lightest jp around and I really have to care baout not leaving it somewhere outside, while the wind's blowing, so the pack would fly by itself...

The next step will be further papermache coating and then I will start with the thrusters before I turn to the most difficult part, the rocketsection.
But please don't be disappointed if progress is coming around really slow, as I have plenty to do besides at the University right now.

Thanx again for your interest and compliments. It's appreciated a lot.
And if you have further questions, just ask them straight away..

Dude! HOLY ****!!! That's amazing! It's like- It's just- dude thats- !!! AAH! That's just fantastic! You have done a great job. Did you prime it before you painted it silver? If you want it to take some water, I would advise you to clear-coat it.

@ askywalker98:
No, used no primer, as it's only a test painting which will be covered by further coats of papermache. But I will definitly use a filling primer before applying the final paintjob and yes, I think I will finish with a clear-coat.

You did a really nice job on that jetpack! And thanks for mentioning my jetpack as well

this thread is six years old. i'm not sure how relevant this information is any more.