saint nasty's jango progress thread (update 12-16-11)

[saint_nasty]

ok, here's something i was playing with on my new asok jango helmet. as i was sanding the helmet going from 200 to 320 to 400 to 800 i found myself not entirely happy with the finish i was achieving so i had an idea. i thought, "there is aluminum powder in the resin, that's actual metal, not much but it is metal. i've got some chrome polish. i wonder..."

so i dug around under the sink and found my tub of meguiar's all metal motorcycle polish. this is the part that you should NOT do. i applied a good glob with a cotton ball and rubbed it on a bit then got out my dremel with the buffing wheel. don't do that! even at the lowest setting the dremel was spinning too fast so it got hot and started to burn the resin. fortunately it was only on a small area and i was able to sand it out with 400 grit then refinished it with 800.

but i was not to be deterred! i got another glob of polish on a cotton ball and really rubbed it as best i could by hand (remember polish in circles). then i used a handy mcdonalds paper napkin to buff it out. it's as close to a mirror finish you can get without actually working with chrome. i tried using a buffing cloth but the finish i got with the paper napkin was so much nicer.

i'm not completely finished polishing it yet, so i'm going to find my camera and take a few pictures to show the difference between the sanded finish and the metal polish finish.

brb to find the camera.

[asok]

I used 0000 steel wool on mine. Please post photos.

[GRINCH]

Looking forward to seeing pics of this process.

[saint_nasty]

found my camera and got some pics while i still had plenty of daylight.

the red circled areas are where i haven't used the metal polish yet. those parts are sanded to 800 grit right now.

please pay no attention to the man without a shirt in the background.

[Kwally89]

Looks pretty sweet buddy! I've been working on my asok jango bucket quite a bit as well. I'm really itching to paint and weather it, but I still need to get that cut seam blended!

Kody

[Cruzer]

Good job! The polished parts look really nice.
Asok does a great job on those helmets.

[saint_nasty]

i think i'm going to leave it how it is right now. i think it adds a little bit of character to the helmet. like a weld line. the messed up part is that the spots where it's the smoothest over the seam are the spots where it's the most noticeable. i also want to incorporate the pitting that i couldn't sand out into the finished product. i'm thinking of it as weathering that i don't have to do.

[saint_nasty]

Good job! The polished parts look really nice.
Asok does a great job on those helmets.

praise from cruzer in the realm of things jango is a grand compliment indeed. thank you sir.

[Kwally89]

i think i'm going to leave it how it is right now. i think it adds a little bit of character to the helmet. like a weld line. the messed up part is that the spots where it's the smoothest over the seam are the spots where it's the most noticeable. i also want to incorporate the pitting that i couldn't sand out into the finished product. i'm thinking of it as weathering that i don't have to do.

That is probably what I'm going to do in the end. I'm just nervous about sanding the CC off...I've done A LOT of molding and casting, but this is my first CC. Have you sanded it quite a bit with the grit progression? I haven't done too much heavy sanding but I had metal fibers EVERYWHERE from rubbing it with wire wool for a couple hours .

Kody

[saint_nasty]

i used four grades of sandpaper. starting with 200 just to get the dull off. then 320 to dig in a bit and grind out the bites of the 200. then 400 because 400 is what i default to for most prop sanding. then i jumped to 800 to get it smooth. i could have gone up to 1000, but i just didn't feel like it.

p.s. here's the strangest tip for wetsanding ever: i sat in the bath tub, with the shower going, to sand with the 800 grit.

the biggest problem i've run into is that i was a little more rough than i needed to be and got hairline cracks in the corners of the of the visor. i'm not sure if i want to attempt to repair them topically or if i just want to reinforce the area from the inside with fiberglass. either way i'm going to glass the inside. i just don't want to mess up my finish.

[FettOfficer]

Nice Helmet...Wow! Now that's shinyyy!!

[asok]

Good job! The polished parts look really nice.
Asok does a great job on those helmets.

Thank you! :thumbup I just make helmets the way I make the one I made for myself.

On my helmet, left some of the marks to give it a natural weathering.

[Cruzer]

That is probably what I'm going to do in the end. I'm just nervous about sanding the CC off...I've done A LOT of molding and casting, but this is my first CC. Have you sanded it quite a bit with the grit progression? I haven't done too much heavy sanding but I had metal fibers EVERYWHERE from rubbing it with wire wool for a couple hours .

Kody

What I've found with CC is that even if you sand down to the "darker" levels of CC, they still shine just as bright in the sun/bright light. Also, for spot filling tiny air bubble holes, nicks, etc... I mix aluminum powder with CC glue and it does wonders for spot filling the CC surface. It seems to blend in better if the surrounding surface is already polished.

[TLobe00]

Thanks for the suggestion Cruzer... where would one get those items?

[saint_nasty]

i just picked up a tube of bondo plastic metal and it seems to be a jango builders wet dream! i saw it at walmart in their tiny automotive repair section and thought, "hey, that could work." so i bought it. i tested a glob out on a paper plate, spread it around a bit, made it flat, and walked away for it to cure. it claims to be as hard as metal in a cure time of three hours. so i went and took a nap, the last two days were pretty rough on me so i needed some more time to sleep. woke up about 20 minutes ago to look at the mess on the paper plate. it looked like unfinished cold cast. i quickly got my three default grits sanding paper: 320, 400, and 800 (and since there was a piece of 1000 sitting there handy i used it too). i started with the 320, and even on to the 400 i was like, "ok?" then after i hit it with the 800 i started to notice a little bit of a shine to it; and the 1000 made it even better. next i took the chrome polish and a cotton ball to it, and it shined up really nice. JACK POT!!!!

i'll admit that it's not as glossy a finish as i got using the polish on the CC helmet itself, but for me it'll beat the heck outta having to paint the red stuff after i install the key slots. and the smell isn't nearly as strong either.

so check it out at your local walmart or automotive center, or here it is online: http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...ct.do?pid=6138

if you're doing jango, this does not suck.



p.s. since i'm using url's, here's a link to the metal polish i've been using: http://autodetailingsolutions.net/mc20406.html i found this stuff in walmart, but you should be able to find it at an automotive store like checker or napa too.

[Kwally89]

Awesome stuff bro! I'm going to have to run to Wal-Mart tomorrow after work. I thought I was a Bondo expert by now, but I guess I must have missed that stuff. Thanks for all the info.

Kody

[delta0142]

I've heard several different things on the sanding of CC; which is suppose to be better for it though; steel wool or the sandpaper?

[TLobe00]

usually you sand it to get it smooth then "shine" it with 0000 steel wool.

[saint_nasty]

here we go, just a touch of weathering to go and this helmet will be done. enjoy the pics.

[Rupidupe]

Great looking helmet mate! However, don't stroke Cruzer's ego too much. I did that once and he showed up on my door step and stayed for 2 weeks. It's best not to encourage him.

[delta0142]

Amazing work done bro

[GRINCH]

Incredible bucket! Looking forward to seeing your Jango completed...

[asok]

WOW that is great!!

[Mojo-Fett]

Now that is super shiny.... nice work!!

[saint_nasty]

I'm going to shoot for having jango ready to go by this time next year. if things go well the parts I need will be made available, i.e. boots and blasters, and i'll be able to stick to my timeline.

[Huntman]

sweet work bro

[tincanhelmet]

Thanks for the tips on the finish!

[saint_nasty]

since i'm waiting on my mow jetpack to get here, and i need to make some money before i can order cruzer CC gaunts, i thought i'd try out making some parts of the armor myself. i plan on making the cod, thighs, shins, and boot armor out of sheet aluminium using the WoF templates. but before i jump in and start cutting on the alu, i figured i should make up a mock out of poster board just to make sure i've the the templates figured out.

so i started off with what i consider to be one of the more difficult pieces, the cod. after printing off the templates and getting them all taped and cut out i realized there were going to be some modifications necessary. i've seen plenty of people make really good armor using alans templates, but i'm always a little disappointed with the cod. it seems that most times they're just bent back at the bottom. i wanted something with a bit more "cupping;" i want a cod with the appearance of keeping the boys safe. so i cut up the templates and started making changes where i thought it would work best... i've got a better idea, i'll just show you guys.







any thoughts, comments, or criticisms? please share.

[saint_nasty]

more stuff done on my way to jango.

i got a pair of boots, made my own gloves, and i finally got started on my armor.

first off the gloves. these started out life as a pair of ace hardware driving gloves, but about 20 minutes in royal blue rit dye and i think they look pretty dang good and will serve me well until i can find a pair of nordstroms.



next the boots, i kind of lucked into these. they had been languishing on the bhg for sale forums for just about a year, i'm surprised they didn't get posted in the cargo hold here long ago. but i got a sweet pair of bed stu's.



i know what i am capable of with making myself, and i'm doing up a good chunk of the armor for this out of sheet aluminum. i've been playing with WoF's jango templates in paper form and now i've drawn them out on the aluminum sheet and rough cut it. here's most of the cod, the thighs, and shins. i have to get another smaller sheet for the cup of the cod and the boot armor. my plan is to get at ace hardware again on monday for that. until then i've got some dremeling to do to get these cut a little better, and if i get done with that early i could start bending and folding what i have so far.

[TGaines107]

Great score on the boots man and the gloves have a great coloration to them. About gloves in general, wouldnt black be just as good? Reason I ask is i caught a pic of Disney's Jango (on my facebook site) at Star Wars Weekends who had black gloves and black hoses! Anyway, luck to ya on your build.

[saint_nasty]

here goes with some more progress on cod, thighs, and shins. everything is fine cut and rough sanded (320 grit so far, going to up the grit after i give the insides a thin layer of fiberglass to give it a bit more rigidity). everything is held together with masking tape right now. i'm going to the hardware store later today to find a good epoxy for aluminum.



and here is a box of flash i'm showing off as my WIP.



part of me really wishes i made this out of stainless steel so i could use a big ol' magnet to help clean things up.

[lilburndiablo]

Looks great St. Nasty! In honor of the greatest man on this message board:

I say! Sniff on my dear brother! Sniff on!

[vitegeist]

chrome dome!

actually, that is pretty spiffy

[darthgaul]

That looks great! What tools did you use to shape the Aluminum? How thick are the Aluminum sheets?

[saint_nasty]

they're not very thick, .025, i don't know what gauge that equates to. but the tools i used were a pair of tin snips for rough cuts; a dremel with cutoff wheels for fine cutting (i learned that you don't need to cut all the way through with the dremel, just get a good score line going with it and then you can snap the rest of the flash off with your hands or a pair of pliers.); then along the lines that i need to bend i would lightly score it with a box/utility knife (because that's made of stainless steel it's harder than the aluminum and cuts through quite easily.); and small flat head hammer with a block of wood to help bend the edges; and finally i used my hands for getting the shapes correct. a few extra items you may want around while you're working on this is a good pair of gloves because aluminum is sharp when it's cut with snips and gets hot when you're running a dremel over it, a face shield cuz snips or dremel you don't want to run the risk of something flying into your face or eyes, a mouse sander because you will find a use for it sooner or later. i foolishly bought an angle grinder that i didn't need just for this project, i'm going to keep it because i know i will figure out some project that it will be perfect for.

[silver n black trooper]

hey bro ,on the gloves i bougth some brown
plether ones ,and spreyed them with interior car paint .and they look brtter then what you did, the paint actually stays just give it ( mist coats) until its done , let the first coat dry ,then spray the other one hope this helps.OH its vynal paint.

[Xfactor]

Wow!! looking good! I am wanting to go all alum on my Jango. this will help a lot!! look forward to updates...

[Tricon1111]

Great work! they came out really nice.

[saint_nasty]

wow, i was just thinking about this thread this morning. i've got a ton of updates for it. i need to still take a few pictures, but look forward to some stuff soon.

[dsonik1]

Get em posted.... ya big girl. nudge, nudge..

[OBrotherRacing]

WOuld love to see the pics of where you're at on this now!

[saint_nasty]

here's a small update. a while back i did up a helmet for a member here, and when it was done i like it so much that i just had to go and completely re-do my jango bucket. so i got out the mouse sander with the 220 grit and really got after it, dug in deep to get under the top layer with the imperfections, all the little pits and globs in the CC, and took off the original paint job. i went through the sanding process again 400, 800, and 1000 grit wetsanding in the shower (cuz that's the best place to wetsand), put down some fresh paint, got the meguiers chrome polish out and took that to it, and finally got some brushes and acrylic paint for some weathering. but enough talk, let's get to the pics.







i even got the chucko helmet skirt installed. all that's left to do now is to pad the interior again and this helmet will be ready.

[Ziolko]

Looks great dude!

[Fett 4 Real]

looking good bud...what color paint do you use for the blues?

[saint_nasty]

the light blue is krylon ocean blue, i can only find it in, the tiny cans called "short cuts," and the darker blue is rustoleum royal blue, that comes in a big 'ol can.

the krylon i can only find at ace hardware, and the rusto you can find about anywhere (walmart, lowes, home depot, ace, etc.)

[OBrotherRacing]

Gorgeous work. Ingenious move with the polishing idea.

[Mullreel]

how is the visor attached if you don't mind me asking. I can see just a bit of the screws in one of the pictures. I have been messing around with using screws and it just ain't working right for me.

[runJEDIrun]

looking good! great job on the helmet!

[saint_nasty]

the visor is held in with chicago screws (also known as sexbolts), you can usually find them at ace hardware (or lowes or home depot, but i prefer ace), just ask one of the old guy's that's been working there since right after he got back from WWII and knows everything about every possible home improvement project and he'll take you right to them. i use five when installing a visor, one in the center top, two on either side of the squint, and two near the bottom of the of the mandibles (though you'll have to shave down the sides of the bolt posts on those two so they fit in the small space on between the lower cheek and the mandible without).

[Fett 4 Real]

hey bud on the tvisor what did you use a welding shield? Or did you buy one from t-visor.com?

[saint_nasty]

just a welding shield from the local metal working shop, cut to fit.

[Fett 4 Real]

nice I need to re-do one of mines

[OBrotherRacing]

Saint - The WWII Ace Hardware guys are awesome! Total old school. My house was built in 1927 and anytime it needs anything...."Ace is the Place!" I got a load of parts for my EPIII Vader there as well, here in Long Beach, CA.

[Werstrooper]

Very interstig stuff this CC, I have something to add I hope you might find interesting.

I'm in the sanding process still and was very curious as to how thick the CC layer is. I sanded through to the darker layer and got concerned.

I managed take some measurements with an Ultrasonic coating thickness guage (Positector 200), we sell sell them so I just grabbed one out of stock.

I started at the darker section of the CC and got an averaged of 600µm(0.6mm) and readings of 800-900µm on most other areas of the CC (Top layer)

So in a nut shell, don't anyone get too worried about sanding all the CC off!


Trav

[saint_nasty]

after looking at it for months now, i got started on my kamino/classic jetpack. so far i have the main fuselage painted up, and here's a few shots of the progress. this is a MoW v2 classic pack and it's a thing of beauty. it's so easy to work with, there was very little sanding involved aside from the seam lines, and no filling needed. i highly recommend this pack to anyone

so after cleaning up the seams and priming it i dug out all the paints i used on my boba rotj pack and got to work. the order i put the colors down was yellow, blue, red, white, black. and with each of the colors i put in a little bit of another color to make it appear a little used, i call it pre-weathering.

the yellow had a bit of orange and brown misted over it in places. the yellow was majic tractor & implement spray enamel caterpillar yellow; the orange mist was colorplace (walmart brand) um... orange, i guess i took the sticker off it; and the brown was krylon leather brown gloss

then the blue was actually three different blues. the main blue was colorplace royal blue; then along the edges i misted it with rustoleum royal blue (yes they are very different blues); then i did an overall mist of krylon fusion blue hyacinth to give it a worn in look.


after that i forgot to take pictures for a little bit but i'll give you guys the color breakdown. the red was krylon satin touch burgundy, it's the same color i used for the visor/mandibles on my rotj boba helmet; and i misted more of the krylon brown i mentioned earlier in the corners and edges. the white was rustoleum satin white misted with colorplace almond to take down the blinding white; then a little more of the brown up in the corners. and then the black was just colorplace satin black.

so here's where it's at right now. i still have plenty more weathering to do by hand very soon, as well as to paint the rocket and thrusters, more to come on those soon.


i should take a pic of the huge ball of tape i pulled off that i used to mask the sections.

[saint_nasty]

all right, here we go on the jetpack. just need to smear some dirt on it and the painting part will be all done. then comes the figuring out how to hang this from me stage.

[Mullreel]

yeah that looks really clean and purty right now, it definietly needs dirt.

nice paint job

[saint_nasty]

this thread has been sadly neglected! so here's something new: gauntlets. like so many of the costume parts i get i sit on them forever then suddenly i get inspired to work on them one day. and i've been puttering around with this jango long enough, my goal is to troop the Star Wars: The Old Republic release in my jango, so i have a little over a month to put it all together AND continue to work on painting commissions.

anyway, gauntlets.



i did the initial sanding sometime back in 2010, but today i got started on assembly. it took about six hours to get them to this point, i still need to sand them with 1000 grit then metal polish and weather them. there are a few spots that will need to be rub'n'buffed since i did go through the cold cast layer in a few spots

[saint_nasty]

here's where it was as of yesterday. since then i've put on the back plate and shoulder bells.



i know there's more space between the bottom of the armor and the top of the belts than shown in reference pictures, but i have a long torso and i'll need to shift some internal organs and bone structure to bring the cod up much higher.

[BooBoo Fett]

!!!

[Mullreel]

I like it.

Sadly I have no suggestion for the rearrangment of internal organs.............

[saint_nasty]

another rocking update! buckle your seatbelts because your mind is ABOUT TO BE BLOWN!!!!






and merry christmas from the fett family!

[Ribann]

Awesome man! Inspires me to complete mine!

[Cruzer]

Wow, looks great bro! Good job!

[dynamic1]

Looks great nasty!

[lilburndiablo]

It's been a while since I have been here St. Nasty. Your jet pack rocks!

[Devil9895]

WOW that looks awesome, I've been following this thread with interest, looking real good buddy