Toe guard progress.. update 9/12

You made it the same way I did Hubby did the whole fiberglass dealio too for the toe gaurd. Only, I am thinking about casting new spikes outta foam rubber, so that I don't have to stock up on toe spikes. It's up to hubby.

I was thinking of making the whole guard AND spike thing out of rubber. I think rubber can hold rub n buff, but it doesn't shine as well. The whole assembly can be glued on with E6000.

The gaurd made outta fiberglass is fine. I had no probs whatsoever. And, it looks better with the rubnbuff than foam/rubber does. But, the spike is the most abused part, that's why I considered the foam rubber for that spike. So, it can go POING! like a door stop I also considered doing the spike as a two part mold, with the same type of plastic that goes into the "unbreakable" combs. Oooh.. E6000 my fav glue

Gee... and I spent the weekend punching 7,239,872 holes in all those skirt squares!

Looking good MonCal... looking really good!

Thanks guys!

I'm going to experiment with the spike / holder. I'm going to try one with the plastic I use for the shin guards and if that still acts like breaking, I'll make one out of rubber.

The place where it breaks all the time is between the spike and the base/holder (where you have yours made of sculpey.) Yeah, that would be cool to try your shin material. How does rubnbuff look on your shin material?

Well,
I just tried a splotch of rub n buff on some scrap shin plastic. It seems to work fine.....granted I haven't put it to practical use yet.

I think the shin plastic will work. It is even close in color to the spike. I'm heating up the spike right now in the oven I'll put the spike and the holder together and mold one solid piece. I can screw through the fiberglass toe guard and into the spike holder with two screws. I tried a scrap piece of the plastic with some screws and it takes a lot of work to pull the screw out. I even heated up a piece in the microwave first to soften it and it was still really hard to pull the screw out. I think with some epoxy along with the screw, they should be really tough. That plastic is flexible enough it won't fracture like resin.....I'll know more in a couple days after going through the triple molding process.

Wow... you guys just amaze me!

Sounds great MonCal! Can't wait to see more pics of the progress!

I've re- made my molds ... again I cleaned up the first casting to get a nice second mold. I then poured a new master in liquid plastic but on one of them, I must not have put enough mold release and well, I destroyed the mold. Now I've gotta wait til I get more rubber.

I might try throwing the plastic casting on the vac table and see how they vaccuum form. I'm not sure if I like that plastic though.

Yvonne, what brand of liquid plastic are you using these days?

....hey, I'm trying to make some more progress ... yay!

You're a perfectionist MonCal... do you know that?

Really... you are!!!

Are you talking about the whole toe guard here? Or just the toe-spike part?

Good luck!

Thanks maulmaus!

I'm trying really hard to get back in gear on this costume! I have just been so discouraged with the bodysuit and well, I've been really busy too!

The mold I ruined was on one of the toe guards. My mold for the spike is fine, I've just gotta decide which casting material is the best. I've made a few different ones with a couple different types of liquid plastic. I think the softer plastic that I use for the shin guards is the best because it is flexible and won't break. The natural color is also similiar to the base color of the real toe spike

And yes, I know I have been called a perfectionist before. I'm not as bad as I was years ago. Along with being a little high strung, I think that's what initially gave me my ulcers

I haven't tested the toe spike mold with the new stuff you told me to use, as different parts need different types of plastic. But, I had planned on using the same stuff you used for the spikes. Jim fiberglassed my toe gaurds. So, we aren't gonna be making any more of those.

I was actually curious as to what plastic you're using for all your castings? The new stuff looks more like plastic rather than the other resin you had used.

Most of our resins come from www.smoothon.com or something like it, but he used different types for different things. Combo from different sources. The first source was from some other brand. That's why you may think it's different. It may also have the lesser weight than my first castings. (Trying to get my pieces lighter to wear, so that it doesn't feel like we are carrying a ton of bricks around.)

Everything I've used is also from smooth-on.com
The shin guard material and the rubber both.
I've only tried a small batch of the smooth cast 310 plastic. I used it to make masters of my toe guard sculpts. Is this what you've been using? Also, if it is how do you control your air bubbles? I probably shouldn't follow the directions on the trial bottles which say "shake well". That is probably a stupid idea because it mixes more air into it.

The main reason I'm asking is because I'm helping a garrison member make some parts for his R2 and his tie pilot. He sculpted his own chest box pieces and wants to make them out of a good plastic.

Well, the smooth cast 310 isn't a good idea for vac forming. The heat and the pressure causes all the sharp edges to round over and wrinkle dangit...
Now my masters are ruined and I definitely have to wait until the next batch of rubber arrives to make new molds.

Is this the same liquid plastic you use ZIA?

I am not sure, we did use something in the 300 series...305 mebbe? and we didn't vac form anything. Everything we made was with reg rubber molds with resin casting. I don't know how it would hold against a vac table heating element. Different molds have different pouring methods to keep out the bubbly. Some high some low, and with some aggitation or coating or teasing with a popsicle stick. Oh and I think Zam I Ain't has had everything bad that has ever happened under the sun with our molds. Wrong temperature, too many air pockets, catalyst probs.. you name it. Oh, make sure that you learn how to re-use your molds so that you don't waste $$. IE, use them as gap fillers, instead of clean clay.

vary nice. They look great.

Thanks phantom!!!

it's coming....slowly

Those look fantastic MonCal! Can't wait to see the finished product with the toe spike and all!

Ooooohhh WOW! I really wish i could make stuff like that! Those are just awesome Moncal! My Zam is so on hold now I got burned on a Zam helmet purchase and now im broke and have nothing /cry

Ive seen some boots my size though - dont know whether i can afford them. Anyway ill stop talking about me and just finnish with a WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

***!! those are fantastic!!!!

Ditto the WOOOOWWWWW!!!!

Those are just incredible MonCal! Beautiful and practical!

Awesome! So, you casted the spike cover as one piece with the spike? confused... Oh, and are ya gonna paint it, rub n buff er...?

Niiiice ! (said in a low smoldering voice)

Sooo.....any package deal if we order the shins AND the foot pieces?

We can order shins?!? Man i dont read threads properly lol To be honest Im usually a bit wary when i see people offer things on here as sometimes i feel they are offering them to friends on here rather than .. .well ... me LOL

Shins and Toeguards .... drool ... now if i can just slip buying the boots past my other half ill be well away teehee

Finally finished another set of toe guards

Awesome .... as usual!

Looks great! How are you getting the toe guards to mount to the top of the shoe?

Well, actually the best thing I can think of is industrial velcro. I don't really want to cut the shoe in order to get inside. I could fiberglass an attachment to the underside of the guard but there is no way to get down inside the toe of the shoe. I'll just have to see.

I don't want to glue them on cause I want to be able to fix them if a spike does happen to pop off....... I don't think they will but there is a chance.

We attached our toe guards to the boots with good ole' "goop". We glued them on last St. Paddy's day. She really put them to the test at C3 for 3 eight hour stretches. Since then, she's worn the suit to probably 20 or 25 events including very crowded bars on halloween. They're still holding up very solidly!!!

Goop is awesome. I always carry a small tube when trooping. Whether I have it in my Fett pocket or tape it inside my TK helmet, it always comes in handy when someone falls apart

MonCal your stuff is amazing!! Your quite the talented chap!
-Goldenrod

Originally Posted by goldenrod

MonCal your stuff is amazing!! Your quite the talented chap!
-Goldenrod

Thanks! I appreciate it.
Although, I only claim one title..... the master of sleep deprivation ......