Question for those more experienced...

Shuk Om

Jr Hunter
I'm working on designing my bucket/armor, and I wanted yall's opinions and input on some ideas I had. The build probably won't start for another month or so, but I figured I'd get yall's input while still in the planning stages.

I'm a hospital security officer, and I work with police officers almost daily. I'm ex-military, and an ex-paramedic, so I wanted to do some sort of medic or law enforcement themed suit. I was fiddling with helmet designs (colors, features, etc.) when one of the officers I work with looked at my then current design and said "That looks like my cruiser."

Bam! Inspiration hit me like a Bevii'ragir to the head. I went outside, took a few quick pictures of his cruiser, and sat down with MS Paint (since I'm at work with a lame computer), and went to town. The color scheme wasn't hard to nail down, obviously, but the other design elements are giving me issues.

Helmet Design: Standard T-Visor Mando helmet, with a set of short comm antennas that don't extend above the dome, instead of a rangefinder.

On that same side, I want to install a micro speaker into the ear, which will be wired to a small bone mic on the other side of my head to avoid feedback issues.

On the opposite side, I want to install two small strings of LED's, one red and one blue, facing forward. These will be wired so that they can be turned on to flash in sequence, like police lights. Above these I want one or two ultra bright LED's, for a headlamp. This will also function as the lamp that the detective shines on the suspect during interrogation. Hah!


Armor Design: Standard armor over a normal flight suit. On the left chest, where the armor cutouts are, I want several long cutouts, in an inverted triangle shape. These will have transparent yellow or gold plastic behind them, like a cutout badge.

For the pauldrons, or shoulder bells, I want to do something bigger than a Mando, but smaller than football pads. I'm thinking that I want full on spaulders, with a bit of armor that wraps around the bicep for a SWAT armor look.

For one gauntlet (probably the right one), I'll do a normal greeblies covered gauntlet, but for the other one, I want a distinct faceplate on the top. I want to put several small LED message screens (like One End has on his chest) on this faceplate, so that I can program them to say things like "Suspect Identified", or "No Information". There will also be a small (fake) image screen, with the picture of a generic Mando headshot. This will be the police computer of the outfit.


Paint: For the bucket, I want a black dome, white mandibles/visor frame, mirrored visor, black cheekbones and white cheeks, if that makes sense. I'd post pictures, but am at work, with the afore mentioned lame computer, so those will have to wait until morning. Over the right eye of the dome, I want to add a white/reflective stripe that mimics our local police cruiser graphics.

I want a similar stripe to run from the collar armor, down over the breastplate, and down onto the ab plate.



That's all I've got planned out so far, but there's more to come. Tell me what yall think. All comments and questions are welcome.
 
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overall, it sounds pretty good. cool and unique, although check out jax archilles hydra mando thread and i think you'll see alot of similarities to your design with his black mando.

as for larger shoulders, tk bells, likr my brother uses, or scout trooper bells like i use work great. we both have bicep armor as well. his are modded mx bicep plates and mine are scout bicep plates.

the only "in universe" element for any type of mandalorian law enforcement comes from the journeyman protectors of concord dawn. part of the mandalorian sector and many were in fact super commando's including jango fett and jaster mereel. the only known marking is the red fgrthbelt as seen worn by boba fett. i wear one on my custom as homage to me being a police officer in real life.

overall i really like what youve got planned. although i must admit the red and blue led "takedowns" may be a bit over the top on the design lol.

keep us posted! and don't hesitate to check out www.mandalorianmercs.com our site is close friends with tdh and we're the lfl licensed costuming group from custom mandalorians! lots of help to be had there.
 
a micro speaker will not be able to achieve the volume you'll need. but cant wait to see you get started on this.

A'den is right about the LEO parts of your kit. I wear my old duty belt with my newer custom because it is a "police" mando. so it fits the design. might upgrade later not sure. buzy working on the newest mando.
 
Thanks for the input, yall. I can't wait to get started. I was looking over my designs, and sizing my parts, and you're absolutely right. The LED strands are just too much. I'm thinking maybe just one or two LED's of each color, with a headlamp up near eye level.

I'll be sure to post pics as soon as I get started. It's probably going to be a week or two, though. Lots and lots of overtime coming up. Yay...
 
Yeah. I suppose.

Whichever Bev'ikase thought up that whole "paying money for stuff" thing should be shoved out the nearest airlock.
 
Weaponry update...

Was working on my designs today, and I'm thinking I wanna do a wrist mounted weapon on my non computery gauntlet. Tried a bowcaster, but I think it'd be too big and bulky to move around simply. My clumsy shebs would knock over everything in sight with something like that.

I'm thinking non lethal weaponry, like tazers, sticky foam, or tanglers (boleros). I'm looking at making a tri barrel weapon, out of simple PVC tubing.

Tube one would have a spray applicator tip in the end, similar to a hair mousse can, for the sticky foam. Maybe put small "silly string" tubes in that barrel so that they could actually spray foam and be replaced when empty. Tube two would be a flickering blue light, for an electrical stun weapon. Tube three would be leather cords of some type with either small round weights or some nasty looking hooks on them, hanging just out the edge of the barrel.

Obviously, this is in addition to the modded rifle and pistol I'll be making.

Thoughts? Comments?
 
Good deal of weapons; my sudjestion if you are willing to spend some money....go to Wal*Mart or Toys 'R' Us and search in the toy weapons. Look around the Nerf Guns and Hasbro toy guns...like the foam dart clone blaster rifle. You could probally use those type of toys to make the weapons that you desire.

But overall good....you going to post up some photos of your designs?
 
I would avoid the Nerf or Hasbro guns. A couple reasons... they are starting to get very over used by costumers, especially Mandalorians. Every other Mando carries a paint, not so modified Nerf rifle. Also, they are recogniziable. Not all people obviously but many adults and most children immediatly recognize it as a Nerf gun sold at their local WalMart. If you do go that route, HIGHLY modify it to the point it doesn't look like a Nerf. Good examples of this...

You can see One Ends Nerf Mod here. If you go to the Mercs site, you'll see Beviin Verhayc's mod of a Nerf into an EE-3 also MMAA I think is the name he uses on Mercs converted a CS-6 into a Westar M5!

Also at Mercs, we have templates for Verpine rifles and sniper rifles.

I like the idea for the 3 gaunt weapons!
 
*chuckles* A'den, you're a genius. I've been drooling over One End's modded weaponry for a few days now.

I am going to get around to posting up designs. Right now I'm working in MSPaint, since I'm at work.

Oh, that and I have no other graphic design skills....

I'll probably doodle some stuff up tomorrow and Wednesday while I'm off and just snap it with my camera.
 
Pretty much whatever floats your vote vod. It's your armor so do as you wish. But I am getting interested in what you are building up there vod. Keep up the good work.
 
Comments on some of the weaponry you describe above: I've considered several things as weaponry/tools to be put in my gauntlets, including a mini-bowcaster. Basically tore apart an old crossbow pistol I had. The bow part could be removed and reattached, so as not to limit movement too much. I also spent a few weeks designing a kind of spring-loaded blade (made from styrene, of course). Some guys have actually made a few--on the mercs, I think. What I had to keep telling myself was, cool as I thought they were, I'd never get any kind of return out of it beyond the coolness factor. It's kind of like having Nerf guns at my age. Unless there's someone else who feels like having a duel, I'm only gonna be shooting at the cat with 'em (and I've got a lot). I've been trying to keep that in mind, recently, and so a net-thrower on one of my designs is nothing but an oval port on my gauntlet. Two big beskads on my back in one design will never leave the sheaths, because all the plastic will be layered and cemented together. If I ever make it to a con, it's not like I could pull the things out, anyway. For me, it's become more about what I can imply in my designs, and less about what they actually do. Now, don't get me wrong--there are some really, really cool things people have done. Novall Talon actually put a full vision thing in his most recent bucket. I've spent some real time planning how I could make a few pointy things eject from my gauntlets, but in the end I wind up wondering why. I can't afford super-actually-works cool right now.

Sorry, I should have said earlier: I'm looking forward to seeing more of this. Your scheme sounds interesting. Kind of reminds me of a suit several members contributed a while ago for a Marine. Wonder whatever became of that...
 
I'm looking at making a tri barrel weapon, out of simple PVC tubing.

Yup this is what I'm trying to do with my gaunts. working with a custom armor maker I found from a Predator costuming website of all places to build a gaunt that will actually fire nerf darts! lol

Kal Waco
 
Ooooh! Snazzy. I suppose breaking down a few small guns like nite finders would work for that....Heh. Of course, you could always do an around the wrist gattlin gun like the new GI Joe accelerator suits.

*ponders and mutteres incoherently*

Small servos, yes...ball bearing running tracks...hmmmm
 
yeah... thought about it... just really like the idea of having a "tri-shot" the name just sounds cool...lol "tri-shot" plus, my custom gaunt will have a pair of pred style blades just to the outsides of the tri-shot, so the tactic here is to eject the blades, run 'em through and then discharge the blaster... or to just point and shoot the blaster at close range for a shotgun effect. he he he... the don't call me "whacko waco" for nothin! lol I love the tazer idea too, and the neutralizer foam... ur just full of great ideas! I thought about a tazer/stun projectile type weapon, but my mando's job is forward air control so... wouldn't really be a useful tool for him.
 
Yeah. So, I've managed to catch a sinus infection from my cyar'ika, but I'm still concepting the osik outta this Mando. I've drawn up several versions of the Verp, and I'm working on a "breakaway" version.

Pull the barrel off in sections, and you get a progressively shorter weapon. Longest would be a sniper rifle, obviously.

Remove the longest section of barrel and the long blade bayonet underneath, and slide the stock in a bit, and you've got a grenade launcher/carbine type rifle.

Pull off another section of barrel, and slide the stock in completely and you've got a sawed off riot shotgun.

Pull off the last section of barrel, and remove the stock assembly all together and you've got a pistol.

Of course, I'll have my backup sidearm too, obviously.

I've rethought the helmet, and I'm gonna go with a comm array on the left ear, and two red and blue LED's on the right ear, along with a visor height headlamp. The LEDs will blink slowly on and off, and the headlamp will stay mostly off. Various kill marks and paint doo dads will be applied, obviously.

As for the armor, let's just start from the neck down.

Standard black neck seal, though I really dig the heavy collar that Ray Ramirez and others have done. Very hardcore. For the collar armor, I want a mantle type collar, so that that it covers me from back to front, instead of just the front with a tall back piece. It's going to have a gap at the front, just over my ucipital mapillary (the little dent between your clavicles). Along the edges of this armor, running basically against my neckseal and vest, will be a a dark red border of Mando'a text. Not sure yet what it will say. It will, however, include the initials HSF for Han Shot First. But that's just me. Moving on...

The pauldrons/shoulder bells will be of a spaulder type, so that they encase the entire deltoid (shoulder) muscle. Probably made sort of square shaped, they'll be black. On the right I'll have some thick Mando'a, that says "CLPD" (since I live in Clear Lake and my Mando is a police style officer), and on the left it'll be the Mando'a for "Sergeant" (my rank upon leaving the military).

The chest armor will be the standard two piece with a diamond in the middle setup. On the left, I'm going to have three or four cutouts (lights in the Mando Maker), alternating red and blue, in an inverted triangle. On the right I'll have a solid plate with one thick vertical white line, and one thin vertical white line. They'll be broken up to look like police cruiser graphics, and the line will extend down on to the ab plate.

Nothing really special about the ab plate, other than the striping.

Right Gauntlet will be my weapon guantlet. I'll have three small PVC tubes attatched, each with something different in them. Tube 1 will be "sticky foam", or silly string. I'll make the "cartriges", or spray cans, replaceable. Tube 2 will be a tazer/stun gun type set up, with flickering blue LEDs. Tube 3 will be "tanglers" or projectile bolos. I'll have a few fishing weights tied to leather cord so that it looks loaded.

Left Gauntlet will be my "onboard computer". I'm gonna put two scrolling LED nametags into the faceplate, along with several "gauges" and lights. I'll have a picture of a generic Mando, in a mug shot style pose. Probably several sensor heads too.

No thigh armor, but I'll have knee and shin, and boot armor, all black.

And that's pretty much it. Soft parts will be a dark gray flight suit/vest, and black boots. I want to do a cape, but I'm not sure what syle yet.

Girth belt will be a red sash, for the Journeyman Protector tie in, and I'll have a thick black leather belt with various pouches on it.
 
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