Starting a Custom Mando

If you go with a kama i suggest you take care with the length. If it is too long in the back and your crouching around, there's a good chance you'll step on it. I guess you'll have to see what works. As for the back armor, Steel is fairly easy to bend and shape, but with anything its hard to get a good conture. Sintra is thicker and may look better to you if you want it thick, but steel is light flexible and unbreakable. I'll post a pic of my back armor in a moment. Sorry about the size and fuzzieness, but I think you can tell that it fits good.
 
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After a brief trip to New Hampshire, I think that have modified the proportions on all of the custom panels so that they fit, and have gotten cardboard test plates cut out.

I'll make as much as I can out of the trash can, although some plates (e.g. knees, cod, back) I'll use metal for.

As for the Kama, I guess I'll try ankle-length, and I can always shorten it if I need to.

armor_test.JPG
 
An interesting chest armor design. Can wait to see how it's actually gonna look. Hopefully you'll get more stuff done soon. I'm gonna start working on my vest and flight suit this week and I'll be almost done!!! Helmet still oy!
 
I've got the trash can, and marked the armor, but I don't think that I'll be able to get it all cut out by the time I leave for NC (in a few hours). Good luck on the vest and flight suit!
 
After spending altogether too much time trying to cut the pieces out, I realized that the blade was dull. I've got the chest and thigh plates, which, I expect, are the only ones that I will make out of the trash can. the shin plates have too much of a curve and the knee and shoulder plates have sharp edges which are not compatible with any part of the trash can. I may be able to make a part of the Cod and bicep armor out of it, but I'm not sure if it will work.

For that which I can/will not make out of the trash can, I intend to use metal. I remember reading somewhere that Beskar was not the same color as steel or aluminum, but rather a bronze-ish color. I may not do that much weathering, but I would like it to be as accurate as possible. Also, does anyone know if metal flashing (for the side of a house) would work well?

On the gut/lower chest piece, two of the corners on the right side didn't snap very well, and I'd like to know what the best way to stick them back together is. At the moment they're held in place by masking tape (you can see one of them on the top corner in the picture).

armor_gut.JPG


armor_cut.JPG
 
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It's made by sterilite, I think it's a 13 gallon, but I'm not sure - I'll check when i get home.

I have made some progress, but I haven't had a chance to take many pictures or post any information. I'll try to update this weekend.
 
Hey, so I'm not the only one who thinks Scottish clans when people talk about Mandos! Sweet. I've been trying to think of how to do a similar thing, incorporate the Mc Gugan tartan into my armour... Kama might fit nicely. Armour's lookin good mate, like how you've made the kneecaps.
 
I am having trouble finding the right tartan, but I think that a Black Watch would also fit with the color scheme, and it is much easier to come by it. There is also fabric hanging from the shoulder (a sash, I think).

I am having some trouble with the knees... i've got them cut out, but I don't have a spot-welder to weld it together. I can fold the metal over itself, but I'm not sure that it will be that durable...

The garbage can says that it holds a 13 gallon bag, but is itself 52 quarts.
 
What about rivets? Would that hold the metal together? Also, you could use JB weld, or something similar - that'd hold it together quite solid. Its essentially a two part playdough that bonds to metal, dries incredibly solid, like steel.
 
I'm back.
School's out, so I now have time to continue working on putting this together. I've got some JB weld and stuck one of the knee pieces together, and one side of the other.

I've also painted all of the sintra pieces silver, and a coat of sealant on top of it, and have given all the metal pieces (except the knees) a coat of primer). I am unsure of weather I should paint the pieces blue, mask them off, and add the black, or the other way around.
 
Hey Photon! If you are stuck on the idea of using a little tartan in your kit, why don't you look at some of the 'ancient' tartans. They use muted dyes for them (like the natural dyes of old). There tends to be more earth tones in them, and they look wethered right off the bolt! All ancient tartans (that I know of) are clan tartans so you won't find ancient BW or ancient Leatherneck etc.
Cheers,
Mike
 
I originally hoped to use an ancient Ross Hunting tartan, but found it extremely hard to find, and so I began leaning towards a Black Watch. I haven't actually gotten any fabric yet, and if I can, I'll get the Ross.
 
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