Death Watch Death Watch Armor "experiment"

Jangojedi

Jr Hunter
This is an experiment with FOAM. After a friend showed me a Pete Mander vid of him working on his Elite Halo costume, making the helmet out of foam. I wanted to try something that I could experiment on, to gain the experience of attempting to build armor out of foam. CRASH and BURN so to speak hands on training.

So far, I would not recommend this for trying to capture high detail (real life canon stuff). But I am still in the noob area of experience when it comes to working on armor period. Foam seems to be hard to shape and carve but who knows, maybe it will turn into something the more I experiment with it.

The biggest obstacle is getting the foam coated with something that will flex and yet have a hard glossy surface to be able to Rub and Buff.

After I saw CRUZER's CW Death Watch of Pre Viszla bucket thread, which is a super sweet job BTW.(y) Cruzer!! I decided to take on the CW Mando armor.

I printed off the WOF (I think every guy who builds a custom Mando is thankful for these), THANKS WOF. I printed off the plans and modified them as best I could (prior to the episode coming out) but I did pick up #115 SW Insider (pic reference) and after two weeks of messing around here is what I have so far.

My templates in paper.
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First foam piece, I actually only had one internet reference for this two weeks ago. I didn't follow this shape exactly, I actually made it bigger and then trimmed it down to fit.
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Thighs and gun in foam stage. I need to build the holster still.
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Painted, and then Rub and Buff the right shin, guantlet, and shoulder. Rub and Buff both knees, as well. All other parts only have been painted with Plasit Dip (black) from Home Depot and then with Silver Vinyl paint from Auto Zone. They have not been RNB'd yet.
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Shin on the left and both knees are RNB'd, the shin on the right is not.
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Gauntlet on left is not RNB, right one is.

** photobucket being serviced right now ** ughhh



None of these pieces in the next shots have been RNB'd yet.

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More pics. I wouldn't even call this thread versions one, more like trial and error to see if I could cut foam, shape and paint it. So then I will try revamp all of the pieces once I finish and see about finding better stuff to coat with before Rub and Buffing the parts. If it ends up looking too cheesy, I might just scrap it.

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I am going to have fun with it. it is winter time and I was able to cut this out, shape it and then spray and cure it next to a heater, all in about 6 hours. I am not looking to get approved to join anything, I just want to see how this stuff would work for parts, it there is anything I can gain or learn from it, even if it turns out to be useless. I do plan on building armor with ABS or HIPS, working on vac table now.

Anyhhow, I cut out the pieces make sure you have multiple blades, other wise you just tear the foam. Then run a heat gun over it, it helps close the pores in the back side of the foam mat. Then plasti dip spray paint at Home Depot $5.97, Silver Vinyl spray paint at Auto Zone, $6.96 but this color is only available at one Auto Zone in the entire St Louis area, all the stores had all the colors but silver. only one with silver. The cool thing about this silver which I have never seen before, I could actually make out the flakes in the air when I sprayed it.

I also used E6000 as a sealer in rough spots, where I glued stuff, kind of like bondo. My first attempts at this I failed miserably and you can see it in the guantlets, but the ones that I got down really good, you can not see them at all. It is really cool stuff.

So this is like version 1.
 
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So far, I would not recommend this for trying to capture high detail (real life canon stuff). But I am still in the noob area of experience when it comes to working on armor period. Foam seems to be hard to shape and carve but who knows, maybe it will turn into something the more I experiment with it.

The biggest obstacle is getting the foam coated with something that will flex and yet have a hard glossy surface to be able to Rub and Buff.
As well as 501st I do live roleplaying (LRP). People have made swords, shields, armour and monster costumes out of foam, so I know sculpting foam is possible, I agree you're not going to get as fine detail as you would in ABS but it is possible, the trick is the density of the foam. You then cover the foam in liquid latex and airbrush paint on top of that.
Personally I haven't done any real work in foam myself, like most things it takes skill and practice to get anything reasonable.

Heres a link to company which sells LRP shields and swords. Just to show you whats possible. Great first attempt though.

http://www.eldritch.com/70141/info.php?p=7&pno=0
 
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Nice!!!! Keep the good work... It could be used for CW Clones too!!!!

So far I have been advised that soft foam with out a hard shell is not acceptable, even for the Mercs. That foam can be used behind hard amor. But I am just after the knowledge at this point to see what can be done with this stuff, to be able to possibly build other things with it. But you never know.

Here is Pete's vid click me
 
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You know, I was wondering how I was going to make my armor look thicker for my Pre Vizsla build... THANK YOU!

Some foam under 3mm sintra would be perfect!
 
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Pete Mander would be proud. looking good man. im not sure if you were going for the toon look but man that foam looks like it jumped right out of my tv. good job
 
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