Darktrooper Progress Thread 8MAR2011: Getting back to it

You know, im not having to much good luck. I go outside cause I say "hey, Im gonna go do some more MDF shaping on the shoulder bell mold" Spent like 15 minutes, making some good progress, and BAM! The sander keels over and dies, FOR GOOD. Im frankly pissed right now, cause I dunno the next time I'll be able to get another belt sander.
:angry:angry:angry:angry:angry:angry:cry

-tubachris
 
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I just read through this entire thread to catch up, and...wow!
it's coming along nicely even if you may think it's going slow. doing something right takes time, and from what I've seen in your progress, you're definitely doing things right. (y)

sorry to hear about the sander btw :(

when the DT gets done, all the time you put into it will be apparent to anyone who knows what they're looking at. so stick with it, and i can't wait to see the finished product. :cheers
 
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I just read through this entire thread to catch up, and...wow!
it's coming along nicely even if you may think it's going slow. doing something right takes time, and from what I've seen in your progress, you're definitely doing things right. (y)

sorry to hear about the sander btw :(

when the DT gets done, all the time you put into it will be apparent to anyone who knows what they're looking at. so stick with it, and i can't wait to see the finished product. :cheers


Thanks man, lol, Im proud of ya for reading through the whole thing and that goes to anyone who has all in one shot, not an easy task

My biggest issue is money. Since my sander died, its going to set me back $50 for the cheapest one :rolleyes Becuase of this, now its going to be an early B-day gift, despite the fact, my b-day is at the end of october!

I have some little cash left that Im saving to use to modify my vac-former and create a new extension cord so I can actually use the oven. Im kinda stuck not being able to do anything, and its incredibly frustrating since I have absolutly nothing to do until school starts.

Being broke FTL (n)

Thanks to everyone putting up with my constant babble lol

-tubachris
 
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No one that you could borrow one from even? Bummer. Hope that you figure something out.
 
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Alrighty then!

For about 17 bucks, I have the supplies I need to modify my vac-former. I realized that I dont need to make a whole new extention cord, but that I can just replace the plugs. The wires themselves are already capable of carrying the charge, so it would be a waste to have buy a whole new length of it.

The peg board has like an aluminum coat over the top, which is smooth and will work well. I just need to go work on it now!

-tubachris
 
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Ugh.

I have come to a major conclusion....

I am honestly starting to think that the darktrooper project is cursed in general to anyone trying to make it. Here's why:

1) first person attempted and had just about the same amount of bad luck, one mold made, had a chemical eat through it before being able to cast it.

2) Someone over in England had a shed with several suits and projects, such as a tk and scout armor, but was also building darktrooper armor (had the legs done) came back from work to find that some punk kids had burned his shed to the ground and lost it all. Said the police wouldnt help him.

3)Now to my situation. I really find this to be more difficult than it should be. The setbacks are just getting rediculous and theres nothing I can really do but watch it. The earlier days of the project were the easiest, the whole oven build really set me back though through trial and error, but then, that was just me.

Fast forward: it began with the sander. The cord got caught in the thing and I finally fixed it, but did not touch it until after I moved. So you can recall that my sander died withing the first 15 minutes of me even using it since I had previously fixed it. A new one will cost me $50, and now thats my early B-day gift from my parents.

So the other day, I got supplies to modify the platen and to get the oven working. Oven is working now, but I had started to work with the platen, and put it back where I have always kept it, leaning against the garage wall. Next morning, I come to find out my roomate hit it, and it was lodged under his car's bumper.How it got from where it was, to there has still boggled my mindl. Fortunatly, the only thing I have to do is replace the weather stripping, but I cannot do any modifying until I get that replaced. Im also lacking incredibly with funds right now, and hard enough to just go out and get what I need.

At this rate, Im afraid the day I do finish this, is the day I die.

Curse or what?

-tubachris
 
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man that really sucks to hear you are having such a hard time (i hope you severly beat the gun that run over your platen.....with a long pole) keep your chin up chris...everything works out in the end (it could be worse...you could have a shed thats still smoking lol) i heard about that guy from the uk before somewere...i didnt realise he was doing a DT aswell though...i only heard about his TK's and scouts...but yeah...hopefully you'll hit a lucky streak soon man
 
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When your frustrated just step back and take a break. Work on something else for fun. When the time is right you'll be ready to tackle the project with recharged batteries. When your upset you get impatient. When your impatient you take shortcuts, shortcuts lead to mistakes, mistakes lead to smashing things against the wall(Well in my case they do LOL) Take a small break, wait till you have a few bucks saved and come back to the project all charged up!
That's the only advice I can offer, I'm speaking from experience here. Heck I took almost the entire last year off.
Too much frustration will just lead to burnout then you may never finish that awesome suit!

MS
 
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Thanks guys, it is frustrating. Its something that I really enjoy doing, but at the same times makes me just want to run around screaming.

Im working to get a job now, hoping for home depot. Me and roommate might colaborate to start vacu-forming service, and he will help fund it. I'm doing a job for a member here, and my roommate says if everything looks quality to him, then he will help me out with that, and may be able to make some money on the side.

Im also going to try to have a smaller side project just to break me into fiberglassing due to a recent aquizition..

-tubachris
 
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Well, its been awhile since I last visited this thread! Well since I cant really work any of the molds, I decided to go through with the platen modification, and well, tonight I just completed the mod. I think I may need to get a more powerful vaccum eventually though, but it works.

modification002.jpg


modification001.jpg


-tubachris
 
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When your frustrated just step back and take a break. Work on something else for fun. When the time is right you'll be ready to tackle the project with recharged batteries. When your upset you get impatient. When your impatient you take shortcuts, shortcuts lead to mistakes, mistakes lead to smashing things against the wall(Well in my case they do LOL) Take a small break, wait till you have a few bucks saved and come back to the project all charged up!
That's the only advice I can offer, I'm speaking from experience here. Heck I took almost the entire last year off.
Too much frustration will just lead to burnout then you may never finish that awesome suit!

MS

^^^Words of wisdom^^^
 
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Yes, very good words of wisdom IMO. I think some of the frustration is partialy my fualt, Ive noticed that sometimes when I talk about the project to my friends, that I have a tendancy to sound neagative about the situation, thus, making it harder then it actually is. But I dunno, Im going to finish it either way.

-tubachris
 
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Currently building a new plastic holding frame with help from a friend. Pics to come tomorrow.

-tubachris
 
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Got the new stuff done yet? WE'RE ALL ANXIOUS!


We have been working on the modifications for awhile now. Im still thinking about getting a vaccum pump to replace the shop vac to make better pulls. Plus, I still need to get a new belt sander to work with
 
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You could always hook it to your cars intake. That'd give you the suction you'd need. Just a thought.
 
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