Precentorjames' armor

precentorjames · Feb 11, 2008

Traced armor onto the sterilite cans.

Cut out plates.

Spray Painting.

Another Sacrifice for Mandalorian Glory!!

Sorry about the huge pics, I'll fix it up and edit it after I get a little more experience with all this.

precentorjames · Feb 11, 2008

So, obviously, I'm not doing either of the Fett boys.

This is my new custom, I'm sort-of basing the color scheme off of the Galactic Marines from Ep III. I've never done anything like this before, so be gentle. I am a quite a bit farther along with this than it looks (like my sig says, I am at 54%). I have finished almost all of my plates and my jumpsuit. Blaster, holster, belt and Kama are works in progress. I need to buy a helmet, and decide upon what I want to do for boots.

The pictures are quite a bit behind the status of the actual costume, but I have even less experience getting pics online than I do in making a costume so....stay tuned.

Once I find the disk the other pics are on, get them uploaded to my site, (and resized, I promise!) I will have some pretty regular updates.

NovallTalon · Feb 12, 2008

Thats not bad for a first set of armor man! You did a great job cutting it out. I can't really comment on the the suit yet until we have some pics up of it.

jodo · Feb 12, 2008

Are you going to leave the skull on the shoulder bell? Looks great in the first stages man!

Citokre Dekanis · Feb 12, 2008

Looks pretty good. Nice skull/X-Bone decal.

GCNgamer128 · Feb 12, 2008

Nice job cutting it all out! However, I have to ask, did you sand and prime the plastic before you started painting?

precentorjames · Feb 13, 2008

Novall: Thanks. I am absurdly needy for praise! This is my first shot at this, and it is all taking me a really long time. The ultimate goal is Mandalorian Mercs. In any case, should have some more pics up soon.

Jodo: Yeah, the skull is staying there...sort of. The part you see in the pic is actually a paper die-cut from my mom's scrapbooking. Like an homage or tribute to my parents who helped me out so much with this.

GCNgamer128: How did I know it would be you who asked that?

I am trying out that plastic bonding paint on the chest pieces to see how it reacts. on the shins I am trying bond, different color undercoat, then primary color maincoat (aka the traditional method). The ultimate objective is to see which of several ways makes me happiest, then going with that for all the parts. If there's not much difference, I just won't worry about it. I'm not too worried, because the basic spray is the easiest part of the process, and spraypaint is cheap.

Darasuum Verd · Feb 13, 2008

Hey, looks like you're off to a great start! Can't wait to see it done!

-Naas

jodo · Feb 14, 2008

Awsome, no offense, but its sorta odd hearing that someone is incorperating something meaningful into their costume!

Glad to hear it though, always respect someone respecting the respected. :cheers I thought mabey you had tacked it down, and had painted a base layer underneath it, so when you peeled the skull off you'd stll have a skull.

precentorjames · Feb 14, 2008

Yeah, that would have been really smart to have done a base layer first, the spray over the stencil. Probably why I didn't do it that way. As it is, I have a really cool looking patch of bare plastic on my right pauldron. I'll figure out how to fix it as I go.

This is why this is such an important step for me, actually hitting the execution phase of this project. I have learned more from the couple of weeks worth of work on this than I have from three or four months of reading the message boards and planning the project. Not to say I didn't learn a lot from you all.

I'm sure everybody her who has done it understands...everything that happens in between the pictured "steps" and all of the unforeseen little accidents. It's quite an education. Really makes me respect the people here who make such cool armor even more.

My wife found the disk with the pics on it, so I should have further update tonight. Yay! Plus, I figured out how to make smaller pics, I think, so they should be less giant.

NovallTalon · Feb 14, 2008

PJ, I think it's great that your putting some meaning into your armor. Most people make it because it's cool...not because it has a personal meaning. When it's something that you treasure, you tend to be more meticulous with it and cherish it a little more. I applaud that!!

Yeah, you'll never learn as much from a tutorial or thread than you will doing it yourself.

precentorjames · Feb 14, 2008

Okay, as promised, here is a little bit of an update.

My mom's missing photo disk did not have anything nearly as interesting as I thought it did, but I do have the missing photos of me actually cutting the stuff out. Whee!

I am going to be at my parents tomorrow doing more work on the suit, so I promise I'll take some pics. (including the much awaited test fit!)

Anyway, here goes...
Cutting...

And the pieces...

So,there, update
I think I am getting better at this. It certainly took me a lot less time getting this going. Hopefully this means I will get the ball rolling a little better. With any luck I will have more interesting stuff here tomorrow or the next night.

Oh, Almost forgot! Here is my mandomaker concept piece! All thanks to NovallTalon for helping me to understand how to finally save it!

Zman12 · Feb 14, 2008

I don't like to hot link but here it is any way, its the only way I can think of to link. I couldn't find the white and black one or the good black ones that I have seen. But this will give you an idea what they look like modded. Plus they still shoot good. Although he did nock of one of the scope looking things if my memory serves me right.

precentorjames · Feb 14, 2008

Oooh, sweet!
Thanks. I never like doing it either, but I appreciate it.
Plus, I kinda felt guilty for hijacking Darasuum's thread.

I think I need to buy one of those. It'll look a lot more cool than the squirt gun I have now.

Zman12 · Feb 15, 2008

If you go about it right the thing will still shoot suctioncup darts. All the other mandos better look out your going to put darts all over their visors.

precentorjames · Feb 15, 2008

Hey, my beautiful wife downloaded from her camera and had a few cool WIP pics, so I figured I would make a new post to see what you all think.

Anyway, here goes...

The blaster. It still needs a wash in black for contrast and realism, then I am either going to drybrush or mist it in brown for weathering. That is the Rustoleum Hammered metal spray. It's my official new fav. Dries a lot slower than Krylon, but as far as I am concerned, nothing looks cooler than the hammered mettalic finishes.

The shins. Those of you following my progress will know that I intend to do a final coat in white, but this is the damage layer. I am thinking of using a masking agent to make damage on these, but I have not decided. My wife says I should just spray it, then hit it with my sandblock to make more realistic scratches. I might try both. We'll see...

And Last, the jumpsuit. This is just a Dickies coverall from the 'mart' store here in Manteca. The Velcro brand pathces are to attach the plates that are not going on the flak vest (for, um...obvious location issues). I have not done any weathering on these yet. If they need it, I was thinking of just wearing them when I go out to shoot my blackpowder revolver. Seems to dirty up everything else.

As always, look forward to comments and helpful tips!

jodo · Feb 15, 2008

Ok man, you can't keep talking about your wife without pics.

Great job so far man! :cheers

precentorjames · Feb 15, 2008

Okay, after a riveting two hours of cropping, resizing, and uploading...It's time for another update!

The Vest! It's an everlast sleeveless sweatshirt that I bought for $13.50.

The vest with all of the velcro tabs. I am not really happy with how they are holding, but it might be better after they have a chance to cure a little...

The jumpsuit with the plates attached.

Weathering the blaster. The black spraypaint I was using didn't really mix with the water, so it worked sorta like a wash and a drybrush. That's a real timesaver!

Damaging the armor plates. No special effects involved...I really smashed them up. I used: both sides of a claw hammer, a two prong seeder, and a spear. Yeah. Actually, the spear was pretty disappointing as it just left a nasty deep spot that hardly shows. Plus it made a weird check mark scratch on the left plate that is mostly my fault. I still feel comfortable blaming the spear though.

Using the copper pen to color the scratches. I was going to create a whole backstory to explain it...but the truth is the store only had copper leaf pens.

The skull on the pauldron. I kinda like it.

Right side view.

Left side view.

Ok. So, that's the status as of this afternoon. I'm not real happy with the functionality of the velcro (I know, I know, everyone on every thread already told me so). Plus, my collar is too curved so it has to sit too low, and my pauldrons are too flat. I was originally going to mount them flat on top, ala football shoulders, but the collar got in the way.

Gren Dcoutha · Feb 17, 2008

Another trash can warrior! Love it!:cheers

precentorjames · Feb 18, 2008

Thanks!
It really means a lot. I know it's not great, but it's a start, and I plan to upgrade bit-by-bit as I go, so it's only going to get better from here.

Might need to start with the shoulders....

Darn. I forgot I still don't have a helmet!

Precentorjames' armor

Jr Hunter

Jr Hunter

Well-Known Hunter

Well-Known Hunter

New Hunter

Sr Hunter

Jr Hunter

Active Hunter

Well-Known Hunter

Jr Hunter

Well-Known Hunter

Jr Hunter

Active Hunter

Jr Hunter

Active Hunter

Jr Hunter

Well-Known Hunter

Jr Hunter

New Hunter

Jr Hunter

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