Female metal armor WIP.

NovallTalon

Well-Known Hunter
So I'm putting together a suit of female metal armor for a friend of mine. I've had the thread up on the Mercs board for awhile, but figured I'd post some pics here also.

http://mercs.firespray.net/forum/index.php?topic=3397.0

The top half of the armor has been pounded out. It's made out of 20 guage aluminum and 26 guage plate steel. It's light but strong, especially the plate steel pieces!

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Everything has been hand hammered (We call it "dishing" in the armorsmith world), and that has taken a good amount of time. The build is based off a Vhonte Thervo style armor but will have it's own distinct look once it's finished. Those of you going to DCon will be able to see this armor in action.

 
Must have been a pain in the rear end to hammer that thing out...

But anyways, it looks really really nice!

And I hope you wear a respirator whenever you use that fiberglass filler I see in the background. hehe.
 
Must have been a pain in the rear end to hammer that thing out...

But anyways, it looks really really nice!

And I hope you wear a respirator whenever you use that fiberglass filler I see in the background. hehe.

Not as bad as you may think honestly. I spent some time in my early 20's doing medieval style armor, so I just had to remember the curves. I actually finished the backplate up today and am working on a nice metal cod piece. The hardest part about the whole thing is that she isn't where I can just put a piece of the armor on her for sizing up, so she's been sending me measurements as I ask for'em.

I only use the fiberglass for filling up parts of the cod armor where metal is absent. Of course I wear a respirator...been doing this long enough to not have one and use it.
 
Here's a pic of the armor after thighs and shins are completed. Gonna back them with rubber tonight to give them a good stiff feeling, and keep the wearer comfortable. Cod piece needs to be filled in with some fiberglass also. Will be working on knees, gauntlets, and boot armor soon.

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Yes I am. Theres no way to get the breast curve in metal if you don't. Each piece is hand dished and roughly planished (keeps a better "used" look that way).
 
It's a spray on rubber undercoating made by 3M. 3 coats stiffen it up good and keep it from having the potential to cut in on ya.

Here's a pic of the backplate's inside after the 1st coat.

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Tooled a Mercs mando skull into the left pauldron lastnight. Gotta put a hot iron to it and smooth it out good before dying them black.

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Painted everything that was ready to paint today. Primed, masked, and got the first color of paint on. Cod has to be finished, diamond, foot armor, and gauntlets are on the slate for building next.

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Dang what are those vicious looking spiked things? Are they for the hands or the feet? Also I might state that your leather working just as impressive as your metal skills. I havn't gotten that far into medivle armor yet, I just work chain. I don't have a place to dish armor out.

Keep those pics comeing.
 
The spiked things your referring to are her chest armor and thighs. The ends are rounded to keep from impaling herself when bending over, you just can't see it from that distance.

I wanted to give her a fierce look, and the armor style of Vhonte Thervo has alot of tight angles.

The dishing isn't so bad, even on the plate steel parts (back). The hard part is getting the correct curve and shape, especially when all you have to work with is a cast of the person instead of the actual person.

Thanks for the compliments!!
 
Oh now that you say that I can see that. You ought to make her hand armor with spikes like that comeing out. Would be wicked looking, sort of RC clone style.
 
Actually, her gauntlets are going to have spring loaded beskad blades that can be released at will. Of course they will be non-functioning as weapons but they will be extremely cool non the less.
 
Here we are after the major painting and weathering on the bulk of the armor.

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Gotta trim down the cod a bit, then paint it. Diamond and foot armor is next, then knees and gauntlets.

Oh, I'm sure she will LOVE it. She's already beyond thrilled over it. =)
 
Is there a reason you/she went with leather for the pauldrons? Was it so the Mando symbol could be tooled, or because the metal would be too heavy/restrictive? You did such a fine job with dishing the other pieces, I'd've said do those in metal, too. Very impressed with how smooth the plates are. I've only done very basic hammering, and years ago, for a boss for a viking shield, and I lost patience before getting anywhere near as smooth as I would have liked, and galaxies away from your finish.

Thanks for the info about the rubber backing, too. I'd heard/read about the spray-on rubber before for some things, but wondered if you were applying sheet or pad rubber.
 
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