my shin guard progress NEW PICS

Thanks Z.I.A. !
Man you were up late last night ;)

Did some mods on the shoe guard:
shoe guard 1.jpg
shoe guard 2.jpg

shoe guard 3.jpg
shoe guard 4.jpg
 
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Yeah, umm...
I was up late...
um...
cause I was fooling with....

192 zam skirt squares!!!

I laced half of the skirt last night Man it is a major pain when your lacing needle just gets clogged and you have to do the rest with L shaped pliers! And, thank God I have a mother in law who sewed my red veil tonite. Hey-- you were up pretty late too! ;)
Nifty ankle gaurds, man you are working things out really awesome! I haven't looked at any shots for critiques, but Looks great to me :D
 
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Thanks!
Yeah I was up late as usual but trying to make some progress on these guards. I want to move on to another part of the costume ;)

Lacing needle? Can ya show me one?

Here's some more pics....top trim and snaps:

shin leather 5.jpg
shin leather 6.jpg

shin leather 7.jpg
shin leather 8.jpg


Now to bust out the airbrush :D
 
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Is the back of the shins with a leather fold over too or is that just sculpted, and leather layed on top? And where did you stop with the fold over so that it ends? at the bottom point of the round joint? I havent had time yet to do the whole pic thing with the skirt. I was hoping to do it when I was finished lacing the whole thing with pliers.
 
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Thanks for the kind words!

The leather trim on the top edge continues down the back side and butts to the sculpted edge just at the top of the curve. I abruptly stopped the sculpted edge just as it rounded that corner so that I would have a place to end the folded trim. This first attempt is pretty good but I think I can trim it to blend much better next time and then with airbrushed highlights in and around the crevace, it will hopefully blend even better. :)

It's a little tricky getting the leather trim piece to round those corners although not so bad once I figured it out. I had to glue it first part way up the edge, sew it up until about an inch from the corner, stretch it over the corner (while folded) and get the leather worked out a bit, glue the edge around the corner and stick the leather while folded, let it dry, unfold, stitch, and refold. (if that makes sense ;) )
 
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Those are awesome shin guards!!! Wow!!!!

Thanks for sharing with us how you did all the work too!! :D :D Now.. to apply what I've learned!!! *Like buying a few extra lacing needles! ;) *
 
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I think your work on the shin guards is great and very well done.

I have some questions on your process to get there.

1. how did you get the clay for the original sculpture so smooth? I have tried projects like this but have had trouble getting it smooth.

2. You then made a mold which allowed you to make a plaster cast as well as a slush cast. Can you explain that process, including materials used?

I have been struggeling with projects like this maybe your expertise can help.
 
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pastafett wrote:
I think your work on the shin guards is great and very well done.
Thanks very much for the kind words!! :)
I have some questions on your process to get there.

1. how did you get the clay for the original sculpture so smooth? I have tried projects like this but have had trouble getting it smooth.
Actually, the clay didn't come out as smooth as I would have liked. Since it gets wrapped with leather and the plastic casting can be sanded, I decided it was good enough which worked out just fine. If it wasn't going to be wrapped in leather, I would've done a cheaper mold with a plaster cast then sanded the plaster and made the actual urethane rubber mold from that. I just made a plaster cast to have a back up solid cast.
2. You then made a mold which allowed you to make a plaster cast as well as a slush cast. Can you explain that process, including materials used?
I used a urethane rubber from smooth-on. I simply made a box a couple inches bigger than my sculpture in every direction, built up a halfway point with clay around the sculpture while lying on its side. I then poured the rubber in for one half, flipped it over when cured to pour the second half. I will say, this isn't a very lucrative process. With the cost of clay, rubber compound and then the urethane plastic compound for casting, I have close to $400.00 invested just in getting a few sets of guards. This doesn't include the leather, snaps, etc. Now that price wouldn't necessarily influence the cost of one set of guards but just the cost of making the molds. A set of guards would be a fraction of that cost ;)
mold078ku.jpg

mold13sm2rm.jpg


To do a casting, I had to make this "spit" for the mold. I had to rotate this progressively slower for 1 1/2 hours to allow the casting compound to form a hollow shell.
moldrotator2vv.jpg

After 16 hours, I then could demold it and spend another couple hours with a dremel trimming off the excess and finishing.
 
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All i can say is WOW :eek: wait.. where's the drop the jaw on the floor smiley? :D
 
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Dedication or insanity? ;)

Regardless... they look just fantastic!!! The quality shows in the amount of work you've done on these! Wow!!! :D
 
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MaulMaus wrote:

Dedication or insanity? ;)

Regardless... they look just fantastic!!! The quality shows in the amount of work you've done on these! Wow!!! :D

:D Hmmm..? dedication...insanity...dedication....whichever it is, as always with this hobby I'm learning new things which in itself is rewarding ;) Thanks for the positive comments!
 
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YOUR WORK REALY LOOKS GREAT AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO SELL A PAIR.
I THINK THE COST OF THE MOLDS WOULD INDEED BE THE MOST EXPENSIVE THING TO MAKE.
I LIVE IN HOLLAND AND I'M MAKING A SUIT FOR MY GIRLFRIEND&AND ANOTHER FRIEND.(SO I NEED 2 PAIR)
I KNOW IT IS A LOT OF WORK TO MAKE THESE PARTS I'M WORKING ON MY HELMET AND UNDERSUIT.
THANK ANYWAY FOR SHARING YOU WORK.

GREETINGS JEROEN.
 
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Yeah, I'm that friend, but even if you're willing to sell a pair, how much would it cost and are you sure that they'll fit on everyone?
 
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Thanks for the interest! I haven't decided on a finished estimate yet because I still haven't worked on the weathering, etc. Most of the cost will be for materials as they're not really cheap. I can figure an estimate for them in kit form though.
Yes, they can and will fit just about anyone. They're flexible and I can adjust them for overlap. I will need a measurement though. As in the pics below, I'll need a measurement around the lower calf at 9 1/2" up from the heel as marked by the piece of masking tape on her leg ;) :
shinmeasure16ti.jpg

shinmeasure27cr.jpg



As you can see, my wife's lower calf measures 12" around. I mainly need this measurement to ensure enough room for overlap and if I need to pour extensions on the guard.

Please send me a pm to discuss more details :)


cal
 
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(hello,
thanks for your reply i didn't saw your pictures of your progress work but i have a new internet connection and i must say WOW! i measured my girlfriend's leg and she has the same size so that's perfect.
my friend Gaeriel comes with measures soon.

thanks jeroen&saskia.
 
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BTW, all, Moncal's shins are sooo cool. They are NOT made outta fiberglass really... The material he is using is perfect for putting it on and taking it off the leg. It's not rigid like vacuumformed plastic. You'd all be amazed. In hotter weather it is more flexible, and cooler weather, it's a tad more rigid. BUT! it keeps it's memory and doesnt ever lose details i.e. those rounded joint parts at the base of the shin. I must say, superb sculpt, and his anklegaurds are also just as awesome. He even made it longer on one side. There is a right side and left side anklegaurd. I didn't even notice till I got em. Really good eye there matee :D
I wrapped my own leather with glue and I put my own styrene top "lip edge" on his gaurds, cause I didn't want to feel around, poking myself to get the "lip" effect by the leather only like Moncal did. Both methods work, his might be a tad nicer when it comes to overlapping leather problems at the very tip top angle point below the knee. My pieces of leather, actually from Dallas, was really stretchy, and that helps, especially when glueing down things and trying to eliminate bubbles and also becuase the shell is rounded, but with different widths. If it was perfectly cylindrical, you could achieve perfect and easy glueing, but shin shells aren't, so the leather being stretchy helps out tremendously. I also learned to start glueing from the front center out, otherwise, you could run out of leather.
Now, when you wear them, you should consider going to the fabric store and getting adequate foam for the inside of the shin. This is needed to lift the shin up a little, because the top of your ankle will hurt like the dickens with styrene and the shins digging into the top of your ankle. Comfort first, those joints do move, but don't stay, so, foam it somehow ESPECIALLY if you do a parade or con or something.
Moncal (y) , way up for the shins!
 
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