Jaster Mereel A konservative approach to Jaster Mereel ( potentially imageheavy )

[Jaro Krieg]

I had a Set of undished Jangostlye Plates lying around some time and wondered - "What am i gonna do next?"
But what? I already have a custom Mandalorian Armor and a TCW-Deatwatch Armor... So i thought i gonna challenge myself and do something Canon.
A Boba or Jango would be challenging, Ok. But on nearly every troop i bump into atleast 2 or 3 Bobas or Jangos (or more). So you might get the Idea that it could get boring being just another Boba in the Fett-Realm. (Besides, according to my Pals in the 501th a screenaccurate boba might be abit too expensive for "just a little sideproject" )

After watching through all those canon guys that atleast got themselves an actionfigure i finally decided myself for Jaster Mereel -> the "TRUEST" Mandalorian from all of them.
But the TRUEST Mandalorian deserves only the Power of TRUE ******* METAL!

So the Aim:
Making on of the TRUEST - Mereel Beskar'gam out there; this means:
Avoiding artificial Materials (Plastic, fiber, or pleather etc.) when i can and go fore a more realistic. So i intend to use metal and realleather.
The Jaster in the Comic-book always changes from Panell to Panell and the Actionfigure can be roughly described as an colorchanged Jango with diffrent Head and Belt - So i Aim for a Compromise between all given sources.


What i got so far:

In my Opinion Jasters Flightsuit is more olive then grey. So i go for a stonewashed Tank-overall in the official color "Steingrau/Oliv" (Stonegrey-olive).
The good thing on that overall is: The fed. german Army has more than 40 diffrent sizes for every bodytype. -> so it suits perfectly XD
For the Cape i found a red heavy curtain-cloth in the obligatory fabric remnant-box

For the Vest i got myself a darkgreen/grey realleather (4mm thick) but when i looked at a odd lot of a local Army-store i found that:

A Submarine-Leatherjacket for 15€
So i went lazy and just gonna cut those Arms a bit. Due its a Navy-jacket the turned up neck goes nearly over the ears -> Neckseal question: solved.



The Belt might be the complexest Part of the whole 'gam - so its stll not finished over this Point

I wanted to give the belt a more venturous look like that of a traveling man that lives hand-to-mouth and picks up the gear were it fells of - instead of a clean monocolored, customized single-copy. The Materials are again 4mm thick leather including Beltpouches from several eastern-europe Armies.
For more Pictures on the crafting on the Belt -> Check here!


Blaster:
I thought i gonna try to make the Handblasters out of some wood and Iron Rods.... but then i went lazy again when i found these for 5€ at a Toy's R us

And ****... they look like a precursor of the Wester34....

Well, after some modding and painting...

I think i couldn't have hit the drawn original any better for only 10€ ;-)

Atleast i can finally take meazuers for the Holsters to sew and finishing the Belt later.



So now for the Plates:
Material for Plates: 1,5mm thick Alloy, lasercutted in L-Long size From the last mass production run.

I'am about to teach myself the "Repoussé and chasing" of Armorplates with Hammer and Hands. So this is what i got so far.

Tightplates

Knee's

Cod and the way of attaching it

Bootplates

I made them in exact this ascending Order postet here... thats why the earlier plates (tights) look more dented than the later ones. Hey i'm still learning.
First i thought i gonna paint them gunmetal-grey but when i looked back. The Comics never shown something like a scratch of fissure. Only mud and dirt. The Cover of the First Open-Season comic shown polished Plates like later Jango had. And the colorswapped actionfigure also show no mark of an paintjob (except for the shoulders of course). Therefore i treated the surface of the plates with a power-drilled Steelbrush to give the plates a rough, grindy surface

Thats all so far guys.

I will update this more frequently then my last building thread.

 

[Jangoismyfav]

everything looks great and those pistols are amazing! I hope mine turn out as good as those did, wow, you wouldn't even know they were once water guns! great work so far, keep it up!

 

[Jaro Krieg]

So

with new sewingneedles i was able to make the Holsters.
I've gone with the 4 walled holster like the Actionfigure has

The Leather is the same as the broad underbelt. Its a bit lighter cause its wet for the hardening process

Anyway I've finished the Legplates so far.

I've took the time to flatten the Tightplates a bit more and give all plates that same shivering scratchlook that I've discovered recently

 

[Jaro Krieg]

So after some delays (broken leatherneedles, Straps went out etc) I've finally finished the Belt.

I'ts arround 6,6 lbs - only leather.

 

[Ordeyn]

Dang, I wish my holster/belt looked that amazing. Excellent work with it all!

 

[Jaro Krieg]

The Suit with attached doublesleeves

he Double Sleeves are detachable.
This is how they look from the back - an how they are attached.

I had this idea eventually when i saw the Jetpack-Hose of this guy.

The Hose magically disapears under the Ankle-pit and reappears under the Doublesleeve.
Then I remembered these Armband flecktarn neutral - ASMC | Ausrüstung Sicherheit Militär Camping
I still have mine from my army time - so i just took it as a template-> and cut the legs of an old olive pants of mine.
Now i have two detachable Double-sleeves and a nice olive Capri-BDU-Pant XD (maybe i also could have buy two of these Shoulder Organizer Gen. II black - ASMC | Ausrüstung Sicherheit Militär Camping

Anyway I've made a testfit today

(the left Tightarmor need to be glued thats why its not on the picture)

I guess i could loose the grip of the Velcos at the Ankle's

Atleast i can knee as good as ever

In the End: There needs to be some minor work with the strapping and patches - but nothing big. And i have to make those Kneedarts i wanna make already. XD

The Tightplate btw are attached by thick elastic strap within the Suit (you can spot the Slits on the cleanshot of the Flightsuit). One strap uppwards to the belt and one strap around the leg.

 

[TKThor]

Very nice work.

 

[Lazerblade]

Very nice. Can't wait to see more.

 

[Azriel24]

I've thought about using aluminum instead of other materials; great looking armor! Great reference pics; I'll definitely try to incorporate some of these ideas into my own Jaster costume

 

[danielandre77]

How thick is the aluminium that you used?

 

[danielandre77]

How thick is the aluminium that you used?

I just found it myself. :facepalm

 

[Jaro Krieg]

thanks for the credit:

As Update: The Project is a bit on a hold. I'm working curently on 4 Armors right now. Upgrading my Deathwatch 'gam ( http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/f62/...-2-0-a-46411/?highlight=full+metal+deathwatch ) - Maintaining and upgrading my Main'gam (

), this Jaster Mereel Sideproject and another secret mandalorian Project that will be revealed on Celebration Europe 2:

So according to CE2 the Jaster Armor ranks the lowes priority within those projects... But i estimate to get it done within this year.

 

[Worktron]

Hey Jaro, do you remember what kind of guns those were originally? I think they look fantastic and would love to pick up a set myself.

 

[Jaro Krieg]

sure

Afaik its a "Wave Thrower Water Blaster" from Lanard

Welcome to toy-superstore.co.uk - Moons Toy Shop online store - No.1 toy store in the region

i just modded the foregrip to a scope and sealed the waterscrew on the back with some resin

 

[Jaro Krieg]

*blows away the dust*

On the last Armorparty i have found the Time to take care of the Torsoplates for this project.

I took the comics as orientation and gave the chestmuscles some room

 

[Jaro Krieg]

so, after 3 years and alot of other projects i finally came to the thought that i could finish my Jaster someday ^^

So i called Cruzer for one of his mereel helmets and Tada

I also came to the idea to tint the belt and make some more unique pouches

Gaunts will come next.

 

[Jaro Krieg]

Ok First Troop First Testfit...

3 years after is started the Project. ^^

The Reason why it took so long?

Actualy, it was always planned as a Sideproject to work on when i dont have other urgent Projects to do so it took a while.
Also there came two major Problems with that Attitude.

1. I learned alot more Skills in the recent years and older work seemed to insult my inner Craftsman.
2. i lost weight, get weight, lost weight again and get it back but with more muscles than belly

both resulted in doing a whole new undersuit, making a third and final vest, altering the belt and reparing some parts before actually trooping with them.... anyway.


for the first troop i'm satisfied with the outcome.

some minor tweaks must be made:

- shirt is too small (you'll se the naked skin behind the gaunts)
- Holsters are too light to draw
- Codpiece needs a new higher hanging
- Gaunt is missing the "scope"
- Helmet needs a more solid padding
- some of the pouches shove to much around.

 

[eagerly]

Love it. May need to have a visit over. Jaster and Montross need a dual troop

 

[Jaro Krieg]

that would be properbly the first actual Team-up since the original release of the comic ^^


while I'm at it - some detailshots of the new Undersuit.


After my experiance with other armors i've decided to make a splitted Undersuit with shirt and pants - in MY Size

I used an olive drab Moleskin-pants, (the same i used for the Bicepsleeves) and a olive fieldshirt. They also came with the standardissued suspensers which are very usefull when attaching heavy Tighplates on your Legs ^^



For the Vest: Thats properbly my Masterpiece so far. ^^
It is 3 layered olivegrey Leather. no visible sewinglines or Rivets. Under the armpit the vest is sewed together but wider in span. The Trick are the seals that close the vest tighter after pulling it on.
The seals on the back are adjustable via straps that run inside of the vest.
Why 3 layers? Because i wanted the ultimate attachment.
I use to attach the Plates not via Velcro or Bolts. i strap them on elastic Band to support my flexibility as a human being. My Body bends the Armor - Not the Armor my body. ^^

but those straps come with the disadvantage of being visible....

not anymore



The slits are on the front to hide those straps permanently ^^
the inner layer of leather is just to enforce the frontlayer and keeping those slits from ripping.


After weathering the vest with shoewax

- - - Updated - - -

that would be properbly the first actual Team-up since the original release of the comic ^^

And totaly Awesome!


while I'm at it - some detailshots of the new Undersuit.


After my experiance with other armors i've decided to make a splitted Undersuit with shirt and pants - in MY Size

I used an olive drab Moleskin-pants, (the same i used for the Bicepsleeves) and a olive fieldshirt. They also came with the standardissued suspensers which are very usefull when attaching heavy Tighplates on your Legs ^^



For the Vest: Thats properbly my Masterpiece so far. ^^
It is 3 layered olivegrey Leather. no visible sewinglines or Rivets. Under the armpit the vest is sewed together but wider in span. The Trick are the seals that close the vest tighter after pulling it on.
The seals on the back are adjustable via straps that run inside of the vest.
Why 3 layers? Because i wanted the ultimate attachment.
I use to attach the Plates not via Velcro or Bolts. i strap them on elastic Band to support my flexibility as a human being. My Body bends the Armor - Not the Armor my body. ^^

but those straps come with the disadvantage of being visible....

not anymore



The slits are on the front to hide those straps permanently ^^
the inner layer of leather is just to enforce the frontlayer and keeping those slits from ripping.


After weathering the vest with shoewax

 

[clockworkronin]

Looks awesome! This is my first time seeing a Jaster outside of the comic