After many years (since Early-Mid 2007)...

[Citokre Dekanis]

FINALLY starting my Mando build. The main factor in the delay was: The Army kept getting in the way (also hard to get the right facilities in the barracks for what I'm doing). Now that I'm out, I can finally start presenting my scratch build beskar'gam.

The body suit is a pair of my old Nomex CVC Coveralls from my days as a Bradley and Stryker crewmember. For the armor pieces, I am using 16 gauge aluminum. Everything's going to be pretty simple, the only thing I can think of that will take some work will be the helmet. I will also be crafting some beskad's to go with it as well, so, stay tuned!

Most of the tracing was pretty easy, the only thing that took some work was the front collar, it was a little short for my liking, but after 3 tries, I was able to extend it adequately and keep it fairly even. I'm going to be cutting out and starting to shape pieces today, and will post more when done.

 

[BooBoo Fett]

Congratulations on being able to get started. Sounds like it's going to be pretty neat. Looking forward to watching your progress. Cheers!

 

[Citokre Dekanis]

Was a little bit delayed due to some sudden maintenance I had to do on the rear diff on my Jeep (bad seal), but I finally got the first set of armor pieces cut out, they aren't entirely 100% perfectly symmetrical on purpose.

 

[Citokre Dekanis]

Congratulations on being able to get started. Sounds like it's going to be pretty neat. Looking forward to watching your progress. Cheers!

Thanks, I'm pretty giddy about it and wish I could just devote all my time and such into the project.

 

[Jaro Krieg]

jeah, you never get perfect symetric aslong as you cut with handcraft tools. Yours are even more symetrical then my first plates ;-)

 

[Citokre Dekanis]

jeah, you never get perfect symetric aslong as you cut with handcraft tools. Yours are even more symetrical then my first plates ;-)

I rather like it like that, I'll have to work less to weather and damage it, even so, thanks for the complement, I am usually very anal about making things perfect (even as a small kid I would meticulously color within the lines (outline then work in), so I actually had to work a little to not make it "perfect".

 

[Citokre Dekanis]

@Mafio : Question on the helmet though: how did you end up making yours? For the dome, I have some ideas on how I'm going to do it (one being using one of the many templates where the dome is strips that you weld together (and not something I relish doing), the other is cutting a circle out and hammering it into shape. How did you make it?

 

[Jaro Krieg]

Funny thing, only a few weeks ago, my Vode and me inaugurated a little deal with a factory. 10 complete Jango-style Platekits perfectly cutted by Industrial-lasers (in 4 diffrent sizes)

For the dome i have to disappoint you. When i made my first 'gam (2 years ago) i was in a hurry back then, and just took one of Fettpride Premium Helmets (and i still can recommend it XD ). Later i made a helmet on my own using PVC and an old plastic motorcycle helmet As shown in this link
But I'm planning a full-metal Helmet using the same method like that deathwatch helmet in the near future. But instead with an old aluminum fireworker helmet and some bended Metal.

For the Hammerdishing. I guess you meant that rough translated Tutorial from Tomoe? MAGIC LINK!


Welding might be a good technique but its more tricky welding Aluminum. Steel is good to weld but weigts 3times more of course.
the good thing on the Mando Helmet. You can hide bolts and screws under the "faceplate-ring" ;-)

 

[Citokre Dekanis]

Thanks. I actually hadn't seen that tutorial, thanks! Just bookmarked it. And yeah, I know how difficult aluminum can be to weld, and yeah, as far as attaching the dome to the rest of it I'm thinking of making some folds on the inside and bolting them together, and then JB Welding around. That's really awesome with the motorcycle helmet too. As I become more adept at it I'll start working with steel, heavier yes, however, after sporting body armor for the past 6 years, it won't be anything.

Thanks again for the info, it's a big help!

 

[Jaro Krieg]

Heavier isnt better when it comes to Helmets. A bigger weight will harm your neck and backbone. You should avoid to let a helmet weight more than 1,5 kg if you intend to troop 10 hours a day. My FP, with all attachments and inside tech is about 1,4kg and i still carry around some painkillers if the troop takes several days.

Steel might be cool for a first look. But it will exhaust you more and more. My full 'gam is about 30kg and is ONLY Aluminium and a fiber helmet. But! i still can move myself, can knee, run, dance, push ups etc. I know some "steelwearers" that have the flexibilty of Steven Hawkin in Armor. But "jeah it is atleast steel you know" *facepalm*
A "Armor" in which you cant move or dont feel compfortable is no armor - it is a prison with legs or a take away coffin.
Remember, it is still a costume and YOU are the wearer. No one will try to lift you aslong as you look cool and make loud-clanking-noise.
No one will give a osik WHAT Metal you were when you still wear light-weigh metal. And thats why Aluminium comes in way more handy for Costume armors.
It shines, it is hard enough, it will clank like metal - and it weights 3 times lesser then steel.

BTW. A normal PASGT or ol' Steelhelmet dont weight more than 1,3kg - But they only protect the headdome. A full-steel visor helmet (with steelhelmet thickness) will go up to 3kg or more. Fullplated Knight Helmets came up with a weigt over 3 kg thats right. But espeacialy the later, heavy ones came with a Collar that should prevent from strikes to the neck - and also decreased the helmet's weight that press onto your neckbone.


Steel is therefore a bad material if you havnt the right tools and chemikals - when it comes to costumes.
Or simply not the Money XD

1. it is to heavy for a custome
2. it will rust.
3. it is not so "soft" like aluminium and need harder work to bring it in form.
4. the edges are way more sharper and need way more work to stump them.
5. it is magnetic so people can stick magnetic "shoot me" sticks on your back ;-)
6. if you intend to run circles on a plain field in the midth of a heavy thunder with lightnings... you either wanna get struck by one of the lightnings or rather wear alluminum ;-)

 

[Citokre Dekanis]

Heh, yeah, true, however, at least the weight of the helmet will be evenly distributed, try wearing AN/PVS-7b's (night vision I had when I was stationed in Germany and used throughout Iraq), THAT will tire the hell out of your neck. 30kg total is also far far lighter than what I'm used to (esp when you throw in a 110lb rucksack on top of the kit), so still not at all concerned with weight, and it gives me more reason to stay in shape, and will let me work out while having fun in it. I'm 5'8" (136cm) and 180lbs (81.6kg), and I once weighed myself in full kit + rucksack, and I weighed in at over 320lbs, I could still move and even run (well more of a jog) pretty well, and this won't be nearly that bad, not like I'll be humping it 18 miles cross country.

Good point on the magnetic and thunderstorm properties,

 

[Jaro Krieg]

Burocracy Circumstandes had made my Armytimes quite heavier and ended up carrying 70kgs luggage, cause they introduced the new rule for the MG4 ( 1man = 1 MG) before they actually intrtoduced the gun ... so it ended up carrying the old MG3 on my own (the old rules stated before 1 MG = 1 gunner & 1 Technican cause the gun weight with equipment and without ammo around 20kgs and not 8 like the new gun XD )

But anyway. A Beskar'gam is not like any modern army gear. Even though you can workt with military gear for the holding
A little impression of my actual gear

Sure its lighter in the first place cause the whole weight distributes itselfs around the body and dont lay only on your shoulders ( like a bagpack would do) - >except your in that jetpack thing XD A normal combat helmet dont cover your face and dont hack in his rearedge in your neck every time you look up. And you have to move with your helmet quite more than you would do with a normal helmet that dont take a third of your sight - Not so much like with night Vision but still much more than normal.

Also remember you have alot of responsibility when trooping. People on Conventions will touch you to feel if its real metal. Especially Children wanna grab you. So you better dont deal with sharp and badtreated edges on your armor. Also - on normal Troops and Cons, you come into crowded and closed Areas. You cant see whats behind you, you cant see whats sides you. So you have to walk you way carfully, but not to carefully cause you wanna watch cool. You are not in a desert or wood where you can not give a whatever in what you bump in.
Imagine you would be fully army-geared and enter a gas station at Rush Hour. How many people would you bump over, how many spinstands of cheap sunglasses would you throw over with your backpack when making a fast turn?

Dont forget the Star-Wars feel particular. Mandos are not people that straps their full kit only for battle. They live in their armor, go for some drinks into the cantina, partying, dancing, drive a station-wagon etc. Things where normal people like you and me would proberbly wear only a t-shirt in summer and a little sleevejacket at anytime else.
So i would recommend you to overthing the heavy-weight thing and think more of flexibility and long time endurance - YOUR endurance. Also its not so bad if you think of the little thinks in life. Where will you carry your Wallet, Mobile, Cigarettes or whatever when trooping - is it safe? How many movements does it need to take a **** without wetting yourself etc.?

It is still a costume that should look like a battle gear yes. - But the Trumpf is when you can actually feel good and look good in it - like you live it ;-)

After 100Hours of trooping -> i went to the point where my undersuit and boots are actually the pants and boot of my casual streetwear XD

 

[Citokre Dekanis]

Yeah, I know what you mean. So the Bundeswehr adopted that policy? We still use gun teams: Gunner, AG (Assistant Gunner), and Ammo bearer (or, as we affectionately call them "ammo *****"), pretty self explanatory: The gunner carries an M240 + about 1000 rounds (ready) and another 1000 in a ruck, the AG carries a Rifleman's load + another couple thousand rounds in a ruck, and the AB carries a Rifleman's load + tripod + 1000-2000 rounds. Our AGs are also often the Team Leader of the team (can direct where to implement his gun). Some of my favorite memories of Germany were training in Hammelberg, and when the Bundeswehr would also be there and we could cross-train a little and check out each others' equipment: my favorite vehicle (for joy riding at least) has GOT to be that little tiny track with the MG-3, and TOW (Weasel I think it was called?). I used a bench grinder and dremel to make my edges super smooth (tested them on my own (outer) arm lol) so those are safe, and I also plan on wearing it around and getting used to it so I don't have that awkward newbie look when I go out in public.

 

[Jaro Krieg]

jeah, that Rules would work with the right equipment. XD One thing was also the diffrent calibre of the MG with the Standard Issue G36. It would atleast spare some kilos if the 7,62 MG Ammo would also be compatible with the Standard Issue Rilfe you have to carry too but nooo the rifle has to load 5,56 and need Extra-Ammo on her own *sigh* XD


steelwool ist btw a real handy thing to smothen edges and also polish the plates a bit.

 

[Citokre Dekanis]

Yeah, that it is (steel wool). Same thing with the M-4 vs. M240 in ammo. M-4 fires 5.56 as well, and the 240 fires 7.62. The M249 SAW fires 5.56 though, and DOES have a magazine well to use rifle mags in an emergency, but, from first hand experience trying it: you only wanna use the linked ammo, it jams so much with a magazine. lol Speaking of linked ammo, in your avatar pic, what is that looping over your shoulder on your left side? It almost looks like a 25mm feed chute. LOL

 

[Jaro Krieg]

i have to dissapoint you again its only a 20mm feed chute from a Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh 202. XD

its a bit bulky but still flexile to make a good "spacy" Shoulderextension.

 

[Citokre Dekanis]

Ah, nah, that's not a disappointment. I was only 5mm off, the M2 Bradley (which I am a former crew member on) uses a 25mm Bushmaster, I had clicked on your avatar, hoping to find a larger pic and make a positive ID on exactly what it was. Very cool (and unique/great) addition to your suit. I applaud it.

And an edit, I'd be very interested to see some more pics of your suit there, and of the feed chute. lol

 

[Jaro Krieg]

öhm, i attached a link 6 posts ago and it is still their. But if you are interested in the evolution you can press HERE!

 

[Citokre Dekanis]

Ah, yeah, I totally missed the link. I think it works really well, at least for a heavy trooper. That last pic that has a nice closeup of the inside of the chute, that looks almost interchangeable with a 25mm. lol Definitely complements the outfit. And the only thing I'd recommend to make it look even more bad-*** is a heavy-repeater (like what one of your m8s in a previous pic has, chain gun looking one), that's my first thought when I see that protecting the shoulder is: should have a big, heavy, machine gun.

...maybe a missile launcher.

 

[Jaro Krieg]

Well its somehow a clicee for fantasy or sci-fi mercenarys to have a single big bulky shoulder Plate. And when you think back to late-medieval or renescaince Plate-Armor especially in the South european turfs. A big Plate on the left (or right when you were left hander) was supposed to block, hinder and slip upward strike attacks. Jeah, i thought about the repeater but i rather turn to oversized Pistols to go more into the Jango or ToR-Mercenary niche. Maybe my next prjekt get something heavier. XD