Hey everyone, I am doing some research before jumping into actually building my first Boba Fett
after reviewing a lot of posts/sites I see that a lot of people either buy armor from vendors or create from fiberglass. I think that I want to create my own armor rather than purchase it..but if i fail miserably i will end up buying the armor. anyways, i am not sure if i want to go the route of fiberglass as i am not experienced with it and from what i hear, it can make the armor heavier than some alternative methods (also, i am in an apartment and don't have a well ventilated workspace yet). I am more of a paper mache guy (very simple I know) but I want to expand my creative ability without making to large of a jump.
I read on another site, I can't find the location right now, of someone using rolled aluminum, which i believe is just aluminum flashing that you can buy at home depot or lowes. the suggestion was to make the armor out of cardboard and then cut the rolled aluminum slightly larger than the cardboard and bend/crimp the metal around the cardboard. from what was told, the aluminum can be painted and sealed really well. lightly sanding the paint would allow for the natural silver to show through to make all the dents/scratches on the armor. the aluminum is also lightweight but very sturdy, which to me, is better than using the heavier fiberglass.
i was thinking of using this method, but just like fiberglass, i have never worked with aluminum. I was wondering if anyone on here has used a similar method to make armor or props...i dont think that cutting the metal would be an issue, tin snips seem to work just fine. my main concern with the method is bending the metal around corners without leaving any cardboard exposed because i think that when you fold the metal over the cardboard, there might be a little bit of space in the corners leaving a gap. I don't really know how to explain it, but maybe someone knows what I am talking about.
should i even bother with this route? is there something similar that would be better? or should i just buy the armor from someone?
after reviewing a lot of posts/sites I see that a lot of people either buy armor from vendors or create from fiberglass. I think that I want to create my own armor rather than purchase it..but if i fail miserably i will end up buying the armor. anyways, i am not sure if i want to go the route of fiberglass as i am not experienced with it and from what i hear, it can make the armor heavier than some alternative methods (also, i am in an apartment and don't have a well ventilated workspace yet). I am more of a paper mache guy (very simple I know) but I want to expand my creative ability without making to large of a jump.
I read on another site, I can't find the location right now, of someone using rolled aluminum, which i believe is just aluminum flashing that you can buy at home depot or lowes. the suggestion was to make the armor out of cardboard and then cut the rolled aluminum slightly larger than the cardboard and bend/crimp the metal around the cardboard. from what was told, the aluminum can be painted and sealed really well. lightly sanding the paint would allow for the natural silver to show through to make all the dents/scratches on the armor. the aluminum is also lightweight but very sturdy, which to me, is better than using the heavier fiberglass.
i was thinking of using this method, but just like fiberglass, i have never worked with aluminum. I was wondering if anyone on here has used a similar method to make armor or props...i dont think that cutting the metal would be an issue, tin snips seem to work just fine. my main concern with the method is bending the metal around corners without leaving any cardboard exposed because i think that when you fold the metal over the cardboard, there might be a little bit of space in the corners leaving a gap. I don't really know how to explain it, but maybe someone knows what I am talking about.
should i even bother with this route? is there something similar that would be better? or should i just buy the armor from someone?
