collar and backplate, attached or not??

[Migrate from As You Wish]

i have a question for the guys that have completed their costumes.

do you have the backplate connected to the collar or not? i have seen some that are and some that arent.

i also noticed that the MoM suit has it attached but the DP mannequin does not.

what is the general opinion on this?

 

[Migrate from As You Wish]

If you are going to go for movie accuracy the collar plate should overlap the backplate by about an inch and the two should be joined by the 4 square cubes. The only problem with this is that if you do not have a good harness system for your jet pack, the jet pack will press down on the backplate and cause the collar plate to cut your head off! Well, it might not be THAT severe but it won't be comfortable!

 

[Migrate from As You Wish]

Go Jango. Not connected! just kidding.

Arturo

 

[Migrate from As You Wish]

Just a thought on the square-headed bolts that connect the collar/back plate. If it's been mentioned a million times before, I'm sorry, but my head is still spinning after receiving Brak's stunning CD in the post yesterday. Thanks BobaFettish!

The cubes look like computer keys that have had the slight concavity on the top sanded flat. In the photos you can see what looks like white plastic where the paint has been worn off the sharp edges.

If you joined the two armour pieces with a 3/16 inch / 4 mm bolt, pushed up from underneath, probably with a wide panel-beaters washer to spread the load on the inside, with a nut and small washer on the top, then you could leave about a quarter inch of the bolt sticking up, so that you could squash the computer key down over the top. The thread on the end of the bolt should grip the inside of the centre of the key quite firmly.

Does this sound feasible?

 

[Migrate from As You Wish]

Computer keys might work...provided you could even the sides. Most keyboards use keys that are too short on one side. I suppose a person could mod them though.

 

[Migrate from As You Wish]

Good point, MaxPlague. I've just had a quick look and see that the ones in the middle are flatter than the ones at the top and bottom - on this board at least. I think there's enough meat on the bottom of the key for a bit to be sanded off to even it up.

Just wondering - where would this suit have been built - in other words would they be sourcing found parts from USA or from England?

 

[Migrate from As You Wish]

if you are going for computer keys, which i think is right on, i suggest looking at dumb terminals such as old vt 100s.

they should be ridiculously cheap these days.

i decided to use some rubber funiture bumpers i picked up for 2 bucks. i painted them silver and it works pretty nicely.

 

[Migrate from As You Wish]

Big ole' calculators from the 60's/70's had nice flat (symetrical) buttons. You can thrift these pretty easily!

 

[Migrate from As You Wish]

Just picked up an old keyboard for free from a repair shop. The keys at the top part have a more pronounced 'tilt' to them, but you could sand the longer side down OK. The ones in the middle are best. The slot underneath is totally different, so they won't grab onto a bolt like the ones on this keyboard. But - there does seem to be a big variety of keys available. Another way to fasten the key onto a bolt head would be to snip out the inside webbing bits and glue the key down over the bolt head, or maybe fasten it with a small magnet glued inside the key?

 

[Migrate from As You Wish]

What about the ESB armor? Was the shoulder and backplate connected on that suit? Of every shot I either have,or have seen,it has been a front or back shot.The only side shot in the Action Figure Archive,and his friggin' cape is covering it......although it does give a nice light on what the cape colors were


Steve