my shin guard progress NEW PICS

[MonCal]

Can you believe it? For those of you who I've told I was working on this I've finally got something to show The sculpt is still quite crude but I've begun working on it again. This is just the overall shape / outline. I'll begin adding the border and circle detail on the bottom as soon as I'm satisfied with the shape. Enjoy

cal

Edit: Scroll down for updates

 

[Dustin Crops Boy]

YEAH! Love it so far Gonna vac form 'em or glass¿ I'm pretty sure the originals are vac'd w/ leather over that. - but i could be wrong.

 

[Zam I Am]

Woohoo!!!! looks awesome. what did you use? Clay on top of a mannequin? Cause that is definately some nice work. Have you decided how you are going to do the back calf side where there are three (straps? hooks?)

 

[Dustin Crops Boy]

the back has just 3 standard black snaps - nothing more, nothing less.

 

[MonCal]

Thanks guys!!

Dustin Crops Boy wrote:
the back has just 3 standard black snaps - nothing more, nothing less.

Great!! that's what I was planning. Do you have an idea about the size and style of snap? All I have to go off of are the action figures.

I put all the rest of the detail around the bottom this afternoon. I still need to smooth the whole thing out. I'll get some more pics up hopefully in a couple days.

Zam I Am, this past summer (sheesh talk about slow) I made a mold of my wife's leg and cast a plaster leg to work off of. I recently used the length of the pistol to scale the rest and had to modify my sculpt althouth it is really close to what I had started way back when.

Dallas, after looking at the pics you took especially the ones that you can see inside the guard from underneath (numbers 4232 and 4235) I am under the impression that it is made from a slush mold. It looks a lot like the inside of my royal guard helmet. When looking at the large image of 4235, I can see the rough shape of the inside of the circle piece. Infact, that is what I plan to do. I want to make it out of a similiar material. I want to make it so it will flex a little but still be quite durable. I still haven't nailed down the products yet. Also as you mentioned, it does look like it has a leather texture to it. I have been planning to texture the sculpt with leather or a stamp made from leather prior to making the mold. I'm hoping this will work like patching vinyl with a stamp. If that doesn't turn out, a lightweight leather could be wetformed to it.

cal

 

[MonCal]

I added the bottom details today. Here are some more pics

cal

 

[Ragresen]

Moncal are the added bottom portons raised or indented. it is hard to tell from your pictures, but I know from the MOM shots dallas took they all appear to be raised. Just thought I would point that out if you had indented them.

 

[Dustin Crops Boy]

well - they're definetly leather covered... you can see this clearly in some of the pix - especially down by her shoes - where you can see the leather edge rolled under the edge of the shin.

The snaps are standard black Dritz™ snaps you can get at any fabric store - the kind that are 4 parts.

 

[MonCal]

Ragresen, yes they're raised sorry if it's a bit of an illusion.

Dallas, I think you're absolutely correct! It is very evident in your pic #4235. Inside what would be her right shin, it looks like the leather has come unstuck and the rough edge is clearly visible. I suppose the top was too pointy to do the same detail as the bottom so they edged the top with a strip of leather .

Another thing I just noticed in your pic #4232 again on her right shin, it looks like they spaced the shin from the foot guard where they bolt together with a piece of white cloth. Not that that's necessary but interesting anyway

cal

 

[MonCal]

After talking with the rep. at smooth-on, I think I have the plastic material figured out. I just need to figure volume, order the stuff and hopefully be able to get a positive casting Then onto forming some leather


cal

 

[MonCal]

I ordered the casting materials today. I'll post an update as soon as I have a casting! yeah..on to the next step

 

[Ragresen]

I have lookedd over the pictures mentioned and even at others and I am not convienced that they are leather covered. I say that because you would see soem form of wrinling on some of the edges if it was and that part that was mentions on the inside I see nothing there at all that says it is an endge of leather. I see an area that looks like light hitting the inside different, but it is too blurred to tell what it is. Also I recommend they be done in fiberglass or vaccume molded as they will need to be flexable to get in and out of them.

 

[Zam I Am]

Moncal, fiberglass right?

 

[Dustin Crops Boy]

i have seen MANY pix that prove your wrong, ragresen

Oh, and i saw it in person too They ARE leather covered.

 

[Zam I Am]

What kinda leather do you suggest? That guard sure is smooth. I mean, I don't see any leather grains. Any proposals on getting them so freakin smooth?

 

[MonCal]

I am going to make them similiar to how a Royal Guard helmet is made. From looking at the pics DCB took, the inside of the shin guard looks pretty much the same as the inside of my RG helmet. At any rate, After previously asking about this stuff over at the RPF and then talking with the rep at smooth-on, I've ordered a plastic material that I can do a slush mold and it will be semi-rigid and somewhat flexible at the same time. With the way I am planning to do the snaps on the back, it will unsnap, flex enough to slide a foot through and flex back and snap. I haven't received the material yet..I hoped it would have been here by today. I'll know more after I make a casting as to how it will react. I would hope to have the material and give it a go in the next few days.

As for the leather, perhaps we can work together on figuring the best material for the job. I don't have the luxury of talking with a knowledgeable leather salesmen here locally as I live in a ski resort community thus, few suppliers of such things. (smiles real big)...Perhaps zam i am can take her standup back to the leather shop and ask about that one too
Ragresen,
I wasn't 100% convinced at first either but after DCB pointed it out, it was very apparant to me. I always thought it had a leather texture to it but wasn't sure. The first real clue for me was the trim on the top edge. The second was inside the bottom of her right guard, the leather looks like it has come unstuck. The line that shows the edge of the plastic underneath fades away at the same point the leather fold inside appears to be leaning out. Tough to explain

EDIT: Here is the pic I was trying to explain sorry I should've done this first!

The arrows show the area I believe the leather has come unstuck and is leaning out, it's also sort of frayed.
Here is the pic of the other side:

And here's one of the top edge. Both the trim and main surface look to be a leather texture and the trim appears to be sort of creased out at the point, which led me to believe that it was a leather trim around the top edge..

until next time
cal

 

[Zam I Am]

I have a 501 thing to go to this weekend, so mebbe next weekend. I still have to get my tandy catalog first. Moncal, did you get a catalog? There might tandy store near you, they are all over the US. I will try and ask the guy, but I am not crazy about this whole natural leather idea (for the skirt). It's very high maintenance. I don't want to have to worry about "treating" and conditioning the leather every year. I can understand repairs if damaged, but not high maintenance. Same idea would apply for shin gaurds for dyeable leather. I can't imaging having to do that for all the leather parts. Yuck. The guy offered some help, but he got busy with customers. I work 2 jobs, so I can only see the guy on Saturdays before 2pm to ask him questions.

 

[sith camaro]

If it's leather, and you get some softer stuff, you should be able to give the shin a layer of rubber cement, and tightly stretch the leather over the surface.
As for the shirt Zam, don't worry about conditioning. Unless you plan on hanging it out in the middle of the desert, in the wind, it won't be a problem. There's a product that they make that you just wipe onto the back of the leather, and it'll keep it from cracking up. No, not that cracking up...
But this stuff is mainly used to restore old leather, like old military belts, ect.

 

[MonCal]

Sith,
Is it similiar to saddle-soap? for softening old leather?

 

[TheWookie]

OK. Here's the way this works:

1. Wetform the leather (2-3 ounce max) to the piece and let it dry. Make sure to get the edges rolled over the plastic or whatever and clamp them to the inside. DO not allow the clamp to touch the exposed areas that will be visible. When it is completely dry, peel the leather away and it will have the shape. Apply contact cement to the shin guard and the leather, let it get tacky, and the press together carefully smnoothing as you go. The contact cement will make the leather slightly moldable just enough to move it around a little against the surface. This is how I did it for CEL 2 and it is still holding up. Recommend Barge for the contact cement. Very good stuff.