A new Bounty Hunter-Shae Vizla The Old Republic

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Just a test to see how much I have done so far and how recognisable it is at this stage. Bits in a container never really give you that sense of progress as much as seeing it all on display:



So stage one is just about complete. Next up is stage two which is where my helmet is at. This is the detailing ready for molding or finishing.

But I do need to get the thighs and shoulders patterned. The thighs will be heat shaped plastic and the shoulders sculpted and molded.

Nearly everything fits into a small carry box and having now seen this I am inclined to stick to my initial plan for the greaves and thighs which will make them easily transportable. if they can fold up inside themselves it will make for more room in the suitcase

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I have a few more bits done but I have finally got the courage to just slap the silicon on and get a mold of the helmet and get a cast done.

I plan on then cutting out the visor and mouth parts an using them to work out the shape of the visor and then to sculpt the mouth parts. It'll be easier to work on that small section than in the current master as I will be able to access the sides.

I will though use the current master to sculpt the ear buds as I will have my lovely final cast and not have to worry about ruining the surface I'll mold them separately though.

Just waiting for a set of new diamond coated cutting wheels to arrive

I've also cut out the recessed part of the chest armour. This means I can get a crisper edge to those pieces and to use the full depth of FG already laid for that recess.

I have decided to applique the silver panels to the bodysuit and to incidentally have all those seam lines after all. Still debating a few other aspects (which may then change this plan!). I've already made a body suit of over 100 pieces (Samara, another Bioware game costume) including contrast reverse facings so I know what I can do with the fabric I have.


Photos once actual progress has occurred Though interesting I doubt many would appreciate seeing the bleeding rash I developed from forgetting to set up a proper wash station during my last resining adventure.... Epoxy is so lovely and light and flexible so I hate having an allergy to it.

[oota goota]

more pics please

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Tonight:) I am just gathering courage to have my antihistamines and get a bit of resin work done. I am still bleeding from the last rash. No really. Blisters on my lip and chin

But I have:
Cut out chest area refitted it in card (part of of resin work for tonight). Made the bottom of the chest even. Killed two cutting disks but got it done
Got a silicon jacket on my helmet! Woot! (part two of resin work is to make a mother)
Knee cops cut in layers and currently gluing together.
Back plate trimmed ready for sanding inside and out and another layer of resin on the inside.
Jetpack front pieces all glued and currently bogged to sand back to shape. I am really considering molding and casting. I just need to think of a way to keep the costs down (I spent a lot of money on real metal braid for another project and a dress form...)
Hose connector to chest plate got! Still hunting out a suitable hose though I may wind up cutting a bit off the hose in the backyard (it has holes and is crap and needs replacing) and covering it to bulk it out.


Today I am templating the thighs and shoulders

Oh and I am right now stretching the shoes I am building over


I was really freaking out that I would not get her done for Auckland. I may not have her lighting up by then but I'm hoping. I really need a workstation for soldering. Those little alligator clips on stems to hold wires still would be ideal.

But yeah photos soon The helmet is a little smoother than you saw last but I also let some of the mold release seep into those little lines

I also need to refer back to the art work to see what details are on the stock of the rifle. I will definitely be molding and casting that for the extra strength.
oh! Also found an old binocular that no longer focuses soI will possibly be cutting that up for the scope

[mdb]

Well yes I have a funny idea of time... I am cutting and pasting from my thread on the RPF so you may recognise some of this if you are a regular over there.

Actually everything went poot in regards to the allergy and I now have the big guns Anyway:


Image dump!

But progress for sure I have cut and resewn the test pattern. Had to take it in hugely. These things need to fit like historical costuming with negative ease or else you get wrinkling like woah which just really ruins the effect. Luckily my fabrics I have chosen allow for this so long as I don't need to unpick and resew.
It's amazing fabric so I really hope I don't screw it up.

I looked at the statues and the concept and they are nice and silver but the cinematic shows a matt grey on the bodysuit, and it is clear the silver/grey is the bodysuit and not metal armour. Seriously, there is no way to move if it was metal..... not just difficult but it wouldn't move as it goes over a joint.
So I am going to go for suede. It's not absolutely accurate but the concept for the male in game armour shows the layers as being leather. I almost bought some but remembered how my gloves stretch and deform over time and I really don't want that happening to my costume.
Faux leather generally looks cheap but this suede is glorious.


Sorry for the rotated photos. Both of the jetpack of course...
Frist photo was a joke, I was sanding and realised the inside looked like a playhouse so the logical step was to put two My Little Ponies in there. Of course.

I have decided I will make a mold of the jetpack as well as all the little bits and bobs (belt, hand.. things, gauntlets, arm displays and cannisters) as epoxy resin and epoxy resin FG is very light. Especially mixed with microballoons which I intend to do. I am looking at molding and casting the gun pieces not easily made from piping too.
That is the mold for my helmet master, not the first one There is a FG jacket on it now but it is really rough so I need to cut it back and get it all tidy.

I managed to score some buttons and knob bits to make the sides of my knee cops Another part I am considering molding and casting. So as to have better flexibility nand not risk it breaking. Also I can then heat and bend to shape.


Ponies make everything better. Especially pastel coloured hand held ones that don't poop.


I got brave and cut all the suede I need. It looks amazing but I'm worried about how thick it is. I may have to vent the bodysuit somewhat. It will add stretch and also extra dimension (in the cinematic the panels appear to float over another surface, this will help in that illusion) and create twice as many seams and a lot more topstitching. But it'll make it easier to fit.

I have cut the body out of my fabric and suede! I just need to cut the arms now. I'll be using my pattern I finalised for Samara as it seems to be a good number of panels.
I am essentially making a full multi seamed bodysuit with the suade appliqued on. This will mean I need to do a fair bit of hand sewing to turn back the seam allowances and a heck of a lot of puzzle work to figure out what panels get sewn in what order


The pale blue/grey is my second test i think... whatever stage it is you can see how very different it looks when cut as a solid piece with bits stuck on Oh the rubber fabric is inside out so you can only see the backing. This is so I could avoid using pins. If the rubber side is on the inside of the fold when I cut it cuts and seals the two layers together so no need for pins

The panels are all slightly too narrow so I'm a bit stuffed if my calulations for the vents is wrong I will be cutting them tomorrow. Rows and rows and rows of straight strips... Sigh.
Essentially I'll be doing this but without the cord, and without sewing the two sides together. So not at all like it...
my piping tutorial
Seriously, the best and fastest way to do piping. You do not cheap with this as it loses the point Piping is for seam stability.


The cat is quality control.

This week is dedicated to only sanding. Chest and back plates first, then jetpack and shins (which need to be trimmed a little more). Also sewing the bodysuit. Black stuff first then the suede. It'll help with the fitting of the other pieces
Next week it is molding of the bits I haven't yet started.
(okay this I have fairly well struck to though I started molding last week, and I am back into the groove which is nice



42 strips being cut to act as inserts between each rubber panel in the legs and arms. Each insert is sewn by overlocker to the panels (seen in the final photo) and the next step is to top stitch the seam allowances to the rubber side. This will create a good channel effect and make the rubber look like floating panels over a black bodysuit. It may well have been easier to buy latex sheeting and glue them to a bodysuit.

The cat is perched on the left of a small panel of the nylon lycra which will be used to sewn the torso pieces to as they are a real mix of shapes and do not work like the above seams. I will likely have to tack the seam allowance down by hand and pin them in place over the nylon lycra and then topstitch in place.
Again, sheet latex would have been easier But it would also have looked rather unreal. The stitches offer a lot of extra strength to the suit so they will have a function as well as be decorative.


But then it will be another day for the torso and another day for the topstiting of the limbs. It took two hours just to overlock the legs and I am a fast sewer!

Since then I have indeed overlocked and managed to get topstitching as well. Until I ran out of thread. Three regular spools just on the arms, back torso and one leg. I will need another three...
I have lost a few photos it seems so I am not able to update withj the newly overstitches seams..
But I used a twin needle, a lot of patience and had to manually fold the fabric under the foot as you can't use pins and any other method leaves a residue.

[Deadalus Thorn]

Do want! do want! do want!..............the cat

I have a thing about white cats, they are soo cute.

Costume is looking great too, coming along very nicely.

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Sorry! I have been switching computers and having to login at each and missed your reply :/ Now I shall have to see what else I missed on the forums.

Yeah, he makes everything look better Not to mention he is distracting as heck and demands attention, now!

Anyway, updates:)

Mold of the helmet, rounds in progress, detonator choices (went with pink and yellow to make a turnable one), shoulder bell resinning, mold and jacket, ear bud sculpting, many little parts, helmet mold with FG in it, bucket of bits to go with the chest armour almost ready for priming.

I am about to remove the helmet from the mold and I am a little worried. But there is resin and filler for any bubbles there may be.

May try for some bodysuit sewing tomorrow. Not fancying that very much So many seams...

Addit:

Not bad for a first cast and first try with cabosil as filler (so fun, makes it feel like creamed honey*). I can't fit it on my head yet as all those flyaways need to be trimmed off first My rotary tool is on its last legs (stuck using the top speed only and that was what happened to my last one soon before it started to.. well.. die). So I am going to try and do all the cutting on one day with breaks between so the motor and the wheel don't wear out but so that I have a chance to get what needs to be cut actually cut.

*So I have tried West Systems microballoons- like a mix of runny honey and creamed and too much make it set up super fast; The fumed silica you can getfrom any hardware store- like fondant icing and the powder blows about too much but a nice easy to sand super light material; cabosil, still allows the flex of the resin, feels like creamed honey and the powder doesn't blow about too much and the colour remains translucent.

[MattG]

Nice; that's a crazy amount of detail you're collecting together there. Helmet is looking sharp.

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Thank you And the scary thing is it isn't even half of what is needed for the cinematic.. sigh.


Supplies for both this and a make over of my Shaak Ti. Still a bit to go.

So you can see I can fit it on my head after all. Hooray!

The shoulders were shaped a bit by heatgun today. Next step is to cut out the underarm so it fits closer.

[Anaria]

Yay progress! Love the helmet! Looks great