My Attempt At Clone Armour

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Tworiverz

Super Freak
Joined
Jun 2, 2011
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Location
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Well,this is my first real contribution to the forum but have been lurking for a while.
Originally I was hoping to beg some casts off members to get me started but after speeching to Dorgmal about the finer points of casting 12" sculpts he basically told me " you already have the skills to do this) :thwak
Seriously though Dorgmal has been of great help and encouraged by his creations I set about following in his footsteps, in the shadows of course.

As I am used to custom 3,3/4 scale stuff I am literally taking my first steps into a larger world,Pun intended:lol

So enough of the prattle, here are some pictures of my first attempts at clone trooper Armour.

The Silicone ,oh the silcone.


Here's some of the better results though still struggling with the new concept of rotacasting, and bubbles :gah:
Though I guess I will improve as I go along.

These are for you Dorgmal oh wisened one :bow

Pg47923.jpg


k8BIupH.jpg


D2eEiny.jpg


As you can see some issues with bubbles to be resolved:
UzbjXyo.jpg


wJkTTYf.jpg


vm3RPSx.jpg


Not really sure where I'm going with this , but will probably be looking at a Baccara,Neyo or AT-RT clone to start with.
I am seriously concidering doing the same casting for the Stormie/Sandies but I'll be waiting a while till my skills improve.

Hope you like these and comments are welcome.
 
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Re: Clone trooper Armour

As this was a duplicate of the first set of pics I have edited it so you can see more pics( always seems popular here



wOqZNWk.jpg


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D2eEiny.jpg


Here's some suited up pics
UzbjXyo.jpg


These last 2 are comparrison to original factory(on the right)

cswzaa.jpg


xAjxLCf.jpg
 
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Re: Clone trooper Armour

What kind of pics? This is a family forum you know. Its a local forum for local people. :D

localshoppic.jpg
 
Re: Clone trooper Armour

Ohh err missus!

Not that Kind of Pics, they're kept for my personal collection:slap

Clone trooper armour castings,hence the title:pfft::rotfl

I have been chatting with Dorgmal about casting my own clone Armour and I wanted to show the results ,its just every time try to post something with pictures it fires it straight back to the modorators to be inspection ,for some reason, posts without pics seem fine though.
 
Re: Clone trooper Armour

Looking good so far. watch out for my wing-man Dorgs tho, he'll have you dressing in ladies stockings and calling your collectible ACTION FIGURES 'dollies' before you know it. AND he's a SCIENTOLOGIST, well, he would be if he could spell it. He's definitely a cult.
 
Re: Clone trooper Armour

Looking good so far. watch out for my wing-man Dorgs tho, he'll have you dressing in ladies stockings and calling your collectible ACTION FIGURES 'dollies' before you know it. AND he's a SCIENTOLOGIST, well, he would be if he could spell it. He's definitely a cult.

LOL, Mark is a big help and inspiring figure here on the forum. And welcome to the freak show, your life and wallet will never be the same.
 
Re: Clone trooper Armour

Owwww nurse.... Tworiverz.. they are looking ammmmmmmazing mate..... You have done a brilliant job... i still get bubbles some time and the ones on you have on yours are so minor.

can't wait to see an armour under way man....

 
Re: my Attempt At Clone Armour

that is really awesome man!!! what kind of material did you use? I'd love to learn some casting as well! goodjob!:)
 
Re: Clone trooper Armour

Nice work, theres alot of $$ invested in all that silly, looking forward to seeing the customs
 
Re: Clone trooper Armour

Thanks for all the comments guys, even though some are quite weird:cuckoo: , JUST DA WAY I LIKE IT......................

Crimson, a fine howdie doodie to you too !

Feroze, too late he's already got my sizes and is at this very moment ordering me something sexy from Ann Summers, would appear something nursie !!!!!!!:thud:

And too late the missus is constantly saying "are you going upstairs to play with your plastic dollies" :slap


Lopie, you have no idea,while there are alot of people here with some serious skill, I don't think I'd have attempted this without his assistance, and it was some of his posts that really sparked the interest in me.

Darth_IMPoor,shocktrooper_au, thanks for the kind comments and yes Indeed some serious dosh mounted up on the silly,I started to think it was getting too expensive to continue on with it ,but I fought my way through the Burn( helps having a new job that pays alot better).
 
Re: my Attempt At Clone Armour

Thanks, let me see if I can Help you

Silicone casting requirements
RTV Silicone Mould Making Rubber - ShoreA 27
Plasterscene or Gdeo modelling past
A measuring jug
wooden stirers
A set of scales
Rubber gloves


Resin requirements
EasyFlo 120 Polyurethane Liquid Plastic, Rotocast
Small plasic cups(at least 3)
some 5ml seringes(without needles)
Wooden stirers
Rubber gloves

Resin and Silicone available on ebay ( I use this user grp_supplies Uk based).

Molding.

Trick is to take your time.
Look at what you want to mold and try to work out the best way of doing it.
You can make a mold in two pieces that when put together creates your casting mold or you can make the mold in one piece.
When creating the mold you will need to create a box using the plastercene as the base, making sure that the seals are good.

You usually have to mix the silicone by weight so a set of small scales will be needed.
Mix the hardener in with the silicone( not the other way or you have serious curing issues) and stir slowly but thoroughly.
As you are stiring you will notice air bubbles appearing but don't worry at this point.
once mixed allow the bubbles to rise to the surface( I usually allow about a minute) while danging the bottom of the jug quite hard with the palm of your hand.
This will make your hand hurt but should help the bubbles to rise.

After this pour you silicone onto your mold piece, this should be done slowly as the quicker you pour the more likely bubbles will appear.
Choose a corner to pour into after first pouring a thin coat over the item.
Working from the corner allow the silicone to flow smoothly into all the nooks and crannies, but Ive found that if you pour from a greater height with a thinner trickle of silicone ,you'll get less bubbles


Single Piece mold.

This option is better for rotocasting as you usually end up with one open end that can be used see into the mold as you are casting.
Excellent for helmets,heads,leg and arm armour ect.
With legs and arms its better to choose the widest part for the open end,this will make it easier to remove the cast part when cured.
In some cases the mold will need to be cut down the length a little to allow the cast piece to be removed.

Two piece molds
These are usually better for small items that have detail on both sides , weapons, lightsabers ect.
The way it works is you use the Plasterscene or Gdeo modelling past to create a bed that you push the piece into about half way.
this allows you to mold only one half of the item.
Push in something like a small dowel into the plasterscene around the edges of the piece( this will give you a correct allignment when the two mold pieces are pushed together).
Some casters like to add some drain off tubes to specific patrs of the piece so that you can feed the resin in through one hole and when it comes out the other you know that your mold is full ( though you need to work out the highest points on the mold, cos if not you will most likely end up with air bubbles)

For further information and videos do a web search on "making one or two part silicone molds"
Theres quite a few on youtube.

Casting
This is where I'm not so hot.
Rotocasting is where you pour a smallish amount into the mold( usually a single piece) and slowly work the resin around into all the parts of the mold, trying to get an even coating, until it starts to cure.
The result is a hollow cast that can then be cleaned up.

Standard casting just involves pouring the resin into the mold and allowing it to cure, but this method often leaves air bubbles .
I'm just starting to find that if you rotocast a small amount into the mold or into certain problem areas( Like ears, which are the bain of my life at the moment) and allowing that to cure before filling the rest of the mold.
This will result in a better cast.

For mor info again check out the web.

Useful tips.
I always seemed to be using up too much resin when casting and had load left over in my mixing pots,when mixing from measuring marks that I put on the cups.
I also seemed to have hit and miss results for curing as it wasn't a particularly accurate way or mixing.
Solution is to buy some 5ml serynges( no needle) and pour the two resin addatives into two seperate cups.
Draw equal amount from them using the serynges and squirt those both into a third cup to mix.
Make sure that you mark up both cups and serynges with part A and B so that you dont get B seryinge into A cup, that results in disaster.
If kept paired together they will not cure on you and then when you've finnished you can just pour whats left back into each of the corresponding bottles.
Less wasted as much smaller amounts can be used and more accurate mixing resulty in less soft parts.

Words of wisdom from the Guru DORGMAL
Hope you don't mind Dorg

Ahhhhh air bubbles are such a pain.... try tapping the mould as you rotate it... or warm the mould up a wee bit before you cast...
Tap the resin when you mix it if there are bubbles in it...

As for the filler.... I use milliput.. its great and you can smooth it with water and sand it when its dry...

Hope this helps
 
Re: my Attempt At Clone Armour

Thank you so much! That really is some amazing work! how long did it take you to finish everything?
 
Re: my Attempt At Clone Armour

TOP CLASS TUTORIAL old chap....

Quick suggestion for mixing cups for the resin...

The reaction is exothermic and the container gets really hot and is useless afterwards....

If you use old spray paint lids the resin can be pulled out after it cures.

So impressed with this project mate you have done so well...:)
 
Re: my Attempt At Clone Armour

You old Dorg :lecture

The master has spoken once again, pearls before swine :lol

Thanks for the comments, been talking with Force28x about his AT-RT Driver and have decided to go with one for my first project.
Going for the Standard Green/Brown colour scheme, which means now I have a direction.

Will be posting as I go along and no doubt will be sending you some more PM for help.

Cheers for the encouragement.
 
Re: my Attempt At Clone Armour

Force28x is a top chap and a great sculptor and you have become a good caster man... I am so impressed... I want wait to see em painted up...
 
Re: my Attempt At Clone Armour

Right , even though I haven't completed casting all the parts I've decided to start work on the AT-RT clone.

Here are some initial pieces of work, though you can't tell what Ive really done as I have given them a base coating of black so I can see where the low spots are when I start my initial sanding.

Here we go
The breast plate was simple enough just build up the upper chest.

G4nvcOv.jpg


KFM9sd2.jpg


Then I made a start on the helmet
Thanks to Force28 generous helping hand with reference images.

Initially Ive just filled the recesses behind the ear pieces and on the cheek bone area.
I am going to have to build then up once I get them smooth but if I dont get this bit right te whole thing will look shoddy.

Back pieces

TV6Hbyz.jpg


Front Pieces

UeI9z2t.jpg


These show the filled areas a little better

BdqQvHX.jpg


rms5QVr.jpg
 
Re: my Attempt At Clone Armour

bruce_brucee02, from initial decission to finnished products probably to about 3 weeks but in that there was alot of umming and Ahhing about how to mold each piece, that and having to wait for another 2kgs of silicone to be delivered.

If you are wanting to give it a try I would suggest something like the chest armour or a helmet.
These will pose least problomatic to produce.
It really isn't that hard, just set your stall out and don't just dive in there, think it through.

If I can do it anyone can.
 
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