Building Iron Man MKVI and War Machine while deployed WIP

[sgtski]

First off, please go easy if my questions are answered elsewhere, internet is slow and not always available. I am deployed overseas with the army. I have limited resources and i want to build a Iron Man and War Machine from Pepakura. I have all of the files being printed and sent to me until i can get a printer here in case i have to re-scale. I cannot have fiberglass resin sent to me and i think i will be having trouble getting spray paint as well. I have some Smooth-on 300 that i am using for the first time as a hardener. Wow, this stuff cures super fast. I have a few goals with this project.

First goal, make the best wearable costume possible while here.

Second goal, be able to use the result of my first goal as a base when i get home to make a mold of and make a copy of it, possible to sell to friends for cheap, pending legal aspects that i have not yet researched.

Third goal, not waste my time here watching movies and playing games, i am new to prop making and using my time to learn as much as i can and have something awesome when done.

Please offer any links to other posts, personal experience using this or similar method that is applicable to my situation, and any useful tips. Thank you. I will post a pic of what i have so far, very soon.

 

[sgtski]

I'm not a fan of doing the eyes on these files so i might free hand something after i get it hardened.

 

[thorn696]

Looks great so far.

 

[gc 3000]

Ooo! Good luck! I bet your costume's going to be fantastic!

 

[drack]

Nice work so far. For the eyes I just made the bit that joins the nose to the fore head and left all the unnecessary bits out. Think I also customed some bits in there too. Heres my WM helmet pep for a friend [CLICK ME] about half way down the page

 

[mrmikeman]

The pep works looks very nice. Keep up the amazing work.

P.S. Thank you for serving our country.

 

[sgtski]

Thank you all for the responses. Does anyone have experience using smooth-cast 300 as a hardener? i have learned that 3 min pot life is way to short. I am thinking of 321 with the 7 min pot life. I saw a video on youtube showing the use of fiberglass and smoothcast. i like the idea, has anyone tried it. Here is where i am now, hardened the War Machine Helmet and almost done pep on Iron Man. A friend from home is sending me the remaining pep files for the rest of the armor as well as a few Halo pieces. About 24lbs of cardstock. Should keep me busy awhile. I will update as i get more done. thanks for looking.

 

[Fraser]

looking really nice man, keep up the good work :]

 

[sgtski]

Iron Man and War Machine pepped and coated with Smooth Cast 300.

 

[Syko]

Looking good brother! Great use of your down time, wish I had found out about pepakura on my last deployment. Can't wait to see the final costume. Any thoughts on how you're going to get it home? Ship it all when you redeploy or as you get it done? Stay safe over there!

 

[sgtski]

thanks, i plan to box it carefully in foot lockers and ship home when we get closer to leaving. I want to have it wearable as a full costume before i leave, i will probably have a list of things to fix when i get home and have more tools readily available, but it should be a decent costume before i leave.

 

[sgtski]

Finished one of the shins.

Hardened the outside of the back with some Smooth Cast 321.

Fiberglass and Smoothcast 321 on the inside of the back.

The back is a little warped. I am hoping i can coax it back into shape with a heatgun.

 

[Ghost of Donut]

Lookin at this WIP brings me back to my 09 deployment. I made a stormtrooper. It was pretty difficult with limited supplies. At that point I was completely new to this as well and I connected everything using velcro. But now I'm on my 3rd deployment and trying to get back into the swing of things. Your pep work looks awesome and I'm interested to see how you are going to work this out with the limited resources. But just wanted to say I know how ya feel haha. Where are you at anyway?

 

[vshore100]

I'm not a fan of doing the eyes on these files so i might free hand something after i get it hardened.

You're not the only one buddy. Your peps look really nice sgt. Keep up the great work!

 

[sgtski]

2 shins, 1 thigh, 1 foot, chest, back, 1 fore arm, 1 bicep, helmet pepped.

Im in Kuwait. My plan isn't to have the best possible Iron Man. Kinda like a Mk1 version of a MKVI. It will have some rough edges, and probably be held together with velcro and prayers. I will paint it and wear it for a 5k "fun" run that i will walk as long as i can, unless the assembly holds together. I will send it home and refinish the parts with bondo and make a harness to make it more comfortable to wear.

 

[sgtski]

I hve been posting on another forum and due to very slow internet, i forgot to update my thread here. I will be fiberglassing again now that i have Epoximate on its way.

I have a little tweaking to do at the top on one side.

 

[vshore100]

Looks great man, keep it up!

 

[sgtski]

I regret that i am putting this project on hold. I am realizing that the scale is a bit off and i need a little break from Iron Man to restore my motivation to pick it back up again. I am going to start a Halo MKVI Helmet and an ODST Helmet. The MKVI is pepped and hardened with epoximate and i will start a thread when i actually have some pics and progress. I will probably Fiberglass all 3 helmets at the same time and hopefully start reprinting and rebuilding some of these parts. I am not giving up, just allowing a distraction to restore my motivation. I might ship the parts home and wait to resize them after i reevaluate how much work would need to be done. The MKVI i have pepped looks amazing. I think i rushed the IronMan build. Anyone starting out, don't rush your build. Make a part and be satisfied with its scale before you move on or you will see a pile of parts and work that you are not satisfied with. Even if you have to make 1 part 4 times, the last part will be perfect and your pep skills will be a lot better on that part. Good luck and i hope to be updating this thread again soon. Now onto the ODST cutting.

 

[Philthy Stache]

Your work looked really good. Have you had a chance to get back to your Iron Man project? I just started an Iron Man suit and would love to see any more you've done.