Thorssoli's Vacformed Warhammer 40k Space Marines
- Thread starter thorssoli
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Trust me Thorssoli, im checking this build almost every day
I guess im more of a Lurker. And i have to say that your Red Vs Blue build was the one that got me interested in this type of sculpting. Your builds are always so amazing! Rock on man.
Quick question, did i see a bolter in one of your images? (Im very curious about that as im currently working on Bolt pistol!)
Cheers,
Starvinartist80
Well-Known Member
I built the bolter a couple of years back before I really had a good handle on how to make molds. For the main body, I made a simple box mold that ended up weighing in at about 45lbs and costing a few hundred dollars by the time it was done. The magazine also got a massively overbuilt mold. The same build now would have gone faster and the mold would've been more like fifteen pounds.
You can read about it in my blog by clicking here: http://protagonist4hire.blogspot.com/2011/09/past-project-warhammer-40000-space.html
I've been focused on other projects for the past couple of days. While my hands were busy, I've had Lopez the Robot Whittler make me a plasma pistol:
Now I just need to clean it up and do all of the detailing, but it's a start. Given the way my other weapon builds have gone (click here) I think it'll be okay.
You can read about it in my blog by clicking here: http://protagonist4hire.blogspot.com/2011/09/past-project-warhammer-40000-space.html
I've been focused on other projects for the past couple of days. While my hands were busy, I've had Lopez the Robot Whittler make me a plasma pistol:
Now I just need to clean it up and do all of the detailing, but it's a start. Given the way my other weapon builds have gone (click here) I think it'll be okay.
Ahahah yep (Thanks for the links guys!), i believe i made the same mistake with my first (still the first) mould. You moved to the thinner 2 part jacket moulds right?
Ive been thinking about how you would strap the bits to your body, perhaps a semi frame for the leg joints etc. I cant wait to see more!
Cheers,
Ive been thinking about how you would strap the bits to your body, perhaps a semi frame for the leg joints etc. I cant wait to see more!
Cheers,
Let me just start with I want to be you when I grow up lol. I've been following your work for a while (partially because you're an awesome dude out of the best town ever) but then I made a connection when I saw the picture of the Compass Rose in your workshop. I was on the Orion a few years back and my mind has been blown. Anyways keep on rocking it! You serve as an inspiration to many (myself included) and I can't wait to see this space marine/every other project by you completed!
Dreadnaught
Jr Member
This is the first time I've actually looked through this build, and I'm flat out amazed. Nice plan on the scale issue. I had one question that has been in my mind since noticing that you were doing this. A few of the chapters now use robes over their armor. The Dark Angels in particular come to mind. Have you given anythought about adding that to the suit?
If it's going to end up in the elite section, I'd better hurry up and finish it.
Back to working on this project, I've split the boot in half and glassed it together to make a vacforming buck:
I've also finished smoothing out the forearm:
With all of the other craziness going on, I've been amazed at how completely these parts have spread around the room:
I've been trying instead to pile all of the parts up so as to minimize their footprint:
Meanwhile, I've smoothed out the last few problem areas on the back:
To prepare for cutting the chest apart for use as forming bucks, I went ahead and glassed over the neck and arm holes:
Now I just need to hack it apart and start making pulls on the forming table. The back half of the boot still needs a lot more work before I can use it for forming.
Stay tuned...
Starvinartist80
Well-Known Member
Things are progressing quickly. I'm really envious of your workspace. Can't wait to see the pulls.
Can't wait to see the pulls.hehe i can imagine space is an issue when you are working on multiple projects! How many are you working on at the moment? This, Issac's engineering RIG... anything else?
I havent been stalking you as much as i use to (Im learning.) so im not sure.
Cheers,
I've got a few things going on these past few weeks. I've reworked my Spartan boot molds (never liked the first or second version of those molds), worked on these space marines, I cranked out a set of H3 Marine armor for my niece's Halloween costume, I'm making helmet display stands for my Star Wars helmet collection and I'm starting on designs for Halo helmet stands, I finished the Isaac Clarke RIG and started on a quick and dirty necromorph costume, I threw together a last minute Alien costume for my nephew, tuned up my blue Spartan suit for Halloween night (then didn't end up wearing it), I'm making a vacformed replica of the health pack from Halo, a CNC'ed plasma pistol from WH40k, and fine-tuning the 3D model of the M-9 Tempest submachine gun from Mass Effect 2 so I can have Lopez cut it out for me. On top of all of that, I've picked up a couple or three professional commissions for projects I'm not allowed to talk about.
So it's been a busy month or so.
I haven't posted many updates on this project lately because it was somewhat pushed aside while I was going through much of that other insanity. The other day I decided it was time to bite the bullet and start cutting the chest armor into something that could be used as forming bucks for the vac table.
I used a laser level to describe the slicing plane I would use. First, I picked where I would cut the top off of the chest:
I had the chest armor sitting on top of a couple of buckets so I could rotate it around and keep the laser at the same level as I marked the line with a Sharpie. Then I set it on its back and marked a line where the front and back would be split:
Since there was no good angle to get both sides of the chest at the same time from the outside, I decided to just go ahead and scribe the line on the inside. It's not like there's a shortage of room to work in there:
With the lines all marked out, I passed it off to my friend Matt so I'd have someone other than myself to yell at if something went wrong. He made the cuts with my shiny new jigsaw:
The finished result was three smaller pieces that sit nice and level on the forming table. Unfortunately, I can only fit two at a time:
Now I just need to add about a 1/2" standoff at the bottom edge of each piece so everything will form correctly all the way out to the edges. That done, I'll need to close up the ends of the front and back, reinforce the whole arrangement with one or two more layers of glass, and then it'll be time to make some chest armor.
By the way, I decided it was important to start with cutting this out instead of one of the many easier parts so that I'll be able to get started sculpting the trim pieces for the chest.
Stay tuned...
Sierra 091
New Member
This is just getting more and more exciting with every new post. I cant wate to see how all 3 vac formed peaces go back togeather.
Has there been any more progress on the plasma pistol? And are you going to make the plasma coils glow?
Has there been any more progress on the plasma pistol? And are you going to make the plasma coils glow?
I've glued some of the slices together, but I'm really not happy with how it looks. I'm thinking I need to go back and have Lopez the Robot Whittler make another bigger one.
I will make the coils glow. I'm just not sure if I want to do any more than just making them glow. There's also all of the pulsating options and the possibility of adding sound effects. I think I'll make the bolt pistol and heavy bolter before I get too crazy about circuitry on the plasma pistol.
sithinstructor
Jr Member
Wow and I thought my to do list was long. I think I have about 12 things going on right now, I count 16 in your post. multi-tasking to the max. also good job on this build so far. I am interested to see how you will do the arms when you get there since the legs are so long.
Sierra 091
New Member
Your working on a heavy bolter as well as an 8ft space marine?! That will be a sight to behold.
I'm definitely looking forward to the heavy bolter build. For now I'm still concentrating on finishing the guy that will carry it.
The question came up a while back about the possibility of crushing the forms under the pressure from vacforming. I'm not worried about it. Here's why:
What you're looking at is the edge of two different pieces. Each of them is laid up with fiberglass as much as 1/4" thick throughout. I've trusted my life to boats with thinner hulls.
Still, there's no better way to be sure than to try it out. Here's the first pull of the collar section:
Here's the front chest piece:
I still need to close up the top and bottom ends of this piece, but the main goal was to have a pull that I can use to begin sculpting the trim pieces onto.
Here's the two pieces taped together:
The seam will be easy enough to deal with and once the wings are added on there will only be a couple of inches showing on either side anyway.
I'm away from my workshop for the weekend, but hopefully I'll make some more progress on Monday.
Stay tuned...
The question came up a while back about the possibility of crushing the forms under the pressure from vacforming. I'm not worried about it. Here's why:
What you're looking at is the edge of two different pieces. Each of them is laid up with fiberglass as much as 1/4" thick throughout. I've trusted my life to boats with thinner hulls.
Still, there's no better way to be sure than to try it out. Here's the first pull of the collar section:
Here's the front chest piece:
I still need to close up the top and bottom ends of this piece, but the main goal was to have a pull that I can use to begin sculpting the trim pieces onto.
Here's the two pieces taped together:
The seam will be easy enough to deal with and once the wings are added on there will only be a couple of inches showing on either side anyway.
I'm away from my workshop for the weekend, but hopefully I'll make some more progress on Monday.
Stay tuned...
Sierra 091
New Member
The first pull looks brilliant, once you clean it up and get the aquila on there its going to look epic. As always, I'm waiting in anticipation.
Forget about Monday... Let's update now! Thorssoli was away for the weekend pretending to be a productive member of society, so I got the run of the shop. Electrical upgrades on the property kept me from getting more done, but I pretty well finished up the vac-forming buck for the front of the chest. The first pull of the chest top was split and glued to this with a small offset to make the needed overlap to glue the two parts together. Additionally, I filled in the openings with card stock and fiber-glassed the whole darn thing to make it stronger. It was pretty cold out today, so the glass was not set up before I left, and I was not able to try it out.
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