Fivezero

Well got some new forearms today to finish off the rest of the needed armor. Hopefully get them assembled soon and get the last of the parts painted, woot! As for the EL tape, it didn't work because I forgot what inverters do, apparently EL tape needs AC current not the DC current from my batteries.... However they have 12V inverters on the site, just more money to spend (this lighting is getting expensive). Finally getting close to the end, woot!!!

Oh, you guys... Thanks for the compliments. Hopefully I can dig this out soon and get back to working on it!!

I'm hoping that the EL tape will be fine to use with my little 12V batteries I use for the LEDs. The tape is supposed to run at 12V using inverters and a couple AA batteries, so it should work. Also I don't exactly have room for inverters in my shin/forearm/shoulder armor (curse my large muscles). Fivezero

So to begin the final stages I have purchased some blue EL tape to test out. Hopefully it will be close in color to my LEDs.... If it works out I'll grab some more for the arms and shoulders and get some panels for the shoulders. And how about some armor to put these on! Legs needed some sanding cause someone didn't know how to paint a couple years ago....................... Fivezero

Yes sir, that is an Ultrasaber. I've got some details I want to add eventually to make it a bit more accurate, but I'm not going to go super crazy on it.

Welcome aboard!!! I sent a little PM to get you started! Oh and glad to see another recruit from Michigan, we need more Spec Ops out here (I'm tired of being the only one... )!!!! Fivezero

Totally forgot about the saber...

I haven't forgotten about this build, just been doing a lot of thinking to get it finished. It will probably be awhile before I get the clear plastic to cooperate with me, so I've been considering using electroluminescent panels (opposed to EL wire) and sticking them on regular armor to achieve a similar effect to get this approved sooner. I still wouldn't abandon the clear armor though, just want to get this thing finished and submitted since I've been working on it for awhile now.... Fivezero

Well I have been a bit busy with school the last month but was still to knock out some progress on Malgus. Unfortunately in my exhausted state I forgot to take pictures! So I'll share the stage everything is at currently. Basically all of the hard armor parts are made up and plastic coated (some pieces need another coat of plastic). Right now I'm trying to finish up some of the smaller pieces like the ridged-ab-plate-thingy and the boot armor. Then I'll get moving on smoothing out the hard armor (Bondo, woot!!). Then detail them, then paint. Then I'll get moving on the armor padding details like curving the thigh armor strips. Then I can move on to the soft parts like the pants and the cape (which will be fun since I don't know how to sew...) Anyway enough blabbering, time for pics One Malgus cod piece, still needs to be heated to make the surface smooth and less like foam... Some leg and knee armor. And no they're not done... Coated chest and shoulders, had to add some heat after the plastic coat to shape the chest a bit better to my body. Unfortunately the plastic filled in my etching so I'm going to have to go back through and re-etch the armor. Finally, woke up this morning and started on the ab-ridged-plate-thingy. Just a prototype to test making the ridges with the curve, I'll make a cleaner version for the final piece. And there's a lot more than that, but I don't pictures for it. Like I said above, all of the hard armor is done (gauntlets, legs, biceps, etc.) I just need to smooth them out and detail them next. Fivezero

Star War: Galaxies had them when they did the Deathtrooper Update. Unfortunately since the game closed down, I can't get any better pics but here's one I found.

Woot, big update on Darth Malgus!!! Even though I wanted to get the My Wicked Armor costume, it proved to be out of my budget, so I'll get going on my build again. Initially I was overcome by everything (i.e. details) on this suit when I started again. So I started small and made up the little elbow plates and hand plates. Now I only used these foam mock ups as vac forming bucks. Ended up using the ones with the most crisp edges of course. I also got the bicep armor made up and tested my foam heat treat method (gives it the slight curve and makes it look just like it does in the pics). Woke up this morning and started with the belt and the details to go with it (here's some inserts for the front of the belt). Also spent today making just about every other template I need (gauntlets, legs, cod, butt, etc.). So all I need is some thicker foam (on the way) and I'll start making up the rest of the armor. For now I'm concentrating on making the thinner foam padding (thighs, butt). Still have the finishing details (rounding edges, curving, heat treat surface) to do on those, but otherwise this project has really advanced in just 2 days! Once I get the thicker foam I'll get going on the other "hard" armor and prepare everything for plasticizing! Fivezero

More glowing!!!! Wanted to see what the overall finished look (excuse the unsecured belt) with the LEDs in place. Also wanted to see what it looks like under full light. Fivezero

So had to restart to better facilitate the foam building. Rearranged the pepakura pieces to be more foam friendly (bigger, longer pieces). Also printed it out on regular paper then taped that to the foam and used that as a template. Front of the dome before gluing Dome/back glued together. Love how smooth this is opposed to regular pepping. And the "finished" helmet. A little sanding with the dremel, then plasticizing, bondo and then the final detailing. Overall I'm loving the foam scratch building. Much smoother/friendlier base for a very low res model, there were so many edges and points that it would have been a pain with regular cardstock. Hopefully this should go quicker! Fivezero

So I think I've decided that I'm going to go really crazy with this helmet and make this out of foam, I am still excited at how my new EVO shoulder looks when done in foam and am sure I can adapt it to make a helmet. Not to mention the foam's thickness should help when trying to make some of these details. And it will be a bit before I make some progress since I have some foam on the way (just a couple days though). And yes this is probably going to be a very annoying and somewhat difficult project (woot low res models!!!!!), but hopefully the foam will make things a little smoother... Fivezero

Ah yeah, we have success!!!!! This one turned out a little better........... So yeah I tried the clear plastic today and it kinda failed, as you can see the PETG I'm using tends to web very easily (and annoyingly). On the second attempt I didn't have it quite lined up right and so I moved it in panic further helping the plastic to web However, I decided to cut out the second attempt to see if I could even somewhat try and salvage it, doesn't look too bad now after some heat gun treatments..... And I busted out my little machine too just to get something vac formed successfully too (and yes I tried a shoulder bell, but the plastic exploded ) So yeah, I guess it's time to order some more and try again! Fivezero

So I kinda hit a point where I can go no further on this for a bit. Pretty much aside from the helmet details and the red stripes on the boots, I've done all that I can on this with what I have. However I do have some clear plastic on the way to make some clear armor!! I'm hoping I can make my first try by the end of the week. After that then there is some more painting, lights and I think this will be done and ready to send in! I'll also try to pick up some more 12v batteries soon and get a pic of all the lights I have rigged up so far. Fivezero

Check your PM, you may like what you see! Anyway was bored so I worked on some stuff on my Acolyte. Finished gluing the arms together along with the legs, now for some filling to clean them up a bit. Also started making some of the custom pieces like the belt buckle, made a template first by tracing over an image on my computer. Then cut it out of foam, then brushed on a couple layers of glue (yep just basic white glue...) Then brushed on some urethane plastic (the stuff I make helmets and other junk out of). After it cured I gave it a light sanding and engraved the button on the buckle, time for some paint! I also started making a new ab/cod plate since I didn't want to really have to do to much modding, easier to just make a new one. Starting with another template to cut out from some of the plastic I have laying around. Got it cut out in plastic and marked the lines for engraving. Also borrowed some pouched from the original ab to use and threw my buckle on there to give an idea of what it will look like. Also have some silver strapping on the way to make the belt up. Coming along nicely. As for the Darth Malgus build, I thing I'm about done for now on that. I saw that My Wicked Armor is now making a Malgus costume, so I think I'll just purchase that if I can. Fivezero

A small update on this as well. Got a new mask made up, just needs some love and bondo Looks better than my first mask.... Fivezero

Time for a new helmet project, along with fixing up my EVO helmet, I'll take a stab at making the Swamptrooper helmet (since you all wanted it from my poll months ago). So it begins... I just need to glue all the pieces together (changing up the standard pep method too, just wait). Fivezero

More glowing!!! I was so excited that the first thing I did this morning was get the helmet ready for lights!!! I still have to work out the lenses, regular lenses don't cut it (or should I say shine it....). I'm going to try blue mirrored lenses to see if those work better. Unfortunately I don't have any more LED strips to permanently rig the lighting . I'll probably start on the other details for the helmet later today (going to give the paint a bit more time to cure). Fivezero

Thanks guys for the compliments! More progress: Painted the boots today. Still need the red stripes, I'll do that tomorrow. Also painted the helmet!!! ^This bucket is too awesome!!!!!!!!!!! Now to get it all lit up! Getting very close to the end now! Just need some shoulders, shins and forearms (and lots of LEDs). :D

Yay, big update time! First off paint! I really love that gray because it some lighting it is dark like it is, but in other lighting it will kinda disappear into the aluminum color of the the chest plate (kinda like it does on the PC version of the game). So cool (sorry I couldn't get a better picture). Whilst venturing into my giant box of spare parts I've collected I found some helpful items. First some boots (I think I originally was going to use these for my EVO?). Then I found a helmet kit?!?! Don't know where it came from or when I got it, but it was there. The blue "tubestripes" were a guide for me to cut out each one. I used a template but not for the painting it is intended to be used for! Then just put it on the helmet and used a marker to mark the tubestripes. Then proceeded to cut out each one... I still have another cheek tube to cut out......... After that I made some backing for the tube stripes to diffuse the lighting. And now we have glowing tubestripes, not bad for the first try (I messed up some of the stripes, what can ya do). I'll do some more experimenting to get the light a bit better. Did I ever mention this thing is going to look awesome?!? Fivezero

YAY!!!! More failure!!!! Uh, I mean more valuable learning experience!!!!! Well my makeshift mold kinda sorta worked. The clear resin is what really killed me, it takes a bit more time to solidify than my other resin I use. Meh, whatever, it was worth a shot. I might be able to fix and use them (highly doubt it ). Oh yeah, paint! (Ignore the kidney plate, it got a little scuffed up somehow) Still have the gray parts to do sometime and the other silver parts (I'll do those when I get them, really only have the parts that are clear to do). So basically I still need the boots, calves, forearms, shoulders and the helmet left to get. Maybe have it done by the end of September?!?! Fivezero

Hi! I'm back to working on this thing finally... After meeting everyone at CVI I was reinspired to work on this thing again. So now I'm going to be in a mad dash to finish this thing!!! So here's what I've done since I've gotten back. Needed the ab plate detail thingamabob so decided to use the one from my Nova (since it popped off at CVI). See where this is going?!? That's right, I just poured liquid urethane in the detail plate... Curing. Accidentally spilled some when I hit my work table and had to quickly clean it off the outside of the plate (didn't care for the table too much). And now I felt better knowing it came out of the other plate. Some sanding and spot putty and this thing will look fine. Also got some more LEDs for the butt plate and the chest plate. I'll end up gluing the strip to the buttplate and letting the belt cover it ^^ Never get tired of that ^^ I've also spent some time finishing all the strapping. Tomorrow I start the painting with the shiny/chromy looking pieces first! Fivezero

Before: After: Wow, does this thing look like a muscle car again! And drives like it too, rebuilt the carburetor and that thing just wants to GO!!!! Not to mention the suspension rides better, she shifts better, she's just better. Only thing left to do is to get a wheel alignment on it and really have some fun before winter. Fivezero :D