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| My Darktrooper Project | |
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| Topic Started: Mar 8 2007, 12:33 PM (6,130 Views) | |
| tubachris85x | Oct 1 2008, 12:54 AM Post #196 |
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  ![]](http://209.85.48.22/static/1/pip_r.png)
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Did a bit more accurizing work. Primarily on the eye's and the nose portion. The way it was previously, the rim around the eyes were too thin. So I went back, and widened it up a bit more, and I feel it is much more accurate and overall looks better then before. The second part was the nose. Was just too thick the way I made it originally. The side profile of the helmet shows the nose is flush with the grin/frown. I am doing a sort of cross between that and a "real world," so there has to be some kind of seperation. So I cut off chunks of clay there, as well as the sides, to help give that depressed look thats prominant in TK helmets. Hard to explain, but lol thats what I mean.   As you can see, Ive started the right side, really, I worked both eyes tonight, and I feel that they look pretty symetrical. The rest though, well, in good time. -TC |
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| tubachris85x | Oct 2 2008, 04:02 AM Post #197 |
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Okay, more work done tonight. Ive decided to try and do my best to make it symetrical. So, this meant that I had to make the right side much thicker, as far as the clay. I think it's actually looking pretty good. Cleaned up and got around to making the frown more defined and finished off the ends of them. Unfortunatly, I am comming across an issue which I was afraid of initially-at the very edge, where the clay has nothing to hold onto but the paper base, it's starting to detach itself and will hang off. Not sure what Im going to do about that yet, but it's not incredibly serious at the moment.     -TC |
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| tubachris85x | Oct 4 2008, 01:52 AM Post #198 |
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Okay, a bit more work on the sculpt tonight, started to move more towards the back on the more completed left side, mainly on the ear cap. Upon further observation, the "com box" has only 4 stubs, where as I originally thought there was 5. The shadowing on the image made it appear as such. So becuase of this, instead of sculpting the box, Im going to be using the one's that came with my FX TK for obvious reasons. I also started to clean up the back portion, where it merges into the swoop. The lower portions that are not covered by clay, are areas that need to be reinforced with more fiberglass, which Im going to try and do tomorrow. Maybe begin to cut the lower chin portion and make a reinforced wall to begin that section.   I got these in the mail today. I figure I should have these for part of my collection  The newer one is my main focus for obvious reasons. I didnt realize how small this was lol. Although having only a few differences, being the lack of helmet swoop, and a different chest piece, it's pretty much a battlefront DarkTrooper, and the jetpack gives that away, being the same exact design. I *think* the only other DarkTrooper that has the same JJP, is the star wars galaxies version. For size reference, that's a Dime   -TC |
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| scootch | Oct 4 2008, 06:29 PM Post #199 |
TX7740
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Wow Chris this project is too cool! Looking good. |
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| tubachris85x | Oct 4 2008, 10:44 PM Post #200 |
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Thank you Scootch! Tried using rubbing alchohol today for smoothing. I originally wanted to get some citri solve, but I couldnt find any at the store. I really wish I did cause, lol it smells BAD. It actually seems to work pretty effectivly, but I should try to use a heat gun or blow dryer to soften it up a bit. Used a hankerchief, didnt have an old t-shirt to spare, left it looking a bit dirty..oh well I can say that I feel the left side ear cap is pretty much finished as of right now. The com box in this pic appears higher, but thats due to the angle. I also decided to begin the chin portion. Right now, the left side being more accurate. I may not have to cut the section off, but I will have to for the depression needed for the areators. For other such details, such as the boxes along the dome and the tear drops, Im having a bit of an issue getting them sculpted into the clay. Im deciding wether or not I will even physically put those details in at the moment. Anyways, some more pics for ya'll    -TC |
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| Joe | Oct 15 2008, 04:14 PM Post #201 |
High speed super duper paratrooper, (leg)
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Wow, all I gotta say is wow................ |
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| tubachris85x | Jan 17 2009, 11:04 PM Post #202 |
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Alright, well after another long time gap of no progress, I am getting back to it. I began by fiberglassing the paper chest piece I had made. I think the biggest thing for me is having to decide how I am going to go about making and choosing what materials to use. But, due to monetary confines, I will not be molding these pieces. I will be using the paper base for the final chest. I am fiberglassing it, resining it (brushing resin on the outside for added strength) and then bondo, sand repeat, until it's where I want it to be. I may be brusing in casting resin on the inside, over the fiberglass for added strength, as well as for a smoother interior surface. The helmet, I tried fiberglassing the weaker parts that I needed to go over, but the resin hasn't cured, and I dont' know why..I've added more then enough hardner...I think I may just attach some foam inserts, no more expanding foam! As for the rest of the suit, I am going to have to get pre-fabricated clone parts, as I've mentioned before. I thought about making them through the same paper method, but looking at the models, the base poly's and whatnot, it is not shaped right and will not work, and would require significant modifications to make it anywhere near where it needs to be. For the shins...I am thinking about using TK style, but will be heavily modded. -TC |
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| COS_Vader | Jan 23 2009, 07:06 AM Post #203 |
Detachment Leader
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I like the progress thus far and it looks like it will be a stunning costume when it's done. |
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| tubachris85x | Jan 29 2009, 08:15 PM Post #204 |
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Thanks! Got some more work done on the arm vac-form bucks. I'm going to try and get these ready so I can get them sent out to be formed in ABS. I finished shaping the bottom forearm piece, so I may just go back over with some sanding sealer and primer. I also went and drilled the air holes in the upper forearm buck, and tested it out with my vaccum, and I feel it will work fairly well. On top of that, I went back, and wet-sanded the sides, from where I had used the Durham's putty. I noticed that on my first decent pull of the forearms, that I had achieved the high detail of the un-eveness of the sides. I did that with both. Added bondo to the bicep bucks too, one of them is about 90% done, about 99% after I sand it all down. So thats the current status as of now. I'm throwing in a pic of the chest piece..still need to finish fiberglassing though, just so messy!!   -TC |
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| tubachris85x | Mar 14 2009, 05:02 AM Post #205 |
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Hey all, I haven't forgotten about this project, just focusing on other things, such as trying to get a snowtrooper put together in the near future, and some other obligations. The status so far is that the helmet sculpt is about 75% complete and the molds are still nearly complete. All it really boils down to is cash. I'm sure all of us can relate to the current economic troubles, so I have to choose what I can do carefully. As for JangoJedi's build, he's made outstanding progress so far and I'm anxious to see his final product, and we are both helping each other as best we can to produce the first darktroopers out there. Will get back on this ASAP. -TC |
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| tubachris85x | Mar 16 2009, 06:23 PM Post #206 |
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Got some more work on the sculpt last night, started to focus on the lower face area. If you compare, I've narrowed both sides of the upside down "U" shape, and have begun sculpting the greeblie in the middle. Unfortunatly, the greeblie detail from my references is only clear enough on the top portion, while everything below that is just "black" and any detail lines are non-existant or noticable. Because of this, I'm forced to interperete the rest of it, so I cannot say that this piece will be accurate. It still needs alot of clean up work though, and I'm thinking about making this a seperate piece until I make the final mold.  Just a side profile to get a better feel of the shapes  -TC |
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| tubachris85x | Apr 30 2009, 04:39 AM Post #207 |
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Hey all Been awhile, but since I will not be able to attend D-con this year, I'm going to try my best to get a completed helmet finished, of which will be brought for display by my buddy. To help speed up the process of sculpting, I am going to make a plaster mold and casting of how the helmet is right now. This will help preserve the current details, and allow me to work with a hard surface, rather then soft clay. I feel that this will significantly decrease the amount of work, and will hopefully lead to a finished, quality sculpt. -TC |
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| SpitFireScout | May 7 2009, 05:33 AM Post #208 |
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good move. i know working with soft materials is good for the roughing out, but when you get to doing details it can be a big issue. My one tip is to build up areas that you are going to work detail. The subtractive process is much easier when working with hard materials than additive, good luck! |
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| tubachris85x | Jun 18 2009, 08:54 PM Post #209 |
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Well no molding pics yet, but I wanted to show how I'm prepping this. I cut out the sections where the areators are. I can't have it flat for obviouse reasons, but I'm thinking now that I should have left those sections closed for molding (Ooops..) Anyways, some things I just can't smooth out as I like, but these things will be fixed once I get the first cast made. I'm going to make a rotocast helmet for the transition/master. This will allow me to have a strong sturdy base to work with while still allowing me the freedom of making adjustments as I need. I am most likely going to switch the type of clay I'm using though, cause it's not adhearing to anything! As you can see, I also removed the chin greeblie. I want this portion to be as smooth as possible for the transition cast. It was really difficult to get the back section as smooth and clean looking as I wanted, so thats the purpose for removing it now. I will be adding it on for the final master.   I took this picture, because I really wanted to show how much I'm emphasizing on details, despite the 3D model being flat, I really used my references from my FX TK helmet. I really think that it brings a sense of more realism to it then just a video game.  -TC |
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| tubachris85x | Jun 19 2009, 12:39 AM Post #210 |
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Just one more update for tonight, I originially was just going to slap on the decal details, either pre-made ones or hand painted. I first tried to sculpt those sections out, but to no avail. Despite my first failed attempt, I want to get that TK look going, so I went at it again, and managed to pull it off well IMO. All the trapazoids and "tear" drop details are now physically sculpted in.   The back looks wide, but using my reference, it is actually this wide apart  Thats it for now, thanks! -TC |
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