Ok.. So you all know of my Lord Commanders Stick. Some have asked me about the ongoing project I hinted at in the thread, and I have decided now is a goood time to unveil it... I have begun designing, on paper, and procuring materials to craft an actual suit of MK IV chaplains armor.
This will be two-fold. First, it is just far too bad assed to pass up. Second it, I need a project to test my armor-smithing skills and this will provide a very hard challenge. The outline, so far, is as follows.
The suit will be cushioned with a standard type leather jerkin (6 oz., about the thickness of a leather spiked bracer you can buy). This will be segmented, to allow for joint motion and skin breath, will be in two pieces often (front and back) when able to.
These pieces will be fitted to fit anyone vaguely near my size, so they will use either a snap rivet system similar to a jacket, or the classic hole and pokey-thingy (belt essentialy) method. Depends on which bit o' materials is cheaper and more readily available.
I may also rivet/locktite/otherwise secure the leather to the
inside of the suit, and pad it with a thin yet cushy form of foam/filler material. Memory foam has been though of here, but that may be both cost prohibitive, and I am not sure of how the heat factor is on it, though it would provide a great deal of comfort.This would also bring up the issue of how to secure the leather lining to the armor!
The actual armor will be shaped first, before any embellishments. The embellishments are yet pending on how to do exactly, although it has been suggested to machine them separately out of brass, or some other base, cheap metal and give it a thick brass plate. This will be influenced, again, by cost and availability. Another idea is to cast them of a hard, baked clay (cheap and available) and plate in a medium-weight of brass, which would work, but I do not know how to work clay well.
Each piece will be secured in a myriad of possible ways. Welding, lock tite, or possibly having pegs that fit into corresponding holds that are then welded together and the hole thereby close. The last method would be more time consuming, but the more secure overall. Especially in the underside of the model is coated with lock tite. (Lock tite is essentially superglue on crack, for those of you wondering.
The embellishments will include a set of flared wings with the central icon between them being one of two adornments, left interchangeable by a set of prongs that can be squeezed to lock in or release the sigil, which will be a blood/teardrop (Blood Angels, what else?) or a Skull (my belove Black Saints). The Gauntlets will have the same dual-icon system. This may also be repeated on the helmet.
The shoulder pad will also be covered in what amounts to a glorified static cling for car windows/bumpers, so I can display separate chapter icons. I will also likely follow the method I mentioned earlier for adornments, and clay-bake/plate terminator honors and rosarius on a thick link silver chain.
There is also a possibility for a real chain sword(crazy, but do able). I have an old tree saw (kind you put on a handle, real slim), like this here picture:
http://img.alibaba.com/photo/50038568/Pole_Saw.jpg. It is in truth a bit small length wise for a true chainsword, but truth be told I have the 'stick, so I am not worried. I may just make it for a friend, who is wanting me to craft him a Space Wolves blood claw armor. He's a bit small, so it would fit.
The stick has already been detailed. The helmet would be next, and would resemble (in method of structure of putting on/off, and VAGUELY close to physical appearance) the below displayed product, with obvious modifications
http://www.mwart.com/xq/ASP.productl...eat-helmet.htm
The only thing I am having problems with is choosing a lens material for the eyes, and might go with a
thin plexiglass. Cheap, and durable. I will, however, also have the issue of, once I have a basic helm like this made, I will need to add a skull like front to it... As of yet, I am out of ideas for materials, so suggestion are welcome!
The bolt pistol is a whole 'nother issue... my obvious idea was to take and find a working airsoft gun and fit/mod it's casing with metal or whatever, then spray down and have my painting fiend of a fiancee finish it to a uniform metallic color, with an engraved aquilla on the slide. Grip would be made of ribbed metal and wrapped in some spare leather I have been saving.
The gauntlets will be fairly easy to do, with what amounts to a metal tube form fitted to my fingers with about 1/3" or more clearance, small metal crescents going in between, or possibly some sort of black spandex (but again, how to attach) to vent heat. Ideally, crafted like these below:
http://www.mwart.com/xq/ASP.productl...tlets-pair.htm http://www.mwart.com/xq/ASP.productl...sed-finish.htm http://www.mwart.com/xq/ASP.product/...-gauntlets.htm
The elbow plate will be the hardest part of the arm, but if I can attach a spandex 'unitard/bodyglove' in between armor gaps, or say between the leather cushion, or use that material as the cushion itself, I can just locktite/stitch or somehow else secure.
There will be several purity seals, which since I own a large amount of sealing wax and can have stamp-seals made, or can hand etch a fairly accurate aquilla on the semi-hardened wax (it was on sale... and it works for the cast at the Faire), will be affixed as I wish. They will, again since I am near fluent in the language, be written in pre-church Latin (which equates to High Gothic). I will also being taking a note from the GW termie chaplain model and hanging a tabard of silk/other flexible fabric with oaths written on it. Purity seals can't be made of any paper I know of, as it isn't flexible enough.
The boots will likely have a thick, waxed leather bottom, as this is easy, durable, and good traction as well as easy to fix/repair. I will have a hanging loop to let the stick dangle from my hip at, much like so:
http://www.mwart.com/xq/ASP.productl...sword-frog.htm or
http://www.mwart.com/xq/ASP.productl...axe-holder.htm. However, since I am making them, they will cost me about... 5-10 USD. Shows you what a profit they turn on these things!
My only real rub here is.. Well.. The bacpack.. If I bake it from clay and plate it, it will be far too fragile, as it is so big. I can't think of how to section it off then plate and weld the baked clay/metal parts. So on that note.. Any ideas?
Oh, and so you don't think i'm crazy.... Three close relatives work in machine shops, so I have injection molds, CNC, etc.. at my disposal, as well as free steel (slag, but good enough for my purpose, i'm NOT going to be fighting in this). I also have a line on extremely cheap aircraft grade aluiminum, which if cash allows I will utilize partly, or all over, as it is 1/3 the weight of steel at the same strength. I also have a buisness account with a local leather supply chain and get leather/rivets dirt cheap (an entire side of hide costs me 20 bucks, and a bag of 300 pairs of rivets = 5 bucks), and even cheaper since I repair and help them on their Ren Faire outfits.
Thirdly, I attend a festival by-annually that has two dear friends at it that are artists. One is a blacksmith, who will let me use his forge whenever I need to, and another is a highly accomplished professional artist/sculptor who has since retired to travel fairs and sell her creations. She has told me, from pictures, that she could show me how to make all the bits and pieces I have asked, and provide the clay. I just have to help her set up and tear down the booth.
So... It's not like i'm spending thousands of dollars and such. Given I go with the most expensive methods just to cut time, this project would cost me two or three hundred USD, tops. If I take my time, and wait, it should be damned near to free (100 USD, tops). Projected timeframe: 2-5 years, depending on attendance at said bi-annual festival, etc..
Anything I left out armor wise? I purposely left out the forging and materials, etc... Mainly because I don't want to confuse you all too much... And yes, once I churn out the first few and get the process down, I have considered selling these, custom made to fit. Although I haven't though of a base price, any ideas? Especially on the backpack.. Because i'm just stuck there guys!