AAARRRGGHHH!!! I just sprayed a clear coat over the top and it turns out it wasn't compatible. It reacted badly and now I have to sand it down and re-spray it.
This mistake has provided an interesting side-benefit. I went over the helmet again with the red, only to find the red turning darker and darker. The lid on the can is a real metallic red, which is what the paint should be. Unexpectantly, where I sprayed the red over the gold lip, the metallic red is REALLY metallic! So, what I am doing now is experimenting. I have sprayed the whole helmet now with gold. I'll do a couple of layers to make the colour gold consistent all over then over-spray with the metallic red again. Should come up a treat. All I will have to do then is mask off around the lip again and spray the lip gold only.
Oh, and it turns out the gold and red are enamels, while the clear coat I bought is acrylic. Didn't see that....Lesson learned, pay attention to the fine print when buying paint. I'm no stranger to painting and I should have known better. Time for a self-administered uppercut.
Well, I fixed the clear-coat incompatibility disaster. I sprayed the whole helmet with metallic copper, then put the metallic red over that. Huge difference and improvement.
Someone asked for a bit of a view from the inside looking out too.
All I had this afternoon was the phone camera so excuse the low quality of the images this time around.....
First, I had to cut a section out of the back of the helmet to allow my fat head through. I will hinge this in the centre and find some fasteners for the sides. Some guys have used powerful magnets, but I might look around for alternatives.
I spent about $5 at Bunnings hardware today to buy this soft foam rubber. Much softer than the foam mat some guys build suits from, but firm enough to support itself.
I made templates out of cardboard to fit inside the helmet in manageable sized pieces. Once I worked out the size and shape of the padding, I then traced it onto the rubber and cut it out.
I found gluing with the hot-glue was easiest to position the piece in place, then glue a small part of it, usually in the centre to hold it in place. Then it was just a matter of gluing the edges bit at a time.
I've left a little protruding past the edge of the helmet so the faceplate has an edge to seat on for a snug seal. The exposed textured rubber looks great in the cheek depressions.
The suit is it the same build process as the helmet ?
It's going to take a while if it comes out like the helmet it will be nice !
David
It should take me around a year. The helmet was pretty hard, being the first, but now I have the techniques down pat the rest should flow a bit smoother. The rest of the suit is built similar, but articulating parts will have to be hinged, jointed or elasticised to allow movement.
Last edited by bloodhound31; 26-10-2012 at 10:23 PM.
It should take ma around a year. The helmet was pretty hard, being the first, but now I have the techniques down pat the rest should flow a bit smoother. The rest of the suit is built similar, but articulating parts will have to be hinged, jointed or elasticised to allow movement.
I reckon you're better off velcroing the panels on a black suit. If it's an epic fail you can always fall back onto 'velcroman'
That looks so cool. When you have the whole armour done I reckon you can go and do Iron Man paid gigs around Canberra. 
