+ Build Log : Cadian Lieutenant +

[Centauri-Works]

Heya !

So , now that i have a little free time on my hands , i decided to start working on a costume i've been wanting to tackle for ages : a simple Guardsman !
I'm currently tired of building a crap ton of Star Wars kits and i want something else for Conventions , both local and abroad , and given my current grim dark mood , a Guardsman is the perfect choice . I'm doing a Cadian not only because it's the most iconic regiment out there , but also because i really love Cadians , especially since the fall of Cadia .
I'll probably work on a Tanith Scout afterwards , using the same files .

Said files are up there in the library , they're mine .
I scaled them to my size and exported them in PDF format to print in a store , saving me the trouble of having to re-trace all the patterns on thick paper . I just prefer to pay a dozen or so euros and get everything printed on cardstock straight away , something like 250-300g paper .

Going for the good old Pepakura / resin / fiberglass route . I prefer that to squishy foam that might get damaged if i decide to bring the costume abroad .


So , first step , always measure and re-scale the file you use . ALWAYS SCALE BEFORE PRINTING . Especially since mine has random scales on the pieces and was globally scaled for someone my size , so someone fairly small . If your pepakura is too small , blame yourself for not double-checking the scale , not my files



And so it begins , the endless process of cutting pieces on at a time .




I hope i can post regular updates on this one and finish it by December or so , or College will get in the way again .

[Centauri-Works]

++ UPDATE ++

So , i've been reading a lot of of " Only War " rule books this Week End to prepare my very first RPG Campaign after our previous DM ditched us in the middle of a " Wrath & Glory " campaign , and damn , got me all pumped to keep working on my Pep



All pieces for the chest are now cut



Laid out on my humble working table , ready for the build !



Chest in now roughly 75% finished , some three quarters of the back is still missing . It looks awfully small , so i might have to make two vertical cuts on each side of the chest and add a strip to widen the armour , and enlarge the back in the middle . I'll have to check once the armour is built , i trust my measuring techniques .
The shoulder bridges will have to be cut somewhere in order to allow my head to go through . And it'll be easier for transport too .

[Centauri-Works]

++ UPDATE 02 ++

Chest in now completely assembled




A cool colleague at my internship place has helped me applying rondo and fiberglass to the inside of the armour , because he has a lot more experience working with those stuff than i have
If you're into pepakura and stuff , you know by now what fiberglass is , but if you've never heard of Rondo , well , it's basically a 50/50 mixture of Resin and Bondo .
It's essentially more liquid than Bondo , and more solid that Resin , it sort of self levels when you pour it into a pep model , but don't hesitate to brush it down with acetone to smooth it out .
+ Warning +
Rondo WILL seep out of any hole in your model , bear that in mind .



The back has been reinforced with fiberglass on top of the Rondo , front part will follow



I think the model is still fairly symmetrical , but it has definitely warped a little in some place , which was expected . Never hesitate to reinforce your pepakura model with strips of cardboard in openings and large flat area to avoid warping . And unless you want to waste money and time , make sure you initially build your stuff with cardstock , bare minimum of 250g papers , more if you can . That's why i'm usually printing my patterns in printing shops , they can print on A3 and larger formats and straight on heavier grades of cardstock , while you will just jam your printer attempting to do it , or spend afternoons re-tracing all your patterns on thicker paper .




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[Centauri-Works]

++ UPDATE 03 ++

After a long absence , i return to serve the Emperor !
Unfortunately , the Ruinous Powers have been at work as well and killed the machine spirit of my phone and i haven't been able to salvage the pictures i took during that time .

Also , because i see a lot of posts over here that sound like it's people's first time building a costume , i'll keep dispensing a few very basic tips for those who would like to try out pepakura for the first time . It'll always be a longer and more tedious process than building a foam armour , but at the end of the day , if done correctly , it'll yield a long-lasting and better looking costume . THAT YOU CAN CAST !!

Tip of the day : Hold your blade at an angle , and hold it further away from the blade instead of really close like you would with a pencil , you'll be able to put more weight on the blade and make cleaner cuts instead of having to go over your cardstock several times .
Also , invest in a good blade , those cheap craft stores xacto blades are worthless , get yourself a real Stanley . You blades will last longer , cut sharper , and you'll have a solid grip on your craft knife . Fat Max is the way to go .



So , i also finished applying resin to the armour . But before that i knew i would have to make alterations to the armour as everything seemed to end up a little too small .
Re-print and re-build you say ? Yes , yes i could've done that . But did i want to ? No , i did not .
So i went ahead and gave two coats to each part , one inside one outside so that the pieces would have enough structural integrity and rigidity to them to stop warping without the supports , but remain flexible enough to alter in shape easily .





Then came to fun part ...

Trying to pieces one by one to guesstimate how many centimetres i had to add to each piece . The chest may look like it's fine , but really it's too small . Ideally it should sit below the masking tape .



So i went about the task of rescaling the chest ( that had already been matted with fiberglass and reinforced with rondo ) in the easiest way available to me . I grabbed a Dremel and started Dremelling ...



Now i'll also have to rescale it vertically as i find the piece to start looking slightly out of proportions . Cut just above the last ridge and glue a few plastic strips before matting the inside with fiberglass and filling the outside with bondo filler .


In case this doesn't sound clear enough by now , if you ever end up in the same situation , just re-print and re-build . It'll be easier , trust me . I'm just a lazy arse person , and i'll deal with the consequences of my laziness by making my life pointlessly harder , but i can live with that :-D

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