+ Build Log : Cadian Commissar +

[Centauri-Works]

Whelp , i haven't had the occasion to bring the Cadian armour i started building from the UK yet , so i'm currently stuck with that project until i can get it back , so i decided to move on and start working on another costume that i've always wanted to make : the iconic Commissar !

I started the costume something like 2 months or so ago ( more like started paying for it ... ) , and i want to have it - if not finished - at least wearable for early may in order to attend the anniversary of our local GW store in costume
There are many illustrations , and the uniform seem to slightly vary depending on the illustrator making the Art .
So i've decided to mostly build the costume based on this well known cover from Salvation's Reach :

So i'm keeping a build log here , documented with pictures and all kinds of tips i might be able to give out , learn from my mistakes so you'll be able to save time and money

Okay , first things first , let's get one thing straight :

This isn't a cheap costume .

If you think you'll make a Commissar costume for under a 200€ , forget it , do something else .
I don't know if it's " correct " for me to say it ( and frankly i don't give a frak ) , but cheap Commissars are my pet-peeve . Black coat found in the attic , military ranger boots , random black jeans and a vaguely military looking jacket with a Halloween foam chainsword bought at your local supermarket with a cheap surplus Soviet cap with your sister's red scarf as a sash , no thanks ...
Same thing with cheap Imperial Officers when it comes to Star Wars . As a member of the 501st Legion , i strive for a certain level of accuracy and quality , for all kinds of costumes i make . An Officer costume of any Fandom is supposed to be sharp , well-tailored . You're embodying authority and discipline , you have to look the part too . The uniform has to fit and not be loose , you should shave and take off any obvious facial piercing as they would be non-reg in the Astra Militarum , especially so in the Commissariat . You'd probably be flogged ...

So , here's the plan , in orange is what i absolutely need to make this costume wearable for May :

• Cap : I'll go for a German peaked visor cap . I know the Soviet ones have the right-ish colours off the bat , but they lack the distinctive peak in the front . So that's a no-no .

Status : Will order soon from Epic Militaria , a very reliable Reenactment website . They offer the possibility of changing the piping colour too . So i'll get a black visor cap from the Allgemeine SS division , have the piping changed to red , remove the insignas and replace the silver buttons and chincord with golden ones . And i mean proper golden-bullion stuff , not crappy yellow strings .

• Jacket : The Jacket Shop , UK based store that manufactures high-quality uniforms .

Status : I've ordered it two months ago , paid for it weekly and i have worked with The Jacket Shop to modify the uniform a little for accuracy purposes . It is of course tailor-made to fit me . One thing that is very odd with them is that they ask not for your measurements but for the garments measurements . Meaning you give them directly the measurements they'll cut the fabric too . It's a bit frustrating and i hope it'll fit properly , at this point i can only pray the Emperor it will , otherwise i'll soon receive a very expensive but ill-fitted jacket .

• Epaulettes : Ebay to the rescue .

Status : Will order soon from Ebay , there are a lot of vendors selling what they call " marching bands " epaulettes , made from proper golden-bullion cords . I'll embellish them with a golden skull or aquila to make them feel more " Warhammer-y " . I'll probably attach them with magnets in case i want to wear them straight on the jacket rather than over the stormcoat .

• Stormcoat : The good old Musterbrand trenchcoat will do . It's not entirely accurate , but it's close enough . I will most likely ditch it for a cloak later .

Status : Got it a year or so ago , it will have to do . It's not completely accurate and it bothers me , but at least i can still wear it when it rains ( and Throne knows it rains a lot in this Kingdom ) . I will most likely ditch it soon and wear a cloak over the uniform , which is probably going to be a soviet plash palatka in the first place , later upgraded to a proper cloak made from waterproof canvas , perhaps in a specific camo pattern like German splittertarn ( splinter camo ) , or plain drab so i can paint the Cadian camo pattern over it .

• Breeches : When you have various Imperial Uniforms for Star Wars , you already have those in a few colours .

Status : Got them a while ago for a Krennic costume , they come from Epic Militaria as well , very decent quality but a little itchy , so i recommend you wear stockings or something underneath , no joke . After a while you won't really notice the itch anymore , but they're defo not as comfy as your jeans . Garbardine fabric tends to be a bit rough .

• Boots : See above . Also , WW2 Reenactment helps with leather boots .

Status : Got them . Got two pairs actually . One i use for Reenactment , the other for my Imperial Officer . The first one is a little shorter , flat topped , post-War German Officer jackboots . The second pair is a pair of tall , Spanish-top British equestrian boots . Those boots are not made for walking , put gel soles if you intend to wear them for extended period of times .

• Belt : Base belt and buckle purchased from " Belting Imperials " . Mostly makes Star Wars stuff , but he's been able to help me out .

Status : My friend at Belting Imperials has ordered a golden / copper coloured buckle with a slight edge that i will embellish with ... A SKULL ! And also a small chain or so , just like in the illustration .

• Sash : Will work on it with a fellow Cosplayer friend who has a sewing machine , because i don't . Also , can't sew for frak .

Status : Waiting for the jacket to arrive to start working on it .

• Chainsword : I'll 3D print it .

Status : I've printed it two or so weeks ago , taking advantage of the Easter holidays to work on it a bit . I'm still having issues with it but i don't think i'll bother with it any longer , i just need a bit more paint for weathering and base colours . The current one is a free model from Thingiverse , but i'll upgrade it with a model of my own when i have the time , which College tends to suck up right now . I'm thinking about making an actual working one with a moving chain casted in rubber or something so it remains " con safe " . Or go for a Powersword . I'll probably make a small backpack too , like seen on the Officio Prefectus Commissar model and magnetise the Chainsword so i can carry it on my back , because i'm can't really figure out how to make a sheath for a Chainsword .

• Bolt Pistol : It'll also be 3D printed .

Status : Still have to 3D model it myself . There are a bunch of good models on Thingiverse , but since i can model my own , i much prefer to use my own models . I don't like how the handles are modelled on most available models online , and it'll allow me to decorate it however i want . It'll be for later though , once i'm done with College . I'll also have to make a holster then . Luckily for me , i'm getting a leatherworking kit soon , so i might be able to make that holster myself . Worst case scenario , i have a leatherworking friend in the UK ...

• Various details : Will most likely be bought online , scratch built and 3D printed

No 40K costume is complete without a few decorations ! So i'll probably make a few medals and badges to add details , an aquila or two to hang from my belt and the butt of my Bolt pistol .
No Macharian Cross of course , given my age i wouldn't have left the Schola too long ago , so i'll settle for the Eagle Ordinary 
I'll get Collodion scarring fluid from Amazon or something , because scars are cool , and everybody has scars in 40k , especially Commissars . Also , coloured lenses are a must since i'm going specifically for a Cadian . I might build a flag pole and get the Cadian 8th flag printed later too . I've also been considering getting some greaves or something to make carapace leg armour , but i think it'll also be really cool to build bits of Cadian armour to go over my uniform such as the shin-guards and the shoulders , paint them black , and have the markings in gold instead of white . Most definitely going to make a Refractor field gorget at some point too .



All right , that's it for the planning , explanation , i'll update with pictures soon !
Hoping no bugs have decided to commit suicide by sticking themselves on the paint i've applied on my Chainsword earlier , i'm so done with sanding right now ...

[Centauri-Works]

++ UPDATE 01 ++

Right , so ...
Regarding the stuff i already have :

The trench coat , by Musterbrand ( you'll have to apologise the crappy pictures , i have a great many things , time and a good camera are not one of them ... )
It still very much has a deep red colour and not that vaguely discoloured pink-ish hue the picture shows .

The breeches , from Epic Militaria . If you're looking for good quality breeches , look no further , they're worth every cent ! I can never recommend Epic Militaria enough for quality costuming bits and affordable Reenactment supplies .

The boots , both the Equestrian dressing boots and the Military Officer jackboots . Worn both pairs quite a few hours , the leather is soft , but after a day of Trooping , you better have a Guardsmen around to pull them off your feet because you will need some help !

The 50's post war German Officer boots , flat top , slightly shorter , " man sized " ( meaning slightly more room ) .

The modern British equestrian boots , Spanish top ( higher on the outer side of the leg ) , women boots ( quite tight ) . Also , not made for walking . Much less so for wearing all day while on your feet . Trust me .

I'm having trouble deciding which ones to wear ...

Guess i'll try both pairs once i get the jacket . So far i'm more convinced about the first one , rule of comfort . And they have a more military look to them , the second pair i love too but they really look like horse-riding boots ...

++ END TRANSMISSION ++

[Centauri-Works]

++ UPDATE 02 ++

It's Chainsword time !

Here's the model i used , it isn't mine but it's very decent : https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2722925

Okay so , if anyone is considering 3D printing at home , i highly recommend getting Simplify3D ( one way or the other ... ) . I mean , Cura is a brilliant software for slicing , but Simplify3D just has a lot more options and presets that allows you to considerably cut down on printing time .

My first bits were printed through Cura , took an average of 18h per print , my 3D printer is next to my bed , and we have random power outage some times during the night , so the printing conditions were less than great ( yay for being a College student in a dorm trying to make Props ) and i spent 2 very crappy nights , but if it's for the Emperor , then ... Guess it's not so bad .

Then , i finally figured out why i had issues with Simplify3D ( it kept trying to print in the corner of my print bed and in mid-air on top of things , it so happened that my specific model of printer wasn't in the list and that the printbed settings were a couple centimetres off , so i just created a custom profile for my WanHao Duplicator i3 Plus because i'm not using the latest version of Simplify3D and it's lacking profiles regarding WanHao printers ) .

I kept the two first " screwed up " pieces a while but i kept printing , cutting print time in half for the next pieces . I even started printing them two by two , taunting the Tzeentch cultist working for the local electrical company to cut the power mid-print again . But the Emperor protects , it didn't happen .

Up and up she went .

Crappy pics made with my phone at 2am with poor indoor lighting . Awesome novels for scale reference

Unless you printer is fine-tuned , i highly NOT recommend to attempt printing that kind of details :

Using different printing profiles with Simplify3D i was able to get a high quality print just for the layers where the tiny text was set in the handle , but it still turned out meh . There's about a metric ton of supports printed over the text and removing it usually rips off tiny bits off the letters , you're better off finding a store that does laser cutting nearby and get them laser-cut in a sheet of styrene or something that you'll glue on the blank version of the handle .

The only issue i have with the model is the way it's meant to be assembled , with a bunch of small connector pins . In order to reinforce the structure i drilled through each part and inserted two wooden dowels that run through the whole length of the blade . It does reinforce the overall structure , but subsequently weakens individual pieces because the infill was quite heavily damaged in the process . This is further incentive to make my own model later .

I was soon faced with a very , VERY annoying issue . Despite the amount of epoxy glue i used to make sure the pieces were permanently glued together , small gaps remained , and no amount of filler , sanding and priming seemed to be able to get rid of them . I emptied a tube and half of glue , but it seemed there was still enough movement - almost none but still enough - to make the filler and primer crack . After 5 or so passes of filler , i gave up ...

Worse even , it looks good from a distance , but those seams are still there nagging me , visible from up close , and every coat of primer or paint only seemed to make them more obvious . Infuriating .

So for the most obvious seam , i just decided to print some Aquilas to cover them up . It would help to hide the seam and add a little detailed . Kill two Heretics with one stone , or something like that ...

The primed product , ready for painting . I'm going to go for a red and golden scheme , stay in the global tones of the costume . Might go for a darker scheme when i make another Chainsword later .

Right now i'm just scavenging home , trying to find a bit of brown and black acrylics to weather the sword a little bit after i'm done painting it . I hate pristine props . Nothing is clean in the grim dark future ...

Also , on a side note , don't do what i did and use and old can of filler that's been opened for two years because you're too broke to afford a new one , the stuff comes out half dry from the tub and and it coarse and crappy to apply U_U

++ END TRANSMISSION ++

[Centauri-Works]

++ UPDATE 03 ++

Still Chainsword Time !

I was able to finish most of the paintjob and put a bit of work in the blade these last few days , right now i'm waiting for the varnish clear coat to dry , i managed to grab two small tubes of acrylic at the local Art store to do a bit of weathering tomorrow . Oxide black and Burnt Umber from the Amsterdam brand . I always prefer to work with two tones for weathering .

As for the rattlecans , i'm using a local brand called Motip , if anyone is interested ( it's not like there is any other brand available in craft stores around here , lucky you if you have Krylon and Rustoleum available ! ) . They have a bunch of different lines , i must say i'm very pleased with the " Crafts Spray " line , the coverage is good , the paint dries smooth , ideal for nice thicc coats Well , the red paint is at least . The gold can was from an older line i found somewhere in the cellar , it must be 3 years old or something , not so great .

I'll probably spray the same metal colour i used for the teeth in the cap of the bottle and use that for scuff marks . Or shake up my pot of Leadbelcher ...

++ END TRANSMISSION ++

[Centauri-Works]

++ UPDATE 04 ++

Big Brown Box Day

Brown Box Days are the best days , let's face it . I missed delivery this morning , but thank the Emperor i was able to retrieve the package the same day at the nearest collecting point .

I was a bit anxious though . The Jacket Shop is great , the people very friendly and helpful , we worked together on some modifications at no extra-cost , but i'm still really not convinced about the way they ask for measurements . Garment measurements as opposed to YOUR measurements . There's no way of knowing if you took the measurements correctly , and for obvious reasons , tailor-made products can't be exchanged or refunded . So i kept fait in the Golden Throne , prayed the Emperor , and crossed my fingers .

Side note : i always appreciate a company / studio / person that gives a nifty garment bag with their products . It denotes a je-ne-sais-quoi of quality . Excuse my French ...
Looking promising so far , if a little large at the waist .

As i thought , it was indeed a tad large at the waist , but nothing the sash and belt won't be able to take care of . Shoulders are a tad large as well , but overall the fit is great . Movement not so great though , with the frogging in the front , it's incredibly stiff , and so is the neck . You'll definitely keep your head high wearing this !

Right  so . Uniform is made of wool gabardine . It means one thing : it's going to be hell to wear in summer , even more so with the trench coat on top . I'm definitely going to grab a cloak as soon as possible

Mandatory running to my room to grab my breeches and boots and try everything together . I must say i'm happy with the looks !
I may have the collar aquilas replaced later as they tend to overlap the golden trim a little , but that's just details . The devil is in the details , but it'll wait .
At least i don't look like a potato in my uniform , this pleases me greatly !

Crawling into the coat with the uniform on was a nightmare though . The thickness of the jacket makes it hard to put on the coat , the shoulders end up being too large , with pushes the coat upwards , it gets real warm real quick , and you can bid farewell to whatever arm movement you had left . But ... it does look quite okay . Not amazing , but good still .

I've always favoured lighter uniforms and gears anyway , i'd rather wear a little armour on top than the coat , unless i had one that was tailor-made to be worn over the jacket .

Well , that's all for now , just need the sash , belt and epaulettes and i'll be ready to attend that anniversary party at out local GW !
I'll try to complete the costume later , i have more important things to focus on right now , like College , unfortunately ...

++ END TRANSMISSION ++

[vonjankmon]

Looking good!

[Centauri-Works]

Looking good!

Thanks ! ^_^

[Brother Erhard]

Thank you for this. Given me alot of great help and ideas. Already looks amazing, end product on the day will rock for sure.

[Alnehin]

Very nice looking uniform !! I love your detailed list at the begining. (Do you wanna build some CRL for uniforms, Lol ?) Anyway, it makes me want to do a DKK Commissar, but...Don't have the money, nor time, to build one (i should already finished other costumes, but...Well money)

[Centauri-Works]

Very nice looking uniform !! I love your detailed list at the begining. (Do you wanna build some CRL for uniforms, Lol ?) Anyway, it makes me want to do a DKK Commissar, but...Don't have the money, nor time, to build one (i should already finished other costumes, but...Well money)

Well , i wouldn't mind writing Costume Reference Libraries with the participation of fellow Cosplayers , i have written CRLs for the 501st before .
We " only " need good pictures of each elements of a specific costume , a bit of Photoshopping , and voilà .


Thanks Brother Erhard !
I hope it will all look good when it's finished and my face won't ruin everything XD
I've had news that my Epaulettes and Belt have arrived , and i have to make the Sash this Week End !

[Centauri-Works]

++ UPDATE 05 ++

All right !

So , i went to the post office to retrieve a package and headed for our " nearest " fabric store to get some materials to make the sash .
I managed to get a nice thick red cotton , a fringe to end it and some stiffener fabric . I wish it had been closer in colour to the darker red from the uniform , but it will have to do for now .
I'll try to get some darker fabric later , this one will make for a great prototype anyway .

My epaulettes have arrived !
I have yet to find a way to attach them that doesn't involve making a hole in my uniform , but they look really nice !

Hnnnn , dem thicc golden bullion cords ...

I have also collected my belt , at long last .

I think it looks pretty close to the illustrations , minus the skull and chain i'll add of course .

Without attaching the epaulettes to the uniform .

Work materials for tomorrow . Still have to get a few poppers , a little chain and so on .
That's going to be fun , i've never sewn anything before :'D

++ END TRANSMISSION ++

[Centauri-Works]

++ UPDATE 06 ++

'Kay , quick update here because i haven't had much time to work on the costume since the Store Anniversary .

The belt was fun to work on , but i didn't manage to complete it entirely , with the spikes and everything . Will do later .

After emptying whatever was left in my primer-filler can , i managed to get a smooth enough result on the skull i printed . I had no filler left to smooth it any further anyway . But i'm definitely , positively in love with filler-primer . I need more .

So , i was going to make a crown for the skull like on the reference picture , and make the spikes out of greenstuff reinforced with steel wire . But surprisingly enough , even epoxy glue didn't manage to make the base crown shape stick to the skull , so i didn't bother sculpting the spikes either . I'll just 3D model the whole thing and print it as one piece later .
I got a hold of some snaps , assembled them and cut a wedge into the bottom part of two of them to superglue the chain to them .
When you've got no time to wait for epoxy to dry : CA glue is your best friend .

At that point , we were friday evening , and the Store anniversary was the next morning , starting at 10am .

I encountered two small issues right there .
First of all , after sanding the skull to get rid of the epoxy that had dried around the edge and re-priming it with a quick coat of Chaos black , the primer itself cracked and didn't dry smooth . I guess the epoxy somehow left a residue that reacted with the primer . It gave the skull a textured look i didn't mind that much .

Pro tip : turn issues into advantages . Got a weird texture that turns out not half bad ? It was all planned of course , i knew what i was doing ! You dare question me , Guardsman ?

Second issue : the Rub'n'buff worked like a charm ( almost ) on the skull . I've always seen people rubbing like crazy , but whenever i applied too much pressure it wiped it off instead of sealing it . So i went gently , let it dry , and after a minute or two , i could run it under water , rub it , and i wasn't getting any gold on my fingers .
The belt buckle on the other hand and the snaps didn't take the Rub'n'buff at all , it simply didn't stick . So i have them a coat of Primer , still Chaos Black , and that seemed to give the Rub'n'buff sufficient grip .

I don't really have any picture of the sash , but it was rushed . It was late evening by the time i started working on it with my Mum , and i was tired . We got to a point where it would be wearable for the next morning , but not entirely finished either . It was closed with stick-on velcro that threatened to fall off the entire day , but after many prayers to the Emperor , they eventually lasted the whole day . I'll make a second vertical piece and shorten the first one , punch some loops into the main belt and attach it with laces in the future . Velcro is unreliable as frak .

For a first time wearing , it went all right . I'l have to adjust a few things here and there , but i'm satisfied , considering that this is still a work in progress costume . Never mind my dumb arse face .

I was going to order a " custom " made Cap from Epic Militaria with red piping , but after taking a look at the description and seeing it takes between 6 and 8 weeks to ship just because you ask for a red piping , i went ahead and ordered a regular one with white piping because they have finally restocked the Small sizes !
I'll get a bit of red fabric dye , a fine brush , and carefully make the white cotton piping red myself , it'll be done in one afternoon .
Patience is a virtue , sure , but ...

Next week i'll probably order a Plash palatka too , so i've got something to cover my back that is lightweight and breathable . Will 100% give it a light coat of paint to get a Cadian camo pattern on the outside , and a few other modifications .

++ END TRANSMISSION ++

[Alnehin]

Nice costumes. I can't wait to see it with the cap ! And i would have liked to see what it gives with the coat on. Amazing, i am sure, as all commissars do !

But the Emperor is displeased by your attitude. You stood side by side with Xenos and Heretics, and there is no trace of blood. You let them live...Are you sure you are not an Heretic ? [End of the joke :p]

[Centauri-Works]

Nice costumes. I can't wait to see it with the cap ! And i would have liked to see what it gives with the coat on. Amazing, i am sure, as all commissars do !

But the Emperor is displeased by your attitude. You stood side by side with Xenos and Heretics, and there is no trace of blood. You let them live...Are you sure you are not an Heretic ? [End of the joke :p]

There is a quick picture with the coat on in one of my previous messages , but the range of movement i have - or lack - when i put on the coat on top of the jacket is close to nonexistent . The shoulder width of the coat is the same as the jacket , so they don't sit on top of each other very well . I've ordered a plash palatka though , so i'll have something to cover my shoulders soon

I can assure you , by the end of the day , the valiant soldiers of the Imperium triumphed of the vile Xenos and Chaos worshippers !

[Alnehin]

Nice costumes. I can't wait to see it with the cap ! And i would have liked to see what it gives with the coat on. Amazing, i am sure, as all commissars do !

But the Emperor is displeased by your attitude. You stood side by side with Xenos and Heretics, and there is no trace of blood. You let them live...Are you sure you are not an Heretic ? [End of the joke :p]

There is a quick picture with the coat on in one of my previous messages , but the range of movement i have - or lack - when i put on the coat on top of the jacket is close to nonexistent . The shoulder width of the coat is the same as the jacket , so they don't sit on top of each other very well . I've ordered a plash palatka though , so i'll have something to cover my shoulders soon

I can assure you , by the end of the day , the valiant soldiers of the Imperium triumphed of the vile Xenos and Chaos worshippers !

Ok, i fully understand this.

So you fulfill your basic duty, good. Did you kill them with Bolt ? Las ? Sword ? Sanctified Prometheum ? Were they sanctified with Dynamites ?!