| This was my first attempt at working this way and it is
just paper and paint. It took me 2 days from idea to finished as a test to
do my Halo gear.
I started doing this because it was faster and cheaper for me than the
traditional make a lifecase, sculpt, make molds, and cast.
I used photos and measurements to build a 3D model of myself in 3D (3DS
Max) Gmax will do the same and it's free (Autodesk) (note,
no longer available). Next I export the individual armor parts to a
program called
Pepakura
Designer (Google it). Then I just print them out with tab numbers
instead of a texture map on card stock and build them.
After I have them built with the seams out not unlike traditional paper
craft, coat the inside with fiberglass resin, then a layer of mat, and
resin, then a layer of burlap, and resin. Will hold about 250 lbs at 3/8
of an inch thick. I let that dry for a day then soak the parts in a warm
tub of water to dissolve up the paper. Sfter that a little sanding,
filling, and dremelling, and attaching straps to the inside. It's done
then I paint it.
The only waste is the paper I used, not 100 lbs of clay and plaster.
Also, by using the computer I get perfect mirrored parts unlike with
traditional sculpting where you have to check everything with calipers
over and over.
So far I haven't seen this approach anywhere before, so for now, I
nicknamed it polymold casting, after the polygons that the 3D model is
made of. |
