TC77

I could, but the frame and vacuum table I had made up were 2' X 2' however the homemade oven that was built for those pieces I tried to make fell through, which is why I am just using the main oven instead. If I can't get it right I may make re-sized pulling table and frames

Standard home oven, and a heat gun to clean out the edge. You can see in the bottom/middle that I didn't heat the bottom edge very well, but bottom right (last one I did, you can see the 5 in the bottom corner of it) I got it balanced out there. You know, looking at number 5, there was no webbing issue at the bottom where the heat gun was used, in the rest webbing all over the place. Interesting. Will have to try out different temperatures and times as I go, find the best mix

Styrene, and my guess is that I still need to find the right balance for heating. From what I have read in other forums too much heat and it causes the excess webbing. In other words, the bottom ones were too hot and top ones were too cold. All I need is either a lost blond girl or a baby bear to help me find just the right setting

Hey all Just did my first set of attempts with the home made vacuum pulling table. I am using an unfinished shoulder bell as the testing piece, although that is hard to tell. Anybody who needs a laugh, check it out. Apart from the webbing, the last one did not turn out too bad, what I thought were air pockets leaving a bubble turned out to be bumps of fiberglass resin that I hadn't sanded away, so the detail is better than I expected

Bondservent is also correct. The pep models themselves are going to be just a very basic shape of what you will need. Sculpting, no matter how you do it is going to be a long and VERY detailed process. He knows what he is takling about, he has given me good advice already about sizes for trooper helmets

Just adding my two cents on this. What you are proposing is very similar to the way I am making my scout trooper costime. Pep, harden, sand and vacuform (in theory that is. I have made most of the armor pieces, and most of the vacuform machine. still need to find parts for the heating element.) Yes, it will be more expensive than buying a kit. But at the end of the day, it will be made by my hand, and that is my point in doing all of this, and sounds like yours too. In regards to the cost in general, seeing as the other ways to make your own molds to vacuform include either and ungodly ammount of modeling clay or specilized wood carving tools, the cost of bondo/card/fiberglass resin/fiberglass mat doing it pepakura will be somewhat cheaper, if you buy in bulk. The Queen of Hand Guards is right about one thing. It will take you and ungodly ammount of time. But you are going to be so satified with each piece you build.

Thanks all for the advice Vern, that template/measurement will be very helpful as well

Ok, so please don't flame me or anything, I really just want to make sure that I don't do anything that is considered inappropriate. I am starting on my first set of armor. I have already build my vac-table and holding frame, and and waiting on the wire to arrive so I can finish off my heating element. Next comes the scary part, making the molds. I have found sites around the internet giving directions on most of the parts, including measurements and fairly detailed blueprints on how people have made theirs. What I have not been able to find, apart from screenshots and descriptions, are details for the helment. I know that recasting is considered very wrong by just about everybody here. I am NOT planning on doing that at all. Honest. I just wanted to get that out of the way first. Now here is the question. I have some associates that have some purchased armor and will let me check it out. I was going to go over it with calipers and measuring tape, taking detailed note of rises, curves, etc. Is this too close to using somebody else's work that it would be considered improper or not?