DBGrip

Testors, awesome...Model Master can suck it Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

FAAAARRK!!! Model Master French Blue blows! Way thinner than the Testors, the color matches but....(string of expletives). On a side note Ukswrath, stencil? Lol, those pencil marks weren't alternating blue and white strips. Oh no, each pencil line was supposed to be the middle of an 1/8" brush... maybe 3.2 mm 2.56/8, whatever. Hindsight, I should have probably drawn out sections for the stripes and spaces. I sort of gapped with a number 2 pencil, made pencil dots and laid the straight edge of the tape matching the marks. Everything was going to great, then that sh#t a$$ runny f*[emoji767]&ing mess of Model Master bull$41t f............deep breath.... the sub par thin watery mess, just wasn't cooperating, and of course rather than just stopping, I kept going thinking it would get better. Hint: It didn't. Tried a little toothpick clean up (laughable), and have come out to the porch for a smoke, and to settle down. Left the top off the paint jar till I go back in, maybe some of the thinner will evaporate off and I'll end up with something more workable. A little drying on the helmet may also make some toothpick work more effective. Or I'll bust out the thinner (good thing I picked that up as well) and start all over. Have a laugh and share my pain gents. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Oh and I touched up ears, and traps Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Sooo painting is not my strong suit.... Here are some pics to laugh at. Why oh why I told myself, I was going to go freehand 70's style, I have no idea. Not even done painting. Have masked the buttons, painted vents and tears, masked and penciled tube stripes, but then realized I don't have an 1/8th inch flat brush... 10 brushes, but not that one.... bought one after dinner tonight, along with a calligraphy paint pen, in case I decide to cheat. Pics are masking (redone 3 or 4 times on the buttons), masking of stripes, a decent tear, a "meh" vent (after relining gray, and I think I did too many vents), a barely "meh" vent (with big gaps, where I couldn't fix it, and painted over large section to try again) and a disastrous tear (that has been fully painted over, to try again). Laugh along with me everyone, after I post this, and finish my cig, I'm going to attempt tube stripes. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Thanks, I think sand it down a little more. Just a note on the vertical one, it is slightly in the raised area, there's a tiny bit of illusion there, as I stuck it down with a couple of pieces of rolled over blue tape, and it's sitting a little up compared to when I hold it in place with my fingers. I didn't work on anything yesterday as I got a call to work, but am hoping to make some more progress today. Maybe even some painting! Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

OK, I gave up waiting last night, because I figured not only had I jacked things up by partially pulling the latex the other day, to learn the rubber in the depths hadn't fully cured, but also because I wasn't sure it would ever cure. However, I'm pretty confident if you poured in stages, letting the deep latex cure, then adding more on top, you'd get a better result. The other thing I'd consider doing is adding a rectangle of cheesecloth after the stage that fills the depth to give some rigidity. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Still a little goey Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Another method, would be to have a blob of plaster and press the outside of the guard down into the plaster. Take an impression of the outside. Going to check on the one I poured two days ago. Since it's a test I may try to pull it. May have messed it up when I checked it yesterday, and it was still gooey deep down. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Sigh... I got booked today for tomorrow. 11 am call time, no way I am getting off before midnight. Maybe next week.

Well alrighty then...How's about this? F... sanding, I pulled out the scissors...and then the sandpaper again. Think it's there. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Keep in mind, they're calling those corners on the screen used suits "square". LOL. Looking again, I see the plate is almost fully inside the raised part of the Ab piece. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

I've been lurking your build, you're doing some good work. I'm in agreement with the 4 button for sure. Was really wondering more about the big plate, and think I will go a similar direction. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

OK...trimmed up the detail pieces. Pics show them placed on the Ab plate. In one I slid it down to show the space behind. This is an AM 2.0 suit (oh yeah that's in the title). Looking for thoughts. Should I trim more so the center detail sits inside snugly, (probably to the raised shape), or just so it doesn't over hang. Also thinking the 4 button should trim a little more so it doesn't overhang either. Flow better from the raised portion on the suit.... Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Photos please! Lol Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

OH NO!...It's a learning process!. Sorry, some things I should have told you I guess... One. You should have sprayed some PAM or something inside the cheese grater. Two. The plaster is to make the negative mold, the clay is what you sculpt the grater out of, the cast it with the plaster. Try rolling out a stack of clay, the use the grater like a cookie cutter (but spray the inside first so it doesn't stick to it again. Clean up the clay shape. Spray the clay shape with some non-stick, then put the plaster over that to cast a negative. Then pour your latex into the plaster mold. Remember when I said the clay and plaster was labor-intensive, and if pouring direct didn't work, I'd just order a pair. Now you know what I'm talking about. Sorry I'm laughing, I've been there. The good things is Plaster should be pretty brittle, and you should be able to chisel it out, carefully. Other option is to cut the plastic off... Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

I'll probably start the TK handguards and finish them, by doing thinner layers before that stack of rubber cures. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Thanks! I spent an hour and a bit pouring through reference photos and hi-res screen grabs last night. Boy, do they make me feel better about my mediocre craftsmanship (granted I don't have to whip up 50 odd suits on a production schedule). I also found a collection of "Billgrams" which I find to be incredibly useful. More to come... Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

STILL curing Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

OK back to building, after the brief sidetrack into the world of painting. Not that the discussion wasn't helpful (which it was), and it has made me redirect my build path, and am moving painting up in the schedule. Last night and today are about focusing on Ab belt pieces, AND Ab plate pieces (I plan on busting out the paints to do it all at the same time) so time to trim them up ready for paint! Trimmed the belt last night, score and snap of 4mm of plastic to get to 3mm, is no good for your blood pressure. The other side was 5mm, so I let it be, as shaving 2mm was going to be even worse. Then I woke up this morning, and minor OCD just wouldn't let me let it be, as that 2mm difference seemed like 10. Not having a belt sander, I tried to rig something up, which involved a trip to the store for some 60 and 80 grit sandpaper. 220 was the smallest usable I had left. Pics are: the manual belt sander, lol, the acceptably finished belt, drop box pieces at 12 and 15 mm. And the Ab button plates I need to finish up. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

They're not as readily available as in my shed cabinet. It shouldn't be a big deal, if I don't stuff it up in the first place Honestly, it's a fantastic brush cleaner, especially enamel, but definitely no joke. There's a reason it comes in metal or glass. But thinking about how much my sphincter clenches when doing the old score and snap, I'll probably avoid the nervousness of "wipe and melt"

If it works, First thing I'd do different is not pour the whole thing at once, but do it in stages to let the latex cure and then add more, cure, add more till done. 6 hours later and there's a thin rubber skin on top, but it's still pretty liquid in the middle. It was twelve years ago that I did this type of stuff, and now I'm remembering we did have a closet set up with a space heater in it to help curing. Kept the area at about 120 F , but more importantly it killed the humidity. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Copy on the acetone. I know it's used to make ABS paste, but figured that was in a larger quantity. So you guys are saying not at all, not even a little on a wiping towel? Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Thanks guys!. Based on all the input I think I'm going to try an amalgamation of everyone's suggestions. I'm going to go 70's style. Run tape strips for top and bottom 13/16" apart, get a 1/8th inch flat brush. From all the links you sent the top of the stripes are about 1/4" from the cheek/tube valley. The bottom of the lead stripe intersects an imaginary line following the flow from the end of the frown. Thanks to the CableGuy. the first few stripes kind of lean forward towards the frown as well. They should number between 11-16 (I'm thinking 13 for luck, Stormtrooper assigned to a Death Star luck). The curve kind of follows the contour of the tube, accentuating it. And I printed out Panda's to physically hold in my hand to get a feel for the scale. Am I on the right track? Our buckets are for us right? So why would I want my stripes exactly like everyone else's? I'm not going for the Set to Stun trooper, or any particular one for that matter. (Ok. Really I'm cheap and impatient, and don't want to wait for an order to arrive). So I think I'm going to give it a whirl in the next day or two, and it will either be glorious, or I'll be busting out the toothpicks and acetone, whilst waiting for a set of templates. Thanks for all the tips guys!

I decided to test out theories today, by using one of the cheese grater handguards. Just poured the raw latex in the back after spraying with the Zep. Now to wait. When I do the TK guards, not only will I brush the latex in multiple coats, I'm also going to make white latex, by squirting in a good dose of white acrylic paint and stirring. Coloring the raw latex either prevents painting later, or cuts down on the number of coats you need. In eagle eye hindsight, I probably should have overlooked to get something to grab so I can pull it out. Of course the day I choose to do it is cold, and humid so it may be tomorrow before seeing results. The good news is, it doesn't seem like the mold release is eating my test piece of ABS. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Thank you! Tear and Trap Stripes, and Tube stripes to go! I've been putting them off because well, mess ups will be much harder to fix with a toothpick. Also debating taking it apart to spray the inside black, or maybe velcro line it.... and cut individual lenses out of the green strip and mount. Sigh. On the other hand I'm scared to, because I like how it looks now. Also if anyone has suggestions as to where to look in the forums for a guide on length and width of the tube stripe section, I'd appreciate it. I do want to keep handpainting the rest, just trying to figure out how to mask stuff with appropriate proportions.