MaxPower
New Member
Hi, first i have to say sorry if my english is not good enough, I'm from Chile, so my main language is Spanish. I've been following this forum since 4-5 years ago and i fell in love with all the awesome work the people do here, so in some way this project (one of my dreams that i have since i was 12 years old) is thanks to all of you.
As i mentioned before, i've been following this forum long time ago, i've seen so many techniques that i tried to start this project. My first attempt was with Pepakura, but i could't been able to do it, i finished the helmet, but in that time i wasn't able to use/find the other materials to harden the helmet and detailed it, no one in my family knew something that could help me.
Then i tried with EVA Foam, but finding that material in my country was a sort of a hell, but finally i found it in Camping Mat, so i started working on the Mark 42/43 chest, but i wasnt happy with the result (i'm very demanding with the finish and realism of the suit, maybe because seeing all of your projects that inspire me to do it), so finally i deduce that my only chance to make my project come to reality was 3D Printing, but in that time (a year ago) i didn't have the money to pay a 3D printer.
Finally this year (like a month ago) i was able to buy a 3d Printer, and since then i started working on the suit. I bought an Anet A8 (A replica of a Prusa i3), with a build volume of 220 x 220 x 240 mm., but i didn't notice that to find the 3D Files for the suits i wanted is too hard to find, i was thinking in building the Mark 43 or the Mark 46, so i started searching and i found more information about the mark 42/43 than the 46, so i decided that i will make the 43.
I started searching the palm STL files, it wasn't easy, but finally i found a file that i loved (I don't remember whose STL files are these, but as soon as posible i remember i'll give credits) and then i saw the Abb eliten's thread of his Mark 42 build and i was amazed with the results he is achieving (sorry, i don'd know how to mention other people :c), so i started printing his fingers files (so, all credits are to him). Obviously i had to scale the models, i've to say something important, and that is that my height is 1,57 meters, i'm pretty short, so i know that i have to scale the entire suit to fit me but make it look proportional (that's another reason why i'm going to the gym, 4-5 days a week). And i also printed an arc reactor that is on Thingiverse and reprint the palm because it was too small. Here some pics:
After that i saw that Abb eliten used filler, primer and sand paper to achieve that so smooth look, but i wasn't able to find filler here in my country (there is always something that isn't in my country :c), so i had to find another way, and basically the process i use was:
-Sanding with a hard sand paper (150)
-Fill holes and details with automotive plastic putty.
-Sanding with a medium sand paper (280)
-Sanding with a soft sand paper (500 or 800)
-Aplly Automotive Primer (2 coats, and wait until the next day)
-Sanding some imperfections.
-Paint.
-Apply automotive varnish.(and finally wait until the next day)
Then i'm planning to polish it and then add the electronics, but actually i'm in panting process of the forearm.
I forgot to mention that i printed the faceplate in 2 parts and put it together with some class of metal grating that i heated with a blowtorch and put it between the 2 parts.
The color that i choose to paint the suit are the colors that the Sideshow Mark 43 Legendary Scale have, i bought the paint in an automotive painting shop, they made the colors.
Again sorry for the bad english and ask you if you know some way to find the STL files, or if you recomend me some 3d modeling software that i can use (i don't know 3d modeling, but i want to learn). I remember that i saw a thread were someone used the Mark 42 pepakura files and transformed it into an obj file, modified it to remove the unwanted edges and faces and then transform it into stl, but is pretty hard to turn it into a smooth model, so i prefer to model it than to modify the pepakura file.
So i'll put some pics of what i have now (the other parts are drying), and then i'll post any update of my suit, but after i finished printing the helmet and the arms i'll be stuck until i learn how to 3d modeling.
Pleas let me know what you think about what i've got for now, thanks to all, and greetings from Chile.
As i mentioned before, i've been following this forum long time ago, i've seen so many techniques that i tried to start this project. My first attempt was with Pepakura, but i could't been able to do it, i finished the helmet, but in that time i wasn't able to use/find the other materials to harden the helmet and detailed it, no one in my family knew something that could help me.
Then i tried with EVA Foam, but finding that material in my country was a sort of a hell, but finally i found it in Camping Mat, so i started working on the Mark 42/43 chest, but i wasnt happy with the result (i'm very demanding with the finish and realism of the suit, maybe because seeing all of your projects that inspire me to do it), so finally i deduce that my only chance to make my project come to reality was 3D Printing, but in that time (a year ago) i didn't have the money to pay a 3D printer.
Finally this year (like a month ago) i was able to buy a 3d Printer, and since then i started working on the suit. I bought an Anet A8 (A replica of a Prusa i3), with a build volume of 220 x 220 x 240 mm., but i didn't notice that to find the 3D Files for the suits i wanted is too hard to find, i was thinking in building the Mark 43 or the Mark 46, so i started searching and i found more information about the mark 42/43 than the 46, so i decided that i will make the 43.
I started searching the palm STL files, it wasn't easy, but finally i found a file that i loved (I don't remember whose STL files are these, but as soon as posible i remember i'll give credits) and then i saw the Abb eliten's thread of his Mark 42 build and i was amazed with the results he is achieving (sorry, i don'd know how to mention other people :c), so i started printing his fingers files (so, all credits are to him). Obviously i had to scale the models, i've to say something important, and that is that my height is 1,57 meters, i'm pretty short, so i know that i have to scale the entire suit to fit me but make it look proportional (that's another reason why i'm going to the gym, 4-5 days a week). And i also printed an arc reactor that is on Thingiverse and reprint the palm because it was too small. Here some pics:
After that i saw that Abb eliten used filler, primer and sand paper to achieve that so smooth look, but i wasn't able to find filler here in my country (there is always something that isn't in my country :c), so i had to find another way, and basically the process i use was:
-Sanding with a hard sand paper (150)
-Fill holes and details with automotive plastic putty.
-Sanding with a medium sand paper (280)
-Sanding with a soft sand paper (500 or 800)
-Aplly Automotive Primer (2 coats, and wait until the next day)
-Sanding some imperfections.
-Paint.
-Apply automotive varnish.(and finally wait until the next day)
Then i'm planning to polish it and then add the electronics, but actually i'm in panting process of the forearm.
I forgot to mention that i printed the faceplate in 2 parts and put it together with some class of metal grating that i heated with a blowtorch and put it between the 2 parts.
The color that i choose to paint the suit are the colors that the Sideshow Mark 43 Legendary Scale have, i bought the paint in an automotive painting shop, they made the colors.
Again sorry for the bad english and ask you if you know some way to find the STL files, or if you recomend me some 3d modeling software that i can use (i don't know 3d modeling, but i want to learn). I remember that i saw a thread were someone used the Mark 42 pepakura files and transformed it into an obj file, modified it to remove the unwanted edges and faces and then transform it into stl, but is pretty hard to turn it into a smooth model, so i prefer to model it than to modify the pepakura file.
So i'll put some pics of what i have now (the other parts are drying), and then i'll post any update of my suit, but after i finished printing the helmet and the arms i'll be stuck until i learn how to 3d modeling.
Pleas let me know what you think about what i've got for now, thanks to all, and greetings from Chile.
