I began by drawing out the shape of the thumb shell onto a folded piece of paper. I then cut out the shape, traced it onto a sheet of .04 gauge ABS plastic, cutting this out in turn.
Next, using a ruler, I made two scrapes along the centre where the two sides would fold down, careful not to cut all the way through, to give the plastic a pilot line along which to bend. I used more ABS plastic to create backing plates for the rectangular holes along the sides and the top.
Next, after some trial and error on plain paper, I figured out the correct shape the nose section would need to be; I traced the bat-shaped piece, onto some ABS, and cut it out. I also reinforced the folds on the main piece with hot-glue, to prevent the plastic from snapping off along the partially cut lines. This happened to me once before, so the main body you see in the next photo is actually the second attempt.
Finally, after everything was fitted and glued together using superglue, the thumb piece was done and ready for rubber molding.
I created a little box using scraps of ABS plastic, sealing the edges with hot glue. Next, I used sculpey to create a rough base for the piece in order to give it some ground clearance.
Next, I poured Rebound 25 and waited a few hours for it to cure.
Using aluminum powder and ONYX resin (cold casting discussed in more detail here), I cast the final piece. I used less aluminum than recommended to give the piece that grey yet slightly metallic look that's true to the reference material.
Since ABS plastic is already very smooth, I was able to bring out the metal within seconds with steel wool. Using some black paint, I added some grime to the edges and recessed spots, and finished the piece.
Below, complete hand armour setup. For hand plates click here. For knuckles, click here.
Thanks for looking!
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