Writeup coming soon.
All in all, this was by far the toughest and most time-consuming part of any build I have ever done. Here is a quick visual summary of the entire vambrace creation process and a legend that provides a reader’s digest version of the above process.
1) Vambraces are CAD modelled;
2) Uppers 3D printed;
3) Uppers molded to transfer the shape from ABS to a softer, more workable medium Smooth Cast 65D;
4) Uppers are cast in 65D, and are sanded, filled, and made into a final master;
5) Masters are molded again;
6) Uppers are cold cast in aluminum, trimmed, sanded, and painted;
7) Lower brace is CAD modelled;
8 ) Lower is 3D printed;
9) A HIPS sheet is vacuum formed directly over the 3D printed lower brace;
10) The HIPS shell is then filled with SC65D, which is then sanded and sharpened, to turn it into a buck for vacuum forming;
11) A final lower bracer is pulled using .06 black ABS sheet and trimmed;
12) Missile bracket and missile are 3D printed, smoothed, and turned into masters for molding;
13) Missile bracket and missile are molded;
14) Missile assembly cold cast in aluminum using SC65D;
15) Vambrace is painted and assembled using superglue, screws, elastic straps, and Velcro;
The steps that have a green box around them is the point at which successful replication of raw casts or pulls can begin for making multiple sets of items.
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SWTOR Hunter’s Exalted Upper Gauntlet
- SWTOR Hunter’s Exalted Lower Gauntlet