Author Topic: Wampa Challenge Accepted  (Read 6149 times)

Offline bigguynextdoor

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #15 on: November 03, 2018, 11:28:52 PM »
OMG! YES!!!!  :D
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Offline Bodacieah

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #16 on: November 03, 2018, 11:55:32 PM »
You are a freaking genius! We are so lucky to have you in CCG!


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Offline Jango451

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #17 on: November 07, 2018, 08:04:28 PM »
WOW!!!  Looks fantastic so far!  Can't wait to see the finished product!
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BH-44227

Offline CadBane3

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #18 on: November 10, 2018, 12:40:47 PM »
Thanks for all the great comments gang! I had to travel for work for the last week or else I'd probably be nearly ready to submit approval pictures by now! Well, I'm back at it now and hoping to get some time. Had a little time today before a troop, so I started working again.

The wampa is a big, strong creature and needs to have large, broad shoulders to help emphasize his size. Everybody seems to build a framework for this or use foam to build up their shoulders. The more I thought about it, the more I though that there is a better way. I looked pretty bulky when I played football, so I found a cheap pair of shoulder pads on ebay and swiped the card!

20181109_203648 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

And they seem to do their job to make me bulkier in the shoulders!

20181109_203532 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

But, I don't want the blue to show through, and I don't want the fur up against my skin, so I bought a jersey as well:

20181109_211958 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

And we have:

20181109_212231 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

But that's not all. The wampa has a large "hump" on his back. Kinda like a brahma bull. So, I picked up this globe:

20181110_110240 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

And started with my heat wire thingy:

20181110_111631 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Well, by the time I did that much, it looked rather familiar, so I played a little:

20181110_111954 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Done with my distraction, I got back to business and went full rebel on the Death Star!

20181110_112416 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Here's the basic point I'm going for:

20181110_112500 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

So, I sewed it into a cloth holder:

20181110_114603 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

And then sewed that to the back of the jersey:

20181110_120330 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Now, I have all I need underneath for now to start sewing the fur "shirt." Hopefully, I'll have time to do that tomorrow and then I can try it all on again and see if I'm close to bulky enough. Then, I may want to weather the fur some to get it a bit dirty and more wild looking.

Anyway, I'm glad to be back and back at it!
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Mike
TK/TB/BH/DS/DZ-42125

Offline 1nfern0

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #19 on: November 10, 2018, 02:49:39 PM »
It's looking so cool! Loving the build thread.
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Offline CadBane3

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #20 on: November 11, 2018, 01:58:33 PM »
Well, idle hands and all... I got bored last night and decided to just keep on working. Needed a Wampa torso/shirt. Started with figuring out how much I would need based on the size the shoulder pads made me and started cutting and working:

20181110_163732 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181111_103536 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Then, today, I started sewing it all together.

20181111_104552 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

My Wampa is so cut, he doesn't need sleeves!

20181111_104708 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Back hump in action!

20181111_104723 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Wampa to the dance floor!

20181111_104714 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Grr!

20181111_104710 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

So, it really did need sleeves. I've never made a shirt before so this is all new territory. Researched how to make sleeves and got to work!

20181111_113121 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

And I started cutting away the excess fabric around my waistline:

20181111_121834 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Now we're looking better!

20181111_122548(0) by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181111_122551 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181111_122554 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181111_122558 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181111_122600 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Oops! I skipped leg day!

20181111_122606 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

So, I cut down the part that hangs down from the mask as it was excess and mostly to hide my neck line. But, with the shoulder pads on, I don't need much of it but I liked having a little bit of it. I also cut down the back waist area and added Velcro so the suit can Velcro up in the groin like TK snaps.

I had nothing else to do today, so I suited up and decided to take some submission photos. I think I hit all the parts of the CRL. We'll see!

20181111_130906 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181111_130920 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181111_130933 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181111_130949 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Action shot!

20181111_131021 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

This one shows that it is about 94 inches from the ground to the top of the head, or 7 feet 10 inches.

20181111_131123 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Bucket off!

20181111_131153 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

I'm going to go ahead and submit the photos and see if it meets the GML's approval. I want to make some changes and other tweaks to make it more comfortable and safer. Fans in the mask are a must. This is by far the hottest costume I've ever worn and air flow will be important. Also, I want to add extra metal bracing around the feet that would go up above my calves and have another strap at that level that will give me added support as the stilts are a bit wobbly and it only takes one mistake to fall and with my hands secured in the PCV pipe arm pieces, there's nothing to slow my decent. Thank goodness there's a helmet on it!

I also want a better suspender system and perhaps I'll attach the inner jersey pieces with the corset banding to the "pants" layer so that they aren't two separate pieces. I also may be able to get rid of some of the double fur layer at the stomach level. The less layers the better. I can also cut some of the fur off the bottom of the "pants" as there is overlap there and a few inches too much, meaning it can become a tripping hazard. Safety first will be the name of the game in this costume. Lastly, I'd like to weather it a bit. Not too much but definitely some to show that he hasn't recently showered.

Oh, and I almost forgot, I need to name him. Most of the wampas that I researched during this build have cool names like Willy Wampa, Pappa Wampa, etc. Anyway, throw up some ideas below.

Anyway, not bad for a three week project with one week of business travel in the middle! What should I do next?
« Last Edit: November 11, 2018, 03:50:29 PM by CadBane3 »
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Mike
TK/TB/BH/DS/DZ-42125

Offline daryldoak

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #21 on: November 11, 2018, 03:41:28 PM »
Looks great!

I’ll propose Waldo Wampa.
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TK/TA/TS/IS/IC/BH-11371

Offline CadBane3

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #22 on: November 13, 2018, 04:53:03 PM »
Received approval! Now to improve it and make it look better and be safer! Stay tuned as I have some ideas.
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Mike
TK/TB/BH/DS/DZ-42125

Offline jj49

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #23 on: November 13, 2018, 07:40:43 PM »
This thread is so great! Nice work Mike!!
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Offline Bodacieah

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #24 on: November 13, 2018, 07:42:18 PM »
Congrats Mike!


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Offline CadBane3

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #25 on: November 15, 2018, 04:13:45 PM »
Back at it again! APPROVAL MEANS NOTHING!!!! Haha. Well, it means I can troop but, like my Cad Bane, approval means I've met the minimum requirements and now it's time to keep improving until I'm happy with it. So, my first concern was the stilts. They attach to my shoe via two separate Velcro straps. While secure, they are a bit wobbly and I wanted to make it safer, so I researched some solutions.

The basic idea is to run two "rods" up my legs to just above my creamy calves and have the stilts secured in a third place. This should add stability and make me feel more comfortable. So, I bought some aluminum "rods" although "rod" isn't the correct word, but you get it...

20181114_135845 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Here's the dry run using tape, safety pins, and sewing pins to see if it seemed like it would work:

20181114_151300 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181114_151304 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181114_151333 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Satisfied that my basic idea may work, I started drilling holes in everything and sewing Velcro onto elastic:

20181115_113629 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181115_114033 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181115_115659 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

And viola! I have them done! RUN FORREST, RUN!!!!

20181115_153035 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181115_153911 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181115_153918 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181115_153921 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Here's the basic idea because there is no way I'm wearing jeans underneath this costume...

20181115_153448 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

I wandered around the room with them on for a bit and they did feel more stable. They have some areas where the metal will rub my legs, so I may need to wear some knee braces or something to keep them from chafing, but it did feel more stable and it felt like I was a little safer, which is the ultimate goal!

So, another thing that's nice about them is that they provide me with a frame around my legs and one thing I wanted to do was add some bulk to my legs. I am going to toy around with the idea to have this bulk mounted onto these but need to do it in a way that I can still get my feet in and out and still secure the Velcro to my feet down below. Time to go to my thinking spot...
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Mike
TK/TB/BH/DS/DZ-42125

Offline carpe mindiem

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #26 on: November 15, 2018, 07:31:10 PM »
Creamy calves!  :lol:  :lol:
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Offline Bodacieah

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #27 on: November 16, 2018, 03:55:48 PM »
Yeah I latched onto “creamy Calves’ too Oh My!!!!!


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Offline CadBane3

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #28 on: November 16, 2018, 04:46:11 PM »
Wow. What a horrible day... Well, if I'm going to share the good, I may as well share the bad as well. I took a vacation day so I thought I would hammer out the calf muscles. I had bought this huge roll of plastic coated steel boning from a place in the UK because all the other wampas were doing it. My idea was that I would use a few bands of it around my leg supports to give me more bulk and to make it so that where the lower pants meet my shoes, it's not so bumped out and obvious that I'm just a guy on stilts.

20181115_215356 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

So, I cut holes in the aluminum supports, and cut my finger. I tried to cut holes in the steel boning and broke 3 drill bits and even the titanium bits that I bought barely scratch the stuff. I ended up drilling a nice gouge out of my desk and nearly broke a hand, as well as putting enough stress and pressure on my shoulders that I may not need to bulk up the top half. Getting swole! Here they are after I was able to put a few holes in them to hold them together.

20181116_121411 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Plus, this stuff doesn't want to be flexible. I bent it and hammered at it and swore at it (which surprisingly didn't work). Even my mini wampa helper didn't want anything to do with it:

20181116_140552 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

So, I took a long break and we went for a nice walk.

Well, after about 5 hours of work, I was able to get the holes in it I needed plus some additional holes at the front and the back should I need to add supports later. I got two of them done and installed and will have to build two more that I want to put up higher. Those will be a little smaller, to show the legs tapering.

20181116_161611 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

I'm not sure if they're going to work. I need to go ice my hand and have a cold one... I should have just worked today...
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Mike
TK/TB/BH/DS/DZ-42125

Offline CadBane3

Re: Wampa Challenge Accepted
« Reply #29 on: November 18, 2018, 03:30:34 PM »
Deep breaths... Calmness... Zen 'n stuff...

So, I researched how to best drill through steel as I had 10 more holes to make. I started with a prayer and a chant to Kal El, usually known as a man who can work with steel. I then took several deep breaths and coated the steel in sacred salves and special unguents while rhythmically chanting the names of the cast of Steel Magnolias in order to prepare the steel for the task at hand. I then stood up, spun three circles in the room, and then threw that junk in the trash and went out and bought aluminum.

20181118_111615 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

And after a mere few minutes of drilling, I had exactly the form I was going for and was nearing completion!

20181118_120701 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

I then added these pieces to the front so that the fur would fall down in a more natural way, instead of bumping out at an abrupt flat place.

20181118_122816 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

Then, I put my legs over them and they do look much more substantial now!

20181118_123321 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

This may just work:

20181118_123712 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181118_123727 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181118_123734 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

20181118_123740 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr

They still bump out a bit at the top, so I'm going to add some of the aluminum in as additional support to the mesh pants that I had made earlier. The plastic corset boning just isn't strong enough. Once I've finished the thighs, I can cut away the extra material I have around my waist line as I don't really need to have double fur as that just traps the heat. Then, I have some ideas for lightening the load on the arms and adding fans to the mask. Then, I may be ready to debut this guy.

Anybody seen my arms? Dammit LUKE!!!!

20181118_124557 by Michael Halstead, on Flickr
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Mike
TK/TB/BH/DS/DZ-42125

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