66 replies to this topic

[Ion Raptor]

You heard me, I'm building an adult costume for Philadelphia Comic-Con/ GenCon. Should be about 7-8 feet tall when I'm all done with it. I'm hoping if I can learn it will have lights and an opening cockpit for whatever GI Joe figure gets the honor to ride in it. I'll update this log every few days since I'm hoping to get at least the lower portion of the mech done before February. Here's the first few pictures of what will hopefully end being something massive.

It will be mostly cardboard, covered in industrial packing tape to harden it up, of course everything you see right now is just temporarily held with masking tape.

http://i38.photobuck...zps99d0d507.jpg
http://i38.photobuck...zps8b79e384.jpg
http://i38.photobuck...zpsb83987a8.jpg
http://i38.photobuck...zps5fc8edc0.jpg

[Xtrekker]

I wanted to do this for Halloween when my son was an infant. I would hook him up in one of those front baby carriers and have him be in the cockpit. Alas, never built it.

[Ion Raptor]

Update! I taped everything I had done to the wall and found I was not satisfied with how small the upper legs looked.
http://i38.photobuck...zps4ccd6e87.jpg

So I cut out a new, slightly larger area and think it looks much better, yes?
http://i38.photobuck...zps4969e623.jpg
http://i38.photobuck...zps1f6edee8.jpg

Here's a better look at what I'm thinking about doing for the joint assembly
http://i38.photobuck...zpsb4e8cc56.jpg
http://i38.photobuck...zps348c06c6.jpg

[Ion Raptor]

Little update, took me forever to do this....lots of tape just to hold it together.

http://i38.photobuck...zps8f1991d6.jpg
http://i38.photobuck...zps8e66df14.jpg

[Pariah Devalis]

How are you planning to articulate the reverse knee setup with your legs?

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 29 December 2012 - 10:37 PM.

[Ion Raptor]

Just like this:

The hip, knee, ankle and front toe will be jointed to move. That should allow for a much easier method of walking without too much worry of stepping down wrong and breaking something

Edited by The Collector, 30 December 2012 - 06:47 AM.

[Ion Raptor]

Next update, I'm getting the joint done!

Foot is almost completely done, with the front toe joint at 100%
http://i38.photobuck...zps36750d84.jpg
http://i38.photobuck...zpsec00aa67.jpg

and here's the knee assembly in place, good range of motion and can fold in on itself for storage and transportation.
http://i38.photobuck...zps63ebe8a7.jpg

Here's a little walk around video while I move the leg, hopefully this works
http://s38.beta.phot...09694b.mp4.html

[Karpi]

This thing is gonna be huge!

[JP Alpha]

Dude. This is AWESOME.

[John Raptor Ambrose]

Reminds me of the Warhammer costume I built for my son a couple of years ago.

[Ion Raptor]

Here's the ankle joint, not pretty but it will be hidden so who cares. I think I'll go get thin PVC to replace that paper towel roll though, I don't trust it enough to hold the weight.

http://i38.photobuck...zpsc2822b15.jpg
http://i38.photobuck...zpsc7e72350.jpg

And put together so far with a bit of help from the family, we had a tough time finding anything tall enough to prop it up. My grandmother there is about 5'7'' so the costume stands at about 5'4'' right now.
http://i38.photobuck...zpsc69cc8fe.jpg

[EitherWay]

Wow that thing will be huge. And this is just the legs?

[Kobold]

I assume you'll be going with the standard 4 PPC classic look?

[Ion Raptor]

I'm going to go for the quad PPCs initially, but I'm worried about how strong they will be and if I can even find tubes the proper diameter and length while still keeping it light. I might end up doing another of the variants that has shorter or fatter barrels.

[Seijin Dinger]

for the tubes would pvc pipe work for size to strength?

[Ion Raptor]

Size and strength yes, but the weight of those four pipes would be far too much. I'm thinking I'll have to find cardboard mailing tubes in the right size....if they even make them that big

[Bagheera]

So awesome! Definitely huge, it looks like the hip joint is going to hit somewhere around your ribcage? Very cool. If you can find heavy/rigid poster board you could always roll it into the size tube you want for the PPCs, but finding a cardboard tube of the right size shouldn't be too tough though. If I am looking at the right Masakari pics, I can't imagine they'd want to be bigger than 6/8" diameter or so.

[Ion Raptor]

Start of the upper torso. I'm in need of a good pilot figure between 8 and 10 inches tall, any suggestions? Been looking at GIJoe but they all seem to be either 5 or 12 inches tall.

http://i38.photobuck...zps85cdd406.jpg
http://i38.photobuck...zps76436269.jpg
http://i38.photobuck...zps80bac09a.jpg
http://i38.photobuck...zpsa5b2cd7f.jpg

[Loc Nar]

y u no just post the pics here in the thread?

[Ion Raptor]

I know a lot of forums do nasty, strange things when large pictures are posted on them. Didn't want to freak the board out