GMURDOCH Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 (edited) Hi all Brand spanking new. I am from Toronto, Ontario Canada I am a hard chrome electroplater and a hobbyist. My hobby has lead me here. I am building an exoskeletal armour based on the War-Machine and skills that I need to further my goal of completing my build has drawn me to this place. I am currently constructing a casting furnace but I am also considering a forge. So I have some reading ahead of me. Love to learn about this craft so here we go. Just a sample pic of what I'm looking to do. I guess I should be more informative. I am a huge fan of the Iron-man series, that being said I want to make my own. I got into prop-building and through trial and error I've realized making a metal armour is the way to go. Research and Development has been huge for me. I have no experience in any skills really beforehand. I've had no tools with exception to jewelry tools. So between learning and buying it has been a chore. I'm studying metalcasting, metal forming, machining, welding, electronics. Just to start. I am building an exoskeletal armour based on the War-Machine but redesigned, boasting a full range of motion with lights sounds and servo motors. Made of steel, aluminum and titanium. That's it, in a nut shell. Edited March 27, 2018 by GMURDOCH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Welcome to the forum. As you said, plenty of reading here. That's a pretty impressive piece of engineering in your picture there. Funny thing, just seeing your name and location. I have just been watching Murdoch Mysteries on TV - based in Toronto, Canada! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Stephens Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Welcome. Your work is very clean and exact. I like it. If you can find a local forge group near you, you will be surprised at the amount, and range of knowledge that can be accessed. Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMURDOCH Posted March 27, 2018 Author Share Posted March 27, 2018 1 hour ago, ausfire said: Welcome to the forum. As you said, plenty of reading here. That's a pretty impressive piece of engineering in your picture there. Funny thing, just seeing your name and location. I have just been watching Murdoch Mysteries on TV - based in Toronto, Canada! Yannik Bisson the actor who plays Murdoch, I went to school with him. Really nice fella. 1 hour ago, PVF Al said: Welcome. Your work is very clean and exact. I like it. If you can find a local forge group near you, you will be surprised at the amount, and range of knowledge that can be accessed. Al The boot pic is not mine. That is a 3D printed piece by a guy named Christianson... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Welcome to the madness. Through some research here you will find that you don't need all the fancy tools to do some forging. I don't really know what WarMachine is. It it the game that came up with a quick google search? Is this going to be full size or a miniature? Details can help us help you. Looks like you have your work in research cut out for you either way with all you are wanting to learn. Any tips on Removing chrome plating? There are many tools and things that are chrome plated and not safe to forge or weld and if there is a way to remove that chrome it would open up a lot of possibilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMURDOCH Posted March 27, 2018 Author Share Posted March 27, 2018 1 hour ago, Daswulf said: Welcome to the madness. Through some research here you will find that you don't need all the fancy tools to do some forging. I don't really know what WarMachine is. It it the game that came up with a quick google search? Is this going to be full size or a miniature? Details can help us help you. Looks like you have your work in research cut out for you either way with all you are wanting to learn. Any tips on Removing chrome plating? There are many tools and things that are chrome plated and not safe to forge or weld and if there is a way to remove that chrome it would open up a lot of possibilities. We use reverse polarity or simply just hydrochloric acid to remove chrome. War-Machine is a character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe This is a wearable armour. The pic is the original War-Machine, mine will be different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 If you can chrome thermo forming plastic you will get con-worthy suits a lot faster! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMURDOCH Posted March 27, 2018 Author Share Posted March 27, 2018 8 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: If you can chrome thermo forming plastic you will get con-worthy suits a lot faster! You can chrome plastic, but it's very expensive. As far as con worthy, it started out that way and evolved from there. Metal is the only way for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Look into hot working cp 1 or 2 Ti and anodizing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Ok thanks for clarifying what you plan to make. That would get heavy quick probably even with aluminum or titanium. And very expensive. If forging any parts it would pay to start out with a simple forge setup just to get a start on how metal moves and hammer control. Start with some basic skills even while you research on the more technical aspects. Personally I am not experienced with working aluminum or titanium. Looking into sheet metal work will help. Also looking into how old armour works/ fits together and range of movement with that might help. Wow, that's a big project. lots to learn in something like that. Most I have done with anything in the nature was basic battery operated animatronic wings that I got functional to open and close but never finished to what I was hoping to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Good suggestion: armourarchive.org is a set of forums based on armour making (and yes they like the english spelling of it). May get some ideas/help over there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMURDOCH Posted March 27, 2018 Author Share Posted March 27, 2018 I belong to quite a few forums, for different disciplines. I actually attended a couple of metal forming meets, working the English wheel and such. I eventually got an English wheel, so now I can do it from home or work. Along with my beater bag & my block, just picked up a hammer with multiple dies. I call it Mjölnir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 That's a nice sheet metal working hammer. Another plus side to learning to forge is that you'll be able to forge your own tools to use. Specialty hammers, ball stakes, other forming stakes.....many possibilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Welcome aboard G, glad to have you. Yeah, War Machine was the name the DOD gave Iron Man's buddy, I needed the reminder. Plastic, glass, etc. is easy to plate the process is called "sputtering" probably for the sound the arc makes. The target is positively charged in a vac chamber and the deposition material is in wire form and is vaporized with a negative polarity arc. The vaporized metal is drawn to the target. If you've ever looked at the metallic stain on the inside of a burnt out light bulb you've seen a version. Good thing 1. If you want wearable armor you really should think plastic. Thin thermal plastic say Kevlar is easy to form, a little time in a 300f oven and it's noodley enough to form over a cloth bag. The SCA fighters used to put on 3 pair of pants to make legs. Good thing 2. You don't need special tools, a sabre saw and a Bernzomatic torch to clean up the saw cuts, hand drill bits and fasteners of your choice. Good thing 3. It's considerably lighter than metal for the rigidity and dent resistance. Number 4 and maybe the best thing of all. If you fall wearing it or a potential date is touching you when you move it won't cut gobbets of flesh out of you like meat shears. A lot of the gear worn under plate armor was to protect the wearer from his armor rather than the enemy. No joke. I just thought of good thing 5! Kevlar will provide a degree of bullet resistance, REAL armor! Don't worry about sputtering Kevlar, they make spray paint for it. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMURDOCH Posted March 27, 2018 Author Share Posted March 27, 2018 This is an armour built by Barry BAZ Armestead from Australia. 18 gauge steel, he tells me it's just above 80lbs. The armour in red is made of cardboard. Barry is a great guy who is now building a Colonial Viper full size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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