Scratch build parts list and cost analysis

[shwnicus]

Hi all!

I'm super new here and have only an introduction thread to my name:
Advise for a newbie
I'm just getting into the basics and my plan is a custom "boba-esque" mandalorian. I have no aspirations for 501st or high movie accuracy. Just something fun for my 11 year old son and I. I found the rubies jango helmet on amazon for cheap as a starter, but turns out its way too big for me. When compared to the WoF and Rafaelfett templates, its a good 10% bigger! My kid has a big head so its fine for him.

So I started putting together a parts list of the things I'll need to make my own bucket.

List so far:
Chipboard
White glue
exacto knives
formica sheet for a workspace
bondo resin
bondo glass
bondo body filler
brushes for glue
putty knives
gloves
(am I missing anything obvious?)

When I priced out just this list, I was well over $100. And that's assuming I don't mess up and require multiple tries (which I would bet dollars to donuts that I will). I've also never used bondo, so I expect I'll go through that quickly just practicing.

I'd post in "Cargo Hold" but I don't have the privileges yet. How much does a budget cast bucket from a reputable TDH seller go for? Or even someone's throw away? To reiterate, I'd be fine with modding the crappy rubies but it looks like a 5G bucket on my head.

thanks much!

 

[Drax]

The size of the bucket will be much less dramatic looking with the rest of the armor on. With just the helmet it does give a very bobble head look. I can't advise on scratch building as I haven't given it a shot but I know that with time and good attention to detail they can turn out very good. Check out other scratch built threads for ideas and tips so you can learn from others mistakes and not make them yourself. That way you may not require multiple tries at some stuff.

 

[drewthecostumer]

There are a handful of beautiful scratchbuilt helmets on here, but if you need to buy all the materials, and then spend 40+ hours building it, I always vote buying a cast. Helmets are usually $135-$250 depending on lineage. And if you're just doing a mando, then there's no need for you to hit the $250 range. Also be sure to check out the Mandalorian Mercs for more generic style helmets.

 

[Grimstuff]

Your son must have quite the noggin to be bigger than an adult size

But yeah, of course there's plenty of kit options out there if you wanna just save the time and get em shipped. With the size differences though you'll probably want to look for specifically smaller made ones. I know there's one or two such by some other Etsy sellers; they're pretty wonky on accuracy, but since it's a mando build that's not a problem. I'd take the opportunity to shamlessly plug my own kit , but it's 1:1 scale based on the Rafal template so might be a bit roomy if you found the rubies big. If you are interested though, lemme know, as I have some b-casts laying around that might just be perfect for a DIY mando build like this, and I was plannin on puttin em up for around $100 or less.

If you'd like to do the build though then I can say it'll definitely be a fun project for you two to do together, everyone loves a scratchbuild, and you'll get a little better control of the end sizes too.

I can probably help ya cheapen that list a little. If you want the absolute cheapest option, a pepakura build might be a good idea. You'd only need cardstock paper for the construction, which a lot cheaper than the chipboard/cardboard/sintra that the WOF/Rafal template needs, and it's pretty easy to get one mocked up fairly quickly to gauge the size. You'll still have to do all the bondoing and sanding later on, but yeah, it can make the initial steps a little cheaper and easier.

As for doin the full WOF/Rafal build, you can definitely skip on the bondo hair, the regular resin and fillers will be enough. And honestly, you can probably skimp on the fiberglass resin too, it's a little useful for making the chipboard more 'plasticy' for the bondo to grip on, but you can definitely get by without it. So then you'll just need the bondo, and the smaller size one should be enough, so some big savings there. The rest of the stuff is mainly tools, which you'll definitely need (and good initiative on pricing them in as a lot of people overlook all that), they can add up but you should be able to get em for pretty cheap from places like Harbor Freight. One thing you did forget though that's a big part of it all are sanding tools, as you'll gonna be doing a TON of em trust me. I'd highly recommend a good coarse rasp for rapid removal, and if you wanna use the savings from the bondo, a powered mouse sander will be a really good time-saver. Oh and another consideration too is some safety and cleanup stuff, like a respirator to save you from the bondo fumes, and some acetone to cleanup any resin/bondo accidents. Somewhat optional if you're working outside though and wear skin protection.

I think the biggest question is if you ever plan to do any other cosplay type builds in the future, as the tools and stuff will of course all be reusable and make a great investment if ya do. If not though, then yeah, it might be a bit costly just for one build.

 

[shwnicus]

Thanks very much for the replies! I admit that I hadn't thought of the size with no armor on making a difference. And I did notice that many have said the two piece Jango rubies runs a little bigger than the 3 piece boba. My son prefers Jango, so I went that way as a test. I was just surprised when I sat the rubies down on the WOF base template and noticed the size difference. From a quick paper mock-up, the scratch templates from both WOF and RafalFett look like the right size for me.

Thank you for the great details Grimstuff! Can polyurethane work as a substitute for bondo resin? I have tons of that stuff leftover from home improvement projects. And thanks for the heads up on the respirator and sanding tools. I'm good with sanders, but never even considered the fumes.

 

[Grimstuff]

Yeah, I've heard of quite a few people using polyurethene to harden pepakura builds and such. It won't quite work as well as polyester (fiberglass) resin, since bondo is also polyester based and they chemically fuse a little when used together, but the bondo is plenty sticky on it's own and should work perfectly fine with polyurethene too. Especially if you rough it up a little with sandpaper first.

And yeah, the fumes can be pretty nasty, definitely don't do it indoors as the fumes can seep into drywall and such and linger for months. And yeah, long term exposure can have some health risks, but that's more factory worker type exposure and nothing a single build should give you. One thing I would recommend though is to paint both the interior and exterior of the helm though after you're done to seal it, as even cured polyester resin can give minor exgassings for quite a while and that's not too good for an enclosed space where your head is going to be.