Ord Mantell's PP2 Build

[Ord Mantell]

Current progress shots. Soft parts are due from Clothears in the fall. Chest armor pictured here is old FP plates that are finally going to be replaced real soon. Still experimenting with Floquil colors for the shoulders and knees. It's time to finish the right gauntlet and get that painted, too. I plan to paint the armor using the technique Mario described to us when we met with him. A very interesting way of doing it and I'm happy with my test results trying it out. I'll talk more about that later if anyone's interested.

 

[Ord Mantell]

Long overdue update. I painted the first set of photogrammetry prototype chest armor as PP2 as a test back in July.

Mario gave me some tips. Next time will be better.

I want to thank Brokk for making this outstanding replica of the PP2 flamethrower. I can't thank you enough:

After getting the new lineage+photogrammetry armor from MinuteFett, the manny has been updated. Still waiting on the Clothears PP2 suit ordered last February, but it's currently being made with some parts complete. Should see it here soon. Also finally got the PP2 vinyl ammo belt from Grue of Handmade Horror Shops. Gloves here are just temporary stand-ins I did on the cheap.

 

[Brokk]

Really excited to see this come together Ord, I hope the flamer serves your kit well.

 

[Ord Mantell]

 

[Ord Mantell]

starting the PP2 helmet interior

 

[Ord Mantell]

the next stage is installing the vintage electronics as much like the original as possible

This board is utilizing my research for all the correct vintage found parts, assembled and made to work by Deancfh, the genius who figured out and mastered the design's functionality.

And voila! A working vintage found parts RF electronics build installed in a lineage helmet.

The RF vintage LEDs are a special type of LEDs only manufactured during the 1970's

 

[Ord Mantell]

Final stage of the helmet interior is gluing and taping all the components in place. This is a fictional recreation based on the only pics I've seen of the PP2 helmet as it existed in a very poor state as of a decade or so ago.

The original had all the components stripped out decades ago probably, maybe as far back as Don Post:

My recreation:

 

[Ord Mantell]

 

[Ord Mantell]

 

[Brokk]

View attachment 236067
View attachment 236068

View attachment 236069


View attachment 236070View attachment 236071View attachment 236072

View attachment 236073
View attachment 236074 View attachment 236083

View attachment 236077 View attachment 236078
View attachment 236079

View attachment 236081
View attachment 236082

Regarding the faint bluing on the neck seal and vest, is that dye or just light misting from an air brush?
I'm aware it's present in the references, I'm just debating on how I'm going to add it.

 

[Ord Mantell]

Regarding the faint bluing on the neck seal and vest, is that dye or just light misting from an air brush?
I'm aware it's present in the references, I'm just debating on how I'm going to add it.

airbrush

 

[Ord Mantell]

 

[Eli Jinn]

Stupid question: how do you take photos of your builds with that black background?

 

[Ord Mantell]

Stupid question: how do you take photos of your builds with that black background?

Not a stupid question.

I turn my garage into a photo studio. I have a few backgrounds but I like the black, which also doubles as curtains for when the garage becomes our home movie theater. I also use it as my gym. And on occassion -- I park the car in it.

It's pretty simple. Just requires a little bit of space and some basic lighting skills. You can do this in a bedroom, too, if you don't have a garage. Use photoshop or your phone to make adjustments. Also iPhone will knock out backgrounds of a photo if you keep your finger pressed on the subject which makes this even easier than before.

and the same space as our movie theater, same black curtains around the screen:

 

[Ord Mantell]

 

[DennisFett1142]

Yeah

View attachment 236425

Yeah, getting the knees, shoulders and left gauntlet right to my eye on my PP2 was a multi-day misting festival. Misted darker...nope, misted lighter...nope, misted, misted, misted...just right. I also discovered that my paint room lighting is different enough from my display room lighting that I need to let things dry and run them out to the display room for comparison. Frustrating and fun at the same time!

 

[AlphaCloneFett]

feels like there could be a greater contrast between the 2 colors for each knee, overall looks pretty good!

 

[Ord Mantell]

feels like there could be a greater contrast between the 2 colors for each knee, overall looks pretty good!

No debate there. My previous attempt was too much. On this I dialed back too much the other way. Just a few drops too few or too many and the ratio is destroyed.

Misted darker...nope, misted lighter...nope, misted, misted, misted...just right.

For sure, misting gets me out of a lot of painting pickles. Just working with the paints available to Mario/Vance to get the true base colors down. Although as I mentioned elsewhere, now that I know Mario brought some Humbrol paints with him for the job, all bets are off. I didn't know that before I painted these, although I still think its mostly Floquil colors.

 

[AlphaCloneFett]

No debate there. My previous attempt was too much. On this I dialed back too much the other way. Just a few drops too few or too many and the ratio is destroyed.

For sure, misting gets me out of a lot of painting pickles. Just working with the paints available to Mario/Vance to get the true base colors down. Although as I mentioned elsewhere, now that I know Mario brought some Humbrol paints with him for the job, all bets are off. I didn't know that before I painted these, although I still think its mostly Floquil colors.

are you using the finger with vaseline method? ugh that sounded gross LOL

 

[Ord Mantell]

are you using the finger with vaseline method? ugh that sounded gross LOL

Yes, actually. On this test I used latex to mask the silver then vaseline to mask the first color layer. Much easier than using only vaseline. No stencils. Just freehand with both. It was a breeze. No idea if that's the method MArio used. Mario probably doesn't remember either. There is a possibility it was all latex on the knees. It's pure speculation based on some things Mario shared, which I can talk about at a later time. I plan to do the final knees all latex because of it though.