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 Rank: Superelite      Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/05/2010 Posts: 2,608 Points: 7,519 Location: Lincolnshire
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Loving your work Russ. Like the idea with the pill cutter  Keep up the good work Regards Gray
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Rank: Administration    Groups: Registered, Forum Support Team, Administrators, Global Forum Support Team, Moderator, Official Builds Joined: 09/11/2012 Posts: 8,171 Points: 23,601 Location: East midlands
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Lovely work.  Regards delboy271155 (Derek) COME BACK GUY FAWKES "YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU"
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Beautiful work throughout, very well done..... Regards Alan
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 Rank: Semi-Pro Level 2 Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/05/2017 Posts: 78 Points: 240 Location: Honolulu
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Thanks everyone for all the positive comments. I've added a new post to my blog here focused on my decision-making process behind the removable kusazuri. More to come shortly.
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Rank: Semi-Pro Level 2 Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/05/2017 Posts: 78 Points: 240 Location: Honolulu
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The Art of Boxing With most of the replica done. I focused on how the armor would be displayed. I had a table chosen and now there was a matter of the yoroi bitsu (armor box), the storage box for the armor that is often used as a display base. The replica does include a yoroi bitsu, but mine didn't arrive with the rest of the parts. I eventually got that issue straightened out. When I finally received the box, it looked quite different than what I expected. I had read some of the other diaries and understood that the box that came with the kit was cardboard. Based on the images in the instructions, I expected the box to be cardboard covered in a wood grain pattern or something along those lines. Instead, the box is dark red with graphics. The cardboard seemed to be of good quality and strong enough to hold up the weight of the armor and stand. However, I wanted a more traditional display and felt the provided yoroi bitsu didn't fit into that aesthetic. I found a mini wood chest with a more traditional appearance. With the exception of the graphics on the canvas, it's overall appearance was a decent fit for my display and I planned to paint over the graphics. The metal hardware wasn't high quality, but the chest would be almost completely covered so, all good. The orientation of this chest is shorter and wider than the original box. I set up the armor on the chest and it looked great. My only concern was that the armor sat a few inches lower so it didn't have quite the same presence it did when it sat on the taller, provided box. The table had a personal significance to me, so I wasn't changing tables. I thought of adding risers under the chest, but that wouldn't raise the armor up significantly without making it look like the armor was sitting on a box on a table. I decided to utilize the shashimono (banner) holder on the back of the do to give the replica more height. More on that next time. In deciding on a color to paint the box, I debated beween black, brown and grey. Black and brown being two common colors for yoroi bitsu. I decided on a middle grey to give some contrast between the box and the armor. After painting the panels, I antiqued the chest. The antiquing tied the overall look of the chest together, gave the panels some texture and made the hardware pop. ZetaForge attached the following image(s):
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Rank: Semi-Pro Level 2 Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/05/2017 Posts: 78 Points: 240 Location: Honolulu
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The Sashimono Experiment When displayed on the new wooden chest, the armor replica sits several inches lower than it does on the kit provided, box. As a result, it didn't have the same presence. To add height, I decided to add a sashimono (banner). The replica already includes a sashimono holder on the back of the do, but I needed to create the banner itself. Often, sashimono display the clan mon (crest). The kit includes a cloth to use as a drape over the stand. As it happens, this cloth has the Date Clan mon on it and the mon looked like it was a good size for a half-scale sashimono. After a bit of research, I was ready to do some testing. I avoided permanently altering the original drape, in the event that sometime down the road I would want to use it as a drape, a backdrop or otherwise re-purpose it. So, instead of cutting the cloth, I found a way of folding it that would approximate the size I wanted and allow it to hang from the inverted “L” shaped sashimono pole. Instead of stitching the banner to the pole I used magnets at the corners. Originally built as a test, I used popsicle sticks and coffee stirrers to form the pole. I had planned to replace the makeshift pole with a one made from wood dowels but the end results looked good enough for now. The sashimono looked great as part of the display. I decided to take things one step further. On many of the sashimono, the banner is held on by small tabs of materials rather than attached directly to the pole. To achieve this look, I sandwiched magnets into small pieces of velcro to form “c” shaped clips. These magnetic clips attached the cloth to the pole and provided the correct look without permanently altering the cloth. Next step, the armor needed arms. ZetaForge attached the following image(s):
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 Looking good and the banner sets it all off a treat Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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Rank: Semi-Pro Level 2 Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/05/2017 Posts: 78 Points: 240 Location: Honolulu
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Thanks arpurchase. Sleeves In Need Of Arms. With more of the finished armor on the stand, I noticed the kote (armored sleeves) looked flat and hang limp. To give the arms more body, I decided to create an insert for the kote. This would not only to give them bulk but also better define the elbows. To achieve this, I cut a pattern in material roughly the size and shape of the kote. I left about a half inch of material to close the pattern. Using hemming tape, I attach the ends together basically making a sleeve with one end closed off. I then flipped the tube right side out and filled it with 1/4” to 1/2” cubes of EVA foam. The smaller bits filled the tapered end and took up some of the gaps between the larger cubes. Leaving enough room at the shoulder end, I sealed it with the hem tape. To define the elbow, I took inspiration from Toy Story's Sheriff Woody. I pushed the EVA foam out of the midsection of the “arm”. Then, taking a piece of black thread, I wrapped it around the now empty area of the “arm” and secured it with a knot. The result is an upper arm and forearm connected by a cloth elbow. I pushed the entire assembly into the kote. Viola, arm-shaped kote. ZetaForge attached the following image(s):
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What a difference that has made. Lovely work, this is a piece of art in the making. Mark
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Looking good and I will use your idea on mine Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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Now that does make a difference, excellent idea.... Regards Alan
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Rank: Semi-Pro Level 2 Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/05/2017 Posts: 78 Points: 240 Location: Honolulu
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Markwarren - Thank you. It is a subtle addition that makes a big difference in the appearance of the display. arpurchase - Thank you. I'm glad you like the idea enough to use it on your armor.
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Rank: Semi-Pro Level 2 Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/05/2017 Posts: 78 Points: 240 Location: Honolulu
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Gandale - Thanks! I'm on to my next mod: sode (shoulder armor)
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Rank: Super-Elite  Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/07/2014 Posts: 4,269 Points: 12,713 Location: Scotland
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Excellent work as always great stuff regards Phil COMING SOON =1/72 Italeri diorama`s Battle for the Reichstag and Stalingrad battle at the tractor factory 1/16 Trumpeter King Tiger with loads of extras ON THE GO= refurbishment of 1/25 Tamiya tiger 1 , amt Star trek kits and space 1999 models
So Much to Build,But What a Hobby!
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Rank: Semi-Pro Level 2 Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/05/2017 Posts: 78 Points: 240 Location: Honolulu
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Rank: Semi-Pro Level 2 Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/05/2017 Posts: 78 Points: 240 Location: Honolulu
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To Sode or Not To Sode... Many depictions of Date Masamune's armor include sode (shoulder armor). Since I had leftover kusazuri plates from the replacement parts, I decided to assemble a few into sode. They're not historically accurate as they're not wide enough and the top plate is often shorter with the holes for the cords that connect it to the do. The typical sode also has 5 columns of odoshi, this one will have 3. Aesthetically, I prefer Samurai armor with sode. So, even though this shoulder armor wouldn't be to the proper historical specifications, I thought it would be worth a shot. The sode would be removable so the armor could always be displayed with or without. Back to the build. To keep the sode as wide as possible, I used four #5 plates and one #6 plate. The faux leather backings were applied to each plate and I followed the kusazuri lacing pattern. The tricky part was creating a way to attach it to the do. In the end, I decided to hang the sode from the do using the existing loop and closure for the kote. For this, I used black leather wrapped cord normally used for jewelry. It was about the same diameter as the yellow cord. For the toggles, I used spares from the kote. I managed to lace the leather-wrapped cord through these toggles and glued a piece of electrical insulation to the ends. The outer two columns of odoshi roughly lined up with the cords for the kote. I wrapped the odoshi around the toggle cords. The segments of electrical insulation would keep the assembly from slipping through. From the front to three-quarter views, the sode looks great. Looking at the armor directly from the side, it's a bit narrow. The kote sticks out on either end. Probably not something the casual observer would notice but maybe something I'll change one day. ZetaForge attached the following image(s):
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Nice idea and looks good Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
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Rank: Semi-Pro Level 2 Groups: Registered
Joined: 10/05/2017 Posts: 78 Points: 240 Location: Honolulu
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Thanks!
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/07/2014 Posts: 4,269 Points: 12,713 Location: Scotland
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Looks awesome great stuff regards Phil COMING SOON =1/72 Italeri diorama`s Battle for the Reichstag and Stalingrad battle at the tractor factory 1/16 Trumpeter King Tiger with loads of extras ON THE GO= refurbishment of 1/25 Tamiya tiger 1 , amt Star trek kits and space 1999 models
So Much to Build,But What a Hobby!
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