As of now, Subject Delta is approximately 90% complete.
When we last saw the helmet it looked like this:
I found a “Hammered Copper” spray paint at Home Depot, and while the hammered effect didn’t come through too well, the color is about as close as it is ever going to get. Besides, the roughness of the surface makes up for the paint effect.
It was finally time to attach the camera lens on the top of the helmet. Simple plastic circle with the inside painted flat black.
All that is really left is a few sealing coats of clear coat, and the paint is all done, and really, that is almost optional.
Now, the lights for the helmet have been a painful process. I ordered a ton of red and yellow LEDs with the intention of wiring them up and having a switch to flip between calm Delta yellow and angry Delta red. Well, that didn’t work out at all. The yellow LEDs I ordered were the brightest true yellow LEDs I could find, but their viewing angle was so low, they just didn’t work. The red were OK, but still not completely bright enough. I’ve ended up, for now, doing what I should’ve done from the start, go to the auto parts store, find a super bright LED replacement bulb and use that. They are not true yellow, closer to amber. And when I add them into the helmet, they actually go from amber to orange. Really orange. So, I’m working that out, but if I have to keep it, so be it. I may put a giant Power T in the middle of the faceplate and be the UT Big Orange Subject Delta (UT football does kickoff during Dragon*Con, so it works).
Just need to secure all the wiring and line the inside and the helmet is now done.
The drill got stuck sitting around at the waiting to be sanded stage, because I was simply sick of sanding that thing. It is fragile and a pain to sand, but it had to be done.
Once the sanding was done, I did find some weak spots, so there will be one last coat of resin and that is it. I’m really concerned about making this thing too heavy. I did decide to paint it and will resin over the paint. If the resin ruins the paint job, no big deal, just repaint, but I hope it will seal the paint in.
Primed and ready.
The final paint is a mix of about 4 different paints.
With all that done and waiting on weather, I started on some of the smaller detail pieces. First up, the boots.
I know the picture is a little blurry, but they are basic brown leather boots with copper weighted covers strapped to them.
Since I’ve been trying to get a vacuum forming table working, I had some HIPS(high impact polystyrene) sheets lying around. Boots + HIPS + heat gun = molded boot covers
Toe covers
Side straps
More wooden plugs for rivets.
Prepaint
Final with paint
I have a fake brown leather material and buckles to make the actual straps on the boots and the same material will be used to make all the leather patches on the actual jump suit.
Delta is truly now in the home stretch. A few more minor pieces to build and some sewing are really all that remain.
