Off Topic Real Life Onslaught Armor... - Page 2

Hit Me · #21 03-16-2009, 07:13 AM

Source: Szader
No, probably not. But if that's what you want, Titanium would be the way to go. That's what military vehicles are armored with.

It's light weight, extremely strong and extremely expensive.

Most military vehicles are armored with something called Chobham Armor. It's made mostly of ceramics held together with alloys. There is some titanium used in the alloy, but steel is often substituted and even then, the amount used is minimal. The Abrams tanks are also armored with depleted uranium plating in addition to the Chobham. They take the uranium plate and layer it between plates of steel armor and then slap those to the front of the tanks.

So while titanium does play a small role when it comes to military armoring, it's not exclusive.

**Optimoos** · #22 03-16-2009, 07:20 AM

Coincidentally I was thinking about a RL bulwark the other day... anyway, this looks awesome, I think it would be amazing just to have this modeled on a mannequin in my computer area, let alone being able to actually wear it.

It'd be one hell of a halloween costume!

**smackers** · #23 03-16-2009, 09:32 AM

I don't even want to know what this is going to cost you.

**Durnic** · #24 03-16-2009, 10:19 AM

Source: smackers
I don't even want to know what this is going to cost you.

I do.

**Krumgork** · #25 03-16-2009, 11:07 AM

About $4500 with axe & shield. He's letting me make payments with a healthy deposit, though. It should be paid off by Christmas.

[Edit] When you consider that an authentic suit of armor isn't much different in cost and that I'm getting a custom suit made just for me WITH an axe & shield, that's a good deal!

**Krumgork** · #26 03-16-2009, 01:39 PM

More info. He's using 20g steel in box construction. I should have sketches of the axe and shield tomorrow. We have our first phone conversation tomorrow about more pricing and to nitpick come details. Here's some better sketches.

[Edit] He also mentioned plating the boots. I told him we needed to talk about that some. Right now they just look like rubber boots and we can't have that.

**Krumgork** · #27 03-16-2009, 04:27 PM

More pics! This time the Bulwark of Azzinoth and the Brutalizer! He's right on target with these. Very nice work!

kolben · #28 03-16-2009, 04:48 PM

Don't fall down in this suit imo. Pretty cool, you'll have to post pics when it's done.

thedrawrf · #29 03-16-2009, 07:07 PM

Does this guy who's making this for you have a web site? I mean, is he an established artist? Cause from my super-liimited knowledge of RL blacksmithing this guy is going to have to have a phd in it.

dyls · #30 03-16-2009, 07:44 PM

Also, does he play WoW?

If not, you might want to make sure that he knows there's a way he could see the whole thing in full 3d any time he likes

**Rhyseh** · #31 03-16-2009, 08:32 PM

Man I want to see the finished product this is awesome. Haha I can imagine if he made it out of solid steel it would weigh some obscene amount.

This is going to get quite alot of attention from the WoW community once it's finished, everyone loves warrior T6!

Please keep us up to date.

Edgar · #32 03-16-2009, 08:50 PM

I wish I could sketch like you ... Do you do 3D work?

Rizz · #33 03-16-2009, 09:59 PM

I think you should really consider your material of choice. 20 gauge steel may look thin, but that entire suit will weigh a lot. 20 gauge is .050 inch, which is substantial. Im guessing this suit will be a novelty item and you're not gonna go all vigilante on us lol. With that said you should give aluminum a good hard look. I would suggest 6061 T-3 .040, it will possibly even be cheaper than steel. It is not as robust, and more suseptable to dents ect. however I'm sure you'll be wearing this thing not very often and won't be doing anything to active in it. The weight saving alone will be subsantial, You'd be suprised what a good sheet metal guy and a rivet gun can do.

Titanium isnt a very viable option, minus the cost it isnt the easiest material to work with. I am just going out on a limb here, but I assume your 'brutalizer' is gonna be machined froma chunk of alumnium aswell... if that thing is steel you not gonna be able to lift it.

A final suggestion I have to you would be to make sure you get your scaling correct. unlike warcraft humans have big heads, and the helmet is gonna be big, I dont wanna see you running around wtih a massive helmet on haha. everything has to be proportional, I.E. really big shoulders, gloves, boots, not so much chest legs. I would deffintly say make up soem templates out of cardboard to see if getting the overall look is feasable. It would suck spending 5k + and looking like a metal clown, and I'm sure your fabricater won't have a money back option.

Take your time, and like mike holmes would say " Make it right. "

Cool idea though, glad to see your going through with it, I remeber reading a post about this a few months back (I think it was you, but may be wrong)

**Ciderhelm** · #34 03-16-2009, 10:05 PM

Mind if I news this?

**Krenian** · #35 03-16-2009, 10:21 PM

This alone is pretty damn epic I gotta say.

I'll be following this post closely and watching eagerly the end result. Let's hope for a great turn out instead of a bust.

**Krumgork** · #36 03-16-2009, 11:28 PM

Wow. I have so much to reply to! It's awesome this is getting some good attention!

Does this guy who's making this for you have a web site? I mean, is he an established artist?

The "company" that's doing this is Valentine Armouries, Valentine Armouries Home Page. These are the people that are famous for big time movie armors - Underworld, Beowulf, Dungeon Siege, etc. Now, before you get all crazy excited, Mr. Valentine wasn't able to fill the order himself. He "outsourced" it to a guy that works for him in Calgary, Canada. Not a big deal, the other guy is very good, too! He also helped with all of the famous movie armors. This is going to be high-quality work!

Also, does he play WoW?

I don't really know for sure if he plays WoW, though from the sounds of it he doesn't. However, this is not his first time making video game armor. When I initially approached him with the concept, he sent me about five different armors he has either planned or worked on from video games. Unfortunately, no one has ever gone through with it! Apparently, video gamers are a poor lot and when they see a price tag of around $4000 (American) they're turned off. Lucky for me, my wife is pretty understanding about me spending this kind of money on something superfluous. As I told her, some people spend thousands of dollars on Jeeps or boats or home entertainment systems - this is what I want. Of note, someone wanted him to make the Blood Knight armor from the Blood Elves.

Haha I can imagine if he made it out of solid steel it would weigh some obscene amount.

You're right! I asked him about the weight right off the bat. I told him that I was a burly guy (6' 1", 250 lbs, former Marine) and could carry my own weight. I told him I wasn't going to be running around in a LARP type thing or riding horseback in it so it's okay for it to be heavy. He did the math on solid steel and it was laughable! I honestly don't remember the exact figure but I'm pretty sure it was a ton or more. That's why we're going to have to go with box construction all the way around where possible.

I wish I could sketch like you ... Do you do 3D work?

It's not me doing the sketching. It's the armorer.

Im guessing this suit will be a novelty item and you're not gonna go all vigilante on us lol.

Well, it's a combination of a novelty item and a serious entry into BlizzCon's constume competition. I've shaved my head and am working on growing out a big red beard. I need to get my guild's real life tabard (Keepers of Stromgarde) and a cloak of some kind (my wife can make it). Just stay tuned for seeing me on stage sometime in 2010.

Take your time, and like mike holmes would say " Make it right. "

Take your time? LOL. We've spent literally months just in the design phase. I've sent him more pictures of T6 than I can count and I plan to spend at least two hours on the phone tomorrow going over every little detail on the armor just to make sure it's perfect. Once things are falling into place, I have to go up to Calgary to get it custom fitted. I better get my passport ready!

Mind if I news this?

Please do!

Erichilles · #37 03-17-2009, 09:45 AM

i can't see the pictures on the computer i'm on right now, so i might be missing something but....

the only thing that concerns me is how will you put it on? lol

**Horacio** · #38 03-17-2009, 09:58 AM

Oh Noes, don't let my wife see this.

She started out making the mage T4 set and it looked pretty cool but she wasn't happy with it and scrapped it.

kolben · #39 03-17-2009, 10:05 AM

BTW the skull helm on the guy's gallery is pretty cool.

That makes me kind of curious about a couple of things. I could almost picture something like this being easier to make with a process that involves a sculpture -> mold -> cast -> space-age-plastic-resin-stuff and whatever. If you combined the material used in the Kevlar vests that modern PBR bull riders use, it would actually absorb and spread shock and not traumatize your innards (the vests prevent most fatal injuries associated with massive trauma from being stepped on, or more like jumped on which is far more deadly than horns contrary to lay peoples impression).

Pretty neat stuff, looking forward to seeing your first few pieces.

**Tatt** · #40 03-17-2009, 10:05 AM

Ok someone explain to me, I was always under the impression that iron weighed slightly more than steel, so if a full suit of steel weighs in excess of 2000 pounds, how the hell did historical knights pull this off? I understand that most heavy armor wearing combatants were astride horses, but still I cannot even imagine lifting a lance if I was carrying over 300 pounds of armor on me, and I am quite strong. Is it the detail of the armor that is increasing its weight exponentially?