Building K2SO v1
Almost immediately, I knew what my base material was going to be: non-corrugated cardboard, of which I had leftovers from previous projects. I started by doing the head to get stuff going and I was excited about the build to come. Ahead, my future lay in the task of cutting out patterns and laying them down on cardboard, and cutting those pieces out and putting them together.
When I first started this build, it technically began back in November of 2016, a month before the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was set to release. But the actual build time started in March of 2017 when I was assigned to do a recycled materials project for a Sculpture and 3D Design class. I was going to make my own patterns but time was of the essence and I managed to find some wonderful patterns for sale that I was able to print and use for the blueprints of this build.
It is truly a wonder that I didn't go crazy with all the cutting and taping. Tedious, but somehow it was meditative.
Now, after some time, as pieces began to build up and some of the major components began to take shape, it was becoming a real-life build of this iconic character. Piece after piece was built and soon became time for the more... daunting tasks, tasks I thought would be, well, easy.
Next, was the task of using paper mache' to strengthen the cardboard (a downside in the scheme of things as it would prove to be a problem later on. With the help of my wife to be and my sister in law to be, We managed to cover all major components of the build. At this point, I still had pieces like the neck, arms, legs, feet, and hands to do and assembly of the parts was still in order, something that in hindsight, I hadn't fully planned for...
I thought it would be a good idea to do some tests involving the paint. I started with a nice flat black that would be carried out throughout the piece and then go over with a nice metallic color as an overlay. He didn't need to look factory line condition, but the paint job was good and I could go over later with some silver paint and rub and buff to give metallic textures to the build.
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This was also an idea to try my hand at electronics, but the only method that a) I had time for and b) that would work with the head closure was 2 flashlights that I put filters over. (This will not be a part of the next build I do as I figured out how short of the battery life is)
Next, and lastly was the assembly, of which was probably the most difficult part of the build as I had a limited idea on how to make the piece come to life. This is also where I truly learned cardboard's weight limit as pieces began to buckle under the weight of all the pieces, especially the ones covered in paper mache'. I used lots of hot glue and more duct and masking tape than I intended to use, to get him together. He still is very delicate and I also intended to build a better stand for him to be displayed. His most structurally sound set up beside the torso interestingly enough is the bar for his shoulders; that will be where he would hang. Ideally, I would have loved to build him fully to scale, but the weight of the cardboard and the running out of materials and him already trying to fall apart made my decision such that he would be "needing some repair work". Some of his fingers fell off which added to it, his head + neck was out of whack, his shoulders didn't sit flush and his legs, of course, were "chopped off". But even in this "wreckage", he still looked fantastic and I would not trade this experience in building this version of him in the world.
This entire experience of building this now icon character has truly been wonderful. I learned so much in the process. While there were problems with the build, I wouldn't trade this experience, or the outcome of the piece for the world. I cannot wait to build more versions of this iconic Star Wars character.