About Me

My photo
I make toys for kids who don't want to grow up. I'm on the lookout for new projects. If you're interested in commissioning me to build something ridiculous, shoot me an email.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Female Combat Garden Gnomes Ready to Deploy

She grew up just trying to fit in with the rest of the boys, so when war was finally declared in the garden patch, it came as no surprise when she ran right down to the recruiting center and signed up.
Showcase

Feminine and formidable, there's nothing this lady can't do. Not only can she field strip her rifle blindfolded, fastrope out of a helicopter into the dead of night, and make a 20-mile forced march with an 80-pound pack, she can do it all backwards and in high heels.
Gnome Infantry Advancing

This little gnome is not to be trifled with. Enlist her in your unit today!

Here's a couple more detail shots:
Detail Front

Detail Back


I've got the first ten out of the mold, so I'm offering them for sale in my Etsy shop at http://etsy.com/shop/thorssoli.  They'll sell out fast, so don't delay!

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Ironman Costume Part 5: the Boots

This is the fifth installment in my Ironman replica building series so far.  Here's links to the first four:

Part 1: Rapid Prototyping the Helmet
Part 2: the Hard Parts
Part 3: the Soft Parts
Part 4: the Gloves

Now on to the boots...

Feet are weird.  They bend in strange ways, point in the wrong direction,* have entirely too many moving parts, and change sizes as you step on them.  Building a passably articulated exoskeleton that your foot fits inside of while still allowing for movement without cutting off the wearer's toes makes for a bit of a challenge.  There's also the problem of making a rigid sole that won't just slip and slide all over the place when the wearer walks around.

Here's a shot of my finished boots:
Shins and Boots Assembled

To see how they were made, read on...