Glass Armor?

Discussion of custom parts made for the Castle Theme
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TwoTonic Knight
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Glass Armor?

Post by TwoTonic Knight »

While weighing in on the 2005 debate on whether the chrome armor in the new big castle is "euro" armor or the breastplate originally for the Pirates line Imperial Armada, I grabbed one of the latter to make a comparison to the photo...

...it was a piece I wasn't using because it got a little beat up from my son's play and some of the chrome had worn away. It looked black or dark gray underneath, and I figured that would be cool enough anyway, so I was reading messages here while Brassoing mindlessly while I read (remember one of my mottos: "I destroy things so you don't have to"). I looked down after a few minutes - it was shiny again! That didn't make the slightest ounce of sense until I realized the bare plastic looked dark simply because I was looking through the plastic to the shadow on the reverse side! After removing the chrome on the front, I was seeing the unshaded chrome on the reverse side.

So I stripped that away, too. I hate taking photos in artificial light, so it'll have to wait, but it looks very strange to have armor on a Black Falcon and see the design through the armor.

So this begs the question: what color plastic usually lies beneath the chrome on other chromed parts?

Edit in: Okay, so I took the photo anyway.

2nd edit in: And just to explain in case someone may wondering. that's a grill-less grilled helmet - sheer happenstance that it ended up in the photo. The copper dome may be the beginning of a real metal helmet, and the tube is a prototype for a single-piece shaft for a pike (but I can't use that one, it's sterling silver).

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Last edited by TwoTonic Knight on Fri Dec 31, 2004 5:18 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Bricksidge
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Post by Bricksidge »

I believe its a milky-white color, almost the shade of glow-in-the-dark. It may vary from part to part though.
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doctorsparkles
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Post by doctorsparkles »

On the pieces I've removed chrome from (never intentially, I'm sorry to report), the plastic was a milky but semi-translucent white color. It is somewhat similar to the glow in the dark pieces, but the glow in the dark pieces are completely opaque.
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Formendacil
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Post by Formendacil »

Well, I generally try to avoid de-chroming any pieces if I can possibly avoid it.

However, I know from sad experience that the chrome smokestacks for trucks and your run of the mill greatsword are just as the others have described them: milky whitish plastic.

I was therefore rather shocked at seeing that stunningly clear armour of yours.

I wonder why TLC would use a clear plastic....
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Post by lil Jon »

That is weird. That'd be neat to have a clear "great sword".

Did you use a dap punch for that domed piece of copper?
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Post by doctorsparkles »

Formendacil wrote:I wonder why TLC would use a clear plastic....
The armor is obviously clear ABS... the question is whether they used ABS for all of the other clear pieces (as opposed to the more flexible plastic that is used for halberds and newer short swords and other newer styles). The chrome great sword is a little more flexible than the normal ABS swords, but that might just be due to the difference in size (i.e., would it be so easy to bend the blade if there weren't so much blade to hold onto?).
lil Jon wrote:That is weird. That'd be neat to have a clear "great sword".
It might be neat, but the great swords are made of the milky semi-translucent white plastic, rather than the clear, glassy plastic.
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Post by JoshWedin »

I took the chrome off a great sword and it was milky white (as others have said) but I have one of the 2x4 bricks in chrome and it is light grey under neath (I didn't remove the chrome, you can see it on the bottom.

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Post by Lord Mikal »

I thought it was pretty weird that your armor piece was clear, too. I've got a couple of lightsaber hilts and daggers sans chrome and they're all the afore-mentioned milky-translucent color. My armada armor is slightly chipped and worn, and appears, like yours, to be clear plastic underneath. The Chrome Belville crowns (my cousins') are also clear. Their chrome teacups and teapot appear to be white, though. The chrome pieces on my Naboo starfighter are light grey, and the chrome Gold Dragon helm and Golden Shield are black.

I have to say that I kind of like the Glass armor effect. I wonder if Red Bean or Blasterman would do some 'Glass' weapons... :wink:
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Re: Glass Armor?

Post by TheOrk »

So this begs the question: what color plastic usually lies beneath the chrome on other chromed parts?
My chrome swords have alot of scratches in them. I've seen two different colours. One is a sort of milky white the other a milky yellow.
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Post by LEGOFREAK »

Hey TTK - I noticed that that imperial armor is hard, and the greatswords are soft, and I further noticed that the space visors that are chromed are harder, which begs the question, are they clear also?
I have a couple of chromed visors, which I think would look awesome clear, but I am out of brasso - do you have any plans in this regard?
:D
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Post by doctorsparkles »

Lord Mikal wrote:I have to say that I kind of like the Glass armor effect. I wonder if Red Bean or Blasterman would do some 'Glass' weapons...
Somehow I doubt that demand would be high enough.
LEGOFREAK wrote:I have a couple of chromed visors, which I think would look awesome clear, but I am out of brasso - do you have any plans in this regard?
I'm willing to sacrifice one of my space visors for the sake of science! I just happen to have a couple laying around, so I'll give it a shot tonight before bed.
Edit: I used a razor blade to scratch away at one of my gold chrome visors (I wasn't in the mood for Brasso fumes tonight...), and I'm happy to report they are made of the clear, glassy plastic.
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LEGOFREAK
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Post by LEGOFREAK »

doctorsparkles wrote: Edit: I used a razor blade to scratch away at one of my gold chrome visors (I wasn't in the mood for Brasso fumes tonight...), and I'm happy to report they are made of the clear, glassy plastic.
sweet.. thanks doc. I'll have to pick up some brasso then, I ran out awhile ago.
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xxbattosaixx
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Post by xxbattosaixx »

Could it have something to do with age?The plastic may be different at different times when they were made.
I mean,look at the trend:
Lightsaber Hilt-Fairly new piece ('99-'00) and it's whitish.
Armada Breastplate-Fairly new in the KK1 Set ('00) and it's whitish.
Greatsword-Fairly new;what was it,about '98-'97 when it came around?



Visor-Kinda old.Pre '99 right?And it's clear.
TTK's Plate-May be from older pirates.And it's clear.
Belville Crown-Kinda old,about '98-'97 I think.

My point is,could it be that- older piece=clear &Newer piece=whitish?
It somewhat makes sense.TLC could have started using whitish plastic around '98-'97,right? :?
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Post by Glencaer »

doctorsparkles wrote: Edit: I used a razor blade to scratch away at one of my gold chrome visors (I wasn't in the mood for Brasso fumes tonight...), and I'm happy to report they are made of the clear, glassy plastic.
!!

This has very important implications for spacers!!!

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doctorsparkles
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Post by doctorsparkles »

xxbattosaixx wrote:Could it have something to do with age?The plastic may be different at different times when they were made.
I mean,look at the trend:
Lightsaber Hilt-Fairly new piece ('99-'00) and it's whitish.
Armada Breastplate-Fairly new in the KK1 Set ('00) and it's whitish.
Greatsword-Fairly new;what was it,about '98-'97 when it came around?



Visor-Kinda old.Pre '99 right?And it's clear.
TTK's Plate-May be from older pirates.And it's clear.
Belville Crown-Kinda old,about '98-'97 I think.

My point is,could it be that- older piece=clear &Newer piece=whitish?
It somewhat makes sense.TLC could have started using whitish plastic around '98-'97,right? :?
The visor was from a Life On Mars set, which is pretty recent.
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