In April 2016 I started working on a couple of projects to convert my armour over to metal. I attempted a helmet, but it ended up too small and my chin stuck out the bottom. The next project I started was these metal knees with a pair of dart guns on each side. I started with templates from Mandalorian Mercs Armour Templates and constructing them out of cardboard.
After I got a good fit with the cardboard concepts I proceeded to cut out the templates from some of my 18 gauge stainless steel sheets (I had used with my helmet). I aspired to achieve the same level of perfection as Dresdon Acacin’s work (see top of image below) as I worked on these knees. A lot of the surface faces could not be welded together, so I used a two part quick set epoxy (JB Weld).
I started these metal knees to classify myself further in the Mandalorian Mercs society called Aluminati started by Dresdon Acacin himself. If your entire kit is metal you become a Full Metal Mando and next to your society number and name you get the abbreviations FMM.
They fit well and after paint was applied they weathered beautifully with my butane torch. You’ll see in the image below (bottom picture) the well known “F” plate incorporated into these knees.
I’m still working on a solution to hold these up with my kit, because they are too heavy for the method I used with velcro for my ABS knees.
10/12/19 – Mark 3
Late September of this year I found I could get a pair of Mandalorian metal knees from the Warmaster’s Workshop for a very reasonable price after seeing a commission on his Facebook page. I went ahead and ordered a pair for myself as I am working towards FMM (Full Metal Mando). I am waiting for my helmet from Dresdon Acacin to be completed and only had my knees left.
It took a few weeks and shipped rather quickly. The knees are a little smaller than my Mark 1 ABS pair but still fit me.
I was able to get a few coats of paint on these knees despite the cold weather we have been having here in North Dakota. Unfortunately, I did get some runs/drips of paint.
The runs/drips worked out with the weathering I applied to the knees. Scraping most of it off with a flathead screwdriver and then the rest with an exacto knife.
The weathering actually worked well for the old scorches I had on my ABS knees (top image).
I then applied heat with my butane torch, to apply the same scorch mark as seen on my old ABS knees and the same method with my amour. The discolorations of the orange to yellow paint gave it a natural weathering as if a blaster bolt had skimmed over the surface of my knee.
The video above or seen HERE. Shows the heat giving that discoloration of the metal. It wouldn’t actually harm my beskar’gam or Beskar “Mandalorian” Iron because after all it is lightsaber proof.
After using the torch and when the knees had cooled down I used acetone to wipe away most of the yellow color; leaving it just around the edges of the blackened scorch mark.
Overall I am completely satisfied with this purchase and can’t wait to attach my old strapping (JB Weld) and start trooping in these knees.
Mandalorian Armour 