I started with the kabuto. First, I added the hachi, or cabasset, as it is sometimes translated:



Then, the shikoro, the armored skirt which protects the neck:



This takes a long time, as each "layer" has to harden before I can add the next. There may be a faster way, but I have four helmets done at this point, so that experiment is pushed back for now. Next, the maedate and fukigaeshi:



The maedate is purely decorative, and not all helmets had them. The fukigaeshi on early kabuto were much, much larger, but by the Warring States period, which I'm using as the basis for this project, they had shrunk down to the size you see here.

I apparently didn't take any photos of the chest pieces. I pulled out the rotary tool and grounded off the eagles and skulls and whatnot. Two of them I left smooth, and on two others I sculpted on some decorative lacing. After gluing the torso to the legs, I added the kusazuri, or armored skirt:



In previous interations, I just glued the plastic directly to the model, but this time I added some lacing to show how the kusazuri are suspended trom the do, as well as add some movement by changing the angle at which they hang.

After taking these photos, I did some work on the arms, and added a scabbard and obi (belt). I hope I can have those parts ready to share tonight. This first guy is taking a long time, but the next few should go faster now that I have a sense of what I need to do.