Starting Spartan Mk. V project

OK Guys/Gals, this is my post #2 after introducing myself like the n00b video said and I've been browsing these forums for quite a while now. I started doing a Mk. VI build a few months ago, I fiberglassed the torso, and thought to myself "Wait a minute.... I haven't even PLAYED Halo 3!!!" LOL so I set that project aside and started looking in to Mk. V builds because Halo: CE is one of my favorite games ever

Anyways.... Here's my plan. I have about a day and a half per week to work on this thing because my job has me all over the country most of the month. I just started working on this thing a couple weeks ago so all-in-all I have put about 3 or 4 days in to it. I used the MOZ pep files cause they're all that there is for the Mk. V right? I have the body pepped and resined and I'm waiting on the helmet for when the body is completely done (like I've seen many of the veteran members recommend...).
Here's my work so far (minus the stomach piece cause I forgot to include it in the pic LOL)



I think I did a pretty good job scaling the model. I am 5"11" 195lbs with an athletic build. It's a little wider than I am but it's just for the picture so imagine smaller gaps between armor. I know the legs and shins need to be spaced out a little more but that's just a screw up on my part laying them out. I spent a while making supports out of cardboard and reinforcing pieces that would most likely warp with cardboard as well. Oh, and I'm using a Mk. VI belt cause the V is boring (and yes, it needs to be a little wider...). How does it look?

SO.. here's my plan (I posted this on the backup site while 405th was down).

I have an idea of cutting off the black armor pieces from the inner portions of the bicep pieces, the cuffs of the gauntlets, bottom portions of the shins, top of the torso, and most of the thigh pieces and attaching black fabric covered neoprene. Not very thick neoprene, maybe something like 2mm or 3 mm like what a thick surf-shirt would be made of. Also, I was going to attach the stomach piece to the chest with neoprene. I figured this would allow the pieces to stretch and comform to my body shape, be less bulky while wearing the armor, the armor pieces would rub against each other less, and allow for a snug fit. Of course I am still going to use straps and foam padding on the inside. What do you think? Anybody done this?

For the helmet, I am going to do the RunDown version of the Mk. V. I have it mostly pepped. My idea is to complete and fiberglass the helmet, and then cut away the rear black portion of the helmet so it is 2 pieces, and then reattach it with thin bungie or elastic straps so i would be kind of sealed in to the helmet and not have to cut away a lot of the bottom portion of the helmet OR have too big of a scale so it would be either too cut away or too big. THOUGHTS??

My last idea is for the boots. I haven't seen any Mk. V's on here with boot covers (maybe a bad search??) I test fitted the boots and they fit PERFECTLY over the boots im going to use for this armor project. I plan on fiberglassing the OUTSIDE (so i don't lose the perfect fit) and then putting a ton of bondo over them to make them look good, cut them in half on the black detail lines, and attaching them together with a hinge so they can move freely and not lift up after i attach them to the boots. THOUGHTS??

OH. and I plan on doing LED lights in the thighs, biceps, chest, back, AND helmet!!! I'm going all out!! LOL

Don't mean to make such a long 2nd post, but hey, I've been trying to put some research in to this and not be such a n00b and it's something I've been thinking about for a while. Any help, suggestions, tips, etc would be cool. I have 2 weeks off starting next week and I want to get some work done on this.

Thanks everyone!!

if you need any help ask away

will do RVB!! How does that plan sound? besides what you told me on the backup forum. anybody else?

Looking good so far.

i would fiber glass the inside, not bondo the outside (it chips off) and only attach the armor(O.D. part) to the shoe or boot via hot glue/shoe goop (walmart in shoe dept.) and Chicago screws or bolts (local hardware store)i didn't even use the black part. later nooby_dooby_doo.

ok. i just didn't want to glass the inside of the boot piece cause it fits so perfectly right now. if i did fiberglass the outside, is there anything else to cover the fiberglass besides bondo that would be stronger and not chip off like you say?

cant help you there, sorry i used cardboard and metal for my boots so no bondo for me

anybody else? yay? nay?

pretty good, i am trying to finish my halo armor projects, but i don't have enough time and you're travling around the country and you still pretty much finished your halo armor, man this sucks for me, lol

Very nice work! I can't wait to see this work progress.

haha thanks guys. what do you think of the ideas of neoprene pieces/strapping and 2 piece helmet??

also how many layers of glass would be adequate for each piece? I was thinking of using cloth for the first layer so i could get a good flat bond of the glass to the paper and then maybe mat after that. I just got my schedule for next month. 12 days off at the beginning of the month, so I want to go to town on this project for a few days and see what i can do!!

looks nice. good luck with your build

ok I got my schedule and I got 12 days off beginning monday, so I'm gonna hit this thing hard for a few days. Im gona lay a layer of fiberglass down and go over it with Rondo on all the pieces. Is that a good technique or should I just put down multiple layers of fiberglass?? I don't care about it being super light, I can handle a heavy suit LOL

i fiber glass it once and rondo or i just rondo (mud) glass it once

ok I just got home from the work place. I fiberglassed my first pieces, and I gave in and rondo slushed the inside of my helmet. I got the cod piece, stomach/kidney piece, and most of the torso fiberglassed. I ran in to a problem though. Some of the fiberglass separated from the paper while it was curing and I ended up with those bubbles beneath the fiberglass. How do you get rid of those? I was thinking just carve a hole in it and fill it with resin after it cures fully. Would that work. I also plan on going over the inside of every piece with Rondo after they are glassed just for extra strength. Don't care if it's heavy, i can handle the weight lol! I'll take some pictures when I'm out working on the suit tomorrow. Any pointers for fixing the bubbles in the fiberglass?

matth101 said:

also how many layers of glass would be adequate for each piece? I was thinking of using cloth for the first layer so i could get a good flat bond of the glass to the paper and then maybe mat after that. I just got my schedule for next month. 12 days off at the beginning of the month, so I want to go to town on this project for a few days and see what i can do!!

Click to expand...

2 to 3 layers of fiberglass for things like the helmet, arm pieces, basically anything that won't get a whole lot of stress. 4-6 layers for the more "stressed" pieces, like the COD, boots, shins, chest, that sort of thing.

Is it just me, or does your COD piece look a little small? Remember that the Spartans had ridiculously thin waists, so you'll have to scale up the COD piece in order to get it around your hips. Unless, of course, you are really that skinny. And if you are, you should probably consider putting on a few pounds.

hah! i do know that the cod is skinny. I used the low def Mk VI cod which doesnt have support struts inside and i made them a little too short, but i fixed that. I got a 44" chest and a 34" waist so its definitely not the proportion of a spartan! Heading out to the work spot in a little bit, i'll try to post some photo updates later today.

OK finally putting out a little update. Got my helmet, chest, biceps, stomach, and cod's glassed/rondo'ed, sanded, and ready for detailing on the outside. Here's a pic from yesterday.

Sorry it kinda sucks, I'll try to get better ones today.

Didn't get a shot of the cod cause it was curing from the final layer of glass. Today I'm going to finish glassing the thighs and start bondoing the chest, maybe even get it cut in half by the end of the day. Any tips on where to cut the bottom part of the chest?
Also, I used some Bondo-Glass on the thin pieces of the chest and helmet just as re-enforcement, and the stuff is solid as a rock!!! Anybody else use this stuff?

More updates later hopefully!

Looking good! Yes. Keep posting more updates.