Okay, here we go. First timer Mk VI suit.

Strychnine · Nov 24, 2010

Alright. I've hassled with a few questions, done a painful amount of reading, pepped 5 forearms before getting it right, and off we go.

This is the chest, Low-Def from Robogenesis with a second coat of resin. I've never pepped or anything else before, so this is all new to me. I started with the chest, but I went low-def. My plan is as my experience grows I can slowly replace piece by piece with better ones as my experience grows and eventually have a second set of better-done armor.

The same chest, rondo on the inside. If you look at the second picture I'm holding it up to the sun and looking in through the neck hole. It looks rather thin in places, doesn't it? I'm assuming I'm going to need a thicker coat.

Forearms, pepped, rondo'd and... slightly warped around the cuff, as you can see. Meh. I'm hoping I can fix it with bondo, but having no experience with it... well. We'll see, right? These are FlyingSquirrel's medium def forearms.

And lastly one bicep and one shin, with one coat of resin on it. Lowdef bicep from Robogenesis and Highdef shin from Crackhead09.

Anyways, today I'll be putting together some easy MrOreo123 peps for sizing the remaining pieces. It's getting cold outside and harder to rondo and such, but I'm trying to keep everything heated up and... well. There you have it. Progress ahoy, I hope.

AI Blue Fox · Nov 24, 2010

nice. Personally I wouldn't make a low def chest and keep it as my finished product. I would first make something low def, then make it again in high def after I got practice with the low def one. I would then keep a low def one as a pioneer piece. this means that it goes through all the stages a step ahead of everything else so that you know what will happen before you try it on the final product.

Strychnine · Nov 24, 2010

AI Blue Fox said:
nice. Personally I wouldn't make a low def chest and keep it as my finished product. I would first make something low def, then make it again in high def after I got practice with the low def one. I would then keep a low def one as a pioneer piece. this means that it goes through all the stages a step ahead of everything else so that you know what will happen before you try it on the final product.

Y'know since I'm going to have to saw through the bloody thing as well, that's not a bad idea. I'd certaintly feel better about cutting through one before I cut through another. I just wish I could get my shoulders/head into it to see how it sat on me so that I could make any last-minute adjustments to it before I made a hi-def version.

Maybe I just ought to cut through it now just so I can put it on and see how it goes. I can still practice bondo on the front/back halves with it split, I suppose. Food for thought...

In any case, I pepped a version of the thigh. It fits just above my knee before it's too tight to go any further. I think it sits just about perfect where it is, but the problem is I doubt I'd get it that high with underarmor pants on (I did it wearing just boxer briefs, thus no images. I don't want to hurt anyone's retinas) so I suppose I'll add a couple CM and widen it out a bit to make a better fit and give the hi-def version a go.

vshore100 · Nov 24, 2010

Since you already have the chest resined and rondoed, go ahead and slice it down the sides. It should be fine if you decide to add another coat of rondo. Use the natural lines of the model to hide your cut lines, that way once you attach it back together, it will be barely noticeable, if at all. Good luck with your progress, you're off to a great start!

dmango · Nov 24, 2010

Thats a good idea replacing the parts when you make them higher defenition. I like how you have the stands set up, i didnt have that. Just one thing, the tape on the outside, if you resin over it, it bulges out. Id recomend either taking it off before you resin. I learned from going through that myself and i ended up taking it off after a coat or 2 of resin and it left an unsmooth area for me to try and sand out. It looks good so far though!!

Strychnine · Nov 24, 2010

Alright. Wow, a cople posts in and I'm getting awesome advice. I'm going to give the cutting a go. Cutting wheel with the ole dremel I guess?

Also, the tape was on after the resin, to hold the rondo in where there was slight gapping from my inexpert pepping. All that frame is is t-joints and connections of pvc from home depot.

Whew. Cutting upcoming then. Nervous/excited...

AI Blue Fox · Nov 24, 2010

What method are you using for pepping? I use hot glue and pen marks for my folds. believe it or not, pepping goes faster when you take the time to mark all the mountain folds with black/blue pen and all the Vally folds with red pen.

Roadkiller · Nov 24, 2010

Strychnine said:
... but I went low-def. My plan is as my experience grows I can slowly replace piece by piece with better ones as my experience grows and eventually have a second set of better-done armor...

This is what I have done. I've already completed the low-def suit and am enjoying going to cons, parades, gaming days, etc.

Meanwhile I can be as fussy as I want while I make replacement high-def pieces. And in the end, you have two complete costumes. I plan on having a friend or relative wear the low-def armour to a con and we'll go as 'red vs blue'!

Good luck, your work looks good so far.

Strychnine · Nov 24, 2010

AI Blue Fox said:
What method are you using for pepping? I use hot glue and pen marks for my folds. believe it or not, pepping goes faster when you take the time to mark all the mountain folds with black/blue pen and all the Vally folds with red pen.

I've been doing the same myself. I spent a lot of time reading and popping around on here before starting, or even posting. It works out well so far, but at times I suppose I just didn't have everything lined up perfectly. Here's the experience.

Also, I'm kind of excited, actually, about ending up with two suits. My wife, I've been thinking about doing a foam Kat once I'm done, but having an extra MC she could be might be fun as well, as she's not too terribly smaller than me; I guess the bonus of being a shorter/smaller guy.

Strychnine · Nov 24, 2010

Well, moving on. I pepped a fitter gauntlet plate from MrOreo123, and... not sure if it's sized where i want it to be or not. Seems like it may just be a bit far over the knuckle/past the wrist, but I'm not entirely certain how the fitment there is supposed to be. I wonder about how it'll be as far as bumping into the forearm...

Gforce598 · Nov 24, 2010

nice work thus far however I can really see one purpose for low def parts and that would be to use to get scale correct. I myself went for the high def stuff from the beginning. I am fairly happy with the results on my first piece which was my helmet and will redo it eventually and by then it should be flawless as my torso section is better than my helemt as far as pep goes. I think there is simply too much time invested into finishing one piece to not be happy with it in the end, not to mention the expense of the materials used are the same weather it be high or low def. Unless like I say the low def part is only used to scale correct and test fit ect. Check out my progress and let me know what you guys think

Keep up the good work. Later, Gforce598
http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/29219-This-is-my-first-Mark-VI-build-so-far-let-me-know-what-you-think-so-far.-)

Swift · Nov 24, 2010

Looking great so far! TO help stop the warping of cylindrical bits like the forearms, I glued a support on one end and stuffed the part to the brim with plastic bags, then glued another support on the opposite side to keep them in. This will help keep it's shape, and there was almost no warping for me when I did this with my forearm.

For the handplate, It's meant to stop just before your wrist and only just cover your knuckles, judging from my reference pics: http://reparent.blog.uvm.edu/images/masterchief.jpg

Good luck

gaj2714 · Nov 24, 2010

lookin good my friend.. ahh i Remember the days of my first Mark VI build lol

Reign · Nov 24, 2010

Looks great so far, man. I wouldn't worry about that warping too much at all; it looks like you will be able to fix it with bondo. Awesome pepping so far and I can't wait to see more and a detailed/painted piece

Agent Arizona · Nov 24, 2010

Remember, these are video game physics here, they dont work in the real world. Just because its that size does not mean its practical to make it that size. If you look at the picture if he moves his forearm up it will hit the bicep and his other arm, the forearm and bicep are meshing together. It may be best to make it slightly smaller for the best movement unless you want a game accurate suit.

Strychnine · Nov 28, 2010

Well, time for another update. I got a lot done, but... simultaneously, kinda didn't. Dumb holiday, bad sizing, all that.

I've been busy since my last post. You can see two handplates that still seem just slightly too big for me. Damn these tiny hands!! I'm like that guy on the Burger King commercial. The space diaper was way too small. I barely got it to my knees. Big thighs for my size, but even just eyeballing the waist of it, it's never gonna fit, so that's going to need a redo.

First dry run of the boot from MrOreo123. There's a lot of space around my ankle, which I suppose is understandable, and just needing some padding...

But even slipping my shoe in there leaves a TON of empty space that I can't imagine is right. Right?

My shoe is almost swallowed even without the toe-section of the boot put into the game.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v401/IPlayWithBlocks/?action=view&current=IMG_20101128_151123.jpg

BUT! I did get a completed thigh, and the helmet as seen below, which fits great even on the first try, which is nice, for once. This is MrOreo123's piece also, and it actually has more detail than I thought it would, so I think I'm going to stick with this pep for my final build, just to save some time and get things going forward.

In any case, thanks for all your suggestions, taking the time to read my progress, and generally keeping me motivated.

Strychnine · Nov 28, 2010

Double post, but...whew. Got a good-fitting hand plate and diaper, so I'm feeling somewhat better. Jolly good! More to come. I think tomorrow I'll be cutting my tester chest and see how my sizing is going.

chitwood1775 · Nov 28, 2010

That looks fantastic! I have just started my Mark VI tonight. I am taking the advice here and starting low def as a sizing reference. i have only finished my hand plate and it very clearly needs to be downsized. will make a photo bucket and post pics when i make something that fits properly...

Strychnine · Nov 30, 2010

Hey, I got work done! First off I sawed through that chest piece. I'm glad it was a tester...

Because it's small! The sides won't quite join around my body, so I either lose 15lbs in a month, or I make a larger size next time I go HD with it. Damn... I hope the next one fits though...

In any case, also, continued to resin my first shin and made a quickie hotbox since it's getting too damn cold.

Also got the first bit of resin on the thigh and helmet. Not pictured is a second coat on the bicep too.

Whew. Moving right along, huh?

Toacrabman · Nov 30, 2010

the handplates should cover your knuckle, but not overlap it, and the wrist will have the sides going past your wrist, and the middle touching if you put your hand really far back

Okay, here we go. First timer Mk VI suit.

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