Matt H's Reach Carter Armor WIP (99% Complete!)

matth101 · Mar 19, 2011

Hey guys. I didn't want to start a thread til i had everything pepped, but wanted to get an opinion on sizing. I'm giving in to the norm and going for a Reach Carter build. Here's what I got so far

helmet by Ruze, torso by L3x, biceps by RunDown, forearms by Ruze. Also got Rhinoc's cod piece done but no pic of it with the rest of the armor yet.
Here's where I'm kinda stuck. I wanna know if my torso looks the right size on me

I feel like a noob for asking cause I should know by now, but I just really don't like rebuilding things LOL. My head won't fit through the opening with the collar but I wasn't going to use it anyways, I was gonna build a custom one around the wider opening.
Thanks in advance guys!! Got 2 weeks off, hope to make some good progress on the pep work with it!

Brandon McClain · Mar 19, 2011

Torso looks like it is scaled well. And the pepping looks good. Keep it up!

matth101 · Mar 19, 2011

thanks BM! My head barely squeezes through the opening so once its hardened i think im gona just trim the opening a little bit with my dremel and put a foam collar around it. Glad you think the scale is good cause I reaaallly didnt wanna redo it LOL!

BLACKULA727 · Mar 19, 2011

Looks really well scaled. I also second what Brandon said about your pepping skills. Nice job. I'm sure you will do a good job. good luck on the build!

Cjsuner · Mar 19, 2011

show off... already on a second suit.... im still on my first xD i have been really lazy, and lacking in a moral boost to get it done....
But anywayz! looks great, always jelous of good peppers (which i am not)! The scaling looks right on BTW!
Do you have any colors thought of yet? and how are you gonna harden it?

Mensrea Prod · Mar 19, 2011

Your pep looks great. Keep up the good work.

matth101 · Mar 19, 2011

Cjsuner said:
show off... already on a second suit.... im still on my first xD i have been really lazy, and lacking in a moral boost to get it done....
But anywayz! looks great, always jelous of good peppers (which i am not)! The scaling looks right on BTW!
Do you have any colors thought of yet? and how are you gonna harden it?

Dude. you dont give yourself enough credit, bud. You should go put in some hours on your suit, i was lookin forward to seeing your mk v done in that sick orange color!!!
anyways, I was thinking of giving it the same blue that Carpathia was putting on his build. http://www.405th.com/showthread.php...re-heavy!!)/page25?highlight=carpathia+carter. maybe something just a little bit lighter, but that looks pretty spot on for Carter's colors. Im gonna try to harden it with as little rondo as possible and go mostly with just fiberglass. Maybe just one VERY thin layer on the inside so I can sand through the outside and make some engraving details where I need it. It would be nice to have a light weight suit, that rondo really adds some weight!! plus im too cheap to get the smoothcast lol!

thorn696 · Mar 24, 2011

Cut the collar so that it only has the nubs in front and and the back part. You will need the back part of the collar for it to sit right. Then just add in you're foam for the rest. if you do this in pep form it will be allot easier. I'll also tell you to add the front supports the upper front was the only part that warped on me. congrats on you're 2nd suit by the way. I'll be looking forward to see how you do this one up.

matth101 · Jun 5, 2011

ok, so FINALLY I have a little update. All pieces are pepped and I just came inside from putting the first coat of resin on the bicep pieces. I forgot to take a pic of all the pieces but forgot, so hopefully i will do that tomorrow. Anyways, here's a parts list:

Helmet & attachment: Model by Ruze, getting a cast from the one and only Blackula!
Torso: L3X
Left Shoulder, Knife/Sheath, and Chest attachments (yet to be built, trying to not use pep on them...): Carpathia
Right Shoulder, Forearms, Handplates, Boot covers, TacPad: Ruze
Biceps, Thighs, Shins with FJ/PARA knees: Forged Reclaimer
Cod: RoadWarrior or Rhinoc. Still debating which one to go with, but whatever one I dont use I will use in another low def suit for my brother

Once my bicep pieces are cured with the resin I will line all the pieces up and take a pic

Seems like it has taken me forever to get everything pepped with my old job then a job change and a new dog.... but I'm stoked that I'm finally to the hardening stage!!!

biceps, shoulders, shins, forearms and boots curing in the nice weather today

matth101 · Jun 15, 2011

little update. all pieces are hardened except for the torso and handplates. No pictures because I had to run out the door on a call for work. While my pieces have been curing, I have been building this

Made it out of layers of 1/8" birch hobby plywood. Turned out better than I thought it would

I got the sheath put mostly together and it fits snuggly inside of it and should stay in place no problem. I'll lay all my parts out when I get home tomorrow and take a picture so I have a real update.

BLACKULA727 · Jun 15, 2011

Looking good my man! The knife looks fantastic.

matth101 · Jun 23, 2011

little update. I was gona put in a 9 hour day on this thing today but i took a branch to the eye yesterday while working outside so spent most the day at the eye doctor. Anyways, didn't do any work to the suit but the knife is drying and just needs to be assembled and detailed. I laid out my suit parts and took a couple pics though;

The helmet and torso are not the ones im using which is why they aren't hardened yet. Going to put together L3X's V4 torso he's putting out soon, and the helmet is coming from Blackula!!! Other than that, alll parts are almost done hardening. Doing an average of 4 layers of fiberglass mat per piece. The forearms and shins were hardened first with a VERY THIN layer of rondo; about a 75% resin to 25% bondo mix so it was sloshy and thin. They were then layered with 2 layers of fiberglass and they are ROCK SOLID and still lighter than a full-blown rondo piece of armor (maybe a tad bit heavier than a fiberglass piece with 4 layers of glass mat) I also drew out my detailing pattern for my forearms the other day.

Black parts will be raised with .080" styrene and the blue parts will be .125" styrene for different heights. (just realized i showed the crappy side of the forearm design, i'll fix that tomorrow when i get out to the rents place to do some work)
I'll get a pic of the knife once the clearcoat dries

Edit: here's the knife without the rivets, grip detail, or the bottom cap. The grip and sheath were sprayed with layers of plastidip; figured it may hold up to wear and tear better.

Starvinartist80 · Jun 23, 2011

Solid build man. Its obvious you've done this before. Looking forward to the finished product.

matth101 · Jul 13, 2011

well not much of a picture update. But here's where I'm at:

I...Hate...Bondo... >=( All the pieces except the torso and cod are in the bondo process because im going to redo those pieces. The forearms have most of the raised detail parts applied but may have to use cardboard or layers of bondo for the larger and more rounded parts instead of using heated styrene plastic. All parts are nice and round and smooth, so maybe one more application of bondo and I'll be ready to glaze and paint most the pieces. More pics in a couple days, no working for me cause my dog just got snipped and I have to keep him calm at my place for a couple days :-\

Edit: Ohhhh and I have to redo the knife too. While the clear coat on the blade was drying, somebody at my parents place stuck it in the sheath and it cured to the inside of the sheath and the tang broke off when i pulled it out! >=(

SpartanRogue1 · Jul 13, 2011

Dude this is awesome! You're making great progress, and that knife is pretty darn killer. From the pep stage on, its all looked really clean, and I can't wait to see it all with some bondo detailing on it!

Narn249 · Jul 13, 2011

very nice, looking forward to finished product. Keep up the good work.

nesbitt101 · Jul 13, 2011

This looks great. Keep up the good work.

Cjsuner · Jul 13, 2011

lookin great so far!
I think today, i shall put on my MK. V, finally, for the first time =D

Shade88 · Jul 13, 2011

Looking great matth101! How goes your Mk V?

leacan360 · Jul 13, 2011

hey, just a reminder: dont forget the blood-wells on the knife, i didnt see them but that little extra detail goes a long way. looks amazing cant wait to see it finished
Alex

Matt H's Reach Carter Armor WIP (99% Complete!)

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