Spartan-IV Armor build & undersuit

Hey all,

This is my second attempt at making Spartan armor. First one I got through a few paper pieces when I realized that resining and such in a small apartment in Boston while living with the girlfriend and dog wasn't a great idea. So I aborted it. But I'm back (same apartment), but going to try foam armor instead since that seems to be a little more lung-friendly. And any painting/sealing that'll be done will just happen at parent's place in NY.

Anyways, I'm starting to make a Spartan-IV armor build with an undersuit to go with it. While the armor build will still be new territory for me, sewing the undersuit is a bit more at home since I've made a ton of different costumes in the past, mostly historical related. Here's an example. And another. In short: dudes can sew, too. It's not as scary as one thinks.

I just ordered the EVA foam, so while I wait for that to come in I started on the undersuit. I get into a lot more detail on the blog I started to chronicle this project but here are the highlights:

Grabbed some screen caps of what the Spartan-IV undersuit looks like...



...and then came up with a rough design for the undersuit.



(I found the original image on 405th but I can't remember the poster. I just whitened over what they had so I had a fresh template to use. Their design was great though.)

My sketch isn't nearly as pretty looking as LilTyrant's computer sketch, but it gets the idea across.

The Spartan-IV undersuit is a bit different than previous Halo undersuits -- different texture and actual color instead of all black.

Then I used some tape to mark up my Me-shape dressform...



...created the basic pattern pieces, zipped it through the sewing machine and voila -- a mock up is born.



The mock up material is the same fabric I'll be using for the base layer but in different color. Mock up doesn't show any of the arm detail either. Faux leather and tool mesh will probably round out the fabric choices.

It fits perfectly but the neck needs work. It's not high enough and doesn't stand up well. I'm hoping adding the zipper and tool mesh will stiffen it and help but the neck might be a trial & error process, so stay tuned for how that'll turn out.

Currently waiting for the fabric sample swatches to come in to finalize color shades and such. And EVA foam is in the mail, too. So I'm playing a bit of the waiting game while I work on the undersuit pants.

Again, this is just the highlights. If you want to get into more details, jump over to http://torolf024.wordpress.com. I'm going to keep this thread updated, of course, but didn't want to bore folks with the step-by-step sewing stuff unless they really are interested.

Look forward to hearing what folks think. This'll be a fun project, I think.

Update on the undersuit. Last few days I started working on the pants. Of course, Spartan pants are really just tights. And the fact that I decided to use some green fabric as my test fabric had me feeling like Peter Pan. I also sang "Men in Tights" to my own amusement. Anyways, since the only pants I've made in the past have been baggy 17th century breeches, doing form-fitting pants/tights was adventurous. Despite my love for medieval and Renaissance swordplay, I don't own tights. I do, however, own a nice warm pair of UnderArmor ColdGear which are close enough. They're form fitting and stretchy. They made a perfect stencil for my pattern.



I tossed them on some rolled out paper, outlined half of the front and half of the back -- make sure to leave enough room in the butt and crotch -- and the end result was Spartan tight pattern.



And a test fitting proved successful as it hugs but not in an uncomfortable way. There's room where there needs to be but it's still form fitting enough that there's no excess sagging anywhere to ruin the effect. After that, I started working on the outer leg protection bit and the hip armor. While wearing the Spartan tights, I had my girlfriend draw the outer leg design in a water soluble pen. When we got the shape we liked she drew over it in sharpie. After that I started working on the hip protection. It looks like in past armor that was sort of part of the codpiece-belt combo but Spartan-IV armor is a little more minimalistic in the hip area for better movement. Of course, Spartans need some hip armor. So there's that horseshoe bit at the top of the outer leg.



I donned my Peter Pan Spartan tights once more and measure the top of the outer leg design since other reference pics I used show that the horseshoe armor extends the length of it. For me, it came to 6" wide. I then started drafting a pattern for it and came up with this:



Close enough for a start. I plan on making this out of the same EVA foam I'm using for the outer armor. We'll see how that goes. Anyways, I cut out the pattern piece to see how it worked with the pants and it seems like it might work out ok. Here's what the pattern piece looks like pinned.



Also started working on the upper knee protection. No pics of how the pattern looks with the pants I made but here's a pic of the pattern I drafted for it.



I'll probably make it out of leather, I suspect.

That's all for now. I get into more how-to details on the pants and such at my project blog, for those interested. Fabric swatches should come in soon so I can finalize colors and the EVA foam should roll in anywhere between Thursday and Tuesday.

Let me know what you think so far.

Looks like you have a really good plan and are off to a good start.

Very impressive work so far! Your project gives me (I can sew but never took much time with it) a boost of confidence for the undersuit I plan on making. I'll be following this thread closely.

Spartan_127 said:

Looks like you have a really good plan and are off to a good start.

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Thanks. It all starts with a plan, right?

Ghost01 said:

Very impressive work so far! Your project gives me (I can sew but never took much time with it) a boost of confidence for the undersuit I plan on making. I'll be following this thread closely.

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Awesome. Looking forward to how you make your undersuit as well. A good undersuit goes a long way, I think. If you know the basics you can get pretty far with the undersuit. It's adding stuff like the leathery armor bits here and there that's a bit more complicated. I'm going to do it like I've done applique stuff in the past. I learned that via the Internet so it's not the worst thing to learn. Just takes practice.

Armor Update

So I got some more work done this week. The fabric swatches came in and I love the royal blue that the vendor has so I'll probably go with that. Their mesh is good in that it stretchy but the holes are super tiny. That's great if I was doing Reach, but I was hoping for medium sized holes to imitate the honeycomb texture of the Spartan-IV undersuit. I know a place that has the right size mesh but it doesn't stretch, so I might be looking a little more. We'll see.

But I kept working on designing the detail bits of the undersuit. Early in the week I designed a pattern for the elbow, basing it off of Mike Loh/Uratz underarmor pattern.



It extends from upper forearm to low tricep. Each section will be layered on one another to some degree. Plan on doing this in black leather/vinyl.

And in other exciting news, my EVA foam came in so I was able to actually start the armor build itself. I've never used EVA foam before so this weekend was a little bit of an adventure for me and the girlfriend. We decided to work on the tailbone/butt armor pack. I was going to try to turn one of the Pepakura files into a foam file but even after using the "paper to foam" tricks I learned online there was no way that was going to work, so I drafted my own template. Here's what I was aiming for:



And here's the end result:



I'm happy with how it came out considering this is my first foam piece and I had to draft the sucker myself. And like the game this tapers as you get toward the bottom of the piece.



I get into a more "How To" on the butt piece in my blog post, for those wanting more insight into the process.

I think the handguard and knees are next. I figure starting off with the smaller, simpler bits are better so my skills will be (hopefully) ready for the chest and helmet later on. I'm not sure if I'm going to use EVA foam for hand guard or craft foam with cardboard sandwiched in there. My EVA is 1/2" thick which seems a little too thick for hard protection but we'll see. Might experiment.

Thoughts and ideas are always welcomed.

i can already tell this will be one of those builds that just amaze me with awesomeness

looking awesome so far! Love builds that have their own undersuit

I grabbed these just for the same reason. I also have started my own spartan 4 undersuit. Hope these help.

Here is the Back, well a lot of backs.


Here is a good shot of arms and legs
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I think you already have this one


I kind of looks like the Spartan IVs are more about the undersuit than the outer armor. In comparison to previous games, the outer armor doesn't cover very much of their bodies.

Annanymous said:

looking awesome so far! Love builds that have their own undersuit

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Me, too! And for me making the undersuit will be easier.

eliteslayer032 said:

i can already tell this will be one of those builds that just amaze me with awesomeness

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Appreciate it. Time will tell.

drunation said:

I kind of looks like the Spartan IVs are more about the undersuit than the outer armor. In comparison to previous games, the outer armor doesn't cover very much of their bodies.

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Haha I grabbed those same stills actually but yours are much clearer than mine. Thanks. And I agree, Spartan-IV is all about the underarmor and showing what's underneath. I'm probably not going to segment my undersuit as much, though, as it'll drive me insane. Gonna find the right balance of detail and not losing my hair.

Let me know how your suit goes. I'd love to follow the progress.

At least 60% of their bodies is still covered in armor, not that much less compared to the Reach Mark IV. Basically a little more space around the elbows, knees, and no belt piece on the torso.

vargatom said:

At least 60% of their bodies is still covered in armor, not that much less compared to the Reach Mark IV. Basically a little more space around the elbows, knees, and no belt piece on the torso.

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Biggest thing for the undersuit for me will be how much can I cover up without needing to do details that won't be visible.

Looking forward to more of your progress theTavernKnight

Morphine said:

Biggest thing for the undersuit for me will be how much can I cover up without needing to do details that won't be visible.

Looking forward to more of your progress theTavernKnight

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Ha yea that's my look at it, too. Spartan-IV undersuit has like a 100 segmentations to it. I'd lose my hair if I tried sewing in every last detail. So I'm aiming for hitting the major ones that'll be visible and letting the rest slide. I'm more concentrated on the overall look than any one specific piece.

Quick Update:

Last night I worked on handguards. I wasn't blown away by any of the ones offered in Halo 4 MP, so I decided to work on my own. I was watching a bit of Batman: The Animated Series, so that maaaay have had a little influence on the design. I can't confirm or deny the rumors.



I decided to make it strictly out of craft foam since my EVA foam is 1/2" thick and I wanted this guard to be a few layers. I didn't want 1.5" thick hangauard nor did I want to cut the EVA foam depth-wise to make it thinner. Heck, I didn't want 1/2" handguard. So I did 4 layers of craft foam -- one base layer, one secondary, and two for the top layer. I though I might've needed to add in some cardboard to stiffen it but the four layers actually is pretty good. It's got some flex to it but it's got structure still.

Here's the end result with the glove I'll be using:




I may add in some detail designs to this. I'm not sure what it'd be though, so that wouldn't come until later.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Always appreciated.

More on the project blog.

Was looking into starting my own build of a spartan IV myself. Glad Ill be able to follow this and get some help and maybe some input lol. Very excited to see this progress as this was one of my big questions on building a suit.

Great job so far..Keep it up.. I thought this might help with your under suit.


Sorry to post this in a few threads but I though it could be useful.
hi res http://i.imgur.com/eNCj5.jpg


-James-

DigitalCantina said:

Was looking into starting my own build of a spartan IV myself. Glad Ill be able to follow this and get some help and maybe some input lol. Very excited to see this progress as this was one of my big questions on building a suit.

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Awesome, dude. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. If you have any questions on what I'm doing don't hesitate to ask. I'll answer the best I can.

James_005 said:

Great job so far..Keep it up.. I thought this might help with your under suit.

Sorry to post this in a few threads but I though it could be useful.
hi res http://i.imgur.com/eNCj5.jpg


-James-

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I saw this, James, and instantly saved it to my computer. Haha. I also added it to my project blog, giving you full credit, etc. It's really great work you did. I'm probably not going to get as detailed on my undersuit since most of it will be covered anyways but this is a great reference for things that will be visible. Thanks for making this.

Update Time
So this week was pretty productive. First off I made the hand guards that I posted about earlier. And then on Weds. I worked on the Recon ab plate armor. Here's the template I created:



And here's the foam version:



I created a ditch on the back of the plate so when I bent the top piece back I'd have room for the foam to fold into itself. Using a heat gun was also helpful in getting the right shape. Of course, I forgot that by curving foam it loses a little distance, so it's about half an inch too short in relation to the area it needs to cover. So I might go back and redo this but for now I think it's good to go. More details on the blog.

I think the cod piece is next up on the "to do" list followed by the hip armor. With those finished I'll have the entire mid-section of the suit complete and can move onto the bigger pieces.

As for the undersuit, still looking for outter fabric I'll be happy with. The hunt continues. Not looking for 100% screen accuracy, just enough to get the idea across.

Thanks, guys.

In terms of the under armor pieces I may have an idea (and it may be real dumb please forgive my ignorance of sewing) But what if you start with strechy breathable fabric, then cut out the armor pieces out of soft foam or padding in the armor shape then take some more fabric and sew over it so it looks like its a part of the suit? That way it still looks like the under armor is there but it will stretch and bend as needed.

I agree with DigitalCantina. I was thinking about starting a halo 4 armor build in the near future and would need to do an under suit too. Digital read my mind I had the same fabric and foam detail idea but I also wasn't sure how it would turn out. I've also read alot of threads where people are passing ideas back and forth about how to get a hex pattern onto the suit. While replacing the carpet in my basement with hard wood last weekend I had to lay down some thin eva underlay and noticed how easily it could be marked with a shape and little force so I thought, couldn't I take a sheet of hex patterned wire mesh and push it into a thin eva sheet leaving the sheet with a hex pattern then use that for the suit detailing. I've still been meaning to try this idea, but just another thought if you were looking for a hex pattern. Can't wait to see your under suit done.

JAKEX6 i was thinking the exact same thing about using a mesh pattern on a thin piece of foam. The only problem i can forsee is how breathable the foam would be.

I love the progress on this thread. Everything looks great. I will definitely use your thread as a referance point when i tackle my spartan 4.

+1 subscribed

DigitalCantina said:

In terms of the under armor pieces I may have an idea (and it may be real dumb please forgive my ignorance of sewing) But what if you start with strechy breathable fabric, then cut out the armor pieces out of soft foam or padding in the armor shape then take some more fabric and sew over it so it looks like its a part of the suit? That way it still looks like the under armor is there but it will stretch and bend as needed.

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JAKEX6 said:

I agree with DigitalCantina. I was thinking about starting a halo 4 armor build in the near future and would need to do an under suit too. Digital read my mind I had the same fabric and foam detail idea but I also wasn't sure how it would turn out. I've also read alot of threads where people are passing ideas back and forth about how to get a hex pattern onto the suit. While replacing the carpet in my basement with hard wood last weekend I had to lay down some thin eva underlay and noticed how easily it could be marked with a shape and little force so I thought, couldn't I take a sheet of hex patterned wire mesh and push it into a thin eva sheet leaving the sheet with a hex pattern then use that for the suit detailing. I've still been meaning to try this idea, but just another thought if you were looking for a hex pattern. Can't wait to see your under suit done.

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Frozensnot said:

JAKEX6 i was thinking the exact same thing about using a mesh pattern on a thin piece of foam. The only problem i can forsee is how breathable the foam would be.

I love the progress on this thread. Everything looks great. I will definitely use your thread as a referance point when i tackle my spartan 4.

+1 subscribed

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Thanks, guys. Appreciate it!

For the undersuit I'm using breathable material for 90% of the suit if not more. With the armor's ability to get as warm as it does I want the undersuit to help keep me relatively cool. My idea is thin, breathable stretchy material and then layer some sort of mesh on top of that and maybe leather/vinyl added here and there where I feel it's needed (like knees, back of leg, elbow, etc). I found a stretchy mesh online but the holes are smaller than I'd like. Then I found another mesh/netting fabric that has bigger holes and a more honeycomb like shape.



The downside is that it doesn't stretch. This is what that mesh would look with the stretchy under material:



Could be good. If only it stretched! *shakes fist* I need to talk to my girlfriend who's much more experienced in sewing/costuming for some other ideas.

I'm staying away from a foam undersuit for a few reasons. One being the heating issue I mentioned. The foam isn't going to breath at all. Even a light foam might get too warm if you use a lot of it. The second being that I want to be able to move well. A foam undersuit will be like moving as the Stay Puft marshmellow man suit, I think, depending on how much of it you use and its thickness. The third reason being it's really hard to make a good looking muscle suit. And that's what I feel like using the foam as the undersuit would be. These guys are ripped because they're genetically enhanced super soldiers, which is why they fill out the suit the way they do. The closest I can get to looking like that is hitting up the gym and hoping I turn into Hugh Jackman, haha. I feel like trying to make myself look bigger via the suit would look awkward and artificial. So, that's why I'm staying away from that and doing something simpler, but it's not the only way of going about it, of course, so do what you works for you. For me: breathability and motion are more important than 100% screen accuracy. I'm aiming for getting the general idea across. Again, that's me and I don't want to discourage people from experimenting with their ideas. That's the beauty of 405!

However, I will use foam for things like the hip padding and I might do a shoulder/edge of the collar bone armor.. maybe. It depends on how things look and if I feel like there's a weird gap between the chest and shoulder. But everything else will be stretch rayon, mesh and leather/vinyl (used sparingly)

If you guys go the foam undersuit route, please let me know how it goes, send pics, etc. It'd be interested in seeing how it turns out.

Edit: Here are my other current fabric options

1) Athletic Mesh over stretchy rayon




2) Original small hole tool mesh over stretchy rayon




Thoughts?

I've subscribed to your thread. Your research for the undersuit is top notch and your foam is pretty good too.

I've been going over the undersuit conundrum myself (but for an ODST), I gotta say the first, non-strech material looks pretty good and same with the larger holed stretch one. The tinier holes might actually work out great for my odst Dare's shoulders on the shoulders and legs.

Beyond that, keep up the good work

MSgt

P.S. @1600 GMT:

I found these sites that sell jersey fabric for sports teams.
jersey fabric place option 1
and
jersey fabric place option 2

not sure where you are exactly but these sites may help. I'm going with one for some of the underarmour on my ODST