Documenting Okina Matara's Reach Spartan armor, v2.0 *Pic Heavy*

[MataraOkina]

Hey there again, everyone!

Okina here with the start of my new Mark V (B) kit. I've been diligently working on a new kit, and have been busy trying ti figure out the best ways to do what pieces. My old kit was what I regularly used in Reach the multiplayer/campaign. Unfortunately my machine doesn't have the specs to be able to run infinite, so I've been mostly playing MCC to get myself hyped.

As I mentioned in my intro post, I have made a kit before, albeit it was 10 years ago, my first foam armor build, and I had no idea what I was doing. Here's a picture of it for reference to compare the new armor to the old one.

I have a 3d printer with a big print volume (300mm×300mm×400mm) so I've been planning to 3d print some props, the helmet, and possibly some of the armor pieces, as well as anything elss I can fit on it. First things first, the helmet. My beloved T-visored CQB helmet.

I found the file for this on here a little whole ago, (I think it was TurboCharizard's file?) And after some trial and error to resize ito to my head shape, I finally finished printing all four parts. My only concern is the greeblies on the upper part of the cheek weren't on the file, as you can see here:

I gotta figure out something else to put there. Alternatively, just leave them out and start putting paint on it. Thoughts?

Moving right along, I have already printed out an M45 and a magnum, albeit I already epoxied the M45 together so magnetizing it is probably out of the question unless I reprint it, and the magnum is a bit small, but i I can make it work. I got the M45 files from Aguilar Workshop, and the Magnum files I found on Cults3d. (Pay no mind to the Tyranid foam trays behind)

That's when I found the files for the perfect companion piece to help mirror my original. The Reach DMR!

I printed just the grip between helmet prints to make sure it fit my hand and wasn't too small like the M45 was on the initial print, and it came out perfect. (Also, my cat Yeehaw says hello!)

This is the exploded model from the guy who made it's website:

My plan is to put some magnets into the spots circles in red to see if it'll hold up when attached to the back of the chest piece. Seeing as how the model, when fully printed, will only be about 1.1kg, and fairly hollow (the grip was printed at 10% infill) I think it MIGHT stay up. I managed to get the magnum magnetized to my thigh plate in my old kit, and that was with weaker, ferro-cerramic magnets in a solid, foam build, who knows ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Finally, I started the torso this week, but after building most of the back, neck and front, it looks like it would be a bit too tight around the chest, even with a sports bra, or a binder on, so I decided to scrap it and start over with it resized with the width of my chest in mind.

It's a shame, reallt, since I got a lot done, but what are you gonna do?

Ironically enough, it fits my wife's smaller body just right, but she's apprehensive of cosplaying from a fandom she's not apart of or knows anything about. Maybe I can convince her in time, but for now, I just gotta move on and start over.

That's it for my first update. I'll try to see how much I can get done before next Friday, as I need to get back to drawing my webcomic starting Saturday the 25. So expect a dump of updates between now and then, and then radio silence for a bit, while I get back to drawing that.

Any help and constructuve criticism of what I've done so far is appreciated, since, I may have done it once, but I'm always willing to learn how to improve my costume game!

 

[MataraOkina]

Status update, so over the weekend, I went back to the drawing board with the smaller torso, and began trying to remake it with a larger stencil, but that came out MUCH larger than expected, and I could barely put my arms around the torso, so I just went with the original one I built finished the back, and the front, and almost finished the sides. Overall a huge improvement from my first torso, and feels much more solid.

I just need to finish the front detailing, the lower sided, and the sleeves, which I think I'll make be able to open on one side so I can slide my wide shoulders through. Then I can start trying to smooth out all the edges and holes. Does anyone know the best method, or methods, on how to fill games between pieces in foam armor to smoothen it out? Alternatively can link me to an appropriate thread thay already discussed this?

Anyways, progress pictures!
Completed back

And, as you can see, the front needs some detailing still, and all the seems coupd use some smoothening.

Plan is to finish the torso, waist and probably knee guards with the remainder of foam I have left. And see how much I can get done of the thighs after that. The rest will probably be 3d printed, which I am still in the process of printing the DMR on.

Next update, hopefully soon!

 

[Jaysee1983]

Whew. Thats a lot of angle cuts. Nice progress. You're banging the hardest part of the armor out. Those chest and back are beasts. Its the one part I'm dreading lol.

 

[Rock Lobbster]

For filling in gaps in the armor using foam putty or caulk are 2 popular methods! The chest is quite time intensive, once knocking that out of the way the rest is smooth sailing!

 

[NewBrody]

Great work on the chest so far, looks awesome! You did a good job on that tricky w part on the back near the bottom, I still have nightmares from that piece.

 

[MataraOkina]

Thanks to all for the encouraging words! I honestly started with the chest since I want to try to experiment with magnets on it and the DMR first, so here's hoping I can finally figure out a way to get that to work...

For filling in gaps in the armor using foam putty or caulk are 2 popular methods! The chest is quite time intensive, once knocking that out of the way the rest is smooth sailing!

When you say Foam putty, do you mean like Dap, or something like what's in the attachments (it won'tet me insert it inline for some reason?)

I've never used anything like these before, but I don't mind experimenting. Just don't wanna use something like plaster of paris again, that stuff weighed a ton when I used it on my old Sabine bucket.
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Oh, and update time. So I finished the armor of the chest, and test fitted it, here's how it looks on me:

You might notice some tape in that last picture too. Here's a close up:

That's where I'm planning to put an attachment point like velcro or snaps (still deciding which one) to secure it, mostly so I can fit it around my broad shoulders, and still have the armor fit tight around my body. All that's left is to get some 5mm foam to use for the sleeves of the chest armor (it's what I used last time, and I think the thickness will give me more flexibility and mobility, if even a little more than the 10mm floor mat foam I'm using for the rest of the armor.)

Also, the torso may look like it sticks out a little, but that's mainly so I can fit my Aker speaker into the chest, so you can hear me talk when my helmet's on. Already using things I learned from the Rebel Legion to help improve my costume game!

Oh, and one other thing I finished...

I took the Gungnir pdo files from here and freehanded some details with 2mm foam onto them. I wanted these to be foam again, so I could kneel on them, for posing or for resting, without fearing they'll crack in half from the stress.

Anyways, let's see how much more I can finish before the end of the week, since then I have to move onto a mainly 3d printing focused, passive progress while I get my next chapter drawn.

 

[MataraOkina]

Update time. So I've finished quite a bit since last time, first off I finished painting the knee guards!

Just did a simple silver, then toothpaste, then red, then masked off the white areas, and used pluck foam from one of the many gun cases I own full of warhammer minis to dab on some white!

Then I finished making, priming and painting the belt, here's a few pictures of me wearing the belt, and knee guards

Do note, this isn't what my final body suit is gonna look like, I was just about to leave to go get some more supplies I need and go grocery shopping, so I put these on real quick for a progress photo,

I know the belt looks a bit janky, and while I was out, I found some foam putty at Hobby Lobby that I could have prolly used to fill in the seams. Aw well, maybe after I finish the rest of the armor, I'll remake the waist. It's not like I'm in any hurry for a con yet.

In the mean time, now I gotta get back to drawing, I've finished inking half the next chapter, and should be able to finish everything for my next upload by the end of the week, so expect more progress shots after that! Oh, and one more thing. Here's progress on the DMR:

As you can see, it's pretty big. The ruler to the side goes up to 18". All I got left to print for it is the front upper, the magazine, the ironsights/flashlight/orange tip, and the picatinny rail that I'm gonna attach to the top to put a real Red Dot scope on it. Then it's off to the painting it. I printed it at about 0.12mm layer height, so some filler primer should be enough to hide the layer lines. Anyways, see you guys in a bit...

Edit: the Picatinny Rail finished so I epoxied it to the top, so now I can get a real optic for it! Here it is with my old rifle scope from my Ashley Williams coatume.

 

[MataraOkina]

It's been a bit, and I've been working on things on and off between playing some games, and doing other work for like the comic and such.

First off, gloves. I had these spare winter gloves that let me use my phone, so I figured I'd 3d print the wrist guards and attach them to the gloves.

Next, I've been doing odds and ends for my new helmet. Again, the file I got was missing some greeblies, and isn't a perfect 1-to-1 match with the Reach version of the CQB, so I didn't spend too much post-processing time on it, besides dremeling some foam onto the cheeks fir the silver piping. I'll probably look to getting a more accurate model to print that I'll spend more effort on to make it look cleaner, but in the mean time, this is WAY better than my first attempt, baby steps.

Next on the printer is the upper arm armor, and the shoulder armor. Planning on doing CQC left arm, and either Sniper or Operator right arm depending on the kit I'm going to be doing. Oh, I have 2 plans for this costume, one that's my reach spartan from back in the day, and one that will be a crossover of Halo meets Touhou, since I'm going to a Touhou convention next summer, and I had the best idea for a crossover costume. More on that later, once I get the base armor finished I guess?

And finally, I think I managed to get the magnets on the back of the torso and the DMR to work! They seem to hold well enough and when I bounce the chest around. And this is with just magnets in the DMR epoxied in, and with the magnets on the inside of the torso just sitting loose, not glued in yet.

My idea is to dremel a small pool on the inside of torso where I want the magnets to sit, and then epoxy them in, since this is how well it stays up with the magnets at the full 10mm EVA foam thickness. Any thoughts or suggestions? I'm still experimenting, and any advice is always welcome!

I should be getting the polycarbonate plastic and window tint later today, so I'll be finishing up the visor, and then just gotta pad the insides and the helmet v2 will be done! So update relatively soon.

 

[MataraOkina]

Been a while since I updated. Just spent a week trying my hardest to get some things done, and I have to say, I managed to get a lit done last week! Here's some progress pics!

With this, I'm about half way done with the armor. Si far the top half is done, and all that's left to "build" are the thighs, the shins and the shoes. Then it's just a matter of padding things around and getting pieces lined up right, but as of right now, I've got the upper half of the armor done and painted. Much better than my first attempt that's for sure! I'm also going to try to 3d print the belt, as the one I made out if foam was kinda bulky, and doesn't sit right.

The only parts out of foam are the forearms and torso, but if I can figure out how to chop up this torso file I have, I might 3d print a torso next. We'll see. Anyways, here's hoping ai can get the next few bits built and work on some final fittings before January to debut this at Ohayocon, if not, then for Otakon 2023!

 

[MataraOkina]

Small update, been busy with life and other things, but this last few days I've gotten some progress on the legs going up.

Here's the shoes finished!

And I've finished prototyping one of the shins. I'm still considering if I should alter it at all before making the left one, but we'll see.

Let's see if I can finish the thighs before Halloween too.

 

[NewBrody]

Eyy those look great! If you keep up this pace you'll be done in no time.

 

[Ender Of Time]

Status update, so over the weekend, I went back to the drawing board with the smaller torso, and began trying to remake it with a larger stencil, but that came out MUCH larger than expected, and I could barely put my arms around the torso, so I just went with the original one I built finished the back, and the front, and almost finished the sides. Overall a huge improvement from my first torso, and feels much more solid.

I just need to finish the front detailing, the lower sided, and the sleeves, which I think I'll make be able to open on one side so I can slide my wide shoulders through. Then I can start trying to smooth out all the edges and holes. Does anyone know the best method, or methods, on how to fill games between pieces in foam armor to smoothen it out? Alternatively can link me to an appropriate thread thay already discussed this?

Anyways, progress pictures!
Completed back
View attachment 319378
View attachment 319379

And, as you can see, the front needs some detailing still, and all the seems coupd use some smoothening.
View attachment 319377
View attachment 319380

Plan is to finish the torso, waist and probably knee guards with the remainder of foam I have left. And see how much I can get done of the thighs after that. The rest will probably be 3d printed, which I am still in the process of printing the DMR on.

Next update, hopefully soon!

What kind of attachments can you put onto the helmet? Is there only a few or could you add like a go pro or light?

 

[MataraOkina]

What kind of attachments can you put onto the helmet? Is there only a few or could you add like a go pro or light?

I know thst the CQB helmet has a couple of canon attachments from reach, like a flashlight and the extra head armor, but personally I like the base helmet most, so I probably won't add any attachments myself.

 

[MataraOkina]

Small update, lower legs done!

All that's left is the thighs and then it's just a matter of doing small things here and there like the soft case, or 3d printing upgrades, like a better torso. But it's coming along nicely!!

 

[MataraOkina]

So, it's been a LONG while, and I've been so busy working on like a dozen other projects, but I finally got around to finishing the core of this costume.

Here's an update:

All that's left is to make sure all the armor pieces are attached securely, like the thighs, shoulders, and chest dealies. Then I can accessorize, like add the soft case, maybe make a different right shoulder, and make a Mk. 3 torso and forearms.

Anyways, here's a comparisons shot of my old Mk. 1 kit (circa early 2010's) vs the current Mk. 2 kit (2023).

P.S. What do most people do for their thighs to keep them held up. I'm cirrently just velcro'ing them to my leggings, but idk if that's like super secure? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[Rock Lobbster]

Suit looks fantastic!

Here's a link to what I use for my strapping! I use it across 3 different suits and keeps everything held up extremely well.

 

[N8TEBB]

For the thighs in my chief suit, I have them buckled with parachute clips to a belt. The shins are buckled to the thighs. It's like wearing a big ol pair of snow pants.