First Build, First Piece?

[JRTaylorThird]

Good afternoon!

For starters, I have not started my project, but I will be soon. My starting build will be ODST, and my biggest question is which pieces to start with. I will be 3D printing most parts.

I'll order Armorsmith but use CAD software everyday for work so I'm fairly confident in my abilities in design & production, but what should I try first? Go all in on a major piece like the helmet? Or something smaller and more confidence boosting, like parts of gloves or weapons to give myself the serotonin to keep going on the build?

Thanks for any advice, and happy building.

 

[Cadet]

Good afternoon!

For starters, I have not started my project, but I will be soon. My starting build will be ODST, and my biggest question is which pieces to start with. I will be 3D printing most parts.

I'll order Armorsmith but use CAD software everyday for work so I'm fairly confident in my abilities in design & production, but what should I try first? Go all in on a major piece like the helmet? Or something smaller and more confidence boosting, like parts of gloves or weapons to give myself the serotonin to keep going on the build?

Thanks for any advice, and happy building.

Like everything else with this hobby, build materials, paint process, smoothing process, you will get a lot of answers based on people's personal opinions. At the end of the day that is what it ends up being, an opinion. There is no one subjective "correct" way or process.

That said, my own personal opinion to help save time, money, and stress, is that you want to start off with something small. Make sure you have your printer's settings dialed in, and you really have a feel for it. Once you have your settings dialed in start with simple pieces of the armor, for an ODST I would recommend starting at the boot covers. Their shape is relatively straight forward, and if you have some issues printing or smoothing, they are a piece that is very naturally weathered or distressed in a costume, so that can hide some mistakes and growing pains.

I know the helmet is tempting, but even back in the days of Fiberglass Pepakura, I would recommend people get a feel for their chosen build medium before attempting the helmet. The helmet tends to be the focal point of your costume, so if you want to really make the part that will stand out the most in most people's pictures and what they notice first really shine, it's best to practice on other pieces and really dial in your own personal process.

 

[SgtSaint]

A subsection of my 'new armorers FAQ' ...
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Next build your skills. Don't use your helmet or real armor as test parts to learn on if you've never done this before, don't know sanding plastic printed parts etc. Maybe print 20 test XYZ cubes at like 60mm. Use those to learn good sanding, smoothing and painting techniques. If you can't make a flat cube look like metal then you know you aren't ready to tackle armor. Plus you have 6 sides per cube to test painting on and use as a visual record of "This is silver over gloss black" etc.

After the simple cubes move on to a "speed shape". These are commonly used to test paints on over various contours. This gives you a good model to practice sanding more complex shapes with curves and grooves on. Again, you're working up towards the complex shapes of helmets and armor. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4826498

Helmet probably should be last, not first. Yeah yeah, everyone wants a helmet to drool over. But it's the thing everyone stares at so you want to do it AFTER you've developed a process, techniques and skills.
Personally I always recommend starting at the feet & hands then working up & in to the body.
• You're going to weather and distress the boots more than anything else... and they get looked at with the least critical eye.
• Then shins which have to ride on the boots.
• Then thighs since you have to avoid joint conflict so you can sit etc.
• See how this goes? Up from the boots, and inward from the hands to forearms to biceps to shoulders.
• By the time you get to the chest and helmet; the parts at eye level that everyone stares at, looks at first, is right there in your face in every photo - you can make them look stellar.
And if you start at the boots you're looking at parts that are only a day or two per part not 6 days per part. So you can hone your scaling skills.