Halo 4 Pep Build

[n8four]

Hey All,

Thought I'd show off some of my work so far, maybe it will build my motivation as I enter the resin/bondo stage of the project. I built a quick foam Master Chief last Fall for Halloween and it really just made me want to do it bigger and better. Foam wasn't for me, I didn't enjoy manipulating the medium, so I have moved on to Pep/Resin/Bondo to see if it works better. This process is a bit more enjoyable for me.

Here is my original work (foam), which is okay, but I know I can produce something better. There were a few issues with sizing because I didn't prepare myself properly and was so eager to do it that I lost sight of the big picture.

The helmet was too big, had to Frankenstein the thing so it would fit. The chest was small...

On to my prep work. I started this project back around February I believe. The helmet was my first goal, after prepping and practicing for a little bit. The results were acceptable for now, and yes I know this is not the Halo 4 helmet, but I like this helmet.

My next piece was the torso.

Now I have completed the shins, boots, knees, one bicep, and actually just finished a thigh last night (not pictured).

I used cardboard in a few spots for details, you can probably see it in the helmet and shins. Pepping those small pieces just seemed like too much when I could cut out a piece of cardboard in a few minutes.

Close up of a few pieces.

The bicep pieces I am going to resin/bondo individually and use elastic straps to put it together. My arms are a little larger and the scaling wasn't working how I liked it. It should make for a nicer fit.

That's it for now, thanks for reading and I hope to have more updates in the future. If you have any critiques, comments, or questions, please feel free to post.

n8

 

[thedoctor518]

This looks like it's shaping up to be a fantastic build Your pep work is absolutely beautiful, and I like how you used some cardboard for those detail spots.

 

[n8four]

Thanks man. The cardboard is a little difficult to cut in small pieces because of the corrugation but so far it's worked. Another idea is foam board but I don't know if resin will dissolve that, something worth looking into maybe.

 

[Halo Master]

Thanks man. The cardboard is a little difficult to cut in small pieces because of the corrugation but so far it's worked. Another idea is foam board but I don't know if resin will dissolve that, something worth looking into maybe.

I made a magnum out of foam board and put a coat of smoothcast 321 over it. And nothing happened to it. I'm not sure if resin will do anything to hurt it though. Good luck!

 

[Carpathia]

Thanks man. The cardboard is a little difficult to cut in small pieces because of the corrugation but so far it's worked. Another idea is foam board but I don't know if resin will dissolve that, something worth looking into maybe.

In the future, you may also want to consider mat board for detail pieces. Mat board is a paper-based material used for matting pictures when putting them into a frame. They can be found at hobby stores like Hobby Lobby and Michael's, and come in a variety of thicknesses (the most common being 1/16" or 1.5mm). Since it's essentially paper, it pretty well reacts the same way with glue and resin as cardstock. The problem with using corrugated cardboard comes down to cleanliness (how clean you can cut the shapes out, how clean it finishes) and an added degree of difficulty when finishing (eliminating the tell-tale lines inherent with the corrugation along the face of the cardboard, and closing up the exposed edges).

 

[n8four]

I made a magnum out of foam board and put a coat of smoothcast 321 over it. And nothing happened to it. I'm not sure if resin will do anything to hurt it though. Good luck!

Smoothcast 320 is the resin I have on hand so that answers that question, thanks!

In the future, you may also want to consider mat board for detail pieces. Mat board is a paper-based material used for matting pictures when putting them into a frame. They can be found at hobby stores like Hobby Lobby and Michael's, and come in a variety of thicknesses (the most common being 1/16" or 1.5mm). Since it's essentially paper, it pretty well reacts the same way with glue and resin as cardstock. The problem with using corrugated cardboard comes down to cleanliness (how clean you can cut the shapes out, how clean it finishes) and an added degree of difficulty when finishing (eliminating the tell-tale lines inherent with the corrugation along the face of the cardboard, and closing up the exposed edges).

Good to know. I haven't strolled through a Michael's in a bit, I should take a look. Thank you for the info.

 

[n8four]

Quick update. I completed the left thigh and the other bicep pieces.

Also had a question for anyone who has dealt with this. When I was in Home Depot the other day I saw something called Bondo Glass Reinforced Filler.

http://bondo.com/products/fiberglass/bondo-glass-reinforced-filler-00277.html

Would this be a good substitute for rondo in filling in small areas I won't be able to fiberglass? Can it be used in replacement of fiberglass or is it not strong enough/too heavy. Any thoughts would be great.

 

[n8four]

Built a few more pep pieces and started the resin process.

The helmet and torso coated in resin:

The lower leg pieces coated in resin:

Another shot of the boots:

And the helmet fiberglassed with the visor cut out:

I still have to make the left thigh, left forearm, shoulders and cod piece. Also, I just ordered a 3d printer so I'm excited to see what I can do with that. Maybe weapons...

For now, take care guys.
n8

Update 9/10/14

Created the forearms and started the shoulders.

I hated the cardstock pep of these shoulders. Tried making some cardboard versions and liked the shape much better. Detail isn't as good but that can be corrected with bondo.