Best of luck!!
Be careful printing with 0 infill as it can remove support for top layers if there’s large flat top areas. I printed my forearms and biceps with 0 infill and a generous amount of bottom and top layers. They’re super solid because I used about 6 walls to print them. No expanding foam needed when they’re that solid. Just keep in mind they do get hefty and it can use a good amount of material.Angus314 Did you print hollow and fill with expanding foam?
As long as your shell is thick enough (I'd say at least three walls) for stability, I think it'd work - though you'd want to compare densities for different expanding foams before hand, to make sure you find one that is strong enough to withstand impacts to a degree. Though, I can't imagine you'd be losing a whole lot of material or time from infill, if you're only printing it at say 5-10%
That was my biggest worry. The more I work with this model the more feasible printing it seems. A lot of the sections are narrow or slowly taper into a point that might not need to be supported in any fashion. I'm now considering editing the inside of parts so they would self support or limit the infill to just the top. I'll draw this idea up once I'm back at my desk.Be careful printing with 0 infill as it can remove support for top layers if there’s large flat top areas. I printed my forearms and biceps with 0 infill and a generous amount of bottom and top layers. They’re super solid because I used about 6 walls to print them. No expanding foam needed when they’re that solid. Just keep in mind they do get hefty and it can use a good amount of material.
Looks great!! I attached my knees with thin foam and glued them to the shins to make one piece. But I also like how Electraknite did theirs too. I had the same issue for the biceps. Adding two straps for my back/ chest helped and adding thin foam inside.First private outing of the suit was a success! Found a few things that need tweaking and confirmed a few concerns about the practicality of wearing it.
First, it's too hot. My friends house was set to 76F and I was sweating as soon as the helmet went on. Need to get something in place not only to cool the helmet but the torso as well. I'm talking like water proof pockets to store ice packs coupled with fans. Fans everywhere. I don't have much confidence in Floridian air conditioning when it comes to large convention centers.
Second, I need to figure out how to better secure the knee pads and how to stop the biceps from rotating around my arm. These are things I knew would need to be addressed and my short notice solutions only partially worked.
Third, movement isn't really an issue! Sure I lack a little bit of range but walking/ backing up/ side stepping was a breeze! Didn't even need to think about how my feet landed when taking a step. Everything felt natural, bulky but natural.
Forth, got a "this is so *expletive* cool" a few times as one of my friends helped clip the torso together. A few others who are familiar with Halo mentioned how good they thought I scaled everything. This is such a relief for me, I lost far too much sleep worrying about proportions and really needed that.
And finally, I really gotta finish this thing.
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I'm so close to getting my boy off Reach and boots down out in the wild with y'all. I hope I can find the time to at least paint it soon. I am happy with the color I did on the knee pads. It's pretty darn close to the game teal with proper lighting. Not as much green but I can always compare colors as I see them.
Next update should be about finalizing the shoulder pads and a mounting system.
Happy crafting til then!
Thanks! I found that when the knees are duct taped to the lower legs I can still manage to slip the whole thing on. I'm likely going to swap the tape for elastic/nylon straps. Hopefully this will give a tad more wiggle room when it comes to putting them on.Looks great!! I attached my knees with thin foam and glued them to the shins to make one piece. But I also like how Electraknite did theirs too. I had the same issue for the biceps. Adding two straps for my back/ chest helped and adding thin foam inside.
I wish I could bend far enough to warrant cushioning the knees to support my weight. I'll maybe try some sort of extension to the torso seal at the arms to add a clip or button for the biceps like you mentioned. Thanks for the input!I have snaps on my undersuit that hold my biceps from rotating, tho i havnt actually worn my suit in the wild yet so wether it works remains to be seen. My knees are probably my favourite construction hahaha, they feel so legit like actual kneepads.
I can still point/roll my feet and can bend my legs up to about 90° so basic movements are a non issue. Bending more then this causes the armor to come into contact with other parts and stops any more movement. The thighs are just pulled over knee braces which stop them from falling off and allow them to move and rotate with me. No strapping on the lower legs either, they grab on to the bottom of the brace and the shoes stop them from falling. Everything moves with me so I just need to adapt to being a bit bulky rather than fighting the armor to move.That is looking great. How much mobility do you have with the feet?