he4thbar's 1st Build(complete) - ODST

[he4thbar]

Hey all, sorry for the lack of follow up. Got married, took a vacation and then reception but I finally got back around to the helmet and here is a small update. I got about halfway done with the first layer before I gave up for the night.

For those of you who have done this before do you have any advice that might make this easier, anything would help? some of the sharper/smaller parts are hard to form the fiberglass cloth around, should i use smaller or bigger pieces for this? Any advice would be helpful...

Pics!

 

[xXDashIVXx]

Hey all, sorry for the lack of follow up. Got married, took a vacation and then reception but I finally got back around to the helmet and here is a small update. I got about halfway done with the first layer before I gave up for the night.

For those of you who have done this before do you have any advice that might make this easier, anything would help? some of the sharper/smaller parts are hard to form the fiberglass cloth around, should i use smaller or bigger pieces for this? Any advice would be helpful...

Pics!
View attachment 270741 View attachment 270739

Congratulations man!!!

I personally like to use slips of fibreglass mat that are about 6 inch long by 1 or 2 inch wide. This allows for coverage that also can grave into those little edges. Use a cheap brush from the dollar store that you have been using to apply the resin, or a thin stick, and stipple/press the matt into those tight spaces. You can use smaller cuts if needed, and you can use huge sheets for easier coverage, even though I dont recomment that last one. As long as you overlap, you should be fine.

 

[Dirtdives2424]

I agree w/ xXDashIVXx, thin long strips are a good method. Just remember to cut enough for the amount of resin you mix up. You don't want to start cutting while the resin is sitting and waiting for you. Larger sizes could be for areas w/o any undercuts or pop-outs (from an inside suit point of view). Best used on flat areas really.

 

[he4thbar]

Congratulations man!!!

I personally like to use slips of fibreglass mat that are about 6 inch long by 1 or 2 inch wide. This allows for coverage that also can grave into those little edges. Use a cheap brush from the dollar store that you have been using to apply the resin, or a thin stick, and stipple/press the matt into those tight spaces. You can use smaller cuts if needed, and you can use huge sheets for easier coverage, even though I dont recomment that last one. As long as you overlap, you should be fine.

Thank you! and thanks for the advice, I think i'll just have to cut them up a bit more into thinner strips then, they are closer to squares. luckily the huge parts are pretty much done with. I was just having issues with where the helmet juts in. I use a popsicle stick to flatten everything out so at least I got that right haha. I already cut up a bunch of fiberglass cloth so i'm just gonna ride that wave and cut them into smaller pieces.

I agree w/ xXDashIVXx, thin long strips are a good method. Just remember to cut enough for the amount of resin you mix up. You don't want to start cutting while the resin is sitting and waiting for you. Larger sizes could be for areas w/o any undercuts or pop-outs (from an inside suit point of view). Best used on flat areas really.

I was smart enough to cut before hand! but because I didn't have enough small pieces and it was getting dark I decided to stop for the night. Gonna go to home depot today and get some lights so I can finally use my work bench and not be so limited by the weather/sun.. hopefully progress will be faster then.

 

[he4thbar]

So I am moving on to armor soon... (wife keeps taking up the work bench so helmet is on hold). The foam should be here by next week so I went ahead and scaled my body and the armor pieces in Armorsmith Design ($30 USD for the program).
Here is what I have for all of the armor pieces. Currently I have 2 giant sheets of 3/8th" foam coming in along with a 1/2" for the chest plate and an extra 1/4th" smaller sheet for smaller detail armor. (thanks to Elcorio for the Foam suggestions; Foam Supplier (3LB density)
The only one I think i'll have to buy more foam(thinner) for would maybe be the abdominal/lower back soft armor.

Regarding my images do you all think this armor looks to scale for my body or are there any suggestions for certain pieces you would give me? Also how much room do you typically give yourself between armor and body.

 

[Elcorio]

So I am moving on to armor soon... (wife keeps taking up the work bench so helmet is on hold). The foam should be here by next week so I went ahead and scaled my body and the armor pieces in Armorsmith Design ($30 USD for the program).
Here is what I have for all of the armor pieces. Currently I have 2 giant sheets of 3/8th" foam coming in along with a 1/2" for the chest plate and an extra 1/4th" smaller sheet for smaller detail armor. (thanks to Elcorio for the Foam suggestions; Foam Supplier (3LB density)
The only one I think i'll have to buy more foam(thinner) for would maybe be the abdominal/lower back soft armor.

Regarding my images do you all think this armor looks to scale for my body or are there any suggestions for certain pieces you would give me? Also how much room do you typically give yourself between armor and body.
View attachment 272022 View attachment 272023 View attachment 272020 View attachment 272024 View attachment 272021 View attachment 272025

he4thbar Following your build! I did reach out to the company I get my foam from in reference to carrying actual EVA foam. They responded back saying they did carry it, but that it was called Minicell. Full sheets (4'x6') are a few dollars more, but I think I will order a small sheet of it to see how it works out.

 

[he4thbar]

he4thbar Following your build! I did reach out to the company I get my foam from in reference to carrying actual EVA foam. They responded back saying they did carry it, but that it was called Minicell. Full sheets (4'x6') are a few dollars more, but I think I will order a small sheet of it to see how it works out.

Let me know how that works if you get around to it! And only a few dollars more then amazon EVA or the 3LB density from their site?

 

[he4thbar]

Constructed my first armor piece. Had to redo the center piece. Now i have to sand one part on the top down a little bit. But overall I'm happy with how it's turned outside so far. Just have to figure out a way to strap it or make a foam strap.
I'm sure my next shoulder will look better.

To anyone and everyone, armorsmith design is totally worth the $30. It's scaled almost exactly like my model.

 

[he4thbar]

So far this weekend I constructed the 2nd shoulder. Did the 2nd layer of fiberglass on the inside of the helmet and just now finished the Rondo cover layer on the inside of my helmet. So far so good. Gonna try to do the chest piece & Plate today/tomorrow

 

[he4thbar]

Got my Chest Plate Constructed yesterday, just have to sand and seal the seams now. Next on my list, the chest armor.
The 2nd pic makes it look a little bigger than it is, but it's about where I want it after I did some heat forming.

 

[he4thbar]

Well a bitter sweet update. Bitter because this weekend I constructed my chest piece and guess I didn't scale it entirely right.


The sweet: well I like how the front and back turned out and my lines were clean, so I think if I just cut under the arm holes I can make it tighten around my chest and it will fit to the form I want luckly.

The chest plate I think I will add a separator to have it pop out a little bit.
I still have to add some more pieces to the chest piece like the neck hole and parts around the arm holes.

 

[PaiganBoi]

Well a bitter sweet update. Bitter because this weekend I constructed my chest piece and guess I didn't scale it entirely right.
View attachment 273912 View attachment 273913 View attachment 273914

The sweet: well I like how the front and back turned out and my lines were clean, so I think if I just cut under the arm holes I can make it tighten around my chest and it will fit to the form I want luckly.

The chest plate I think I will add a separator to have it pop out a little bit.
I still have to add some more pieces to the chest piece like the neck hole and parts around the arm holes.

I know how you feel. The same thing happened to me when I was building my ODST. Had to cut out a 2 inch section on each side to make it more snug.

 

[Justin Ghazal]

Looks good! I was going to go with paper bc it seemed easier but went with foam in the end almost done still needs paint tho.

 

[he4thbar]

Looks good! I was going to go with paper bc it seemed easier but went with foam in the end almost done still needs paint tho.

yeah i've seen your build its looking clean my guy. I'm liking how the foam is going so far but i'm glad i'm doing pep for my helmet, even if it is a ton of work.
And thanks!

 

[Justin Ghazal]

yeah i've seen your build its looking clean my guy. I'm liking how the foam is going so far but i'm glad i'm doing pep for my helmet, even if it is a ton of work.
And thanks!

My foam helmet is the worst part about my set up rn I got a 3D printed one on the way so I’m excited for that!

 

[he4thbar]

Well added the rest of the pieces to the chest piece and it's looking good.
Also had the wife help me move the under arm and pin them, so I should be able to cut the foam to make it look like this test fit!
A lot better looking and doesn't make me look like a kid in dad's clothes.

 

[Sean Anwalt]

What you should have done is eat more oreos! That and twinkies, then play a lot of halo and not move around much. That'll shrink your armor as well.

 

[PaiganBoi]

What you should have done is eat more oreos! That and twinkies, then play a lot of halo and not move around much. That'll shrink your armor as well.

No no no. He should have put in the wash. Then toss it into the drier at high heat. That would have made it shrink for sure.

 

[Elcorio]

Looks great so far! If I may offer one little tid bit in regards to the collar area: I did the same for mine and ended up needing to cut it down due to the helmet base wanting to "ride" on it. May be different for you, but just a heads up in case it happens. Build is looking fabulous!

 

[he4thbar]

Looks great so far! If I may offer one little tid bit in regards to the collar area: I did the same for mine and ended up needing to cut it down due to the helmet base wanting to "ride" on it. May be different for you, but just a heads up in case it happens. Build is looking fabulous!

Thank you! And thanks for that advice, guess we will see once I get closer to padding my helmet but I haven't touched it in a while(on bondo stage..) because of foam building. I could see the back of the helmet riding on the collar though with how high it bumps up. I'll just take a rotor tool too it if it gets that bad.