New Recruit 1st Build Gen 3 MK-VI

[SgtSaint]

ThatADHDad
I totally respect where you're coming from. I only look to inform folks who might not be aware of the journey they're in for. It sounds like you've got a good handle on expectations. I love hearing you're making one for daughter as well.

 

[Hyprfixate]

ThatADHDad
I totally respect where you're coming from. I only look to inform folks who might not be aware of the journey they're in for. It sounds like you've got a good handle on expectations. I love hearing you're making one for daughter as well.

I love the advice! I’m trying to be as much as a sponge as my brain allows me to be. I’ve learned so much from this site and the fb group and all you awesome builders in such a short amount of time, it’s insane. You guys definitely make things like this a lot more fun with all the guidance and willingness to help!

 

[Hyprfixate]

Update:

Entire family got sick for almost a week which delayed everything and then we found out our dog has a couple months to live. Been a rough time, but gotta push on and be an example for the kids. So, I started back up a couple days ago and been trying to crunch before Planet Anime THIS weekend.

I really wanted to print out and finish an AR or st least finish and paint the pistol, do some sort of under suit, and make the inner thigh pieces out of EVA foam, but unfortunately I will not have time for that.

First thing I got working was the soles cut, glued, and hopefully stuck on my boots. I got the shoes into the boot and all that’s left is figuring out how to get the top piece on and gliding over the rest of the boot when I walk.

Next up I got my harness on and did some lining up. Got the strapping glued in for the COD piece and while it could definitely be more practical, I’m overall happy with how it is. Just need to add padding to it. After that I got the thighs where I thought they should be and used elastic straps to buckle in. I am currently regretting that decision bc it moves around too much. So I might undo that and put the solid strap on. All I have left is that and padding for the thigh and calf. They hit slightly, but not too bad, when I’m going up/down stairs.

Yesterday I started trying to map out where the pads are going to go for my helmet and then made 2 more visors for a total of 4. My golden yellow idye poly is taking forever to get here (should be here tomorrow) and also the lights I ordered from Imperial Tech Shop are like a week late, naturally. But also should be here tomorrow so I’m hoping to do the helmet wiring, padding, and visor Wednesday which will have it done.

Today I went and grabbed some knee and elbow pads to see how those would be (as I saw on Draxes build) and they made it so I might not need padding and straps for the arms. I may end up doing it anyway for security if I have time. Minus some pinching in a place or two, they fit nice. I went ahead and test fit the entire thing again and didn’t like the amount of hitting the biceps and torso did, so I took a head gun and bent the lower part of the torso and that helped a TON.

So, as of right now my biggest issues now are:

1. how to strap up the shoulders so they’re not hitting the torso every time I move
2. How to secure the front and back torso pieces on the bottom
3. Getting the black accents painted
4. Finishing the helmet
5. Padding.

And I have 4 days lol. Here’s the test fit.

 

[marinesniper]

Update:

Entire family got sick for almost a week which delayed everything and then we found out our dog has a couple months to live. Been a rough time, but gotta push on and be an example for the kids. So, I started back up a couple days ago and been trying to crunch before Planet Anime THIS weekend.

I really wanted to print out and finish an AR or st least finish and paint the pistol, do some sort of under suit, and make the inner thigh pieces out of EVA foam, but unfortunately I will not have time for that.

First thing I got working was the soles cut, glued, and hopefully stuck on my boots. I got the shoes into the boot and all that’s left is figuring out how to get the top piece on and gliding over the rest of the boot when I walk. View attachment 353520View attachment 353521View attachment 353522

Next up I got my harness on and did some lining up. Got the strapping glued in for the COD piece and while it could definitely be more practical, I’m overall happy with how it is. Just need to add padding to it. After that I got the thighs where I thought they should be and used elastic straps to buckle in. I am currently regretting that decision bc it moves around too much. So I might undo that and put the solid strap on. All I have left is that and padding for the thigh and calf. They hit slightly, but not too bad, when I’m going up/down stairs. View attachment 353523

Yesterday I started trying to map out where the pads are going to go for my helmet and then made 2 more visors for a total of 4. My golden yellow idye poly is taking forever to get here (should be here tomorrow) and also the lights I ordered from Imperial Tech Shop are like a week late, naturally. But also should be here tomorrow so I’m hoping to do the helmet wiring, padding, and visor Wednesday which will have it done. View attachment 353524 View attachment 353525

Today I went and grabbed some knee and elbow pads to see how those would be (as I saw on Draxes build) and they made it so I might not need padding and straps for the arms. I may end up doing it anyway for security if I have time. Minus some pinching in a place or two, they fit nice. I went ahead and test fit the entire thing again and didn’t like the amount of hitting the biceps and torso did, so I took a head gun and bent the lower part of the torso and that helped a TON.

So, as of right now my biggest issues now are:

1. how to strap up the shoulders so they’re not hitting the torso every time I move
2. How to secure the front and back torso pieces on the bottom
3. Getting the black accents painted
4. Finishing the helmet
5. Padding.

And I have 4 days lol. Here’s the test fit.

View attachment 353526
View attachment 353527

yeah i know what ya mean i could not lift my arms because the shoulders would smack the chest or back and i had no range of movement so i move the shoulders down a little bit and that seemed to work. as far a how to lock the front and back together i would use a flat buckle like the one in the picture im attaching.

Amazon.com

i used them on my foam chief they hold really well and pretty cheap to. Now for painting the elements on the back i used a harbor freight airbrush set up and it also makes it easier to weather the armor to.

i will be watching to see how it all comes out it looks great by the way....

 

[SpartanSweed]

Attaching the top plate of the shoe to the bottom using elastic should give you enough wiggle room that walking isn’t terrible

If you’re looking for an AR for Saturday, I do have a MA5B I can lend ya

 

[FlightlessNinja]

Looks great! Amazing progress.

 

[Hyprfixate]

yeah i know what ya mean i could not lift my arms because the shoulders would smack the chest or back and i had no range of movement so i move the shoulders down a little bit and that seemed to work. as far a how to lock the front and back together i would use a flat buckle like the one in the picture im attaching.

I ended up reprinting the biceps and shoulders a little smaller and that helped a lot.

I have several variations of buckles, and none of them are very good for me being able to get the thing on and off by myself. I want to use the strong neodymium magnets I have but these GA files were not made very well in terms of connecting these parts.

 

[Hyprfixate]

Attaching the top plate of the shoe to the bottom using elastic should give you enough wiggle room that walking isn’t terrible

If you’re looking for an AR for Saturday, I do have a MA5B I can lend ya

I did end up doing that! Thank you!

And I appreciate you trying to let me use it at the con. Thanks for all your help and Including me in the local events here, I appreciate it!

 

[Hyprfixate]

Wayyyy late update on the suit. After I got to the stopping point for Planet Anime and the Halloween events, I took a 3 week break from anything lol! I think it came together nicely at the end.

The first thing I tackled on the previous list was the helmet. The iDye poly never ended up showing up so I had to drive across the city to get it at the only store within a 100m radius that had it in stock. It ended up being a lot of fun to make these and they turned out much better than I thought I would do on my first try. Now I need to figure out what to do with the extra 3 lol. I ended up getting the padding done and wiring done for 2 fans as well as the Imperial Tech Shops lighting. Their harness made the lights stupid easy to install.

Next on the list was getting all the black accents painted. I ended up hand painting these with a special thin matte black acrylic paint. This paint was awesome, made it so the lines didn’t show up when it dried and it dried super fast.

After that I got to work on the rest of the list, padding and strapping. This was something that if I wasn’t so new to this, I would’ve figured out long ago. But, it is what it is and it ended up working out for me. I used wall acoustics foam for the thighs and calves bc of its ease to bend one particular direction. I got glued it all in. Then I use straps from the calf to the thigh, then from the thigh to my harness belt area to keep the legs up. Luckily, the pressure from the padding did most the work and the straps ended up being more of a secondary hold.

I tried so many damn ways to secure the front torso to the rear and I’m still not really satisfied. The galactic armory files are just not well thought out for wearing in my opinion. This shows heavily the belt and torso. But I ended up using straps and buckles and it did alright with the top magnets I threw on months ago holding firm.

The shoulders/biceps were another pain in the ass. But I took some tips from people and merged them all together to make a 3 strap system that kept them where they were but also allowed for them to lean onto me.

The convention was great, met some awesome people from this forum/group, and both my daughter and I made a lifelong core memory.

After that convention, I was HURTING. Bicep parts were pinching at the top and bottom which caused me to bleed, the boots wouldn’t move properly so it made me walk super stiff and rigid, and the torso TORE UP my clavicles. So, I ended up having to make some adjustments and only had a week before the next Halloween event.

I ended up reprinting and painting a new set of biceps and shoulders that were 10% shorter. This helped a ton with not only pinching, but my ability to get my helmet on and off, drink stuff, and move. Next, I had to add a bunch of padding to the torso to spread out the pressure on my shoulders. And it helped a ton. Finally, the boots. I ended up putting a thick piece of padding between the shoe and the top piece which helped it glide over the front part, making it a lot easier to walk.

At this, though, I noticed I was having trouble with visibility. So, i just placed an order for a new visor from Branfuhr Studios and I hope it helps. I may need to invest in stronger fans or re-orient them for better air flow because the lenses were fogging up a lot at both events. I also need to figure out some sort of microphone/speaker system so I can hear people AND people can hear me. I also really need to print out a gun. I also REALLY need to figure out an undersuit all around as well.

Anyway, I’m hoping to make a Con in Oklahoma 12/14-12/15 to meet Steve Downes but I’m not sure if I’ll have a second helmet made by then to have him sign or if can even make it. I’ll update when the visor comes in later this week

 

[N8TEBB]

Wow the suit looks amazing!!

About you visibility- first; I'm sure that your branfur visor will be wonderous compared to the home made ones, even if they are quite fun to make. I have a home-made visor that I used to have fogging issues with. I installed 2 5V blower fans above the visor that blow directly onto it rather than at my face. The blower fans are quite nice as they are able to move the air in more or a predictable direct path right onto the visor which will clear any fog right off. Even if I try to breathe on the visor will all my might, any fog I create will immediately be cleared. If you have fogging with the branfur visor this might help you out too.

Your suit looks great overall man! You killed it! Steve Downes will be impressed for sure.

 

[OrangeCrush]

Fantastic Suit!
I'm using the same files. Your detailed explanations really help me understand how this thing will come together. I already have answers to a multitude of questions.

So far, the only part I've printed is the left calf.
Regarding Sizing: (Using armor smith)

Calf parts for me, are 95%, uniform. For Emily they are 94%.

Did you do all of the sizing Uniform, or did you need to do some non-uniform adjustments?
Thanks!

 

[Hyprfixate]

Wow the suit looks amazing!!

About you visibility- first; I'm sure that your branfur visor will be wonderous compared to the home made ones, even if they are quite fun to make. I have a home-made visor that I used to have fogging issues with. I installed 2 5V blower fans above the visor that blow directly onto it rather than at my face. The blower fans are quite nice as they are able to move the air in more or a predictable direct path right onto the visor which will clear any fog right off. Even if I try to breathe on the visor will all my might, any fog I create will immediately be cleared. If you have fogging with the branfur visor this might help you out too.

Your suit looks great overall man! You killed it! Steve Downes will be impressed for sure.

Thank you!!!

I also have 2 5v fans in there but it may be the way I oriented them. I can’t put the fans above bc that’s where my battery pack is. So I have them down further blowing upwards. I may need to move them. They’re also a lot weaker than I thought they would be, BUT, they are quiet lol

I’m hoping I’m able to make it. That would be incredible if he is actually impressed. I posed on the 405th fb and it seems like there will be quite a few Master Chiefs there

 

[Hyprfixate]

Fantastic Suit!
I'm using the same files. Your detailed explanations really help me understand how this thing will come together. I already have answers to a multitude of questions.

So far, the only part I've printed is the left calf.
Regarding Sizing: (Using armor smith)

Calf parts for me, are 95%, uniform. For Emily they are 94%.

Did you do all of the sizing Uniform, or did you need to do some non-uniform adjustments?
Thanks!

Thank you!

I’m so happy it could help. No one had really posted GA’s updated files yet when I Was building my suit so I had to basically do it all myself. Which was more difficult bc I’m extremely new to this hobby lol. I actually started printing the Legacy files and they were a real pain.

So for my experience with the sizing and armorsmith, it’s a mix of uniform and non-uniform about 96%. I had to do this bc my body type is different than the creator of the files. I’m 5’10 and a more of a muscley “dadbod” almost 200lbs. So some things fit uniform but others I had to adjust. I’ll try to explain a little more below:

The torso is non-uniform to be more of a “V” shape so it would fit on my Neptune 4 max in one piece and also so the lower part tapered in. I did that because my first attempt of printing the torso my bicep pieces were resting on the bottom of the torso and I couldnt put my arms down at all. I also ended up having issues with the bicep being too long and shoulder being a bit too big overall so I had to shorten the bicep about 10% more so it didn’t pinch my forearm and stab my front delt when I raised my arm. The thighs were also custom shaped.

The boots were the legacy files and I completely adjusted them so my shoe would fit inside.

The helmet, groin, forearm, and calf pieces were all uniform.

 

[Hyprfixate]

LONG over due update. Since the last update several months ago, I haven’t gotten too much done. Between the holidays and several bouts with the flu running through my family took out any chance of me figuring out the ab wrap. But I did get a few things done.

First up, I replaced my homemade visor with a Branfuhr visor. Full transparency on this, I had some issues with the visor with peeling, bubbles, and the gold color coming off around the edges. His customer service is top notch though and we got it figured out. I do like the color of the one I made more, but the visual clarity of his vs mine is not even in the same universe. I can see crystal clear out of his visor. It’s also much stronger and more durable. I hate that I now can’t say “completely made by me”, but this quality of life update is necessary after using both out and about. I highly recommend these things.

Next on my list was to get the MA40 printed and glued together. SpartanSweed was kind enough to hook me up with the NERF one but I didn’t want to ruin it quite yet. So I made the AR from Galactic Armory to test paint color and everything. Not quite done with it yet as of this post, but got a solid start for doing all of the gluing, poor sanding job, priming, and painting all in one day. It’s all one color but I’ll hand paint the black and yellow parts here soon.

Next was trying to figure out how to get 3d printed MA40 and side arm mounted to the suit. I looked all over these forums, the fb group, and other groups both Halo and non-halo related to try to get ideas. It wasn’t until the man himself, Jamie from Galactic Armory, commented on a post I made on the 405th group showing what he did for his side arm.

I reached out to Fidlock and they were kind enough to hook me up with a few samples to try. so I used them for the side arm and also a crude hot glued test for the rifle. Here is me testing out the temporary set up.

I wasn’t able to get the parts in time for “The Countdown to the Con” event to get either mounted or other quality of life things done for mobility, but the new Visor was amazing and just having the rifle added a lot to the suit!

So, next up on the to-do list to try to finish before Planet Comic Con:

- shaving down some more from the inside of the boots because they did really hard into my feet.

- work on the cod piece once the Fidlock pieces come in so I can make it removable while wearing the suit (right now it slides up like pants and it’s very inconvenient)

-reprint and paint the thigh pieces a little shorter and maybe the calf pieces with the back of the calf angled down so I can walk up and down stairs, maybe even kneel.

- mount the rifle to the back torso and the side arm to the new thigh piece once the Fidlocks come in

- swap out existing plastic buckles with Fidlock slides for easier donning of the harness and suit

- continue to try to figure out what to do for the ab wrap and joint spots

 

[Hyprfixate]

I had some extra time today to work on it a little. So I worked on getting the MA40 mounted to the back. Took a LOT of minor adjustments and patience, but I finally got it for a test fit without the arm pieces on. I was happy with it so I then started working on getting my new buckles on the lower torso pieces so I could try to get the suit on all by myself like a big boy lol

After some errands, I came back, swapped out the buckles, and proceeded to get the whole top pieces of the suit on by myself Relatively easily on the first try. I can’t put the gun back without help yet, but I can get the suit on, look in the mirror and get the gun mounted, then take it back off, and then take the suit back off again by myself. That is a HUGE win in my book. Will be working on some of the rest of my to do list tomorrow

 

[Hyprfixate]

I installed 2 5V blower fans above the visor that blow directly onto it rather than at my face

you were right about the visor, it’s like going from seeing life on an old 1970’s tube tv to a 100 inch 8k oled lol. My fans held up pretty good on my most recent outing, but it still fogged up a bit so I think my fan orientation needs to be changed. I also opted for a rather large battery pack so that is currently above my visors with a pad attached to it doubling as my forehead pad and the fans are down by my mouth angled up like this: /\ . My
Thought process was to pull the outside air from below my chin but I think they’re taking air from each other and also getting some of my exhale. Do you have a pic of how you have your fans and battery set up in the helmet? Maybe a link to the fans you used?

 

[N8TEBB]

Do you have a pic of how you have your fans and battery set up in the helmet?

Circuit Diagram
Photo of the Setup
I just bought generic 5V 40mm blower fans. Although, I'm now hoping to get some Noctua fans because I've heard they're much quieter.

AR mount looks pretty sick! I'm glad the visor is an improvement!