Dirtdives2424
Division Scheduler and Keeper of Con Lists
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- S2424
Photos say we don't have permission to view. You need to change the settings in your album.
New to Foam Armor Builds / Simple Andrew DFT (WIP w/ pics)
- Thread starter Elcorio
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Elcorio
Active Member
Changed it to public. Hope that lets everyone open them up. While I am getting better at the foam builds, apparently the uploading of images still escapes me!
Elcorio
Active Member
On a side note, in the pic of the pieces, our small dog got a hold of the the gauntlet and used it as a chew toy. My son was upset, but it kind of looked like battle damage to me. So instead of building a new one, I plan to weather that one to look like it was hit by a close range blast.
Dirtdives2424
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- S2424
There we go. Nice builds!!! Very nice.
Elcorio
Active Member
If you go to Andrew DFT's Etsy account, you can buy the full ODST template set in two different sizes. I think he only charges $3.50 (US Dollars) for the whole downloadable file. While the builds are no where close to the unfolded Pep type stuff, it is absolutely perfect for anyone who has never worked with foam before. It allows someone to get into foam armor building without being overly complicated. Just make sure you keep those blades SHARP! An absolute must!!!
Good Luck!
Good Luck!
Distemper
Jr Member
Awesome man. Thank you so much for the information
Elcorio
Active Member
Little update here. The last piece of my son's armor set is the helmet and after several builds strictly following the template, I decided to start adding my own twist to this one.
I redesigned the front chin piece and added a beveled 1-1/4" piece all the way around the bottom of the helmet to give it a bit more character on the bottom. I also started using contact cement for my builds versus hot glue. It takes some planning before connecting the pieces, thus the old saying of "patience is a virtue" starts to apply here. I also changed from EVA foam to a cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) foam for the builds. It doesn't score as well, but it is far smoother to cut, bevel, and shape than EVA foam.
I still need to add the cheek pieces, score lines, finer details, and the visor but am really liking the way this helmet is coming out.
I redesigned the front chin piece and added a beveled 1-1/4" piece all the way around the bottom of the helmet to give it a bit more character on the bottom. I also started using contact cement for my builds versus hot glue. It takes some planning before connecting the pieces, thus the old saying of "patience is a virtue" starts to apply here. I also changed from EVA foam to a cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) foam for the builds. It doesn't score as well, but it is far smoother to cut, bevel, and shape than EVA foam.
I still need to add the cheek pieces, score lines, finer details, and the visor but am really liking the way this helmet is coming out.
Elcorio
Active Member
Son's chest piece so far. Still need to finish the lower portion and sides plus add weathering.
Started trying to work through the cheek pieces for the helmet. I saw on another thread or site where the user used computer fan filters for grills, so I ordered a pack for a few dollars and this is the result. I had to make a slit into the side of the helmet because of the bevel right in the middle where the piece will be fixed to. They will eventually be fitted to the curve of the helmet and (hopefully) be seamlessly integrated to the helmet.
On a side note. What is the average time it takes everyone to make a full suit. For me it is going on a few months now on this one since I only can get in an hour or so each night.
Started trying to work through the cheek pieces for the helmet. I saw on another thread or site where the user used computer fan filters for grills, so I ordered a pack for a few dollars and this is the result. I had to make a slit into the side of the helmet because of the bevel right in the middle where the piece will be fixed to. They will eventually be fitted to the curve of the helmet and (hopefully) be seamlessly integrated to the helmet.
On a side note. What is the average time it takes everyone to make a full suit. For me it is going on a few months now on this one since I only can get in an hour or so each night.
mblackwell1002
Sr Member
for most people, a full suit takes...yah, 4 or 5 months, depending on detail and time taken, which can result in up to 2 years. your build will turn out papeesheewoosh if you take the time to make it look good. It's a general rule that the longer you take, the better the result. At your rate, you (or your son) will have one of the best foam ODSTs out there. great job so far.
Last edited:
SI3RRA 117
Well-Known Member
- Member DIN
- S240
Um 2 years for mine off and on and I have to put it up because I no longer fit in it. Didn't help most of my scaling was on the small side.
Everything looks like it's coming out great. Your foam work is very clean, you make it look easy.
Everything looks like it's coming out great. Your foam work is very clean, you make it look easy.
tomwardill
New Member
This is looking really good, can only hope my build will look similar when I start it! Did you use any guides for how to get started with cutting / shaping the foam?
PaiganBoi
Sr Member
There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube for beginners on Cutting and shaping foam. Look up Andrew DFT ( he has vids on how to build this particular helmet ) , EvilTed and Punished Props ( Bill Doran ).
Elcorio
Active Member
I agree with checking out the video tutorials. They point you in the right direction, but you actually have to sink the blade into the foam to get the experience. I wish I still had the picture of the first helmet I did. It was a monstrosity and looked nothing like what was shown in the tutorial. With that being said, just take your time, think out what it is you want the particular piece to look like, and use a sharp blade! I am obsessed with passing my blade over a sharpener after only a few cuts. My blade sharpener is NEVER out of arms reach!
Also, it should be noted that most of these tutorials are time lapsed (sped up) to keep them short. The actual process of taking a piece of flat foam and cutting it, then shaping it into what you want takes time and patience. Don't be lured into comparing the speed of the person in the video to your own ability. The only thing that will make you better is patience and the experience.
Lastly, if you are trying to make a cut that you have never done before, practice on some scrap pieces first. I have had to "remake" several pieces because I thought "how hard could it be" then realized half way through it that it was much harder than the video made it look. Even if you do mess up, don't get discouraged and give up. Try again! I am still in the infancy of this and I see what others are capable of doing and think "I want to be that good one day".
- Member DIN
- S097
Really digging the detail and just how smooth and clean everything looks, and the assault rifle looks awesome!
Elcorio
Active Member
Thought I would do a little update here. I just bought a DJI Mavic Pro and have been playing with that little piece of amazing technology, but now its time to get back to the builds.
Update on the helmet: I am about 7 coats into the mod podge and have started to do some light 400 grit sanding to smooth out the coats. I have since added the cheek pieces with the screens and will start blending those in with the additional mod podge coats. After that, all that is left is priming & painting and the visor. While I followed the Andrew DFT ODST templates for the base of the helmet, I started referencing other images to add the cheek pieces and front of the mouth / chin area.
As a motivator for anyone who may be following this thread or me, I am posting the very first helmet I ever did. It was my first EVER attempt at something made from EVA foam. That was somewhere around November of 2016. So to anyone who may be thinking of giving up, I say keep trying and keep practicing. You can only get better!
Update on the helmet: I am about 7 coats into the mod podge and have started to do some light 400 grit sanding to smooth out the coats. I have since added the cheek pieces with the screens and will start blending those in with the additional mod podge coats. After that, all that is left is priming & painting and the visor. While I followed the Andrew DFT ODST templates for the base of the helmet, I started referencing other images to add the cheek pieces and front of the mouth / chin area.
As a motivator for anyone who may be following this thread or me, I am posting the very first helmet I ever did. It was my first EVER attempt at something made from EVA foam. That was somewhere around November of 2016. So to anyone who may be thinking of giving up, I say keep trying and keep practicing. You can only get better!
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Elcorio
Active Member
Thank you. I am watching your thread also. Definitely inspiring and makes me want to continue to push the proverbial envelope in build techniques and material.
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