ODST Build By Kusak3 and Ashuraa

[Kusak3]

I agree with what you said earlier about the helmet being the make or break part of the build. It was the first thing I pepped too and I know how you both feel wanting to get it right. I tell you what though, that foam edging for the bucket support is genius!! I'm tempting to rip out what I have now and try that, because I got tons of that edging left over.

Those look like Kirrou's hinged shoulders right? I found that the hinge doesn't seem to make life any more comfortable than a normal solid shoulder. I pieced it together using a smooth carriage bolt with some nylon washers to protect the fiberglass and paint from damage, and it didn't seem to hinge very much. Idk if I did my technique wrong or if that's how it is designed, but I'm interested in seeing how you make yours work out.

Yes it is Kirrou's hinged shoulders. I switched over from his solid ones to the hinged simply to make it easier for me to work on them. I could not get good access to some of the sections of the solid one to be able to use my mouse sander. And I would much rather it do the work than me sitting their being patient. Me and patient some time's do not go in the same sentence. As of this exact moment I haven't decided on how I want to link them together when they are finished. A detail I will handle when I get them done and see how they want to mate up.

As to the edging foam in my bucket. We made a bit of a change to how it was configured. The central tab that was coming up in the front was causing a pressure point when I was wearing the helmet. It was enough to make it so that I couldn't wear the helmet for more than about 10 or 15 minutes before headache land would start to set in. So we cut the tab back a bit and added two more contact points as well. Seems to have cured that problem Ive been able to keep the helmet on for about an hour now. Ive got to be able to wear it so working on comfort level as we have time. It also cleared the front center of the helmet so I can put a small fan up their to move air over the visor and down across my face to keep things from fogging up being I wear glass and will eventually have the visor to trap more heat in the helmet.

I am out of batteries for my camera at the moment so soon as I get some recharged ((need to replace the rechargeable s they just have hit the we are old category)) I will try to get some pictures of the mod we made.

 

[Kusak3]

Well It has been a week since we posted any photo's or updates. Work has been proceeding. Course spent a significant amount of time cleaning my work shop out this weekend trying to get it ready for the colder months so I can keep working. But I also had some nice sun shine this weekend and I took advantage of it to get a bunch of resin work done outside so no stinking the house out. Anyhow your probably thinking why doesnt he shut up and post some pictures. Well here we go.



This is the very beginning of a Sliced silenced magnum. I am making the layers from Luan being I have access to my own band saw and scroll saw. And I have a rather large supply of luan utility panels laying about. I have also started staging the components to Build a BR 55 Battle rifle in this fashion. But I have also come to the conclusion that in the next couple of years I am going to invest in a 3D printer and use it to make the weapons with moving parts and higher level of detail. I have found the patterns for the BR55 and the magnum pistols in that format. But that is a year two down the road and a matter of if I keep this level of interest in this.. Anyhow next picture.



Okay we would have my center chest piece completed except for final paint job. Also is the center stomach piece. It has been fiber glassed and I have started to bondo work on it. I need to snag a small section of pipe to make the round center section in the stomach plate. No way was I going to pep that and try to finish it out nicely. Also showing are the two side torso plates. Both have resin and one of them has fiberglass on the back.


Okay posted these guys before. Showing is one of the shoulder guards. This one is still in need of fiberglass. The second one has fiberglass on it and I have started the bondo on it..

Currently I am bouncing from section to section and working on things as I am in the mood. Rather tired of sucking bondo dust so havent been doing much of the sanding. Really spent this week in the mood to work on the weapons I also got the supplies to build the Vacuum forming table. Now that I have cleaned my work shop up to the point that I have room to do things I am going to spend an afternoon or two getting that built and set up my heat box. So all in all making progress perhaps in a dozen different directions at once .

 

[Arkcharmer]

Looks awesum

 

[Kusak3]

Well it has been a month since my last update. I need to get some pictures taken and posted here this week. But at least can let everyone know what is going on.

I have been working on a sliced BR 55. I also have had to take a bit of a step backwards and make a decision to go in the direction of speed on a few things. Due to the age of my home and the fact that my home is coal and wood heated during the winter months I have had to redirect my attention to getting my winter heating fuel gathered and stored. Ashuraa is also wanting us to be able to be able to go in costume to the con in State college pa in january of Feb of 2015. So currently I am concerned that I am not going to have sufficient time to complete a full suit of pepped odst armor. That being said I decided to go in the direction of a foam build to at least get a suit of armor completed to be able to make the con she wants to make it to.

I have the shin hip and thigh sections now built in foam using DFT's video's and templates. I also have the chest under layer nearly complete in just a few days of work time overall.

I have found some sizing issues with my pep pieces which is going to force me to redo a couple of them to make them look correct. which also pushed me in the direction of the foam build that way I can take my time on the pepped pieces and not rush them and still have a costume to wear until I complete the others.

slight edit went and took some pictures. And here they be.

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[Ashuraa]

Well.. we have gotten alot of Kusak's armor in basic builds now. We see where we will have to make more changes in the near future. I managed to con him into donning the full suit of what we have in mostly finished items. So, here for your viewing amusement are the pics.

 

[Kusak3]

Getting me into the armor has shown me that some of the pieces are just simply to big. I am going to need to redo the chest and stomach pieces they are both to big. The chest section being to wide and simply to thick when I scaled it. I cant cross my arms at all which is a pain. I think the shoulder guard are just about dead on. The hip plates I am thinking need sized down a bit more. I need to do a bit more work on the Forearm guards to get the hand openings a bit closer in size but otherwise I am pretty content with them just need to go after them with the foamies to get some detail on them.

 

[Mstruvmgc]

He looks like he is having so much fun being dressed up i love it.
Sorry to hear that the armor is to big, cant wait to see pics of the redone pieces.

 

[Shadowobliterat]

its looking awesome and it looks better cause ur enjoying it

 

[mouaj]

wow looks good. i might start an odst armor after i finish my spartan armor

 

[Kusak3]

Not had a lot of time to work on this of late but still trying to get a few hours in a week. Need to get Ash downstairs with the camera to take some pictures. But anyhow. Rebuilt the chest section in foam as well as the stomach plates. I got some cans of spray on plasti dip and have sprayed the entire assembled chest section now. Finished the belt buckle and the groin plate. Need to make the butt plate still. Working on finishing up the second shoulder guard that I had done in pep. Getting some bondo on it as I get a few free minutes. Winter is coming so I have been busy getting our winner heating fuel in and put away. Coal and wood. what you get when you have an old house.

All In all I am approaching having a functional suit. I have buckles on order thanks to my mother she found a good deal on them in one of her crafting magazines and ordered me 20 sets. I need to make a trip to the local army navy store and pick up a new set of black BDU's and shirt.

I am working firmly on getting a basic suit done and then go back and redo one piece at a time and take them to a much higher level of detail and completion.

Have my vacuum forming box almost finished. Just need to pick up a 2x2 piece of 3/4 plywood to make a top for it and then drill a whole lot of holes in it and then I will be able to vacuum form my visor for my helmet and I am going to put a try in toward vacuum forming some of the other pieces as I redo them

But anyhow that is where I am at. Nothing really special new to actually take a picture of.

 

[Kusak3]

Well got the plywood for the vacuum form box. Going to hopefully get a few minutes today to finish putting it together. Also discovered some new info this week. Ashuraa a couple weeks ago took what she had done of her costume down to the Local game store we have Snake eye games to show it off to the guys. And well it spent the day sitting in her car while she was at work. Wasn't that warm but she had major glue separation issue's on her build. Bad enough that most of the pieces she had done she deemed as a loss. Reason for her to redo them again.

But anyhow she was talking to one of her co workers about it and he was explaining to her that he used to work at a company that worked with the same foam that is in the Eva mats. He was explaining to her that the foam is a closed cell structure and because of that the hot glue if everything is not perfect. Glue/gun temperature does not get a good purchase on the foam and can easily be broken by a low level of heat. I cant prove or disprove what he was saying to Ash but I do know that I had similar problems recently with mine but not as bad which was bringing me to question the quality of the hot glue we were using. Such as was it actually high temp glue in the package and not a low temp in a High temp package.

Which brought me to my next set of issues. Ashuraa and I are hoping to have our situation as such in another year or so that we can start possibly going to a couple of events a year with our costumes. Which means they are going to spend a good bit of time in our cars on hot days. If we are having this kind of problems on only semi warm days what is going to happen mid summer. It was suggested that we switch to gorilla glue and that would get a better hold on the foam. So we will soon find out.

 

[Ashuraa]

*Laughs manically* Well, we had a full suit done for Kusak. It was a low def version. My suit got toasted due to the heat as Kusak said so we are starting mine over from scratch as well. the trials and tribulations of perfectionists.

Kusak has started working on high def foam versions of his shin guards. We are also working on my new shin guards as well. My forarms, and chest piece are completely gone. They at least gave me training, and ideas of how to make each piece better.


As soon as we get some finished, hopefully this weekend, we will post progress pics.

 

[Kusak3]

Well I just posted some update Photo's of Ashuraa's shin guards to her thread for her. And I will be building myself a set of them to replace the Low def versions that I have already built for myself. As Ash said we are experimenting and learning a lot at this stage. Developing our skills as well Anyhow here is a picture of the Chest piece that I have plasti dipped now.



At this time I have swapped out to the foam Chest build. The Pep and bondo version I had done was about 2 inch's to wide and in my opinion to thick as well. I couldn't get my arms across my chest far enough to grip the BR 55 I have been working on. It is a bit on the low detail side but for now it will work. Till it annoys me enough and I start building another one. I am beginning to wonder if Ash and I will ever be satisfied with any of the pieces. Ohhh well it is relaxing to work on.

 

[Ashuraa]

You know you are a 405th member when your spouse burns up your brand new (3 month old) heat gun, then decides they have to do a screaming run over the mountain 22 miles one way to get a new heat gun, more foam, and more hot glue sticks.
Then he takes it apart and starts making plans on how to modify it for bases for weapons.

 

[majorflint]

wow looking great im planning my first build to be ODST in foam how did the plasti dip work out for you'

 

[Kusak3]

wow looking great im planning my first build to be ODST in foam how did the plasti dip work out for you'

It worked just fine. I am using the spray primarily put a couple coats on of that to seal the foam up and then I have been going after it with a flat black spray paint. I actually picked up a camo black really cheap from the local true value hardware. It is flat black as it gets. I have one can of the standard plasti dip that I have been applying real heavy on joints in my foam work to help level those area's out before I spray it. That as well has been working pretty good. apply a couple of thick coats and then sand it lightly to smooth things up and then spray plasti dip the entire piece to finish.

I have been spending a lot of time working on Ashuraa's armor the last few weeks but I have finished several more pieces of mine as well. Actually have a clear visor in my helmet right now and have it painted. I have had a lot of problem's with the visor. Which I finally figured out the cause of that problem and that was a material issue. I need to order some PETG online and attempt the visor again the clear one I am using was a fluke that I am not sure how it came out at all but for the time It will work.

Also need to take some time to take some picture's and get them posted. Other than my groin and butt plate I have all of my pieces built just need to finish plasti dipping and get strapping done and I am up and ready till the low def chest plate finally drives me completely bonkers and I get around to building a high def version to replace it. Once we have Ashuraa's suit up and going I am looking toward building myself a recon helmet and redoing my regular ODST helmet just a smidge smaller not to mention replacing that chest plate.

 

[I4L]

Awesome work..

 

[Kusak3]

okay has been awhile but a bit of an update. Actually a lot of an update.

And before anyone asks the visor is not tinted. In the pictures it is fogged up. it is clear. The black line is where I painted over the joint that I put into the visor when I combined the two pieces. I had completed a vacuum formed visor somehow considering I was using the wrong plastic and I attempted to tint it and when I did it made the visor completely useless. So I decided to build a two piece visor to hold for the show in January.







I have a bit more painting to do. need to edge several more of the pieces in the blue to make them contrast better and stand out.
At this time I have the belt buckle and the groin plate but havent gotten them strapped yet. I am thinking that I am going to omit the Butt plate so I am able to sit down without having to worry about it. I have a multi piece visor in the helmet right now. To many problems with my vacum forming table and I need to order the correct plastic for it to work. The local Hobby Lobby does not have the plastic I need in stock and none of the other craft stores either. But I am going to redo my helmet anyhow. Just a little bit smaller.

All In all I am going to be able to go to the event in State college in about 90 percent costume. And then I will worry about replacing the helmet and the main chest piece as well as redoing the under suit for Ash and my costume equipped wedding vow renewal at Sci Fi Valley con in May.

 

[Ashuraa]

We have finished armor to wear at Setsucon in two days. Here is Kusak in his fine glory.

 

[Mstruvmgc]

Looks awesome!!