ONI Recon armour (H3 ODST) build

[ThermalSoarer]

So I forgot just how slow a process Pepakura building can be. I've spent pretty much all of today working on my helmet (about 9 hours total) and I reckon I'm probably about a third of the way through. So far I've been focusing on the top of the helmet, working my way down.

One thing I'm slightly concerned about is scaling. I did check before cutting whether the scale would be OK, and according to Armorsmith Designer it looked like the default scale would be fine. Testing what I currently have over my head it looks to me like it might be fine, but will definitely be a tight fit (which I guess is not necessarily a bad thing...).

I've been using super glue to adhere all the parts and it has been working well, despite the occasional sticking of myself to the part! I've used glue sticks previously when doing Pepakura and while they are definitely easier to remove from your fingers, I have had problems with the strength of their adhesion so for now I'm going to stay using super glue as I don't think these joins are going anywhere.

Well, tomorrow I'm going to carry on working on this. Tomorrow is where it will really slow down as I'll be doing all the smaller, fiddly bits around the visor and the mid-section of the helmet.

 

[ThermalSoarer]

No more pics right now, but plenty of progress. I continued the build yesterday and, after doing most of the visor area, realised that it would be a bit too small as I was worried about, though not so much in width as height. As a result, I ended up spending the rest of yesterday afternoon scaling the helmet up 10% and then re-arranging all of the parts, as well as making some edits to the unfold to help make it easier to assemble.

I've managed to get back to where I was at on Tuesday with the larger helmet, and I'm hoping the changes I've made will help speed up the more fiddly work around the visor. The only slight hold back right now is that I've just run out of super glue. I do have some more lying around, but I'm not sure yet whether it is dried up or not. I guess I'll find out tomorrow. Either way, I've still got pages to get cut out so I'll be able to make some progress.

 

[jsg6]

Can't wait to see it finished!

 

[ThermalSoarer]

Thanks, jsg6! I've been making some more progress today. I've got most of the visor area done now, so just need to work on the sides next and then the neckseal.

And here it is next to my X-Wing helmet for size comparison (note, the X-Wing helmet is actually slightly too big for me):

Finally, I've been trying out the latest developments in superglue application technology to see if there is a better way then the traditional squeeze tube:

I first tried the brush bottle (on the left), but didn't really like it as the bristles splayed outwards very quickly, making it difficult to get a clean application of the glue. Now, I'm using the super glue pen (on the right) and much prefer it. It is a gel glue rather than liquid, which I don't like as much (I find the liquid absorbs into the cardboard much better), but the form-factor of it makes application of the glue MUCH easier. I'm definitely going to keep using these glue pens from now on instead of the traditional squeeze bottle.

 

[ThermalSoarer]

OK, the pepping is more-or-less done now. The only part left to finish is the neck seal.

I'm going to leave off the neck seal for now as I want to leave myself easier access for the various mods I'm planning to make now to add more detail and accuracy into the helmet. I figure it'll be much easier to do it now then it will be after I've fibreglassed it.

Here are the main mods I'm planning right now. I've got a few more in mind for the back and sides, but will look more into those when I've got these ones done.

I'm going to make the mods by simply cutting out the details outlines and then adding extra layers of cardboard underneath until I have the shape I want. I'm probably going to cut extra copies of the pieces to be modded to use as a base, rather than trying to cut out on the helmet itself.

 

[ThermalSoarer]

I've been working slowly on getting the mods done to the helmet. I've got a few done already, and am about halfway through doing them.

I was going to just layer up the card around the cut out parts to make them solid, but then realised just how long that would take to do! Instead, I've ended up using corrugated cardboard to provide the depth, coated with superglue on the inside to help stiffen it.

Hopefully by next weekend I'll be ready to add a layer of resin and the fibreglass to the inside. After that, I'll use bondo to provide the rest of the details I need.

 

[Xav kitsune]

a design styling, if you look close on the ODST gloves, the pinkie flange is completely fingerless(as in nothing on the pinkie is covered) with knuckle padding on pointer, middle, and ring fingers. if you want a screen accurate version of the glove covering I would suggest you contact Sean Bradley, he sells the glove covers for a reasonable price.

 

[Husky1988]

Looking great!