Planning 1st Halo armor build for next summer

[Artest05]

Hey guys,

I am planning to go to the comic con event here in Denver next year and I want to go as a Spartan. this will be my first event dressed as a character and i want to do it right. Please give me any tips or information to assemble the most epic spartan armor. Thanks guys.

 

[macktruck]

First tip, start now.
Second, find a style you like.
Third, know your budget.

You may also want to change the title because it gives the impression that you're starting the build next summer. I believe your intent was to convey the event is next summer. As far as "doing it right", as long as you're having fun, it's right in my opinion.

 

[Artest05]

First tip, start now.
Second, find a style you like.
Third, know your budget.

You may also want to change the title because it gives the impression that you're starting the build next summer. I believe your intent was to convey the event is next summer. As far as "doing it right", as long as you're having fun, it's right in my opinion.

Thanks. This is my first time joining a forum so I have to learn how to write on here. I'm definitely doing my research now and i will begin next week.

 

[PaiganBoi]

Which medium are you thinking of using? Pep, foam or even 3d print?

 

[SkyBox]

Here are a few pros and cons, now just to avoid getting yelled at these are opinions and what I have heard from others... I have not managed to create a full costume so don't take any of this stuff seriously. if a more qualified member agrees or adds to it please do so. All this info is from about 24 hr's of work, and another 15 hr's of tutorials and reading threads.

Foam:
Foam is easy to work with but takes some time to get used to. I have been practicing with foam and am having problems with cutting due to tearing and cutting out bevels can take some practice. Foam can also be slightly dangerous to work with. (I.E being a complete idiot with a knife or a Heat gun) From what I learned getting detail with Foam is only as good as you are with a blade. Foam is easy and moveable making you flexable with it on.

Pep:
This route is what I am building my current armor set off of. The Noble Gen 2 Armor from halo 5. I am still very early on in the Pep stage, (currently cutting out the legs) I have the forearms though). This one is easily the longest taking from everything that I have heard, and the most complex. with Foam you have to cut, heat gun to mold and glue. then you are ready to paint when finished with that. With pep, you have to cut about 10+ pages of templates. some templates can get up to 60 pages making you go through ALOT of paper. after this you have to apply a resin inside and out, then apply fiber glass to the interior of the armor piece. then you have to bondo the exterior and then you can paint. This way can take anywhere between 4-7 months to complete. (from reading forms and seeing the start date to finish date) But Pep always has an Armor like feel to it. cause it is solid.


3D Print (Honestly I Have no experience here)
3D printing from what I understand is one of the easier ways to make your armor. You will still have to cut out the supports made from 3D printing and you will need to do ALOT of sanding. and you will need to print each armor piece in sections (if you have a smaller printer) each taking hours at a time. However it will take about 4-7 days to print out a full helmet then 1 day of assembly with minimal work on the first 7 days. all you will have to make sure is that your printer does not catch fire... other than that just go along with your business.

Again, dont listen to me. This is not from personal experience but more so watching youtube tutorials and reading the forums. if you are still figureing out which to pick just read the forums to figure it out.

 

[TurboCharizard]

I've done a couple of different costumes and a bunch of different props using different methods of construction and it really comes down to what you're comfortable with and what your budget constraint is like.

Foam is usually my go to for large pieces that need low to moderate detail. Large 4'x8' rolls are relatively cheap and are large enough to build pretty much anything you can think of (my largest is a hammer head 3'x2'x2' because my girlfriend likes costumes with oversized weapons for some reason). It's true that there is a bit of a learning curve but by the time you've finished a few pieces of a suit you'll have pretty much everything figured out as long as you take your time and be careful.

Pepakura is a time sink and far too fiddly for me. I do a lot of Warhammer style miniatures, so take that as you will.

3D printing is awesome and everyone should definitely try it out at some point. That being said it takes a large (for the average cosplayer) startup cost for the printer, filament, sanders, primers, etc. that you need to get a clean looking print. Sanders elbow is another downside of it because you'll usually be spending several hours per large piece in cleanup to get a glossy finish. Things like my PipBoy3000 take 50-100 hours of print time and another dozen for cleanup, electronics and painting. Modelling of objects can easily take as much time as both printing and finishing depending on complexity of the piece.

For someone new and doing their first suit I'd definitely say go the foam route to establish some good habits of costume construction, learn the basics of painting and weathering while not breaking the bank. If you want to go crazy and add in a bunch of other cool things your base materials are cheap so you have some wiggle room. All said and done my first finished suit was about $250 CAD in materials because PlastiDip is on the same tier as HP Printer ink up here and I added a bunch of electronics and bought some gear like combat boots and a chest rig, for a finished suit just barebones you could probably do it for half of that easily. If you're just starting out and need cutting mats, a heat gun, knives, etc. it'll be a bit more.

tl;dr I'm not sure where you live or what your budget is like but foam is by far the quickest route, one of the cheapest to start if your goal is to have a cool suit of armour that people at a convention will swoon over.