Spitfire22V's LD Mark VI build - Now Completed

[thorn696]

Looking Epic. The mag is starting to come together too.

 

[ventrue]

Really nice progress! Considering this is all LD, I can't wait to see what you can do with HD pep models :-D

 

[Spitfire22V]

Looking Epic. The mag is starting to come together too.

Thanks Thorn! Btw, hope your build is still coming along.

Really nice progress! Considering this is all LD, I can't wait to see what you can do with HD pep models :-D

Thanks Ventrue! If I were to make another suit, it wouldn't be an HD Mark VI. It would either be a Reach Mark V or whatever future game character Bungie is working on next. I already feel like I was late to the party making this one. Like if that ship has already sailed. I mean, the Halo franchise is mostly finished, with the exception of the possible remake of Halo: CE this November. However, I'm hoping for a Halo movie, or even more Halo games, to wear the suit to releases of! :cool

 

[sandy1973]

Wow your armor is looking sweeeeeeeet epic. I like how you detail your build it look good and simple

 

[Hyperballistik]

Really looking great man, I feel like im falling behind watching your build, man Im lazy, but glad to see how far your progressing with your build, keep it up, its amazing how great you make the LD parts look

 

[lofoog33]

nice work! i really like the bullets. cant wait to see this all together.

 

[Constrictor]

Amazing! I love how your progress coming good so far!

 

[Spitfire22V]

Wow your armor is looking sweeeeeeeet epic. I like how you detail your build it look good and simple

Really looking great man, I feel like im falling behind watching your build, man Im lazy, but glad to see how far your progressing with your build, keep it up, its amazing how great you make the LD parts look

nice work! i really like the bullets. cant wait to see this all together.

Amazing! I love how your progress coming good so far!

Thanks for the comments guys. It really means a lot coming from people who have builds/armor that I really admire!

After finishing the codpiece this morning, I mostly took the day off from armor building. However, I did take some time to build the "thing I'm going to add later" I mentioned in my last post. :cool

Basically, I was wondering how I was going to carry around cash, ID, phone, camera, etc when I'm wearing the suit. I decided I needed some pouches that I could attach to the belt to carry all that stuff in. However, after looking around and doing some research, I couldn't find anything that I liked.

Then I realized how much extra black vinyl and foam I had, and decided to make them myself!

I don't really have an WIP pics of the pouches themselves, as it was a pretty quick process. I just cut out pieces of vinyl to shape and hot glued them together. Lined with some craft foam on the inside to add some support, then added some velcro to secure the flap. I might add some more detail to them, and I also need to add a loop on the back to attach to the utility belt.

Two completed pouches!

Flap open.

View of the inside, showing the craft foam lining.

Temporarily affixed to the codpiece to show where they will be placed.

One on each side; they will fit perfectly in a gap between the 2 pieces of the codpiece.

Again, thank you all for stopping by and checking out my build! I always look forward to sharing more progress with you guys!

 

[Hyperballistik]

Thats a really good idea,they Look good on the belt too, like ammo pouches, just make sure they are secure so you don't loose your cash and other goodies, I think im going to have to sign on a personal assistant to carry my stuff around

 

[thorn696]

Nice concept with the pouches. Wounder if that will work with canvas.
As for the comment, thanks for the info. I'm going to use the older shine on mine I already know how to fit that one, its allot bigger. Besides with watching you're EPIC build I now know how to add those small little lines in the detail work
Thanks again for the info.

 

[Spitfire22V]

Thats a really good idea,they Look good on the belt too, like ammo pouches, just make sure they are secure so you don't loose your cash and other goodies, I think im going to have to sign on a personal assistant to carry my stuff around

Thanks, ammo pouches is exactly what I was going for. Hopefully they blend in with the rest of the suit. It probably would have been better to sew the edges, but hot glue was at hand. They seem strong enough, bu I also plan on having at least one person around with me (primarily as a photographer) when wearing the suit to help out, and maybe even have a small emergency repair kit with super glue, etc.

Nice concept with the pouches. Wounder if that will work with canvas.
As for the comment, thanks for the info. I'm going to use the older shine on mine I already know how to fit that one, its allot bigger. Besides with watching you're EPIC build I now know how to add those small little lines in the detail work
Thanks again for the info.

Sounds good! Yes, fitting a shin by cutting it up into several pieces seems quite tedious if it's required. I'll be checking out your WIP thread for updates. Also, if you do plan to add grinded in details, be sure to use the lowest speed setting on the Dremel, and apply only very light pressure. Those cutting wheels do quick work of cardboard/Bondo!

 

[JUSTINIAN 117]

The pouches came out great, but the only problem is the hot glue. Over time it will eventually get sticky, and fall apart. I made a really nice Splinter Cell vest a few years back and it came out great, but a few years later it was ruined. Sewing is the way to go with the vinyl leather stuff. Keep up the great and creative work.

 

[Spitfire22V]

The pouches came out great, but the only problem is the hot glue. Over time it will eventually get sticky, and fall apart. I made a really nice Splinter Cell vest a few years back and it came out great, but a few years later it was ruined. Sewing is the way to go with the vinyl leather stuff. Keep up the great and creative work.

Thanks for the info Justinian. I would have liked to sewn them, but hot glue was more readily available and quicker. To be honest, if these pouches last a few years, that should be good enough.

Some progress on the suit has been made. However, I was away for most of last week at the University of Maryland, College Park (my alma mater) for some history making! On Thursday, a team of students (many of them close friends of mine) successfully flew a human powered helicopter!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...opter-takes-off/2011/05/12/AFxjPV1G_blog.html

When I got back home, the weather turned bad and it's been raining. I honestly can not remember ever having a Spring with such poor weather.

Here's the chest piece with the first round of sanding done. I use the Dremel to get rid of any high spots (my Bondo work is still not that good), then use the mouse sander to really smooth it out. I decided to add some more Bondo on the peck areas to raise and round them even more. Today might dry up enough to continue/finish the sanding.

Moving on to work I can still do indoors, strapping + padding has begun! I figured I'd better start with the codpiece, since all of the leg pieces depend on it.

I purchased some suspenders from Wal-Mart that work wonderfully with the utility belt. They just have plastic hooks that attach and support the belt from the bottom.

I added some EVA foam padding around the belt, then used vinyl straps to secure the belt. It all seems strong and secure, but we'll see how well it holds when I wear the full suit for extended periods of time.

View of the rear.

View of the front. One side of of the belt stays attached, while the left side buckle is removed to slip on the codpiece. Then it's simply a matter of sliding the buckle back into it's strap and clicking it closed.

I decided to try one the thigh pieces to check the clearance. Everything is fine, though I will need to lower the codpiece I think. It seems to sit too high at the moment.

View of the back.

Also, I have some finishing items on order.

My shopping list:
-3/4" plastic buckles for the rest of the strapping.
-1.5" plastic buckles to attach the front and back of the chest piece
-Neck half-mask to cover up the neck while wearing the helmet
-Some elastic material which will be used for various pieces (which I'll describe when I get to that point)

That's all for now! I hope to get the chest mostly finished this week. Once I get the items I ordered, it will just be a matter of strapping and padding everything up! :cool

Thanks for stopping by!

 

[thorn696]

Looking really good. You're suit is coming along great. And yes you really need to lower the cod.

 

[BLACKULA727]

Sorry I haven't commented for a while (I was moving all week), but I have been looking at the build from my droid. I'm finally all settled in though. Anyways, the build looks fantastic. I really like the creativity being displayed here. I will definitely use some of your techniques on future builds of mine. The chest piece looks like its coming along nicely and the over all paint job on the rest of the stuff looks legit. As usuall awesome work so far. Keep it up Spitfire!!

 

[Satchmo III]

Cool detail for the cod/belt strapping. I'm planning to section the hard pieces of my Reach belt somewhat like what you've done. I have a couple of process questions for you if you have time...

What material did you use to secure the vinyl strap belt loops to the hard-pieces? It looks there are four dabs of maybe epoxy at each connection point.

When worn do you actually cinch up the belt tight to the waist or is it loose and primarily held up by the suspenders? In thinking about sectioning the hard-pieces one concern I have is having the underlying belt too tight causing the hard-pieces to overlap and/or grind.

Good luck finishing the chest and completing the strapping!

 

[Spitfire22V]

Looking really good. You're suit is coming along great. And yes you really need to lower the cod.

Thanks Thorn! I'm on the home stretch now. I will have to loosen up the belt and lower the suspenders to lower the codpiece, but that's super easy to do.

Sorry I haven't commented for a while (I was moving all week), but I have been looking at the build from my droid. I'm finally all settled in though. Anyways, the build looks fantastic. I really like the creativity being displayed here. I will definitely use some of your techniques on future builds of mine. The chest piece looks like its coming along nicely and the over all paint job on the rest of the stuff looks legit. As usuall awesome work so far. Keep it up Spitfire!!

Thanks Blackula! I am definitely looking forward to any future builds from you. Congrats on the move; still in Florida I presume?

Cool detail for the cod/belt strapping. I'm planning to section the hard pieces of my Reach belt somewhat like what you've done. I have a couple of process questions for you if you have time...

What material did you use to secure the vinyl strap belt loops to the hard-pieces? It looks there are four dabs of maybe epoxy at each connection point.

When worn do you actually cinch up the belt tight to the waist or is it loose and primarily held up by the suspenders? In thinking about sectioning the hard-pieces one concern I have is having the underlying belt too tight causing the hard-pieces to overlap and/or grind.

Good luck finishing the chest and completing the strapping!

I'd be happy to answer your questions!
The vinyl straps are secured with hot glue. At first thought, I didn't think it would do the job, but it seems to be plenty strong. The joint between the back of the vinyl and the fiberglass armor piece seems to be rough enough that it promotes good adhesion (more surface area, etc). I may reinforce all the strapping when it's finished and I'm happy with it's positioning, but the real test will be when I wear the whole suit for the first time and see how it all holds up.

As for the belt, I adjusted it to fit me before I attached it to the codpiece, so I don't have to cinch it anymore. I just slide it on and clip it. At the moment, the suspenders are more of a backup since the belt fits snug enough that it rests on my hip bones. However, as I mentioned to Thorn above, since I have to lower the codpiece, it probably wont rest on my hip anymore, and will have to be loosened. Then, I imagine the suspenders will have to actually help to hold it up. I'll let you know for sure when I adjust it.

Thanks for the comments guys. I've spent just about all morning sanding the chest piece and the Magnum. They're mostly finished, but I needed to add a tiny bit more Bondo in some areas, and that's drying now. I should be able to finish the chest piece sanding 100% this afternoon, and get the first coat of primer on.

 

[CoolC]

I decided to try one the thigh pieces to check the clearance. Everything is fine, though I will need to lower the codpiece I think. It seems to sit too high at the moment.

Looks really good. May I make a suggestion on the crotch. Not sure what you plan to use to secure the area around the crotch. My kids had the same problems when they wear that same piece - the pants show up too much on the crotch because I did secure both front and back of the codpiece. I hot glued a piece of the nylon strap accross the front and back. That helped pull the pants up without causing too much discomfort.

 

[LongShot X]

Excellent progress on your armor!

Can't wait to see the torso all bondo'd and sanded. It was a beast for me.

I like the way you strapped your cod/belt. I noticed that the belt has a white stripe running along the center. I had a similar 'issue' with the logos on my undersuit. Do you have a solution to hide that? For mine, I used a black felt marker to color the logos black. It might work on your belt.

How did you secure the thigh pieces? Velcro? I'm looking for ways to hide and or remove the visible straps that hold mine up. Good job!

 

[Spitfire22V]

Looks really good. May I make a suggestion on the crotch. Not sure what you plan to use to secure the area around the crotch. My kids had the same problems when they wear that same piece - the pants show up too much on the crotch because I did secure both front and back of the codpiece. I hot glued a piece of the nylon strap accross the front and back. That helped pull the pants up without causing too much discomfort.

Yup, I was thinking about doing something about that. I mean, a Spartan has to go to the bathroom eventually, right? At first, I was thinking about leaving it open, but I may indeed add a strap of vinyl between the front and back pieces, with some velcro for easy removal.

Thanks for the suggestion, always appreciated!

Excellent progress on your armor!

Can't wait to see the torso all bondo'd and sanded. It was a beast for me.

I like the way you strapped your cod/belt. I noticed that the belt has a white stripe running along the center. I had a similar 'issue' with the logos on my undersuit. Do you have a solution to hide that? For mine, I used a black felt marker to color the logos black. It might work on your belt.

How did you secure the thigh pieces? Velcro? I'm looking for ways to hide and or remove the visible straps that hold mine up. Good job!

Regarding the white stripe on the belt, it will be completely hidden. The gaps between the armor pieces where the belt would show will have the 2 vinyl pouches there to cover it up. So unfortunately, I don't have a solution for hiding unwanted logos.

The thigh pieces were just slipped on for those photos to show the clearance with the codpiece. It's just a friction fit; if I attempted to walk they would slide off. I unfortunately will have visible straps going from the thigh pieces to the codpiece. If you figure out a way to hide the straps, let us know!

Thanks for the comments guys!