The Journey Begins

[FuzzytheWolf]

This will be my first time attempting Master Chief armour... or any armour, really

I bought the armour model from Galactic Armory. So far I've printed the helmet, scaled to 95% (importing a head model into my splicer software and roughly gauging the size). Since a lot of people here like to use Armorsmith, I'm giving it a go to help scale the body armor. A tad concerned getting it right... the original files were made for someone around 90kg's (200lbs), I'm I'm around 72.5kg's (160lbs). A bit of trial and error is probably in order.

I have printed a slice of the upper opening to the forearm piece. How snug do you like your armour to be? I'm reading through the forums for tips, but any advice people have is always welcome.

I'll post my progress as i go.

 

[N8TEBB]

How snug do you like your armour to be? I'm reading through the forums for tips, but any advice people have is always welcome.

Now this is coming from a guy who makes armour from foam so it may be different for 3D printing; but I like my armour to be juuuuuuust snug over the base layer. Large enough that I can get the pieces on and off without a fuss, but no bigger than that. With foam I have a bit more forgiveness with the pieces coming on and off because they can give way, so perhaps someone who does more 3D printing can chime in.

Either way I'm excited to see how it turns out! Best of luck on your buid!

 

[SgtSaint]

Two cents worth:
Figure out your undersuit before you keep printing. Test it while wearing what you'll be wearing, not your naked arm. Are you going to be wearing something thin like a morph suit?

Or something a lot thicker?

 

[Bloxxer]

Knowing what you're going to use for an undersuit definitely helps. You generally want to have enough space to comfortably put on and take off. Just remember with a hard 3d print, you can always add padding but you can't take off material (easily) without a reprint. I'd say that sizing ring you have pictured looks really good. Should be plenty of room for something like a compression shirt as well as some padding for comfort.

 

[FuzzytheWolf]

These are great points, as before now I hadn't given much thought to the undersuit (something I shall start looking into now!). I've been measuring against my bare skin.

Are you going to be wearing something thin like a morph suit?

The one you have on looks really good. Love the details you've added to the back! food for thought, there.

Just remember with a hard 3d print, you can always add padding but you can't take off material (easily) without a reprint.

Have you some thin padding in yours? While I've read quite a few posts, I've not read much mention of padding. While it's something I was considering, hasn't been forefront. Probably a bit noobish of me, but hey, here to learn.

 

[Bloxxer]

Probably a bit noobish of me, but hey, here to learn.

Nah, don't sweat it! That's why we're all here!

Have you some thin padding in yours?

I do. I've got some thin low-density foam in my forearms at the top of them just to snug them up a bit. They still have bare plastic on the sides and bottom. Not the most comfortable thing, but not terrible. I do aim to change that in my next suit.

 

[FuzzytheWolf]

Had a go at printing the forearm piece. Print came out well, juts a little clean up needed where I has some supports. Length looks good, but I feel it may be too large in the openings. I'll play around with adding some padding, and undersuit, and see how it looks/feels. I'm okay with treating this as a sizing test, to see how well things are transitioning from my Armorsmith model. Either way, it's fun to see small progress

 

[tac2002]

nice one spartan!

 

[Bloxxer]

I think it looks good! I felt the same way when I printed my first piece, which was also a forearm. If you dig through my threads my first one was literally asking if the size of it was ok lol. It will all look better together once the other pieces are printed!

 

[FuzzytheWolf]

If you dig through my threads my first one was literally asking if the size of it was ok lol. It will all look better together once the other pieces are printed!

Cheers! I'll take a gander. I've been checking out as many build posts as I can find to check on sizing. Fortunately, Once I work out what the right side is, theoretically the left should be the same, so I should only have to print that one once

Overall though; This piece was printed at 100% in length, and 95% in width. I think it may be a tad too long, as it gets i the way a bit when I bend my arms in. I've got another one printing another currently that's slightly smaller, I'll compare and see what's comfortable. To avoid wastage, whatever doesn't get used in the final will end up being used for paint/weathering practice.

I've also been thinking about the visor for my helmet... I've been trying to find a place in my City that has a vacuum former that would allow a hobbyist to make a make a handful of items, but I've had no luck there... my helmet isn't standard size (Galactic Armory Helmet, printed at 95%) so buying a visor, wouldn't fit. May join some local cosplay groups and see what I can find. Considered making a former myself, though living in a rental without the room for a little workshop (as it is, I'm doing all this on a fold out table in my office ) a tad less than ideal for my current circumstances (def's something I want to look at in the future). I will definitely search through our forums here (already started, found some stuff on making a former and dying the visor), but any advice anyone has is always welcome. Appreciate everyone who's commented advice thus far in my journey!

 

[bearbot]

I think it looks good! I felt the same way when I printed my first piece, which was also a forearm. If you dig through my threads my first one was literally asking if the size of it was ok lol. It will all look better together once the other pieces are printed!

I just printed my first piece, also a forearm, also feel like it's too big. Thank you for the reassurance LOL.