Triple ODST Spartan Build

[N8TEBB]

For me it takes a lot of extra time to film the processes of making armor and props as well as edit it into videos.

Yeah I feel this too. Filming something can almost double the time it takes to do, depending on how much you're moving a camera around. It's kinda annoying but totally worth it imo because you can look back at how you did stuff years from now and see how far you've come.

 

[DeltaAlphaZulu]

And the biofoam canister tutorial is up, if your watching it around the time I made this update I apologize for the quality, YouTube is throwing a fit about HD and 4K resolutions processing. This is the most work I've put into a video yet and I can't wait to keep making them better! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

 

[N8TEBB]

Nice vid! I actually found it on my YT feed before I saw the 405th notification lol.

Yeah YT processes in SD first, and then later processes in 1080 and 4k. I've found it's a good idea to upload a video the night before I want to release it, or at least a few hours before, because processing in HD takes a hot minute.

 

[DeltaAlphaZulu]

Nice vid! I actually found it on my YT feed before I saw the 405th notification lol.

Yeah YT processes in SD first, and then later processes in 1080 and 4k. I've found it's a good idea to upload a video the night before I want to release it, or at least a few hours before, because processing in HD takes a hot minute.

Thank you! That's good to see that it shows up on feeds!

I think I gave it like 3 or 4 hours to process before I got impatient, so next time I'll give it more time. My videos are usually set up about a month in advanced so I never notice how long it take for processing. Thanks for the info, I appreciate it!

Edit:
So I really should have just given it like 2 more hours because now it's in HD and 4K, shame I couldn't wait!

 

[DeltaAlphaZulu]

Another Wednesday another timelapse work video and another planned update to the forum. This week it's a really short video of painting and masking for layers 2 and 3 of the base coat. To make up for this short video I'll also have a print timelapse of the 25% scale GUNGNIR helmet out on Saturday.

As for figuring out what to do about the camera and display system for the GUNGNIR helmet I have thought of three ways to do it:

1. Buy a small display and camera
Pros: Cheap
Cons: Complicated wiring and it was hard to find a plug and play display under 5 inches

2. Drone FPV goggles and camera
Pros: Compact display and wireless connection to the camera
Cons: Super expensive for both components

3. Baby monitor
Pros: Cheapish, 2x digital zoom, low light vision, monitors are commonly in the area of 4 inches, and some have two way communication
Cons: Gutting electronics and redesigning 3d printed housings, hard wired in some cases, some cameras have pan and tilt that would need to be designed out of the system, monitors have buttons

I'm going with a child monitor for cars that is a wired system with a camera that doesn't have a pan and tilt feature, has a simple display with no buttons, and is designed for use in 12v systems of cars which I already base my suit electronics around anyway.
In other news I plan to start doing finishing work on the Halo 3 sniper rifle today, so hopefully I have some progress to report about that next week.

TL;DR Have a video, another one will be up Saturday, I figured out that camera system for GUNGNIR, work on Halo 3 sniper to come. Have a great rest of the week and weekend everyone!

 

[N8TEBB]

The baby monitor is a good idea! Last summer I made a helmet that I wasn't able to see out of and needed to do the whole camera and monitor thing. I used a gopro with one of those LCD bacpacs with an extension cable. It was not the best solution as the screen is only 2 inches, but it worked as long as you didn't have too many obstacles to get around. I would def recommend a >2inch screen

 

[Rock Lobbster]

Main thing is eye strain, if you're staring at a monitor the entire time your eyes will be hurting soon after getting fully suited up. FPV goggles will significantly help with that

 

[N8TEBB]

Another thought... What if you just made the helmet a secret visor? Like this is the helmet in question ya?

What if the gray box on the front was just clear vacuum formed PETG with chrome on the inside to make it one way? You could dye it a darker grey so it isn't as shiny, and still add weathering to it so it looks like solid plastic. Like destiny cosplayers must have to work around this somehow, because a lot of destiny characters don't have a obvious visor.

I think lord Saladin on the right only sees out of the silver parts in the face there. And you can't realy tell that that's where the visor is. This video from Impact Props from ages ago I think shows what I mean with a locust helmet...

 

[DeltaAlphaZulu]

Another thought... What if you just made the helmet a secret visor? Like this is the helmet in question ya?

View attachment 327104

What if the gray box on the front was just clear vacuum formed PETG with chrome on the inside to make it one way? You could dye it a darker grey so it isn't as shiny, and still add weathering to it so it looks like solid plastic. Like destiny cosplayers must have to work around this somehow, because a lot of destiny characters don't have a obvious visor.
View attachment 327110
I think lord Saladin on the right only sees out of the silver parts in the face there. And you can't realy tell that that's where the visor is. This video from Impact Props from ages ago I think shows what I mean with a locust helmet...

Thank you for the ideas!

 

[DeltaAlphaZulu]

It's Wednesday again, so have another armor update and another helmet work video!

This week's video is the demasking of the ODST helmet to see how all the base colors look together before weathering. I have to say, I was a bit skeptical of how the colors looked together before weathering.

I've somewhat started working on the sniper rifle but no photos of progress for that project yet.

I have also started working on my ODST armor in earnest, due to a project I want to be a part of happening in a few months. So far I have a single shoulder, most of the chest components, and a few of the shin components printed for this build printed and I plan on starting the finishing processes on those pieces this week. I also have the ODST backplate printing in one go on the CR10S5 and that has an estimated 8 day print time!

The camera and monitor system I ordered for the GUNGNIR helmet arrived today and is exactly what I wanted it to be and more! This system is designed as a child monitoring/back up camera for cars. It has an infrared camera along with a HD Display that is the perfect size to fit in the helmet without having to break it out of its housing. It also came with a quick disconnect component that can be used to wire it a 12v system!

That's it for this week! I hope to have a lot of progress to report next Wednesday. Until then, have a great week and weekend and good luck with all of your projects everybody!

 

[DeltaAlphaZulu]

Wednesday thread update time!

A solid amount of printing progress this week. I have the entire backplate printed in one go, but due to the way I printed it the back side is pretty chewed up. That's going to take quite a bit of extra finishing work. Have a short of the debed!

In more video news, the final work timelapse video for my ODST helmet just went up and I think that it is the best one! Who doesn't love to see weathering!

Also due to the need to get my suit and splaser completed before the end of March the sniper rifle build has be postponed until later this year, more than likely around summer time.

I should have some finishing work vids and photos for some of the ODST armor coming next week!

 

[ODSTCody]

My eyes popped out my head and my jaw hit the floor when I saw that helmet's paint job. Not only is the quality incredible, the more unique paint job and choice of colors is equally incredible. I'm now torn as to whether or not I should apply those techniques to my current helmet or subsequent builds.

 

[N8TEBB]

nice touch with the red!

 

[DeltaAlphaZulu]

My eyes popped out my head and my jaw hit the floor when I saw that helmet's paint job. Not only is the quality incredible, the more unique paint job and choice of colors is equally incredible. I'm now torn as to whether or not I should apply those techniques to my current helmet or subsequent builds.

Thank you, I appreciate it and like I said for the previous video I didn't really know if the gray was going to look good with the brown colors, but the weathering brought it all together!

nice touch with the red!

I think so too! My idea initially was to have the 3 or 4 colors of Covenant blood on the front of the helmet from combat and have the red blood on the back of the helmet from helping wounded comrades out of the fight.

 

[DeltaAlphaZulu]

Super fun news Saturday update! While doing clean up on the back plate I found a delam that runs all the way along the back from side to side. Nothing a little plastic bonder can't fix. Also have a short!

I also now have all the parts for a shin piece printed so I hope to get that finished before my next Wednesday.
(as well as finishing my brute spike gernade and getting the spartan laser put together)

 

[DeltaAlphaZulu]

Wednesday again more videos and a few updates!
I started working on D3LTA's Brute Spike Grenade Prop! I only have it primed at this point, but I should be painting the base color today.

This week I also finished part 1 of the ODST helmet finishing tutorial! This video starts at a raw print and works up to being ready for the base coat.

The wetsuit I plan on using for an undersuit base also arrived this week so I plan to start working on that soon!

As for the GUNGNIR helmet print, I have had 2 failures due to print shift. I've tuned some settings so hopefully the third times the charm!

That's all for this week!

 

[ODSTCody]

That was one hell of a good tutorial. I can't wait to see what comes next in this series.

Based on these methods, I wonder if I should revisit sanding/smoothening my current helmet before I repaint it (as I mentioned in my own build thread). You've got more experience than me; do you recommend putting more Bondo on and sanding over a helmet that's already been painted?

 

[DeltaAlphaZulu]

That was one hell of a good tutorial. I can't wait to see what comes next in this series.

Based on these methods, I wonder if I should revisit sanding/smoothening my current helmet before I repaint it (as I mentioned in my own build thread). You've got more experience than me; do you recommend putting more Bondo on and sanding over a helmet that's already been painted?

Thank you so much!

It really depends on a lot of factors. Is the helmet plastic or foam. If it's plastic I'd just sand it back down until it's mostly primer then reprime and start again. If it's foam I don't think I'd redo it just because I feel you'd end up tearing the foam up trying to sand it down. In all honesty I keep all my helmets and I don't rework them to see how much progress I've made as a maker. The helmet in this tutorial was really just a test piece for printing helmets in one go and to see how far my finishing skill had come in the six months since my previous helmet build. In my mind at the end of the day I'd rather start fresh then try to rework something I had already finished once before.

No matter what decision you make I wish you the best of luck and I can't wait to see how what you build turns out!

 

[ODSTCody]

Thank you so much!

It really depends on a lot of factors. Is the helmet plastic or foam. If it's plastic I'd just sand it back down until it's mostly primer then reprime and start again. If it's foam I don't think I'd redo it just because I feel you'd end up tearing the foam up trying to sand it down. In all honesty I keep all my helmets and I don't rework them to see how much progress I've made as a maker. The helmet in this tutorial was really just a test piece for printing helmets in one go and to see how far my finishing skill had come in the six months since my previous helmet build. In my mind at the end of the day I'd rather start fresh then try to rework something I had already finished once before.

No matter what decision you make I wish you the best of luck and I can't wait to see how what you build turns out!

You actually make quite a good argument in terms of not reworking helmets and seeing how much progress you've made. I might even go so far as to print a new one (after I print my Romeo helmet) just so I have a fresh start to practice on.

 

[DeltaAlphaZulu]

Super Saturday Update!

The Brute Spike Grenade prop is almost finished! I should have it complete by the Wednesday update! Also the short for priming and base coat went up today so have a video!

I'll be starting on the Spartan Laser tomorrow as well so look out for all the fun build pics and videos of that!

See ya Wednesday!