what materials do i need for my halo cosplay/

[f22fenard]

Its gonna be 3d printed, but i think i have all the materials for it.
Im printing a mark 7 spartan, and i just need confirmation for the things i will need.

 

[Parzival]

Hey there! Welcome to the group! This may seem a bit overwhelming of a task but with time and determination you can get it done! Also breaking things off into sections of tasks can help too.

In no official capacity here is a few things I can think of spur of the moment. I recommend you look around and search the forums here for "3d print" and scan a few threads of those who have 3d printed suits. Good luck!

- I recommend stocking up on your filament if you can. I at one point had 10 spools on tap and that was great to just keep hammering out the prints. I had used about 5-6 spools for the Halo 2 Anniversary ODST suit excluding helmet.

- Bondo spot putty or bondo (your preference). The bondo putty is used in conjunction with filler primer to clean up print lines and any defects before the paint process. Acetone can be used as a thinner to make application easier for tight spaces.

- Filler primer ; Filler primer is not only to prime for paint but you will alternate between this and bondo while sanding in between layers until the piece is smooth and ready for paint at your discretion.

- Paint of your choosing / paint process of your choosing

- Visor material ; Vacuum form setup if you choose to make your own or a flat sheet. Visor chrome and visor dye also to be decided.

- Padding such as foam ; thickness, hardness to be decided.

- Strapping material ; nylon / velcro / ribbon like straps to be decided

- Adhesives ; hot glue / super glue / epoxy / E6000 / shoe glue

- Tools ; hot glue gun / plastic welder/stapler / pliers / cutters / heat gun / sand paper / etc..

 

[f22fenard]

if i use eva foam for armor instead of prints, its the same materials i need right?

 

[KaeSpoon]

You will need different materials for EVA foam, here is a guide on what types of EVA foam and materials you need: HERE. I highly recommend reading this, but please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions not answered in the link above. One of the things they do not mention on the thread is foam clay, a product I highly recommend. Be on the lookout for Lumins Workshop or SKS Props foam clay.

Regards,

 

[SgtSaint]

If you're going for foam there's LOTS of foam build threads here. A day spent reading from those that have been there before you will save you weeks of re-inventing wheel, not to mention wasted material. And of course there's entire YouTubes for foam builders. Nothing like seeing an entire foam project done end-to-end in 20 minutes.

There are also a huge number of YouTube channels dedicated to cosplay.

• https://www.youtube.com/@KamuiCosplay
  Amazing foam work.
• https://www.youtube.com/@HawkWorley
  Sewing for cosplay
• https://www.youtube.com/@pandapropsncostumes
  A mix of skills for cosplay
• https://www.youtube.com/@punishedprops
  Foam, printed, metal, leather, modding toys to props

 

[f22fenard]

If you're going for foam there's LOTS of foam build threads here. A day spent reading from those that have been there before you will save you weeks of re-inventing wheel, not to mention wasted material. And of course there's entire YouTubes for foam builders. Nothing like seeing an entire foam project done end-to-end in 20 minutes.

There are also a huge number of YouTube channels dedicated to cosplay.

• https://www.youtube.com/@KamuiCosplay
  Amazing foam work.
• https://www.youtube.com/@HawkWorley
  Sewing for cosplay
• https://www.youtube.com/@pandapropsncostumes
  A mix of skills for cosplay
• https://www.youtube.com/@punishedprops
  Foam, printed, metal, leather, modding toys to props

im considering foam at this point, how much and what color would i need? and do i still spray primer and stuff on it?

 

[f22fenard]

If you're going for foam there's LOTS of foam build threads here. A day spent reading from those that have been there before you will save you weeks of re-inventing wheel, not to mention wasted material. And of course there's entire YouTubes for foam builders. Nothing like seeing an entire foam project done end-to-end in 20 minutes.

There are also a huge number of YouTube channels dedicated to cosplay.

• https://www.youtube.com/@KamuiCosplay
  Amazing foam work.
• https://www.youtube.com/@HawkWorley
  Sewing for cosplay
• https://www.youtube.com/@pandapropsncostumes
  A mix of skills for cosplay
• https://www.youtube.com/@punishedprops
  Foam, printed, metal, leather, modding toys to props

although should i only print the helmet and foam the rest?

 

[Fallen]

im considering foam at this point, how much and what color would i need? and do i still spray primer and stuff on it?

Color doesn't matter unless you're planning on going with a raw foam instead of painting it. I highly recommend you check out the Foam Guide and other tutorials from the Tutorial Index.

Amount needed will vary wildly based on what you're building and your own size.

although should i only print the helmet and foam the rest?

Printing the helmet and foaming the rest is common, but that's a personal choice you'll need to make of what you want to do. Several people have made foam helmets as well or 3d print their entire suit. It's all down to abilities, time, resources, and personal preference at that point.

 

[N8TEBB]

although should i only print the helmet and foam the rest?

This is the approach I take when building armour. Not that it's objectively the best for everyone, but for what I use my suit for I believe it's the optimal way to build. I don't mind taking extra time to build in order to have more flexibility and comfort when I'm wearing it.

It seems you have a lot of general questions about building armour. Since you're especially interested in building with foam and 3D printing, I would like to suggest you watch my build tutorial. I go through the whole process of how I made my armour out of floor mats and how I 3D print the helmet. I think you will find it especially helpful since you mentioned you are also building a mk VII spartan. You can find it here:

how much and what color would i need? and do i still spray primer and stuff on it?

Now this is a very hard question to answer because it will depend on the set of armour you decide to build and it's size. I found that for my suit of mk VII armour that fits a 6' (183cm) person I use less that 4 cans of spray paint to cover the whole suit in one solid colour. So I used 4 cans of Plasti-Dip, 4 cans of primer, 4 cans of white, and then a few cans of the secondary colours. Note: I've heard Leak-seal is a lot nicer than plasti-dip so if you end up doing foam perhaps give it a try!

 

[f22fenard]

thanks! will do.