Wip: We Are The Arms Of The Prophets..

[Keegan]

Why hello.
I am one of the firsts (actually, the first on the forums), to start an Arbiter build. I am starting back up on it. I am definetley going to be watching your thread. I love the foam, looks great. Good luck.
Keegan.

P.S, Heres a link to my progress thread. http://405th.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14946

 

[dragonknight146]

finally another arbiter lol. I think sean is the only other person here thats actually finished one but i could be wrong. It will definitely be be nice to see though.

 

[Drakku]

I am one of the firsts (actually, the first on the forums), to start an Arbiter build. I am starting back up on it. I am definetley going to be watching your thread. I love the foam, looks great. Good luck.

I actually just found your topic the other day and got really excited. Thanks for the encouragement, and I'll definitely be watching your progress as well!

No pictures to update with, sorry guys, but for those that missed my other topic I made, I'm going to do a small experiment of making the armor out of balsa wood. Lucky for me, the Arbiter's pieces aren't very complex, save for the helmet.. sooo if my little foray into different mediums proves successful, you guys will be the first to know.

In case ya'll are interested, I made a bit of headway with my museum piece. WOOHOO! OpenCV is soo over my head.

So it's official, if I can manage to get the code working during class tomorrow or Wednesday, next weekend is going to be ALL Arbiter progress. I'm going to finish the feet and run around in them for a bit crouched down so I can see what muscles I need to start toning up to be able to survive GenCon!

 

[Micney]

:not worthy: inspiring work. Good luck

 

[Ehkru]

The thing to remember with Elite armour is that it's all pilfered technology from the Forerunners anyway. So what you are looking at in the games, isn't armour of Sanghellian design, if I remember correctly. From what I do remember of The Cole Protocol, when it speaks of the main pro/antagonist Elite, it has multiple flashbacks of his younger days in the 'Keep' where all those of his family's name resided, they wore furs and such. Obviously in times of war they would have some kind of armour, but I am 95% sure the armour they wear in the games is derived from Forerunner technology.

So, with the Arbiter being quintessentially Forerunner in purpose and belief, in that he (or in this case she) protected the Covenant in times that would threaten the Great Journey, and given the armour would be Forerunner and the Prophets consider it heresy to adapt Forerunner technology, though they do it themselves, I wouldn't have thought the armour itself would be drastically different. Also it was her mate's armour, so they wouldn't change it for her. What might be different would be that she may have some kind of thicker protection on her skin, to afford a little more protection to 'delicate parts.'

The downside is not really knowing how Elites reproduce, so not knowing what parts to cover. You don't want to go cheesy like some Xena warrior thong. But you don't want to leave her too exposed either. So it really depends on how you would imagine an Elite mating session and where they're reproductive organs are. The upside is, it's relatively unexplored territory. So you have a little free reign.

<3

 

[ImaGonnaGetYou]

The main thing you have to remember is that the Arbiter's armor has countless tiny details and engravings that you may want to complete. Whether or not this is achievable with balsa wood, I have no idea. But, if you cut out the basic form of the armor before you find the lines that are jutting out of it, you will have a very hard time rebuilding them.

Also, you'll want to take into consideration whether balsa wood will be flexible enough for you to move effectively. If you can't walk in your costume, then it's not a costume, it's a hollow statue. You might want to look into materials more flexible than plastic, especially for the arm and body pieces. In game, the arm pieces commonly collide with each other, so finding something that will maneuver around its comrades would help you a lot.

Finally, before you start buying pieces for an undersuit, think about what you may (or may not) want with it. You may want a cooling system of some sort, or an internal material that doesn't create (or creates a minimal amount of) static, or any number of combination of options. It's your suit, so you'll have to do some research, and see what you think would make wearing the costume as great for the wearer as it is for the people around.

On a side note, you could try to mold an arm piece (although I'm not sure if they are different in proportion or size on either arm), and simply take all of the cast pulls you need from them. Last time I checked, I heard that you can make a latex (or related material) pull from a mold (again, it may be a different molding material, so you might want to confirm this), so that you can simply attach the pieces to your undersuit and not worry about restricted movement as much as with resin or solid plastic.

Good luck on your armor!

 

[Drakku]

The main thing you have to remember is that the Arbiter's armor has countless tiny details and engravings that you may want to complete. Whether or not this is achievable with balsa wood, I have no idea. But, if you cut out the basic form of the armor before you find the lines that are jutting out of it, you will have a very hard time rebuilding them.

Yeah, I considered this. I've decided I'm not going to try balsa with this costume, just stick with the methods I know will get me the end result I want. As I just posted in my balsa topic, I'm going to try it just to see for myself how it stands up against a pep'd piece. The only difference I predict is little to no warping to worry about before the fiberglassing stage, which if I resin carefully, it shouldn't be a problem on cardstock.
As for details, I'm definitely going to try to get the pieces as accurate as humanely possible.

Also, you'll want to take into consideration whether balsa wood will be flexible enough for you to move effectively. If you can't walk in your costume, then it's not a costume, it's a hollow statue. You might want to look into materials more flexible than plastic, especially for the arm and body pieces. In game, the arm pieces commonly collide with each other, so finding something that will maneuver around its comrades would help you a lot.

Agreed. I want to be able to move around and look as realistic as possible. I've been toying with the notion of only partially attaching the armor to my body suit and using the elastic blue webbing to both keep it in place and give it enough freedom to move slightly when the need arises.
(Elastic blue webbing being the odd looking stripes [most noticeable on his legs in this pic] that I can only assume are the simplistic straps that hold the armor to his body.)
By not forcibly attaching it in place with no give, I think/hope this will solve the basic movement problems that would arise if the pieces had no way to shift.
Most of the body (at least, where the chest/back armor is going to be) is going to be a hollow form around my own body as it is, so I wouldn't be able to move it much as is. Seeing it in my head, just making sure that the armor is where it's supposed to be, I don't see this as too big a problem.. I'll be able to twist at my waist and move the neck/head with my own, so I feel any noticeable awkwardness in the torso would be ignored.

Finally, before you start buying pieces for an undersuit, think about what you may (or may not) want with it. You may want a cooling system of some sort, or an internal material that doesn't create (or creates a minimal amount of) static, or any number of combination of options. It's your suit, so you'll have to do some research, and see what you think would make wearing the costume as great for the wearer as it is for the people around.

Oh, there will definitely be a cooling system of some sort inside. I'll also want space for my Camelback in case I get thirsty. Thanks for the suggestions, though, I'll keep all of it in mind when I'm choosing what to use for the body suit.

On a side note, you could try to mold an arm piece (although I'm not sure if they are different in proportion or size on either arm), and simply take all of the cast pulls you need from them. Last time I checked, I heard that you can make a latex (or related material) pull from a mold (again, it may be a different molding material, so you might want to confirm this), so that you can simply attach the pieces to your undersuit and not worry about restricted movement as much as with resin or solid plastic.

This would most likely be the simplest approach. There are a total of 11 plates on each arm, each one (technically) shrinking as you go down the arm. I could get away with doing 3 large, 3 slightly smaller, 3 even smaller, 2 smallest? I've never casted anything before, but the simplicity of the arm's plates would be an excellent first project, I think.
I planned on only attaching the top bit to the body and letting the rest be free to allow movement, but I like your idea better.

Good luck on your armor!

Thanks, and thanks for all the suggestions~

 

[Liquidfire3]

That is going to be so awesome, I really like the progress so far.

WAIT! Indy Gen Con?! I'm planning on going this year, and I'll be bringing my Cortana cosplay with me. We'll have to meet up for photos!

 

[te flying ninja]

That is going to be so awesome, I really like the progress so far.

WAIT! Indy Gen Con?! I'm planning on going this year, and I'll be bringing my Cortana cosplay with me. We'll have to meet up for photos!

Dang, I only wish I could go to a place like that, and be capable of awesome armor. Good luck on your project though!

 

[Drakku]

WAIT! Indy Gen Con?! I'm planning on going this year, and I'll be bringing my Cortana cosplay with me. We'll have to meet up for photos!

Oh for SURE. I'll also have some other costumes with me, but I plan on spending at least a full day as the Arbiter, haha.
I was actually needing to talk to you. I'll PM you in a bit.

Dang, I only wish I could go to a place like that, and be capable of awesome armor. Good luck on your project though!

Man, if you could only go to one con for the rest of your life, you'd have to go to Gen Con. It's AMAZING.
And thanks.

OKAY SO HERE'S SOME UPDATES FINALLY YAY.
And it's not really anything you guys haven't seen.. sorry.

I began working on the feet determined to get all the pieces attached together so they'd have plenty of time to dry before my test run in them this weekend.

Well.
That didn't happen.

Here's like, an overview of everything I'm using.
As you can see, the bottom of the feet are thin pieces of wood with separate toes to allow for realistic walking.
I'm using styrofoam for the added height and the wedges to stand on, wood attached to the wedges, and the awesome Goodwill shoes attached to the wood. I'll throw some high-heel gel pads inside the shoes, so I should be able to withstand the day.
Scissors to snip off the glue tops, epoxy glue over on the right, and styrofoam glue middle-left-ish. And hinges.
That's all I'm using!

Here's an in-work photo:

And here's a close-up of my AWESOME GLUING SKILLS:

The other foot is much cleaner as I knew what I was doing. Haha.

Anyway, as said earlier, I didn't manage to get them done tonight. Hit some problems with the wedges not being completely flat, so the wood wasn't sticking to them.
That, and the styrofoam glue I used to attach the pieces together is worthless. Haha.

I'm leaving everything out overnight to set and dry, so I'll double check all the pieces in the morning.
I don't know if I'll have the feet tested this weekend, but I hope to at least get them finished.

On that note, anybody know any exercises to build up the strength in my legs?

 

[Liquidfire3]

Oh for SURE. I'll also have some other costumes with me, but I plan on spending at least a full day as the Arbiter, haha.
I was actually needing to talk to you. I'll PM you in a bit.

Awesome! Well, now I have more to look forward to since I've never been to GenCon. Ok, I'll keep an eye out.

 

[Micney]

i think that the way you are doing this is pritty cool and all, but i found this a while ago an i think you might be able to use it for your feet

 

[Drakku]

i think that the way you are doing this is pritty cool and all, but i found this a while ago an i think you might be able to use it for your feet

[youtubelink]

I actually have already been linked to that video by someone who's been watching my video progress.
I was originally wanting to do something like that, but I was afraid I wouldn't have enough balance if I tried to get the height I wanted.
I suppose, after the stress test, if it completely fails (which I'm rather nervous it will, haha), then I'll try to do something more guaranteed like their digitigrade legs.

Thanks, though~

Also, this was a material I was considering for my "skin" if lycra doesn't work out: duck canvas.
It's lightweight and easy to work with, sooo.. it's tempting. Also takes paint very well, so I can dye it to the right colour, then spray on the scales.

 

[Micney]

Sweet. good luck and keep us posted ^__^

 

[ContractKiller]

Wow I was going to suggest the same thing that micney showed you about the digitigrade stilts because like I posted in your youtube video. If the foam barely holds your weight what's gonna happen when you add the weight of your costume? I think if you build the stilts now you will have plenty of time to practice with them to assure that you will get the proper height and balance needed. The best part is if you go to gryphern's youtube channel she offers the detailed build plans for free in a pdf file, also they are very cheap and easy to make. It's just something think over. Keep up the good work!

 

[Sean Bradley]

I just mentioned this to Ithica as well, so I thought it'd only be fair to drop by here and let you know too:

Have you seen this: Female Arbiter @ Hawty McBloggy?

Suddenly a whole lot of female Arbiter builds going on!

On that note, anybody know any exercises to build up the strength in my legs?

I wore 10lb. leg weights whenever I wasn't at work for about a month prior to showing my Arbiter. Do some running or kicking with these on every day, and your calves will be rock solid.

 

[Drakku]

I just mentioned this to Ithica as well, so I thought it'd only be fair to drop by here and let you know too:

Have you seen this: Female Arbiter @ Hawty McBloggy?

...

Suddenly a whole lot of female Arbiter builds going on!

D': Oh come on! I can't do anything original now, can I. Haha.
The armor she did looks really nice, but other than that I'm kinda like.. no. Hah. Too human underneathe.

But thanks for posting that up. Maybe I'll throw lingerie on my costume. [/joking] D;
And thanks for the musclin' up suggestion, I do Kenpo, so I'll ask my instructor if he has any extra strap-on-weights I could borrow. Wee!

Foot Update:
No pics, but here's the run down:

- That messy glue job on the hinges ended up being useless, I'm redoing it.
- The styrofoam glue, after it finally dried, WORKS GREAT!
- We used contact cement to attach the wooden platforms (that my shoes will attach to) to the styrofoam, but they're a bit iffy due to the rough surface of the styrofoam where I cut it and sanded it down by hand. We think the contact cement will work in attaching the styrofoam to the bottom of the feet, as the bottom of the styrofoam is still nice and smooth.
- We're going to get liquid nails to redo the shoe platform to the styrofoam, and also to attach the shoes to the wood.
- I have the materials to make the toes, but I have yet to cut them out and attach them to the toe-board, which I will also do with contact cement or liquid nails, or hell, even that styrofoam glue. Maybe even real nails, just hammer 'em in through the bottom, it's not like they're needed for support, just shape. Should be fine.

Other stuff to update:
- Still looking around at materials to use for skin, but I am starting to settle on using duck. We've got a bunch of extra in the garage that I can surround the feet in to at least test them and make sure they look right.
- Started to pep my new helmet in cardstock, got about halfway done, should finish up sometime today or tomorrow. (The other one was regular paper, just made to learn how to pep, practice pep'ing, and get the size of the mask right.)

If I do finish new helmet tonight, I'll post up pics of it and anything else new to show.

 

[rundown]

No pics, but here's the run down:

O.O you splitted the word.

Really nice work btw drakku^^liking the feets. It looks more durably then i thought.

 

[Drakku]

O.O you splitted the word.

Really nice work btw drakku^^liking the feets. It looks more durably then i thought.

Haha, yeah, I couldn't remember if it were two words or one, your username has thrown me off!

And yeah, the styrofoam is still holding me up, and I even stood and jumped off of them for a few minutes and I didn't hear any sounds of give.
Of course, it'll all come down to whether they can handle the extra weight of everything else.

I may go grab some heavy object right now and stand on them..
Hmm!

EDIT:
So, according to my Wii Fit, I weigh 130.5 lbs. I plan on weighing 125-ish lbs by the summer, maybe less if I can get into a good exercise routine. I searched around the house for various things, but the only heavy things in the vicinity happen to be milk cartons, which I measured to add 15.5 lbs.
Got on the feet and stood there, crouched and straightened my legs, leaned precariously for a second, and jumped off, and not a single crack or other nervewracking sound.
So they just stood up to 146 lbs hustling around on them, which, if I weigh as less as I hope to, adds up to 21 lbs, at least, of armor and other pieces available to use.
I've never messed with fiberglass before, so I don't know how much the pieces will weigh. Aren't they light, though? And also, the body supports and other various objects I'm using will be lightweight, so they shouldn't add much either.
I'll try to find where we keep the old dumbells so I can carry them around with me when I do finally stress test the feet in all their finished glory.

 

[Drakku]

Uh-oh, double post.

But uh..
LOOK AT THIS DISTRACTION!

Too lazy to type it out, just watch. Lalala.