Zarnel's Halo Reach Armor

Zarnel

Infantryman
- Join Date: Jun 2010
- Posts: 41
Zarnel's Halo Reach Armor

#1

02-28-2011, 08:19 PM

My in game armor selection, currently in process of being built.

I decided to start with the hardest part: the helmet. I have no idea how many people are actually attempting the Pilot helmet, but when have I ever made things easy for myself?

Hardest part of the Helmet? That huge visor, of course.
Step 1: Build a throwaway pepakura helmet.
------
Step 2: Fill paper helmet with casting resin.

Step 3: Remove paper from hardened resin

Step 4: Fill in low spots with autobody filler

Step 5: Prime and sand smooth your new vacuform mold

-----
Step 6: Borrow a vacuform machine from your aunt's friend's son to form your visor.

-----
Step 7: Take the visor to a local car window tinting company who has agreed to apply a gold mirror tint to your helmet visor.

Step 8: Listen to reasons why it is physically impossible for said company to apply any kind of tint, let alone a gold tint they don't actually have, to the visor. These reasons include: the curve is to severe to apply any kind of tint without folds; if they try and use the heat shrink capability of the window tint, they might melt the visor with their heat gun; etc.

Step 9: Go home and work on building the rest of your armor while you figure out how to get a gold tint on your visor . . .

That being said, here's my progress on the rest of the armor:

Pilot helmet and first shoulder built with pepakura and sprayed with enamel.

-----
Pilot helmet visor cut out, Rip stop nylon and nylon resin applied to inner surface.

That strip of orange in the back is a newspaper bag wrapped a strip of elastic cloth. This elastic cloth was sewn into one strip of the rip stop nylon prior to applying the resin. Once the bag is removed, the elastic will act as a headband, holding the helmet in place on my head.

Unlike my previous two projects I have posted, this one isn't done as of starting the thread. Now you can all look forward to updates as I muddle my way through my largest build yet.

Last edited by Zarnel; 02-28-2011, 11:04 PM.
Tags: None

Road Kill

Infantryman
- Join Date: Mar 2010
- Posts: 2128
#2

02-28-2011, 08:22 PM

wow!!! great job man, the build is looking great
can't you use spray on tint for your visor becuase i have seen it before?
Comment

CPO mendez

Infantryman
- Join Date: Aug 2010
- Posts: 255
#3

02-28-2011, 08:36 PM

i will bow down in reverence if you can make that visor! If you can find something we can all use, my head may asplode. along with many many others.

oh yeah *facepalm*! totally forgot about this: http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/...=Visor+tinting

give this a whirl!

Last edited by CPO mendez; 02-28-2011, 08:51 PM.
Comment

Zarnel

Infantryman
- Join Date: Jun 2010
- Posts: 41
#4

02-28-2011, 09:23 PM

Originally posted by CPO mendez View Post

i will bow down in reverence if you can make that visor! If you can find something we can all use, my head may asplode. along with many many others.

oh yeah *facepalm*! totally forgot about this: http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/...=Visor+tinting

give this a whirl!

The visor itself isn't difficult to make, I've already got the mold, and two visors already produced, though they are still part of the original square of material.

I did find that thread yesterday. I'm currently looking for airbrush equipment to try that very procedure.

Last edited by Zarnel; 03-01-2011, 09:04 AM. Reason: Getting rid of a BAD idea.
Comment

TheBradinator

Infantryman
- Join Date: Sep 2010
- Posts: 408
#5

02-28-2011, 09:37 PM

lookin great! i see im not the only one rockin the pilot helmet! Yuhhh
Comment

alecgates15

Infantryman
- Join Date: Oct 2009
- Posts: 231
#6

02-28-2011, 10:13 PM

Would tinting the sheet of plastic and then vacforming it work?
Comment

Nick Nack Patty Wack

Infantryman
- Join Date: Jul 2008
- Posts: 316
#7

02-28-2011, 10:48 PM

I am so sad that you are beating me to this. Its looking amazing. So you are going for the gold visor. Have you consider tinting spray?

http://shop.autoi.com/osb/showitem.cfm?Category=179

http://www.inlinefour.com/vahetisp.html
Comment

Zarnel

Infantryman
- Join Date: Jun 2010
- Posts: 41
#8

02-28-2011, 11:21 PM

Originally posted by alecgates15 View Post

Would tinting the sheet of plastic and then vacforming it work?

Great minds think alike; I already asked and my vacuform guy says that any humidity in between the tint sheet and the plastic could cause them to blister, but we don't really know until we try. Problem is finding gold automotive window tint that doesn't fade to black, and I don't want to spend $200 on a 300 yard long roll just to test a concept.

Originally posted by Nick Nack Patty Wack View Post

I am so sad that you are beating me to this. Its looking amazing. So you are going for the gold visor. Have you consider tinting spray?

I had not considered tinting spray yet. It does sound similar to the airbrushing teqnique I want to try: one of the colors recommended is "transparent yellow." Model makers use it to paint the turn signals on model cars, "transparent red" is used for tail lights.

If airbrushing doesn't work, I can try your idea.

Right now I'm still experimenting to find out what works best.

Thanks for the input.
Comment

JUSTINIAN 117

Infantryman
- Join Date: Oct 2010
- Posts: 819
#9

03-01-2011, 11:04 AM

Originally posted by Zarnel View Post

Great minds think alike; I already asked and my vacuform guy says that any humidity in between the tint sheet and the plastic could cause them to blister, but we don't really know until we try. Problem is finding gold automotive window tint that doesn't fade to black, and I don't want to spend $200 on a 300 yard long roll just to test a concept.

If you can apply the window tint before you form it, you should be fine. Wait at least two days after you apply it to form it though, so that the tint can fully cure to the plastic. If you use any kind of application fluid, you should wait a few extra days before you form it.

As long as you let it cure to the plastic, it should form without any problems.
Comment

soul products

Infantryman
- Join Date: Dec 2009
- Posts: 841
#10

03-01-2011, 11:40 AM

design master brilliant gold 731 paint is gold reflective and transparent. it works pretty well
Comment

Zarnel

Infantryman
- Join Date: Jun 2010
- Posts: 41
#11

03-01-2011, 06:23 PM

Originally posted by JUSTINIAN 117 View Post

If you can apply the window tint before you form it, you should be fine. Wait at least two days after you apply it to form it though, so that the tint can fully cure to the plastic. If you use any kind of application fluid, you should wait a few extra days before you form it.

As long as you let it cure to the plastic, it should form without any problems.

Originally posted by soul products View Post

design master brilliant gold 731 paint is gold reflective and transparent. it works pretty well

Hmm, so many choices.

For the benefit of everyone making a helmet visor (including myself), I'm going to do a comparative test sheet. Each section will be labeled and tested with a different method of coloring. Then we can compare visibility, appearance, and ease of construction for each method.

So far my list of methods includes:

Airbrush
Window Tint
Spray Paint (Metalized and Tint Spray)

Any other ideas?

Last edited by Zarnel; 03-01-2011, 06:54 PM.
Comment

soul products

Infantryman
- Join Date: Dec 2009
- Posts: 841
#12

03-01-2011, 08:57 PM

i forgot to mention that you'll have to apply it in VERY light coats
Comment

sildeo

Infantryman
- Join Date: Dec 2010
- Posts: 131
#13

03-02-2011, 02:13 AM

top work with the visor shame they cant tint ithave you thought about doing the tint in multiple pieces kinda like a puzzle if you get what i mean
Comment

SPRTNBD50

Infantryman
- Join Date: Aug 2010
- Posts: 820
#14

03-02-2011, 02:36 AM

I wantz pikshurr with visor on!!1!!!!!1!1!!111!!!
Comment

Zarnel

Infantryman
- Join Date: Jun 2010
- Posts: 41
#15

03-05-2011, 10:33 AM

Originally posted by SPRTNBD50 View Post

I wantz pikshurr with visor on!!1!!!!!1!1!!111!!!

Right now the visor is just held in with ducktape, but this gives you the basic idea.

Originally posted by sildeo View Post

top work with the visor shame they cant tint ithave you thought about doing the tint in multiple pieces kinda like a puzzle if you get what i mean

I discussed this with the tinting people, and they said that the curve is such that even with many pieces, they would still have to heat shrink many sections into place, again risking melting the helmet.

In other news, I've found the spray that Soul Products recomended,and I've found on online distributor for solid color mirror window tint that sells sheets of various widths by the foot. Soon I'll have everything I need to . . .

Take over the world!!!

. . . I mean test the various methods of tinting visors.
Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment