It's been a long time coming, and I've still got more issues to sort out and possibly repaint places, but here's my overhaul on my ODST set.
The kit's originally a Sean Bradley work, and the base I used for the torso is an airsoft 'Matrix SDEU Tac Vest,' that's been modified to better hold the ODST plating and shoulder pauldrons. I cut and sew shut some of the bottom of the vest off to make bending at the waist easier, and the collar was cut down in lieu of the neckseal, which I made off plans from our collegues at the 501st. [http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/8402-howto-create-a-neckseal/]
The decals covering the armor are a placeholder, and a combination of H3/ODST/Reach assets, I'll be re-doing the weathering effects and basecoat since the grey is too light for steel drybrushing to show up. Once that's done I'll cut the decals out and paint the lettering in proper. The helmet was a bit more tricky, but a combination of replacement helmet padding and an old motorcycle interior had it fit nicely, while I mounted a G&G silent fan(for airsoft goggles) just at the brow line to keep the visor de-fogged, and used a cheap dust mask over the chin and nose area to keep breathing from fogging the visor.
An airsoft belt and thigh rig was helpful in securing the hip plates and the waistline, which is very comfy as it stands, although I'm going to have to redo the kneepads, and unfortunately I made a gaffe and assembled the shin plates upside down. Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I'm using a set of black BDUs for the undersuit for the moment, but I'm eventually going to spring for a morphsuit and start on the felt/foam gluing and sewing to make a proper ODST vacuum suit. The overheating issue is kind of irritating, but there was a thread where one poster suggested a sort of heatsink and fan apparatus over the wrists to keep blood cool as it circulates, and since the armlets have a sort of vent design on them I might attempt incorporating it with a picture tutorial if I get around to it. I do want to eventually install one of those electronic voice changers in the helmet like the 501st guys use for that "VOX" sound everyone's familiar with.
The MA5C is courtesy of Branfuhr Studios, although I'm still working on my own SPnKr launcher and an M90 CAWS, but it's slow going. I've finished my own cheap vacuum table and heating box, so I'm putting together funds for some balsa wood, clay, and thermoform plastic to get my own projects going. Hopefully I'll have some more original works to showcase later on, but for now here's what I've got thus far. Also included(though still behind and needing work), is my friend modelling the H3 Marine set courtesy of Protagonist4Hire's excellent work. I've got to overhaul the mounting solutions entirely, and find a better way to paint ABS plastic, but otherwise it's not half bad. The helmet is sourced from Etsy, with a mirrored gold motorcycle visor cut to fit. (Censored for OPSEC, lol)
The kit's originally a Sean Bradley work, and the base I used for the torso is an airsoft 'Matrix SDEU Tac Vest,' that's been modified to better hold the ODST plating and shoulder pauldrons. I cut and sew shut some of the bottom of the vest off to make bending at the waist easier, and the collar was cut down in lieu of the neckseal, which I made off plans from our collegues at the 501st. [http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/8402-howto-create-a-neckseal/]
The decals covering the armor are a placeholder, and a combination of H3/ODST/Reach assets, I'll be re-doing the weathering effects and basecoat since the grey is too light for steel drybrushing to show up. Once that's done I'll cut the decals out and paint the lettering in proper. The helmet was a bit more tricky, but a combination of replacement helmet padding and an old motorcycle interior had it fit nicely, while I mounted a G&G silent fan(for airsoft goggles) just at the brow line to keep the visor de-fogged, and used a cheap dust mask over the chin and nose area to keep breathing from fogging the visor.
An airsoft belt and thigh rig was helpful in securing the hip plates and the waistline, which is very comfy as it stands, although I'm going to have to redo the kneepads, and unfortunately I made a gaffe and assembled the shin plates upside down. Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I'm using a set of black BDUs for the undersuit for the moment, but I'm eventually going to spring for a morphsuit and start on the felt/foam gluing and sewing to make a proper ODST vacuum suit. The overheating issue is kind of irritating, but there was a thread where one poster suggested a sort of heatsink and fan apparatus over the wrists to keep blood cool as it circulates, and since the armlets have a sort of vent design on them I might attempt incorporating it with a picture tutorial if I get around to it. I do want to eventually install one of those electronic voice changers in the helmet like the 501st guys use for that "VOX" sound everyone's familiar with.
The MA5C is courtesy of Branfuhr Studios, although I'm still working on my own SPnKr launcher and an M90 CAWS, but it's slow going. I've finished my own cheap vacuum table and heating box, so I'm putting together funds for some balsa wood, clay, and thermoform plastic to get my own projects going. Hopefully I'll have some more original works to showcase later on, but for now here's what I've got thus far. Also included(though still behind and needing work), is my friend modelling the H3 Marine set courtesy of Protagonist4Hire's excellent work. I've got to overhaul the mounting solutions entirely, and find a better way to paint ABS plastic, but otherwise it's not half bad. The helmet is sourced from Etsy, with a mirrored gold motorcycle visor cut to fit. (Censored for OPSEC, lol)