Mark IV - First (Halo) Build

[BHE Photos]

I figured a good way to build up my 50 posts will be a build thread.
I have so far done a full Mando, Thor (Ragnarok), Shinra Security Guard, and am just finishing Soldier Boy. However I have always had my eyes on a set of MJOLNIR. Originally I wanted to go with the Achilles variant, but when Galactic Armory released their Mark IV set I knew it was the one for me. I downloaded the files and started printing them alongside my Soldier Boy parts (not a good idea to mix projects like that, but I'll never learn ).
So I'm not new to building armor, but this will easily be my most ambitious project yet. I'm hoping to have the build complete by C2E2, or Kitsune Kon (smaller Con in Green Bay, WI).

I'm currently undecided if I want to go with the Jerome/Red Team color scheme or do a full custom job. I'm leaning towards some kind of blue scheme, but will almost certainly change my mind at some point.

Printers being used: Ender 3 V2 Neo, Neptune 3 Max, Neptune 4 Plus, and Anycubic Photon X.

Some of the unique things I'd like to do is make the helmet lights more "fun" with some kind of projector or laser show for one of the lights alongside a regular flashlight option (could be fun at Convention raves).
As a photographer, I also plan to build in a camera mount to the right thigh to act as a holster for when walking around at Cons, though that may also require a custom case/cage for my camera (Lumix S5M2) to make it easily operable with the gloves (large on/off switch, large focus and shutter buttons, etc).
I'd also like to add a slot on the back of the hand plate thin enough to work with "tap to pay" for when spending way too much money for food and swag at Cons without having to worry about getting to my wallet. I'd also like to add a compartment somewhere for my phone and other stuff, since I don't plan on having any handlers.

Current progress as of Leap Day:

• Helmet: Printed and primed (even a couple coats of blue to test how I feel about it). Working on building my vacuum former so I can make the visor. Will add the ears and mouth mesh last once everything has been painted and electronics are in.
• Torso: Need to finish and attach the abdominal piece, but otherwise the front and back are primed and ready for paint. I am currently planning on having it be a 2-piece assembly, with the back having the shoulder straps and side straps, and will buckle the front plate to the them. Time will tell if I can make that work and look good. There's a slight possibility of needing to scale down the chest piece.
• Cod: All pieces but butt plate have been printed. My current intent is to cast the butt plate out of rubber or use EVA foam to make it flexible so I can sit while in the armor. I have mild scoliosis so standing for very long periods of time does not a happy Spartan make.
• Legs: I have all of the left leg parts printed, but I have to weld/glue them together to verify fitment. I suspect that the legs may need to be adjusted to be slightly shorter.
• Arms: Currently working on printing all of the left arm pieces.
• Undersuit: Purchased a cheap Halloween body suit (shown below) from Amazon that has some "robot" designs to give a bit of "business" to my fitups, but eventually I'll definitely be doing some kind of EVA foam or rubber pieces to give it the proper bulky features.
• Weaponry: Currently have no started on any weapons, though I'll probably eventually go with the OG shotgun, AR, and pistol. I have tried printing the Halo 3 BR on my belt printer a few times but that thing is the most finnicky printer I've ever worked on and I could never go a full print without a hideous layer shift or spaghetti-fication.

Below is the torso and helmet, as well as a rough fit check of the calf:

Next steps:

• Vacuum former build is in progress, that will allow me to form the visor.
• Need to print the rest of the parts for the left arm.

After that I can do a "full" (left sided) fit-up and decide if I need to rescale anything before moving on to the right arm/leg.
Still finishing up my Soldier Boy build for AMKE next weekend, but after I get back from that I intend to go full bore on the Mark IV.

 

[SgtSaint]

Below is the torso and helmet, as well as a rough fit check of the calf:
View attachment 343039

Sounds like you've got the experience for sizing and building. Good planning and machine choices. But... I know its only 1 pic to go by but those parts look oversized for your body. Chest looks wide enough to keep you from reaching straight forward. Calf looks like it fully up in the back of the knee joint keeping you from bending much. I assume you Armosmith'd the fit for them?

 

[BHE Photos]

Sounds like you've got the experience for sizing and building. Good planning and machine choices. But... I know its only 1 pic to go by but those parts look oversized for your body. Chest looks wide enough to keep you from reaching straight forward. Calf looks like it fully up in the back of the knee joint keeping you from bending much. I assume you Armosmith'd the fit for them?

I use Armorsmith, yeah. I definitely tend to err on the side of "too big" when doing my scaling due to the small pile of "slightly too small" helmets I've printed in the past and stuck in the corner of my garage.

There's a pretty real possibility of needing to reprint some of the parts. I think I scaled the chest to 110%. I definitely can't put my arms straight in front of me, so I imagine once I have the arm pieces it'll be even more restricted.
The leg pieces I scaled to be wider/deeper (I have beefy calves) but not taller. The knee piece sits more or less over my knee, but it's also possible that it will need to be scaled down. I figure if the pieces are too big I'll just weld them together and turn them into a lamp, à la "A Christmas Story".

 

[N8TEBB]

Some of the unique things I'd like to do is make the helmet lights more "fun" with some kind of projector or laser show for one of the lights alongside a regular flashlight option (could be fun at Convention raves).

I love this idea! This build sounds really cool! I'll be watching your progress =D

 

[BHE Photos]

Finally getting back to this project, going to have to really buckle down to finish by C2E2. Unfortunately my Neptune 3 Max is being temperamental, so I'm just using my 4 Plus and my resin printer for most stuff right now.

Made some progress on the arms today. Printed the L/R forearms last week, and I tonight I welded them together, applied a couple of coats of resin to fill some layer lines, did a rough first sanding pass, and hit them with the first coat of filler primer. I also had the cod piece and right bicep/tricep covers ready for resin/paint. The hallmark oversized shoulder is saying hello as well.

The forearms have one more piece each, but I'm going to glue that piece in with elastic so that it can be the piece that shifts when I put them on.

Currently printing out the other set of bicep/tricep plates. I'm leaning pretty heavily on going for a Jerome color scheme since I have yet to decide on a custom paint job.

My vacuum table is close to being ready for the first run. I have the base done, just need to drill the hole for the shop vac hose. I mostly just need to build the frame to hold the plastic, and then I can start practicing to make my visor.

 

[BHE Photos]

C2E2 continues to creep even closer.

I reprinted the chest at 100% (was 110%) and gained a couple of inches for my arms to move.

I had previously printed the left thigh assembly and thought I was satisfied with the fit (was definitely big, but decided that I would just fill it with foam). I didn't see any notes in my folders about scaling the thigh pieces so I did them at 100%, but when I welded the newly printed right thigh together, it was obvious that the left had been scaled (probably to the 120% width (girth?) that the calves had been scaled to). Now that I had a 100% and a 120% set, I decided that the 100% fits better. So now I'm reprinting the left thigh assembly at 100%.

As mentioned in my first post, I want to be able to carry my camera with me without it being a major problem, so I added two mounting holes to the right thigh to attach the Peak Design camera clip system. With this system, I can also add a 1/4-20 threaded hole to weapons and attach them without relying on magnets (I don't trust magnets).

Once the left thigh is printed (should be done either late Wednesday or early Thursday), I will have to make a decision about how to scale the calves. I definitely need to keep them wide (I have obnoxiously large calves), but I think I need to scale their height down. Then I just need to print both sets of calves, the boot covers (also need to pick some boots), but hand plates. I think I'll worry about finger plates after C2E2.

The vacuum former is technically complete, but I need to improve my heat system. I tried suspending the space heater I have in the garage above the sheet of plastic, but I wasn't getting nearly enough droop. I think I need to go with a box system to focus the heat better, or just use my over for a 1-off so I can get the helmet done in time.

I still haven't decided what I want to do with the ears. I would like something fancier than basic white LEDS, but I might need to just accept simplicity for C2E2 and then expand on them later. I repurchased some fans to mount in the helmet because I have no idea where the ones I bought a few months ago went. I should also probably figure out a voice amp/mic setup soon, though I can probably cobble one together with all the audio equipment I already own for Videography.

While the last parts are printing, I'm starting to add foam to the inside/back of the primed parts. Put in a big Amazon order for elastic and some strap sliders so I can start the rigging portion.

Gonna be cutting this down to the wire, and I still need to fix some pieces of the Soldier Boy build that broke at AMKE so I can wear that at C2E2 on one of the days...

Photos: camera attached to hip, and the importance of checking your scaling.

 

[Shalidars]

I have no clue about cameras, but are you not worried about a thigh-attached camera being shaky as hell?

Looking good though!

 

[BHE Photos]

I have no clue about cameras, but are you not worried about a thigh-attached camera being shaky as hell?

Looking good though!

That's definitely a valid concern. I'll have to secure the thigh piece pretty aggressively to my body to keep the entire thigh armor from wobbling around with the awkward weight, but if the armor doesn't move the camera should be fine. The clip is designed to be attached to some kind of strap (either a belt or backpack strap), so I'll probably run a strip of nylon webbing down from my h-harness to act as a "dummy cord" in the unfortunate (and hopefully unlikely) scenario of it breaking through the armor.

The clip itself is fairly sturdy with minimal wobble, so any wobble will come from the armor. If needed I can move it to the side of my hip, I'm just not a fan of it sticking out to the side of my body in crowded situations like Conventions. When I use the clip on a belt, I typically have it slightly forward from my side.

There will definitely have to be some "shake tests" done before walking around the Con though. I don't ever plan on running in this armor, but I'll do some hopping around and make sure it doesn't get out of hand.

 

[SgtSaint]

Photos: camera attached to hip,

That's a lot of mass with every step.

Have you tried wearing your lowers around the house for half a day? Give you a feel for steps, sitting, maneuvering, walking, pinch points, etc.

 

[BHE Photos]

That's a lot of mass with every step.

Have you tried wearing your lowers around the house for half a day? Give you a feel for steps, sitting, maneuvering, walking, pinch points, etc.

These are progress photos, so I don't even have them fully built to be able to wear around the house. I pretty much assume my first full test fit will be the night prior to C2E2, as is tradition for my procrastination habit. I figure I'll do the rigging once I have the other thigh welded and primered, and if it ends up being too cumbersome with the front thigh placement, I can move it fairly easily (the hole size happens to be exactly the diameter of my soldering iron to it's super easy to just burn new holes elsewhere).

 

[BHE Photos]

Dawn of the final week:
Effectively only 3 more evenings available for building before C2E2, so to say that it's crunch time is the understatement of the century.

Late last week I finished up printing the other thigh, and Friday night/Saturday I printed out 2 properly scaled calf assemblies. Last night I welded all 3 assemblies together, got them coated in resin, a quick wet sand, and two coats of filler primer. Due to time constraints I won't be sanding these any further.

Two of the welds on the back piece were giving me trouble with cracking, and I've already rewelded them a couple of times, so I decided to put some fiberglass over the seams this time and along the waist "strap". I'm also going to fill the space with expanding foam so that if anything does crack when at a Con, it'll have something to hold onto. Definitely going to make my back extra toasty though, so I will try to remember to carve out some channels for air flow (maybe in the future I'll even put some fans in there.

The only pieces left to print are the shoe coverings (have one set done, the other will be done printing by the time I get home from work today) and then the hand plates. Going to crank those out on the Neptune 4 Plus this evening. I need to pick up some gloves on my way home to work for the weekend.

I have an Elegoo Jupiter SE being delivered today as well. I plan to print a visor with it as my first print, since I still haven't got my vacuum forming table working. The heat application is giving me problems, mostly due to the space heater(s) I've been trying to use. I think I'm going to make one more attempt this evening using a spare stove I have, but my fall back will be a regular sheet of acrylic heat formed into a basic curve, like I have done with my Mando helmet.

After I either succeed or fail at the visor, rigging is going to be the primary objective of the evening. I got a bunch of elastic webbing and various other strap pieces delivered over the weekend to replenish my stock, so it's time to put things together.

Ideally by the time I go to bed tonight I will have the rigging done and at least an acceptable visor solution. Then tomorrow I will be all set to paint (still haven't fully decided on a color scheme, I've been scrolling through the 405th media options (IG, FB, and here) like crazy to see how colors look.)

I also resoldered a transistor to the board of my bench top mill, which I need to find some time to reinstall and hopefully it works so that I can complete the belt buckle for my Soldier Boy cosplay which I'll also be taking to C2E2.

 

[Shalidars]

Looks solid, crossing my fingers you make everything work in time! Godspeed from Europe

 

[BHE Photos]

Realized last night that even if I got the vacuum forming working, I don't currently have the dye to color the visor, so a flat piece of acrylic is definitely the best option for a temporary fix. However, after applying a gold window tint to the inside and a hexagon pattern tint to the outside, I'm actually really happy with the look and might not do a vacuum formed/dyed visor for this build. The piece I cut doesn't quite sit as nicely as I'd like, so I may adjust or redo it if I have time, but it's currently in a "good enough" state, so it's a low priority item.

Rigging went slower than desired, but progress was made nonetheless. The attached image is all of the pieces with completed (or mostly completed) rigging. I wanted a super sturdy connection for the hips, so I'm literally bolting the nylon strip to them and then running the strap up to the h-harness

Currently the torso is not attached to the harness at all, but I'd like to tie it together somehow to keep them from moving around too much independently (I have slightly uneven shoulders due to scoliosis).

Built up the foot covering around a Croc. I don't know if I want to try to attach the calf assembly to the foot to make a large boot (using EVA foam to connect them) or run another strap/buckle up to the hip piece.

Obviously still need to do the arms and shoulders. One forearm is mostly done, just need to apply the elastic strap to the last piece so it can expand when I slide my hand through. I think the small shoulder piece will get attached to bicep/tricep plates, but I'm still undecided about the larger shoulder.

Printed the final piece overnight (abdominal plate). Decided to skip the hand plates for this Con, I'll work on scaling them afterwards. The gloves I bought are tech enough for this rough draft, and I hate gluing things to gloves anyway.

Goal for tonight is to finish rigging and apply the first coat of paint. Tomorrow will be clear coat and helmet electronics (fans).

 

[BHE Photos]

Dawn of the Final (full) Day (prior to the one where I have to pack everything up and drive to the Con).

Still undecided about rigging the calves. Even with them scaled to 80% (height), it's an odd fit at both the ankles and knees. I cut off the side knee covering from the thigh piece to give some more freedom for movement.

Didn't get much of the remaining rigging figured out because I decided that I should focus on the painting, since I can make/glue straps/buckles in the hotel room if needed, but they definitely wouldn't appreciate me turning the bathroom into a paint booth.

I picked up a metallic blue automotive spray paint that is an anodized blue that will make up the bulk of the armor color scheme. For the visually important pieces (helmet, shoulders, chest), I used the brand-recommended undercoat, but the rest of the pieces are just sprayed on a white primer base. Low visual priority pieces (calves and cod, mostly) got a cheaper/simpler Gloss "Patriotic Blue", since it requires fewer coats and is easier to find.
Secondary color will be a gloss black, with tertiary being a chrome/gloss red. I decided to do red on the thigh pieces because the color combination reminds me of the blood stripes from my Marine Corps Dress Blues.

Before/after for helmet shown below (silver is the undercoat), as well as some color layouts for other pieces. I used a paint pen to mark what color I want on a given section, and then wipe off each color when I paint it.

 

[BrokenHawk]

I saw your progress earlier this week on Discord! I am so excited to see the final product!! What a genius system of marking what colors you want before painting! I hope you can hit the deadline and have fun at C2E2!!

 

[BHE Photos]

C2E2 Day 0 Update:

Stayed up until past 3 am last night finishing the painting. Slapped some clear coat on all the pieces and called it a night (curing time? Never heard of her!)

At one point I stepped back to look at the thigh piece and realized that it looked like it belonged to Spiderman more than a Spartan. Not necessarily a bad thing, but also not really the intent of the color scheme...

This morning I decided that I wanted to weather the armor, since I had to weather a couple of pieces from my Shinra Guard set as well. Thankfully the weathering (basic acrylic wash) took away a lot of the bright and comical vibe of some of the pieces.

Unfortunately the decision to weather meant I didn't finish rigging, so in an attempt to make it to Chicago in time for early badge pickup, I basically just threw a bunch of webbing, buckles, and my hot glue gun and sticks in a bucket with a bunch of other tools and a couple of rolls of EVA Foam and I'm going to finish it at the hotel tonight.

Hoping to have it ready to wear for the meet-up tomorrow, though I'll be changing out of it right after in favor of my Soldier Boy build for Friday, with Saturday being the "Halo all day" day. Got everything laid out nicely on the bed in my hotel room, time to get to work.

 

[BHE Photos]

Stayed up until 3 am, but I got the rigging done. The foot straps were definitely hindering my walking ability so I ripped them off my Croc-boots. The attached photo and video are from the 3 am fit up.

I trimmed the straps and tightened the thighs and calves a bit, and then put it all back on in the morning to go to the C2E2 405th Meet-up as a shake-down test. Met a few of the members. I can't walk very fast and I discovered an aggressive pinch point on the inside of my left knee that will need to be addressed at some point.

For each thigh, I have a bolted connection point that 3 different straps converge at with a 1/4-20 bolt and 2 washers and a nut hold steady, but while hanging out at the 405th booth, one of the nuts came loose and was lost to the crowd. Thankfully I had some random 1/4-20 hardware in my truck as well as some Locktite and a locknut, so hopefully I don't have any similar issues tomorrow for the photoshoot and parade.

I would consider this build to be about 80% done. I need to do the hand plates and fingers, and add the shoulder detail piece, as well as a couple of cod pieces. I still want to add lights and fans to the helmet (I didn't bring the right parts for either), and I want to make a few improvements to the armor for flexibility and wearability (rubber butt plate and maybe ankles/knees), as well as various accessories to flesh it out (as the Chief would say, "I need a weapon"), but for now I will consider this to be a successful build.