My first foam build [[Reach Armor WIP]] Pic Heavy!

[DBmike]

I'd say your training is complete. You are now a Jedi because seriously dude that looks epic! Really well done.

Also, I have done pep before but I abandoned it due to weight issues etc but yh I may go back to it one day. I do have some knowledge with it so ill try to help you there if you need it. But honestly ill think you'll be fine.

I'm actually wishing I could have been bothered to use foamies now but at the time I just wanted it done lol

-Mike

 

[Spartan_127]

That thigh looks Epic. Great job, man. Bravo!

I love what you're doing here, but I must say this and only because it was once said to me. . . . "It is true that seeing stuff like this makes me want to go out and make stuff similar to it, but what's going through my head is something along the lines of "Damn, his stuff is better than mine, I don't wanna look bad! CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!" "

 

[Ghost01]

Wow, that thigh looks amazing! Those foamies truly do work wonders. I guess I'm going to have to get a lot of those for my foam armor.

Thanks! I cant endorse foamies enough. They cover mistakes, smooth out curves in the base foam, provide a nice white base for applying color and you can cut very detailed designs in them to really bring your foam work to the next level.

I'd say your training is complete. You are now a Jedi because seriously dude that looks epic! Really well done.

Also, I have done pep before but I abandoned it due to weight issues etc but yh I may go back to it one day. I do have some knowledge with it so ill try to help you there if you need it. But honestly ill think you'll be fine.

I'm actually wishing I could have been bothered to use foamies now but at the time I just wanted it done lol

-Mike

Foamies FTW! You can always go back and add them to locations that you arent quite happy with, but seriously bro...your build looks awesome without em. I still think I have a loooooong way to go before I can be called a Jedi but thanks for the vote of confidence!

That thigh looks Epic. Great job, man. Bravo!

I love what you're doing hear, but I must say this and only because it was once said to me. . . . "It is true that seeing stuff like this makes me want to go out and make stuff similar to it, but what's going through my head is something along the lines of "Damn, his stuff is better than mine, I don't wanna look bad! CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!" "

LOL! Did I unintentionally throw down the virtual gauntlet? I agree with whoever posted that quote to you, your work helps keep me motivated to get better.

If I have the time this evening, I'll try to get the other thigh assembled and possibly work on the shins. We'll see.

Thanks for looking!

 

[Ghost01]

Look what I did last night...

Another hour or two and I should be done pepping the helmet. I should be able to complete it this afternoon. Once I post the final pics I'll go over the things I learned with my first pep attempt.

Thanks for looking!

 

[Skullptura]

Very nice works.

 

[DBmike]

Damn you Ghost your making me want to go back to some sort of pep project!!!! maybe i'll revive the war machine project from last year....

can't wait to see how it turns out, looks like your off to a good start with the lid

 

[RTWHOCKEY]

Nice peping ghost! Can't wait to see it finished!

 

[Ghost01]

Helmet is pepped! Hopefully I can get it resined this weekend and maybe glassed.

Things I learned about pep work:
1 - Take your time and make sure the cuts are straight
2 - Hot glue is hot
3 - Score your folds, it makes the angles sharper and ultimately it makes the work easier
4 - Keep your pieces organized and readily available. It sucks when you cant find a piece because everything is piled up.
5 - Hot glue is HOT
6 - Refer to the pep design often. I came across 2 pieces that had valley folds listed but were actually mountain folds.
7 - Tutorials are your friend. Learn what you can from those who know.
8 - I will most likely not use hot glue for future pep projects. The glue gun with the long stick poking out the rear was difficult to maneuver inside the helmet and the glue got messy.
9 - If you watch TV while you are pepping, dont expect to actually watch much...it's mostly a listening thing.

And finally....hot glue is hot. I no longer have any tactile sense with my fingertips.

Thanks for looking!

 

[DagothDraal]

"And finally....hot glue is hot. I no longer have any tactile sense with my fingertips."

Haha, same here :L

 

[Gumption 117]

8 - I will most likely not use hot glue for future pep projects. The glue gun with the long stick poking out the rear was difficult to maneuver inside the helmet and the glue got messy.

Not that I've picked up a glue gun for many a year but you could always cut the sticks to a length that doesn't catch on objects.
Sure you'll need to replace them more often but you'll get a cleaner result that way

 

[Skullptura]

Lol I know it's a simple solution but I wouldn't have thought of that.... Lol

 

[Ghost01]

Not that I've picked up a glue gun for many a year but you could always cut the sticks to a length that doesn't catch on objects.
Sure you'll need to replace them more often but you'll get a cleaner result that way

This. This right here. This is why I will forever be a noob. Such a simple solution that never even crossed my mind. But other than the unwieldly shape of the glue gun, the glue also got too messy and I literally burned all the sensation from my fingers. I might make a go with super glue once I get enough practice in and make fewer mistakes.

 

[Gumption 117]

This. This right here. This is why I will forever be a noob. Such a simple solution that never even crossed my mind. But other than the unwieldly shape of the glue gun, the glue also got too messy and I literally burned all the sensation from my fingers. I might make a go with super glue once I get enough practice in and make fewer mistakes.

Haha, glad to be of assistance! Don't worry, I'm sure all of us at some point in time simply roll our eyes thinking "man, why did I choose the complicated route when I could have done it so much simpler!". Not that I'm uncoordinated or anything, but part of the reason why I haven't started my build yet is thinking that I'm going to burn or cut myself unnecessarily with the glue and knives

I haven't seen any gloves to protect hands from crafting, but I'm sure they'd be out there somewhere.

 

[Ghost01]

Update time again!

I completed the boots this evening! Well...I completed 1 boot and have all the pieces cut out for the other, I just have to glue everything together. I decided to go with the boots so that I could get an accurate measurement for the shins since I dont want there to be any interference between the bottom of the shin and the top of the boot. Here are some pics!

Here's the basic layout of the pieces taped together. I went totally free form on this since a pep pattern would be hard to convert.

Here's a bit further on in the build. More detail added.

And the completed boot.

Here it is with the velcro tab opened up.

It's very easy to remove the shoe, though I will most likely leave them in the boot since:
1 - I can slip them off and on without opening the tab and
2 - I never wear these shoes anymore even though they are quite comfortable

And here it is on mah big azz foot.

I only have 1 real issue so far with the boots. They squeek when I walk. I'm not sure if that's just the nature of the beast when working with foam and hot glue or if it's the rubber sole of the shoe squeeking against the beads of hot glue inside the foam boot. Anyone else have any problems with squeeking spartan footwear?

Thanks for looking!

 

[DBmike]

Lookin good. And yh mine squeak/ creak too xD

 

[RTWHOCKEY]

No templates? You could have fooled me! Epic work dude, this is definitely a project I can't wait to see finished!

 

[Skullptura]

Lovin ya work mate. Should wear them out one night see what happens.

 

[Ghost01]

Small update. Helmet has been resined. Hopefully I will be able to glass it tomorrow.

From what I can tell there was no warping.

Thanks for looking!

 

[thorn696]

Awesome looking build. I'm loving everything I see.

 

[Ghost01]

Helmet glassed!!

Here you can see that I overlapped the edges of the helmet for stability and strength.

Thanks for looking!