ODST Foam Build!

[LongTimeLurker]

Hey Everyone! So after many long years of lurking, Ive finally decided that I'm going to start building something!

I started searching for some pep/foam tutorials on here when i came across Andrew Cook's (Andrew DFT) Foam ODST tutorial.

You can find that here:

(This is the first tutorial out of 10, and he doesn't have a playlist setup for it yet)

So Ill be following that for a majority of the build.

I've already gotten started with the chest plate! and will post more pictures as I get more stuff done! Hopefully working on the shoulders next

Wish me luck!

 

[Qis4Question]

I just so happened to have watched his videos in their entirety. It's a great start for an easy build that gets you into doing eva foam armor. I am currently making a pep ODST armor with Hugh Holder's ODST pep files. Glad to see someone with an interest in the ODST!

 

[LongTimeLurker]

I just so happened to have watched his videos in their entirety. It's a great start for an easy build that gets you into doing eva foam armor. I am currently making a pep ODST armor with Hugh Holder's ODST pep files. Glad to see someone with an interest in the ODST!

Thanks! So I spent all morning making these shoulders, was going just fine until I had to make the knob/diamond/connector thingie that goes inbetween the two parts. Spent about an hour trying to figure out how the heck its supposed to come together. The I figured it out XD

They turned out kind of slanted and the seams are not so flush, nothing alittle putty cant fix

 

[sassmaster]

2 things. 1 it is looking pretty awesome and 2 you should go check out "punished props" for extra learning on foam tips that might help you out in the future

 

[eric draven]

To be honest your pieces look better then the ones on his videos. I saw all of them and thought they looked blah. Your sir have opened my eyes. I just might use his method.

 

[LongTimeLurker]

you guys are too nice c':

I've just come to realize that the chest plate is very flat, so I may take some clay or similar and make it raised and rounded up.

As a bonus I have the first 2 helmets I made using his method, and they came out very shoddy



Not at what I had hoped for. I ended up coming across Sean's Etsy page and his helmet kit is inexpensive and not so hard to do. So I may end up getting that as a helmet and continue the rest of the suit with foam

 

[LongTimeLurker]

2 things. 1 it is looking pretty awesome and 2 you should go check out "punished props" for extra learning on foam tips that might help you out in the future

OH IVE SEEN THIS GUY ON TESTED!!

I will definitely take a look! and help with beveling or seem putting together-ing would be a much needed help :wacko

 

[jtcobra]

The pieces look good for your first go. A couple of tips and tricks. First you need to change or sharpen your blade more often. Changing blades is very important when cutting details. You have a lot of ruff edges because your blade isn't sharp enough. Your blade should cut through it like butter when it starts to stick it is time to change it. It looks like you are using a lot of hot glue on your edges. I would suggest using liquid superglue and then reinforce the back with hot glue. With super glue you have to be accurate with placing your pieces together because you only have a second or two before the bound is made. I hope this helps and I'm looking forward to seeing it all finished.

 

[TOWLBiscuits]

Wow those shoulders look amazing

 

[jtcobra]

I forgot to mention that you should use a heat gun to mold your plate for the shape and depth that you want.

 

[Phule]

looks great

 

[applebad]

I'm making the same one! the gauntlets are hard though, lay off the glue. Good Luck!

 

[TurboCharizard]

As a bonus I have the first 2 helmets I made using his method, and they came out very shoddy

I found his method of using half slices of standard EVA floor mats made everything more difficult overall and kind of messy in certain sections. I've just recently finished off my foam ODST and had some success with the helmet by mixing a combination of floor mats for the main structure and 2mm craft foam layered to build up a structure surrounding the visor and then gap filling with caulk to fit snug to the plexiglass visor.



The only picture I have right now that shows the profile of the helmet but if you have any questions, hit me up.

 

[LongTimeLurker]

Well, Ive been kinda swamped with work but I should be starting on the shins tomorrow after class!

In the mean time heres a drawing I did in class

 

[LongTimeLurker]

I found his method of using half slices of standard EVA floor mats made everything more difficult overall and kind of messy in certain sections. I've just recently finished off my foam ODST and had some success with the helmet by mixing a combination of floor mats for the main structure and 2mm craft foam layered to build up a structure surrounding the visor and then gap filling with caulk to fit snug to the plexiglass visor.
The only picture I have right now that shows the profile of the helmet but if you have any questions, hit me up.

Id love to know how! But Im also in the process of saving up for one of Sean Bradley's helmet kits.

But Ill take another crack at the foam helmet if you can teach me your method.

 

[TurboCharizard]

It's not so much a personal method as a modification on Andrew Cook's to make sure that the helmet has a bit more durability overall and fine detail done in craft foam so that you're not sawing away at main structural pieces to add raised and lowered sections.

The biggest thing I found to help was material choice for the visor since it's going to be supporting the forward section of the helmet and having something sturdy will keep the top of the helmet and the chin from bending toward each other. I used 1/16" plexiglass that I heated with a heat gun and it's wide flat cone attachment to direct heat along a line so that I could fold and bend specific parts on the upper section and for the lower I molded it around a large wine bottle to round everything off.



The visor was kept as a removable piece that could be painted later with Tamiya RC car translucent paints which turned out fantastic. In the picture below you can see some supports along the chin where the visor is held in place and also are used to position my helmets microphone.



Craft foam is the best material for the job inside lining the visor, three layers deep held together with contact cement to limit any bumps that'd be visible to the outside world. I cut them all to shape and each had a slightly different shape just to add a bit more detail that can be seen in the character models. The visor was installed in on it's supports and then I filled any gaps along the chin with caulk which you can see in the second picture. Another nice touch I added on the back was a neck pad on the back that extends out of the helmet slightly made out of foam coated vinyl, it breaks up the kind of bland look of the back and also helps overall against scratching the back of your neck if you aren't wearing a balaclava.



I found that overall it's a bit more expensive just because of the material choice but for ~$10 more, $15 with the nice paint it makes for an easier experience in the build overall.

 

[LongTimeLurker]

Thanks Turbo. I definietly try this out when I get started again! Also I just realize I need to get more foam, I down to my last 2 sheets

 

[LongTimeLurker]

Thanks Turbo. I definietly try this out when I get started again! Also I just realize I need to get more foam, I down to my last 2 sheets

 

[Hibson]

Nice to see another ODST and one using Andrew's method! I only had time to make the chest piece before Dragon Con, one day of build time It looks fantastic I wasn't able to get my build looking nearly as sharp as yours, kudos on that! The shoulders in particular, wow! Can't wait to see more

 

[LongTimeLurker]

Btw if any knows where to find/download the file for a good foam odst helmet please let me know. If I dont particularly like how then finshed DFT helmet looks and would like to make something closer to form before I drop 150 + on a helmet kit and visor