Sithinstructors Mark VI Spartan build

So I have been lurking here for years and years. I recently finished my ESB Vader and started my next project, a Mark VI Helm. So I figured I would document my progress here. I downloaded the flyingsqurril high def version and scaled it according to my head. Since then I have scored all the lines, first using a razor, then a Pen, I found it hard to gauge the pressure needed without cutting through.

I also have started cutting and gluing. After I looked through the pieces three times for a particular piece and finally found it already glued to my project where it was supposed to be I figured it was time to take a break.

My current thoughts are: Wow there are a lot of tiny tiny pieces. I sure hope I sized it right. Grr I glued my fingers again. This thing doesn't look like a helmet at all. Patience I must learn Patience.

I know all these things will work themselves out but I figured I'd document them anyway. Ive got pics but can't post them yet. I'm sure most of you have seen a pep build started though. it looks like piles of cut up paper and some glued together pieces the resemble some kind of garden tool.

Looking forward to seeing some Pic's from you're build.

The best thing that I have found out is not to cut all the pieces out and then go through them to glue. It is easier for me to create small sections of the finished product and piece the larger pieces together at the end so it comes into view alot faster. pepping with precision is key but there is always bondo to smooth out imperfections in the end. Good luck to ya!

@stealthypirate Ya wish I would have thought of that before lol, but as I look for pieces I cut parts up so I don't go insane. Here are some pics...

scoring

gluing

further along

UPDATE
Alright so It's been a week. Here is what I managed to accomplish. I finished the pep work, ended up a little lop-sided but I hope to fix in bondo stage. I put three coats of resin on the outside and three coats of rondo inside. Last thing I did to it was goup a couple mixes of bondo on. I also pepped a hand plate and stared a second. I suppose I should not have started with the HD helm as my first pep but wanted to learn a lot, and since one learns from ones mistakes I did. Alright pictures.

Side - you can see how exited my dog Zeus is about all this.


Front left


Three coats of Resin - So ya, not too hard to get on but man did it hurt to take it off. Ow.


Yup too small - Also parts of my dog laying around


Rondo


I only had three leaks when I poured the rondo in the first time. These two and one on
top.


second leak


And Bondo


I wanted to sand it today too but ran out of working time. I figure I have about two weeks of bondo work to do on the helm, depends on how much time I get to work on it. The hand plate was WAY to small so I printed a second one at 90cm. I'll use that to find out what size to do the HD ones. Here is a pro tip I was surprised I did not read anywhere on here yet: when you mix your bondo the color should be about the same as the pink scrapers that you can buy with it. Any more red and it will set up faster and lighter red will set up slower and gummier. Trick i learned a couple years ago in a body shop.

Cool build. I'm going to be starting an ODST helmet (First one) and was wondering how you scale it?

TheHobo777 said:

Cool build. I'm going to be starting an ODST helmet (First one) and was wondering how you scale it?

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Measure the length of your head using either a yard stick or a straight ruler. Take it and place it at your chin the measure the length to the top of your head. Then add half an inch (Its what i added) To account for the padding. And Nice build so far i like how your helmet is coming along.

There are a couple methods to scale your armor. Read all of them and choose the best for you. The stickies have all sorts of good info on this.

I personally did exactly what RTGCBT said. I measured my head and added room for padding and all the other goodies I plan to put in. I added two inches though not just half an inch. It ended up being 185MM high. Thanks for the comments, to quote Thorssoli they are fuel for a project like this.

In other news I pepped a second hand plate like I said at 90mm and its slightly too large. I am thinking I'll go with 82ish mm. I probably should get the gloves first to decide though. And yes I know its not cm, guess I was not thinking.

Ignore the cm should be mm


on my hand:

This is looking good but are the support beams in the helmet necessary? Because i want to try that one.

@halokillskat I would say yes. I am sure people have done without but they are called support struts for a reason. They will keep your helmet from getting warped in the early stages. I had every single support strut in place until after my third coat of resin on the outside. I then cut them out for the rondo stage. I left the two you can see cause this is just a prototype I plan to mold it when I get that far so those supports can stay.

Today I got up early to sand my helm, looks better but still have a long way to go. Had to hurry before my son woke up, he is two and requires constant supervision and that makes progress slow or stopped when he is around. I am very happy to say I cut out the sides so I can actually put my helmet on now (and take it off) easily. You can see where I cut it here:

Completely agree about the support struts. I like that you started with them and built outwards, rather than trying to put them in afterward. Wish I'd thought of that. The helmet's looking great! Here's my question: are those really cheez-its in that box, and how are they contributing to the costume? xD

erayachi said:

Completely agree about the support struts. I like that you started with them and built outwards, rather than trying to put them in afterward. Wish I'd thought of that. The helmet's looking great!

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If I build another Mark VI, I would start with the very top and move down from there until I got to where the supports go and add them as soon as possible. Problem I ran into was since I started on the bottom the top was very tricky to put together with all those supports in the way. A lot of threading my ruler through to hold the parts in place and gluing.

erayachi said:

Here's my question: are those really cheez-its in that box, and how are they contributing to the costume? xD

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Lol ya they are. I use them to soak up all the caffeine. Really I think I should be getting money for product placement, don't you?

In other news I have had a couple rounds of sanding, more bondo, spot putty, and even a coat of primer to see where I was at. Basically I am no where near done sanding. I bought sandable primer but I bought black. I think I need some grey cause the black hides a lot instead of pointing it out like I want. I even sanded through in one spot. oops. I put a glob of bondo inside where the break was and all is good, still needs to come down more on that spot. I'll post a update with more pictures when I get a little further.

nice pep work there on that helmet dude, you going for the full suit?