Commander Sarah Palmer - Scout variant of the MJOLNIR GEN2

Why the stapler?

Sent from my 831C using Tapatalk

To staple the garbage bags all around our workspace. We are hoping to minimize the mess this way.

Re: Progress Notes

GeekGuardianDee said:

I have been conversing with the fibreglass shop in the local area, regarding cloth strengths and various combinations. It would appear that prototyping samples may have to be created in order to find what combination I will want to go with.

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For some reason, this just got me thinking about 3D-printing fiberglass...
I laughed at myself briefly.

We shouldn't be too far away from making it a possibility though.

Quick Update...

GeekGuardianDee said:

What was the problem? - I measured the length of my arm from elbow to wrist and added extra length for the portion of the piece that extends past my elbow. I used that number to scale the piece (using the measure between points command in Pepakura Designer). I also measured the width of my hand when curled to its smallest (not in a fist, but curled like when you are putting a tight bracelet on) and checked the arm opening measurement (again in Pepakura Designer) to make sure I could fit my hand through. Once the piece was scaled based on these two measurements I did one last check of the 3D model to make sure it looked right proportionally.
When built the piece was the correct size along the lines of measurement I had put into the software. The width of the piece at the upper arm opening was too large for my arm.

Why did this problem occur? - This is an issue that has cropped up due to the 3D models in the game being made against a large, muscular, male figure. Because of this, all of the the pieces will be slightly too wide in the direction of the major muscle groups.

What is my solution? - Halo 4 does include game assets for the female models, which have been uploaded to the 405th database. These files are the raw game assets which need some TLC before being usable as pepakura pieces. The polygons need to be appropriately welded at the seams and the meshes need to be converted, as much as possible, to square rather than triangles (among other clean-up tasks). I have put a request in to one of the 3D modelers on the forums to see if they would be willing to take another crack at the female files and try to clean them up, but have yet to get a response. I will send a PM to see if anything is happening on that end and perhaps try to do what I can myself. I know that these female assets have a much truer geometry to the Sarah Palmer character and will fit my body (or any slender body type) much better.
Right now this issue is currently in stasis waiting on cleaned models, but that is my plan at this point.

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GeekGuardianDee said:

I just sent a PM to Crimmson to see where they are at with those files. I don't want a whole bunch of people working on these at the same time and getting upset that their work was pointless. I will send you a PM when I hear back.

I think some of the modelers have tried their hands at the female models previously and had some problems, so we'll see how it goes.

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Quick update...

I received a reply from Crimmson who cannot work on the female models at this time. So, that means that if you have the time and inclination I would really appreciate anyone who would clean-up the female scout files. You don't need to unfold them, just trim the overlapping edges and tidy up the meshes a bit.

• Inner Plated Arms: http://www.405th.com/file-archive.php?do=file&fileid=1234
• Scout Chest & Shoulder: http://www.405th.com/file-archive.php?do=file&fileid=1267
• Outer-Plated Legs: http://www.405th.com/file-archive.php?do=file&fileid=1247 (includes thighs, shins, boots, and butt pack)

Also, if you do choose to take on this task please let everyone know here. Again, I am hoping to not have too many people working on the same thing and getting upset.

If I don't get any takers on this thread over the next few days I will post my request in the 3D modelers forum to see if I can pick up some interest there, but I thought I ought to check here first.

This is as mentioned earlier one heck of an ambitious build. I admire your tenacity and drive! Good luck and I hope it all turns out the way you envisioned it. I think a lot of members will benefit from the lessons learned here.

GeekGuardianDee said:

I am kind of wanting to hold off a bit on the fabrication of them to see how Evakura does with this latex molded fabric, but the patterns are in high swing. I should post updates of those patterns...

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I apologize for not updating you sooner on this. I post most of my results on FB now, as I don't have to upload each photo into photobucket Also, did you get the samples I sent you? And did they suffice, or will you need a bit larger samples to conduct testing?

Anyways, here is the progress I have made so far on the Exo-suit for my 6'11" buddy

I started with the breastplates.


and now am working on the spine area. The spine vertebrae are sculpted rondo, and the rest is EVA skinned with the hex latex material. I first started using Shoe Goo as the adhesive, but the cost was too high, and the amount of time I had to apply pressure was too great.... that and it still didn't REALLY conform to the EVA the way I wanted. So, I ended up finding contact cement.... man, that stuff is awesome, and cheap too!



Top, directly down



... and top, slightly angled

EVAkura said:

I apologize for not updating you sooner on this. I post most of my results on FB now, as I don't have to upload each photo into photobucket Also, did you get the samples I sent you? And did they suffice, or will you need a bit larger samples to conduct testing?

Anyways, here is the progress I have made so far on the Exo-suit for my 6'11" buddy

I started with the breastplates.
[url]http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b614/Evakura_Armor/SAM_1627_zps4d5f983e.jpg[/URL]

and now am working on the spine area. The spine vertebrae are sculpted rondo, and the rest is EVA skinned with the hex latex material. I first started using Shoe Goo as the adhesive, but the cost was too high, and the amount of time I had to apply pressure was too great.... that and it still didn't REALLY conform to the EVA the way I wanted. So, I ended up finding contact cement.... man, that stuff is awesome, and cheap too!

[url]http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b614/Evakura_Armor/SAM_1641_zps903622de.jpg[/URL]

Top, directly down

[url]http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b614/Evakura_Armor/SAM_1643_zpsdfea1e4e.jpg[/URL]

... and top, slightly angled

[url]http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b614/Evakura_Armor/SAM_1644_zps0f6694c7.jpg[/URL]

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No worries on the updates, I have WTS pop up on my cosplay interest list on Facebook, so I see many of your updates over there. I am trying to make sure I don't miss out on any chance of you posting "Miracle Hex Fabric Alternative - now available by commission". So yes, stalking, but the good, well informed, kind; no creepiness intended.

I received the samples on Friday and will commence testing this afternoon, I have a couple of remarks and questions that I will PM to you before I publicly post any comments or videos.

Your exo-suit progress looks awesome, by the way. I am always amazed to see how many ways there are to approach the same problem. I looked at the exo-suit and thought "quilt layers together to build bulk, and use vinyl over shaped foam for protruding shapes" (probably based on my sewing background) while it appears you have been thinking "sculpt the body form through the use of foam, and use sculpted rondo for protruding shapes" (probably based on your extensive experience with foam fabrication techniques). I wonder if I continued with my methodology how the two techniques would compare when completed; there would be many questions as to how the two suits would fare in regards to:

• mobility
• weight
• compression (ie. being able to crouch down into a ball position without the bulk of the suit being awkward)
• thermal comfort
• accuracy based upon reference images
• aesthetic preference from 3rd parties

Perhaps I could convince you, for the sake of forwarding the principles of scientific experimentation and knowledge, to provide me with the aforementioned "Miracle Hex Fabric Alternative" for the use in my exo-suit creation based on my methodology. With appropriate recompense and other commitments aside, of course.

I know you are quite busy right now, so I am making my not-particularly-subtle request with no real time limit. More or less just fishing in the water, really.

Anyways back to your work, do you find the sculpted rondo pieces to be particularly brittle? Would they become scratched, or otherwise damaged, if the suit were carelessly dropped onto concrete? I can see they have been individually anchored to the backing foam, which will allow them to flex and bend independently from one another, but I would be interested to see how they perform with body movement. Would the wearer be able to arch their back like a cat, or would the pieces bind on a concave curve, and the edges lift in a convex curve? Would the wearer have the freedom of movement to perform a body roll (front-to-back AND side-to-side) in the exo-suit without the spine region artificially lifting from the body during the movement? Also those mounting bolts will be mighty uncomfortable against the spine, will you be sealing the backing foam with yet another layer to sit against the wearer's spine?

So many questions; with your time restraints at the moment I will understand if you do not have the time to respond to them.

I am also putting in an Amazon order today, it will include Barge contact cement, which is great stuff for adhering to foam (and is currently on sale), and the SC110 epoxy resin that you recommended earlier, on a Facebook comment conversation, for fibreglassing pepakura builds.

:eek OMG EVAkura That looks fantastic! Excellent work!

I was told that people who make fiberglass armor can't really sit or anything for fear of chipping off bits of their armor, which would mostly just be the bondo on the exterior surface chipping off.

Not sure how likely that happens though, but regardless, if you are making a piece that you will sit on, I think you should consider at least making that 1 piece out of foam.

WandererTJ said:

I was told that people who make fiberglass armor can't really sit or anything for fear of chipping off bits of their armor, which would mostly just be the bondo on the exterior surface chipping off.

Not sure how likely that happens though, but regardless, if you are making a piece that you will sit on, I think you should consider at least making that 1 piece out of foam.

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The Halo 4 armor variants have eliminated the 'cod piece' so there really isn't anything to sit on (except the exo-suit). The butt-pack will most likely get jammed up against the backs of chairs and the thighs might get scraped against the chair seat if I sit too far back on a chair. I figure that most of this damage would only require paint touch-ups.

I can't imagine bondo chipping off a properly resined piece, or else wouldn't you see it chip off automotive repairs? I will have to ask Longshot-X when we chat, I know he is pretty proud of the resiliency of this fibreglass suit. He did mention that he could sit, lie down, etc. for photo poses, so I don't think he's had any issues with his bondo. I believe that there are a couple of factors that might cause chipping, like improper surface prep, applying a primer coat early and then bondoing over the primer coat, improper drying times for the resin or bondo layers, or excessive rubbing of armor pieces against each other.

Thanks for the heads up though, maybe when I get to that stage we will do some testing to see what it would take to cause chipping.

GeekGuardianDee said:

Anyways back to your work, do you find the sculpted rondo pieces to be particularly brittle? Would they become scratched, or otherwise damaged, if the suit were carelessly dropped onto concrete? I can see they have been individually anchored to the backing foam, which will allow them to flex and bend independently from one another, but I would be interested to see how they perform with body movement. Would the wearer be able to arch their back like a cat, or would the pieces bind on a concave curve, and the edges lift in a convex curve? Would the wearer have the freedom of movement to perform a body roll (front-to-back AND side-to-side) in the exo-suit without the spine region artificially lifting from the body during the movement? Also those mounting bolts will be mighty uncomfortable against the spine, will you be sealing the backing foam with yet another layer to sit against the wearer's spine?

.

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First, please feel free to post your findings with the material at your convenience. What you stated about it is absolutely correct, both the good and the bad

As for the Rondo pieces. Not brittle at all (that is primarily because I used 50% resin, which is quite forgiving). Would they be susceptible to being scratched if carelessly dropped on concrete? Yes, and the wearer would also be susceptible to a black eye from me to boot .

Movement is free and clear for arching, bending over, body rolls, and also twisting. Because they are not linked together, there is a bit of an edge lift, but with the hex pattern backing, it is not really noticeable, unless you are looking for it of course! As far as the mounting bolts, I will be adding another layer of EVA (with holes cut so I can still access the hardware) and will make them subset so as not to discomfort the wearer

Also, I did the first pull of the Lycra backed mask latex (embedded with the first coat) and I have only one issue with it. Because it is all put together and cured at the same time, it is more prone to getting air bubbles trapped in between the latex and the mold.

As soon as I finish the next test (mask latex cured, then another coat with Lycra embedded), I will fiddle around with it for a bit, then send you both samples for you to test for yourself. I think you will be very happy with the results

GeekGuardianDee said:

I can't imagine bondo chipping off a properly resined piece, or else wouldn't you see it chip off automotive repairs?

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Automotive prep is a bit different than armor prep (unless you come from an automotive background and know how to prep armor parts for painting). Also, automotive primers, paints, and top coats are considerably stronger than off-the-shelf Krylon and Rustoleum spray paints. Automotive paints cost more and you need a sprayer/compressor for applying them, but the saying is true "you get what you pay for". I painted my Gene Simmons dragon boots with automotive lacquers and 15 years later they still don't have a mark on them, and boots receive more wear-and-tear than a groin area (unless somebody's in a particular profession, but that's off topic...)

thanks for the mention! I cant wait to see this come together.

Quick Update...

GeekGuardianDee said:

Quick update...

I received a reply from Crimmson who cannot work on the female models at this time. So, that means that if you have the time and inclination I would really appreciate anyone who would clean-up the female scout files. You don't need to unfold them, just trim the overlapping edges and tidy up the meshes a bit.

• Inner Plated Arms: http://www.405th.com/file-archive.php?do=file&fileid=1234
• Scout Chest & Shoulder: http://www.405th.com/file-archive.php?do=file&fileid=1267
• Outer-Plated Legs: http://www.405th.com/file-archive.php?do=file&fileid=1247 (includes thighs, shins, boots, and butt pack)

Also, if you do choose to take on this task please let everyone know here. Again, I am hoping to not have too many people working on the same thing and getting upset.

If I don't get any takers on this thread over the next few days I will post my request in the 3D modelers forum to see if I can pick up some interest there, but I thought I ought to check here first.

Click to expand...

Just to give everyone a status update:

• The pepakura has been on-hold for this build as I have been waiting for someone to agree to clean up these files for me. Master Builder has taken up the task and is working away on getting the female scout files cleaned up and ready for unfolding. A BIG huge thanks to Master Builder for this. Once those files start heading my way I will be back to pepping out this build.
• The exo-suit is currently on-hold waiting to hear if HALOSPRTAN is going to be offering any molded latex material like what EVAkura is using in this thread: Hex pattern proving grounds . I love the stuff that EVAkura has produced and think it would be great to work with, but he is not able to produce it for sale currently. If I don't see anything come up from HALOSPRTAN I will just go ahead and order the neoprene according to my original planning.
• The Google Glass and android phone are being ordered now for the advanced features, so there will definitely be some posts regarding how to get those advanced features working soon.

That's all I have time for right now. This build is still moving forward, even if I have to beat down Goliath to get 'er done.

I definitly will be doing the hex pattern, pouring molds as we speak. I have my 3d prints and should be set for production by the end of the weekend

HALOSPRTAN said:

I definitly will be doing the hex pattern, pouring molds as we speak. I have my 3d prints and should be set for production by the end of the weekend

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I am so glad to hear this. I hope it goes smoothly! Let me know when you got some tests done.

Yes, I hope so too, this is the 3d print i designed, it includes the mold walls with the model

Here is the test plaster mold i just pulled 10 minutes ago. there will be a total of at least 6 of these linked together to make large sheets, or i can make smaller sheets too.

I am pouring more now.

I'm glad to see that people are making progress on their suits. I wish I could say the same of mine... Best of luck to you.

Progress Notes

Just a quick update, I am still recovering from being convention committee at a local convention, so it is taking awhile to get back into the swing of working on this suit.

Anyways, I had a meeting with the groups that will be working on the advanced features of the suit for their embedded systems course. It looks like they are all really amped to get their hands on the Google glass, so that functionality looks to be on the top of the list right now. I believe that the focus will be on the HUD functions and Voice Command functions. I will keep you all posted as this project continues.

More details will be posted as I get some of the things off my to-do list done.

Dee

I'm guessing this is going to be the prettiest freakin' build here.