sincerelykatie
Jr Member
Awesome!! this is looking so good...can't wait to see this finished 
ODST Spartan Foam Build
- Thread starter mouaj
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FoxtrotZero
Jr Member
Lookin' slick mate. All of the best builds I see around here are foam for some reason, almost makes me worry since I'm not going down that route, but we'll see how it comes out. Have you done any previous work with stuff like this?
Thanks! It's almost done!Awesome!! this is looking so good...can't wait to see this finished
This is my first build so im learning as i go. I was going to make the armor out of pepakura because you can get amazing details but the resin/bondo stage drew me away since my helmet was already hard enough to make especially if you live in an apartment complex like me so i decided to try foam. The thickness of the foam really helps fill in the bulk of the armor and if you're handy, you can achieve the same level of detail as pep.
FoxtrotZero
Jr Member
Yeah, I hear that. I've done some work with foam, so if you've got a steady hand I can see one being able to do a lot with it, but I had some bad experiences, and I really want that solid feel that pepakura is going to give me. I think I'm going to make the torso underarmour section out of EVA, though, so I'm not through the ringer with it yet.
heres a little something i learned on the way. i dont know if you've worked with pepakura before, but it can get heavy depending on how you do it. My helmet alone is almost 3 lbs so i can't imagine what a torso would weigh. i love the feel pepakura gives you (as in hardness). you dont get the hardness that an armor should have with foam but you save a lot on weight. Ounces add to pounds so i imagine it would wear you out over time esp if you wear it for hours upon hours.
deactivyoke
Well-Known Member
I wore a marine costume at school last year. Whole day, I was exhausted by the end of the day. It didn't help I rode the bus either. I can't imagine that in a Spartan or ODST build.
FoxtrotZero
Jr Member
mouaj I suppose that is a concern. I haven't worked with pepakura before, and I've heard mixed reviews about it's weight. For this reason, I'm going to avoid rondo entirely. This might be my naivete speaking, but in all honestly, I'm just going to suck it up, I guess. Weight is a bit of an occupational hazard.
You might have seen me posting in a few other places, but I'm fairly obsessed with how I'm going to rig this thing. I want everything on my arms to hang off my shoulders when I'm relaxing, and everything at or below the waist on my hips. I also hope to pad the thing to hell and back.
As for a heavy helmet, I also hear they're hot, so as much as I'd like to wear it all the time, I'll probably find a way to clip it to my belt.
You might have seen me posting in a few other places, but I'm fairly obsessed with how I'm going to rig this thing. I want everything on my arms to hang off my shoulders when I'm relaxing, and everything at or below the waist on my hips. I also hope to pad the thing to hell and back.
As for a heavy helmet, I also hear they're hot, so as much as I'd like to wear it all the time, I'll probably find a way to clip it to my belt.
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RobTC
Member
If you do much hiking, you'll know how much difference a rigid or semi-rigid pack frame combined with a waist belt can do. Try to make sure all or almost all the weight of your torso pieces are on your hips and the shoulders are just stabilising. A rigid strip running down your back between the shoulder and waist straps might help there.
Press studs ("snap fasteners" in North America?) are a good idea to get localised loading on lighter pieces like hand plates. Easy to install, too.
From what I've read, Bondo is just resin (pretty heavy) and mineral filler (talc? Again surprisingly heavy), a basic form of polymer concrete, essentially. Watering it down to form Rondo isn't really losing weight so much as allowing slush casting inside hollow pep pieces. For anything that doesn't require that (anything that isn't a helmet, I guess) I've heard fibreglass is a night and day difference in weight- and relative rigidity. Getting a really good fibreglass layup is hard and requires lots of expensive gear, but I don't think it needs to be all that good for armour. That's the way I would go.
Well, actually, since I've been thinking about armour a lot the last week, what I'd probably do is just create inverted bucks from Pepakura and vacuform the whole thing in ABS and polycarbonate. Light, tough and easy to fix (just vac a replacement!). It's not too much more work on top of an entire set of armour, but the end result would be much nicer and infinitely lighter and I might be able to use pre-metallised sheet. Obviously you're not going that involved route, but that's definitely my inclination.
Press studs ("snap fasteners" in North America?) are a good idea to get localised loading on lighter pieces like hand plates. Easy to install, too.
From what I've read, Bondo is just resin (pretty heavy) and mineral filler (talc? Again surprisingly heavy), a basic form of polymer concrete, essentially. Watering it down to form Rondo isn't really losing weight so much as allowing slush casting inside hollow pep pieces. For anything that doesn't require that (anything that isn't a helmet, I guess) I've heard fibreglass is a night and day difference in weight- and relative rigidity. Getting a really good fibreglass layup is hard and requires lots of expensive gear, but I don't think it needs to be all that good for armour. That's the way I would go.
Well, actually, since I've been thinking about armour a lot the last week, what I'd probably do is just create inverted bucks from Pepakura and vacuform the whole thing in ABS and polycarbonate. Light, tough and easy to fix (just vac a replacement!). It's not too much more work on top of an entire set of armour, but the end result would be much nicer and infinitely lighter and I might be able to use pre-metallised sheet. Obviously you're not going that involved route, but that's definitely my inclination.
FoxtrotZero
Jr Member
RobTC I don't do much hiking, no, but I have spent some time carrying weight on my back and I've learned that the military infantry rucksacks are so effective for just that reason.
I don't know how I would fashion a "rigid strip" or entirely how it's supposed to help. Keep in mind that I'm doing an ODST build, not a MJOLNIR build, which both reduces the weight I'm carrying, but also my ability to hide things, especially considering that at least some portion of this gear has to go over an EVA foam torso piece. I'm a bit skeptical of my ability to construct a rig that will appropriately put the load onto my hips, so I was considering (on a recommendation) looking into military surplus equipment (not like a full MOLLE vest, though).
My intention was to have every piece connected to the webbing system via adjustable quick-release buckles (thus connecting everything with nylon strapping, and having nothing be too difficult to replace).
I'm told fiberglass isn't exceedingly heavy, but there's not really a practical lighter alternative, and it seems to work well enough for most people.
I don't know how I would fashion a "rigid strip" or entirely how it's supposed to help. Keep in mind that I'm doing an ODST build, not a MJOLNIR build, which both reduces the weight I'm carrying, but also my ability to hide things, especially considering that at least some portion of this gear has to go over an EVA foam torso piece. I'm a bit skeptical of my ability to construct a rig that will appropriately put the load onto my hips, so I was considering (on a recommendation) looking into military surplus equipment (not like a full MOLLE vest, though).
My intention was to have every piece connected to the webbing system via adjustable quick-release buckles (thus connecting everything with nylon strapping, and having nothing be too difficult to replace).
I'm told fiberglass isn't exceedingly heavy, but there's not really a practical lighter alternative, and it seems to work well enough for most people.
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RobTC
Member
FoxtrotZero Personally I'd just use a 1x1/8" aluminum bar, maybe 20" long or whatever. It's pretty cheap, I think even Home Depot has them (I get mine from eBay metal suppliers). That connects to your shoulder straps at the top, and your waist straps at the bottom. It could even be glued to the inside or outside of your foam vest to hide it if necessary. You could also use some kind of small diameter PVC pipe or something. Just enough that it's rigid enough to transfer the forces downwards.
I'd advise some caution with military equipment, too; while it is designed to be modular and tough which is handy, it's also usually designed for cheap indestructability over light weight. You may not need much, so it might be fine. It might be easier just to buy a roll of 2" nylon webbing and DIY it though.
Looks like I'm helping you hit 50 posts faster than I am! Haha. I'm working on a BR85HB SR (hardly anyone seems to be doing those?!) rather than armour though, so I can't contribute as much direct experience, I guess. Not sure when I'll get my build thread up, probably when it looks more like an actual thing than a pile of scrap (I'm not slicing or Pep-ing) but it's coming together nicely. MDF, PVC and styrene. Bondo too, soon.
I'd advise some caution with military equipment, too; while it is designed to be modular and tough which is handy, it's also usually designed for cheap indestructability over light weight. You may not need much, so it might be fine. It might be easier just to buy a roll of 2" nylon webbing and DIY it though.
Looks like I'm helping you hit 50 posts faster than I am! Haha. I'm working on a BR85HB SR (hardly anyone seems to be doing those?!) rather than armour though, so I can't contribute as much direct experience, I guess. Not sure when I'll get my build thread up, probably when it looks more like an actual thing than a pile of scrap (I'm not slicing or Pep-ing) but it's coming together nicely. MDF, PVC and styrene. Bondo too, soon.
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FoxtrotZero
Jr Member
RobTC
I'm not going to lie, I'm skeptical about the rigid vertical insert. I understand how it's supposed to transfer force, I still don't know if I could implement it all too well. If it looks doable, though, I might grab some PVC and try it.
I wasn't going to jump straight to any sort of military or hiking stuff. I can definitely make something for cheaper than I can buy it, I guess the question is if I can make it well enough. I figure with some 1.5" or 2" nylon straps I could do something. I'd also like to get my hands on some of that mesh foam material that's on backpacks and the like, it's cushiony and it breathes well.
And hey, I've been starting a lot of conversations in a lot of places to raise that number, but luckily I'm learning a lot from a lot of people on the way!
I like the look of the BR85, more or less, but as far as I'm concerned, anything Post-War Era (so anything Halo 4) is off limits. I think if I ever finish this build, I'll end up trying a really detailed (with custom sight and barrel because ODSTs m8). That'll probably be a sliced build with all of the layers resined individually, and extra room cut out for a wooden dowel structural skeleton (a few things I learned from a guy who's currently making on), and there's a number of things I'd like to add if possible (my most advanced idea involves an actual digital ammo readout, but I don't even know).
I'm not going to lie, I'm skeptical about the rigid vertical insert. I understand how it's supposed to transfer force, I still don't know if I could implement it all too well. If it looks doable, though, I might grab some PVC and try it.
I wasn't going to jump straight to any sort of military or hiking stuff. I can definitely make something for cheaper than I can buy it, I guess the question is if I can make it well enough. I figure with some 1.5" or 2" nylon straps I could do something. I'd also like to get my hands on some of that mesh foam material that's on backpacks and the like, it's cushiony and it breathes well.
And hey, I've been starting a lot of conversations in a lot of places to raise that number, but luckily I'm learning a lot from a lot of people on the way!
I like the look of the BR85, more or less, but as far as I'm concerned, anything Post-War Era (so anything Halo 4) is off limits. I think if I ever finish this build, I'll end up trying a really detailed (with custom sight and barrel because ODSTs m8). That'll probably be a sliced build with all of the layers resined individually, and extra room cut out for a wooden dowel structural skeleton (a few things I learned from a guy who's currently making on), and there's a number of things I'd like to add if possible (my most advanced idea involves an actual digital ammo readout, but I don't even know).
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Not quite sure if i understand your question but I sealed everything with either plasti-dip or modge-podge since spray paint doesn't stick to foam that well, foam just kinda absorbs it. The contrast may just be the lighting of the room cause my painting skills are mediocre at best.
FoxtrotZero
Jr Member
It's looking really good! The helmet feels a little out of place to me, are you considering changing away from the stock Mk. IV chestpiece, or no? And do you do your plasti-dip in spray or liquid form? (If spray, how many coats did it take you?)
Gotcha, thanks for answering, that's helpful!
How's the modge podge hold up, eh? Have you noticed any minor creasing around parts with flex?
It does have cracks from areas that flex but its not too bad. It kinda adds to the overall weathering effect. Plasti-dip definitely has more flexibility but you get 10X more from a modge-podge bottle than from a can of plasti-dip
I'm gonna redo the helmet cause it's a little too big compared to my body but that will be a future project. I might add some chest pieces to stand out but for now I'm content. I plastidip sprayed the upper half of the armor with 2 layers and modge-podge the lower half with 2 layers Both are holding up well so far. You definitely get more for your money with modge-podge
BlazedStarbon
RCO
- Member DIN
- S009
Simple, yet slick design! Look forward to the end result!
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