[First Post] Hello post and Ideas needed for first EVER build

<Hello World>
I just wanted to say Hi to everybody and ask a question. I have been looking and learning over the last few weeks here on the forum. I have decided I would like to make my first costume build for my self. I have decided to use EVA foam and go for a armored space combat suit from head to toe.
This is where I need your help.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO MAKE! Now for the details

• I have never built a costume
• I'm a family man so I don't have a lot of cash to spend at one time
• I'm 6ft and 270 lbs (Standard gamer body type) so most of the costumes aren't built for us bigger gutted fellows
• I have access to god amounts of EVA foam products cheap and have most of the tools needed for this kind of build
• I have all the lighting LEDs wiring EL wire/tape anybody would ever need

ANY Ideas/Help are more than appreciated and needed. I'm think that whatever I build I will make a thread (for good or bad) and document my process.

I thank you all for taking the time to read my No0b post
Dagbar
</Hello World>

Hey Dagbar, I under took this task on short time and I didnt want to spend to much. Here is kind of my break down to give you and Idea

1) I didnt use Pepakura files, I did it free hand
2) Cost added up to about $175 total. Not including the VHT Night shade that was a waste.

Basic Suit
*3 -6packs of EVA Foam $17.99 each.
Hot Glue Gun & Extra Glue $12,
Odds and End parts $15.

Electrical
2 Motors $6.99 each
Christmas LED Lights Pack of 50 - $7.99
3 Switches $4.99 each
Odds and ends $10

Paint
2 Cans Plasti Dip $6.99 Each
2 Cans Primer $4.99 Each
2 Cans Color $4.99 Each
Hand Paints $2.99 Each

Visor Stuff
Plastic Visor - $2.99
VHT Night Shade - $15.99 (Wasted this, dont use in my opinion
Walmart Car Tint - $12.99 Roll of 20ft

$175 Total

3) I used a lot of scratch paper to draw out small pieces and connect. I would say draw out ideas first section by section then move forward. Trying to do the whole suit at one time is just madness

4) For the bigger person larger pieces of paper, so I would look into construction paper or so

5) TAKE YOUR TIME DONT RUSH IF YOU DONT HAVE TO!!!!!

6) DONT RUSH ON THE PAINT EITHER, my mistake light coats at a time.


Other than that have fun! It is a great process!

Thanks for the response! I tend to second guess myself to death so working with planes tends to work better for me but I'm willing to give anything a shot once.
Did you have a picture of your build I could take a look at?

http://www.405th.com/f21/happy-halloween-hawaii-spartan-armor-build-43397/


Here you go! This is my First ever build. Just completed.

Yes second guessing does come into play. For me though It was just commit due to the time. I wanted it done by Halloween. So I just went for it. It came out ok so unless you got a time frame take your time to do it right the first time! I wasted a lot of materials rushing. Made a mess around the house and the wife was pissed LOL!

Well Ordered all my starting supplies and tools today. They should be in middle next week! I can't wait to get started!

Hah! Welcome to the club, mate! You might even get started before I do. Looking forward to see what you come up with, and remember, everyone is here to help.

So I have only done the helmet which is one of the more difficult pieces to complete but I'm only at the applying body filler and sanding phase.

110lb Paper is key to success for the helmet. You can use foam but it is not as clean as a pep helmet there are some foam helmet that are really clean and you can barely tell the difference but those are usually done by people with a lot of experience. Pepakura if feel is really good for the helmet nice and clean. And if you mess it up you can always print of more. [url]http://www.405th.com/f21/first-papakura-anything-odst-helm-43313/[/URL]
There is a link for my thread of what I have done so far.

List of thinks for pepakura helmet.
110lb paper 7-10$ (Wal-Mart/target/office depot) Wal-Mart usually has it. 110lb is most desired because it holds the fold you can go heavier but you do need a good printer because heavier the paper harder it is to push through the printer.
X-acto knives you want extra blades and maybe two handles. 10-15$ depending on where ya go or how much ya get.
Hot glue gun 8$ I got a precision low temp glue gun. Precision means it has a finer tip to dispense smaller amount of glue and Low temp so you do not burn the crap out of yourself.
extra glue sticks 4$ You can use something other than a hot glue gun, but if you make mistakes you can heat area and re glue it. IF you use super glue and you mess up... Well... reprint and retry. But super glue you have a but more of hand time to work with it. Hot glue especially with a low temp glue gun you have about 5-10 seconds to make sure you get it in the right spot.
Cutting Board 10$ (sewing cutting boards are just dandy)

This is really all you need to start off once you finish the paper portion. This is for making the paper helmet into more of a helmet. This is not including paints and such.
If you want to get fancy
Bondo fiber glass resin about 11-13$
Bondo Body filler is about 10-12$
Bondo plastic scrapers / mixers 6$ (use this for mixing body filler)
Fiber Glass Mat 5$
Respirator 25-30$ There are even some face masks that are 10$ for 2 and they work very well. Ask the person who works there what to get if you want to go a bit cheaper. However if you keep the project going respirator way to go.
Buy paint brushes in BULK about 10 will do but there are some places you can buy 20 for 10$ which is worth it. Get some pop sickle sticks to mix resin and such.
Sand Paper for sanding down the bondo and resin spots.
Also get extra Resin and Body filler hardener 5$ each. People end up getting more of each because of time the more catalyst you put in the faster it will harden and cure.
I will say I did end up not need fiber glass mat because I use a technique called rondo (resin +body filler) for the inside. I will have to find the YouTube video if you are interested. You mix the two together and get a pudding like texture and you put it inside the helmet and roll and spread a nice coat on the inside. Once it hardens it is SOLID as a rock. It gives it a nice sturdy weight which some people say they do not like but I actually like it. IF you do the inside like me you will need a Dremel Tool to sand down the inside because when you roll and spread it, it will gather up in the corners and you literally have only minutes to work with it.

Also to add to what I said. The helmet is the most difficult part, it has the most piece to cut up and apply so it will take time and there is a lot of room for mistakes. A lot of people do helmet after some experience but if you take your time and read up on everything and youtube vids its not that bad. I will say if you pepakura your armor it is a pain in the butt for sizing because there is a lot of guess and check each armor has kind of its own sizing and we all have different body sizes. A lot of people end up making a pepakura helmet and make foam armor because you can literally have the foam. Wrap and guess what size you need, and the foam has a bit more give and take. Where as paper you get what ya print.