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mux213

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HI All,

Just signed up to the forum and just saying hello at the moment. Been following suit building from the sideline for awhile. Took my kids to the EbGames Expo last year and my daughter especially got really interested in some of the cosplay going on there. After she kinda got into Halo by accident a couple of weeks ago (normally I wait till the kids are sleeping before turning on the XBox but she turned out not to be sleeping yet) and she reiterated that we were going to build a suit some day so I guess its about to make due on a promise:)

Anyway, bought some basic supplies to start on something simple first and get some experience first before tackling something big. We'll be going down the Pepakura route first and probably do a prop first. Wish me luck:)

Cheers,

Bastiaan Olij
 
Sounds very intresting!
Good luck!
Oh, and i wouldnt reccommend starting with props first. Its very hard. I started out with a helmet but its still quite hard.I would reccommend starting with, perhaps the hands the shins or the shoulders.
just one thing you should notice is, there are different models for the male and the females and one thing i have to ask which may appear weird is: how old is your daughter? Because you may need to rescale the pepakura models. Sounds like a lot to do, i know. If you ever need help with anything, ask someone from here and i am sure someone will help you!
Cheers, and good luck again!
 
Hey Sword Breaker,

I eventually went to doing a helmet as I did indeed get a bit of a shock seeing how complex some of the props are :) I read about the scaling, time will tell if I scaled the helmet correctly (I have a feeling I might have made it too small) however I'm treating this as a learning experience and am assuming this one will eventually just be for display so I am taking some liberties in trying things out but who knows.

I am still having a tough time sifting through all the models and finding the right ones, the pages with all the overviews are neat but I keep running into dead links for downloading Pepakura files:)

Thanks for the offer of help, I'll be sure to post things as I'm getting so far. Last night was our start and we had some hurdles to overcome, the most challenging so far was my printer not agreeing with the cardstock and having slightly too heavy paper (my local crafts shop is renovating so I had limited choice).

Cheers,

Bas
 
Hey Sword Breaker,

I eventually went to doing a helmet as I did indeed get a bit of a shock seeing how complex some of the props are :) I read about the scaling, time will tell if I scaled the helmet correctly (I have a feeling I might have made it too small) however I'm treating this as a learning experience and am assuming this one will eventually just be for display so I am taking some liberties in trying things out but who knows.

I am still having a tough time sifting through all the models and finding the right ones, the pages with all the overviews are neat but I keep running into dead links for downloading Pepakura files:)

Thanks for the offer of help, I'll be sure to post things as I'm getting so far. Last night was our start and we had some hurdles to overcome, the most challenging so far was my printer not agreeing with the cardstock and having slightly too heavy paper (my local crafts shop is renovating so I had limited choice).

Cheers,

Bas

Sounds good! Your approach appears to be, actually the perfect one. Live and learn as some chaps may put it! If you want, i could help you find the files for pepakura that you need if that could be of any assistance.
Also, when scaling remmember that you could put some padding in there to make it more comfortable so you needn't worry if it gets a tad bigger then expected.
Another thing i found important when making the paper model:
After cutting out every page, i suggest having each page separate from others. This will come in handy later. Personally, what i did was: I gathered every piece from each page and made a little package out of each one using a paperclip and a sticky note to remmember which page is which. Then, i opened up Pepakura viewer and started from the top of the helmet( you can start from wherever you like actually. Nothing particular there). I made notes of which pieces attached to which
(because despite the edges IDs (something i really reccommend adding to your print. They are basically numbers on each side telling you what side to attach it to.) It was hard looking through the pieces)
and after that, i just had to click the piece on the 3D model on screen and it would show me in which page it was. After that, its as simple as it gets!

Sorry if i confused you. Im not great with instructions.
I will be glad to help in any way that i can!
Good luck!

Cheers
 
Hey Sword Breaker,

I'm actually worried I may have made it too small but we'll see. I'm having great fun so far as its turning out as a nice little father daughter exercise :)
So far I'm trying to cut, fold and put together parts in order slowly building up the helmet but that is mostly because I can cut and my daughter can fold.
I've got Pepakura open as you are right, it is near impossible to figure out what the next piece should be without it. Problem is because I scaled everything and moved it around to make better use of the limited stock of paper I have I've got to keep it open. I'm probably going to spend that $28 so I can save it as it seems well worth it.

Anyway, won't be getting to far during the week but hopefully come this weekend I'll have a few photos with early progress:)

And I will take you up on getting pepakura models once we're on to the next part but I think I'll be busy on this helmet for a few weeks..

Cheers
 
Hey Sword Breaker,

I'm actually worried I may have made it too small but we'll see. I'm having great fun so far as its turning out as a nice little father daughter exercise :)
So far I'm trying to cut, fold and put together parts in order slowly building up the helmet but that is mostly because I can cut and my daughter can fold.
I've got Pepakura open as you are right, it is near impossible to figure out what the next piece should be without it. Problem is because I scaled everything and moved it around to make better use of the limited stock of paper I have I've got to keep it open. I'm probably going to spend that $28 so I can save it as it seems well worth it.

Anyway, won't be getting to far during the week but hopefully come this weekend I'll have a few photos with early progress:)

And I will take you up on getting pepakura models once we're on to the next part but I think I'll be busy on this helmet for a few weeks..

Cheers

Your likely going to make it either too small or too big the first few times, I had to make mine 5 times before I got the right size, I would recommend building it out of paper until you get the size perfect so that you don't waste any card stock. It seems like your going the pepakura/bondo/fiberglass route, just be aware that it takes a lot of time if you want things perfect, when I started my helmet I thought it wouldn't take to long to bondo it due to watching YouTube videos and seeing them do it reasonably quick, but I was entirely wrong. Bondo takes forever to get right, I have done numerous coats on single areas just to get the right contour and shape.
 
Your likely going to make it either too small or too big the first few times, I had to make mine 5 times before I got the right size, I would recommend building it out of paper until you get the size perfect so that you don't waste any card stock. It seems like your going the pepakura/bondo/fiberglass route, just be aware that it takes a lot of time if you want things perfect, when I started my helmet I thought it wouldn't take to long to bondo it due to watching YouTube videos and seeing them do it reasonably quick, but I was entirely wrong. Bondo takes forever to get right, I have done numerous coats on single areas just to get the right contour and shape.

I've got a bit of experience using both fiberglass and bondo from the days I worked on cars and yet, this is going to be a challenge. Mind you, I have fond memories when a mate of mine who works for a smash repair who came to help me out one day and applied bondo in one go and got it near perfect. Practice makes perfect, I'll probably be doing layer after layer after layer. But I'm in no hurry.

I may eventually look into using other methods as well but you got to start somewhere and Pepakura looks, at face value at least, like something that I can do without breaking the bank and use mostly skills I already have. It also suits my limited amount of working space.
 
I've got a bit of experience using both fiberglass and bondo from the days I worked on cars and yet, this is going to be a challenge. Mind you, I have fond memories when a mate of mine who works for a smash repair who came to help me out one day and applied bondo in one go and got it near perfect. Practice makes perfect, I'll probably be doing layer after layer after layer. But I'm in no hurry.

I may eventually look into using other methods as well but you got to start somewhere and Pepakura looks, at face value at least, like something that I can do without breaking the bank and use mostly skills I already have. It also suits my limited amount of working space.

Well it looks like you have a leg up on me if you have some experience with bondo and fiberglass, I dived in head first with no experience, but to be honest its not that hard, just time consuming and aggravating if you are a perfectionist like me.
 
Hey mux213! Welcome to the 405th, possibly (most likely is :p) the best costuming community there is. If you need some files unfolded or rescaled, hit me up and I'll see what I can do for you. Also, quick tip, wood glue (like Titebond original) works way better (in my experience) at holding the tabs in place as compared to the regular stuff (like Elmer's). The wood glue also dries stronger than the paper itself :p

Edit:

Also, HaloGoddess' tutorial on scaling and more may be benefical for you to check out: http://www.405th.com/showthread.php?t=31627
 
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Thanks guys, feeling really welcome :)

Been slowly tinkering away, I'm now convinced this little build is not going any further then a trial and practice run. It is indeed too small and using too thick paper is taking its toll. I'm also not happy about the pepakura files I've used, now that it is shaping up and going back to how it looks in Pepakura its too rough and has some weird cuts. Don't get me wrong though, I'm having heaps of fun. I hope to have it glued together by the end of the weekend and I'll put on some pics, then I'll bother you guys for some advice on better helmet files. Ideally I would like to find good files for a standard Halo Reach helmet as the hope for me is to build the suit my daughter uses in game.

TheUX31Eguy, I've been using a hobby craft glue that I happen to have in the house, I think its pretty similar to wood glue and indeed, its been pretty good. I've also started to see why people love hot glue so much, its great being able to tack things and reheat to adjust them but I am worried about what the glue will do being sandwitched between the paper and bondo/rondo and how fun its going to be if after sanding some of the rougher edges the glue will come through.

As for sizing, I got it nearly right, I think I measured my daughters head right but misjudged the size of the helmet itself. The faceplate extends lower then I thought and I didn't account enough for any padding that I'd want to add inside. But hey, its my very first try at this so I'm actually pretty happy how close I got (it looks like it will fit my son who is two years younger then my daughter).
 
Thanks guys, feeling really welcome :)

Been slowly tinkering away, I'm now convinced this little build is not going any further then a trial and practice run. It is indeed too small and using too thick paper is taking its toll. I'm also not happy about the pepakura files I've used, now that it is shaping up and going back to how it looks in Pepakura its too rough and has some weird cuts. Don't get me wrong though, I'm having heaps of fun. I hope to have it glued together by the end of the weekend and I'll put on some pics, then I'll bother you guys for some advice on better helmet files. Ideally I would like to find good files for a standard Halo Reach helmet as the hope for me is to build the suit my daughter uses in game.

TheUX31Eguy, I've been using a hobby craft glue that I happen to have in the house, I think its pretty similar to wood glue and indeed, its been pretty good. I've also started to see why people love hot glue so much, its great being able to tack things and reheat to adjust them but I am worried about what the glue will do being sandwitched between the paper and bondo/rondo and how fun its going to be if after sanding some of the rougher edges the glue will come through.

As for sizing, I got it nearly right, I think I measured my daughters head right but misjudged the size of the helmet itself. The faceplate extends lower then I thought and I didn't account enough for any padding that I'd want to add inside. But hey, its my very first try at this so I'm actually pretty happy how close I got (it looks like it will fit my son who is two years younger then my daughter).


Thats great to hear! Glad you're enjoying the build! Thats really important, although some people forget about it. .
Also, yeah there are some weird cuts. . i had a piece in my recon helmet that basically needed to be cut in two BUT it still needed to be one piece! (weird eh?) well its cut now gluing the two pieces like normal and then having a scrap paper glued on them keeping them in the right distance and its perfectly fine.
You may also need to cut down some of the "flaps"to be able to glue them to the thinner pieces.
Good luck!
Cheers
 
Well, I finally got a whole pack of 150gm paper and looks like that will run through my printer properly. I'm also going to try and start on a Mark V helmet (the default one in Reach), hopefully one that looks a bit nicer then the model I was working on so far. :)
 
Well, I finally got a whole pack of 150gm paper and looks like that will run through my printer properly. I'm also going to try and start on a Mark V helmet (the default one in Reach), hopefully one that looks a bit nicer then the model I was working on so far. :)


Quick question:
which one were you going to make?
 
Quick question:
which one were you going to make?
Originally I was working on Kats helmet but as I was learning more about HALO reach and looking at the different Pepakura files out there I found out they used a really poor base model. In hindsight I just jumped in there without taking a closer look at some of the Pepakura files out there and seeing which one actually looks like it will come out nicely.

Cheers,

Bas
 
HI All,

Time to start turning this into a proper build thread :)

When I first made the decision to give Pepakura a chance I only managed to find some 250gms paper and decided to give one of the helmet designs I downloaded a try, nice bit of learning but it was going nowhere:
kathelmet.JPG
The biggest issue was the paper I was using which was simply too thick to go through my printer so I had to print it out on very light paper and stick it together. Not a good idea, the paper is much to rigid. Also working with the files and getting the hang of Pepakura I came to the conclusion that I made the helmet slightly too small and I wasn't too happy about the overall design of the helmet.

Yesterday I managed to swing by OfficeWorks and pick up a packet of 160gms paper so I have a plentyful supply and decided to start from scratch. I'm pretty happy I did so...

As I'm building this for my daughter we had a closer look at her character in Halo Reach and decided to just go for a pretty standard setup but use the colors she chose for her character.
I've started off with the Mark V (B) Helmet modeled by Jico and unfolded by Rhinoc from the Halo Reach Pepakura Files Thread.
I scaled it down to roughly 25cm height (slightly larger then I think it should be, but I rather add some padding inside then go to small again) and as it meant I had to re-organise all the parts I took a bit of extra time and ordered the parts so I can go through each A4, cut out the parts, glue them together and move on to the next A4 (that time turned out to be a great investment).

On the picture above you can find my trusty little cutting mat which works great.

For glue I'm using Selleys Craft Glue (you can see it in the background in the picture above) which I had from a previous craft project and I'm very happy with. I used hot glue on the first helmet but I find the craft glue to do very well on the thinner paper.
I tent to squirt a small drop of glue on a spare piece of paper and just use some small bits of left over paper to dab small amounts of glue onto the project. I've found it to work great.

Finally I've got a hobby knife for cutting out the paper pieces. One thing that I surprised myself with, after ruining a plastic ruler, that cutting freehand actually works great. Now I only use the ruler to draw the fold lines and help do the folds.

For drawing the fold lines I simply have a multi colour pen which really helps with changing colors to mark the folds and valleys.

So this was after the first A4:
A new start.JPG

And this is where I finished at the end of yesterday:
End of Day 1.JPG

After enjoying "TomorrowLand" in the morning I made some great progress during the afternoon today:
End of Day 2.JPG

I guess i'm about 40% through this stage of the build. Not sure how much time I'll have through the week but I'll keep posting as I go...

Cheers,

Bas
 
Hi mux213! It looks like you're making a good bit of progress and starting to figure out your process preferences which is great.

I think it's awesome of you to be building for your daughter and bolstering her interest in the subject. Once you get the hang of things yourself you may be able to get her involved with cutting or gluing, although I know there is some precision/safety concern involved with these processes I think it'd be so cool for you to gain a build partner to share the workload and, really more importantly, the experience. Good luck finishing your paper assembly!
 
Hi mux213! Once you get the hang of things yourself you may be able to get her involved with cutting or gluing, although I know there is some precision/safety concern involved with these processes I think it'd be so cool for you to gain a build partner to share the workload and, really more importantly, the experience.
Owh she's involved all right. I won't let her do the cutting yet and I've found the helmet to tricky to let her put the pieces together but she's out there drawing the fold lines, helping me fold pieces and putting the glue on:)

But mostly its just watching what I'm doing :)

Cheers,

Bas
 
Thanks guys, feeling really welcome :)

Been slowly tinkering away, I'm now convinced this little build is not going any further then a trial and practice run. It is indeed too small and using too thick paper is taking its toll. I'm also not happy about the pepakura files I've used, now that it is shaping up and going back to how it looks in Pepakura its too rough and has some weird cuts. Don't get me wrong though, I'm having heaps of fun. I hope to have it glued together by the end of the weekend and I'll put on some pics, then I'll bother you guys for some advice on better helmet files. Ideally I would like to find good files for a standard Halo Reach helmet as the hope for me is to build the suit my daughter uses in game.

TheUX31Eguy, I've been using a hobby craft glue that I happen to have in the house, I think its pretty similar to wood glue and indeed, its been pretty good. I've also started to see why people love hot glue so much, its great being able to tack things and reheat to adjust them but I am worried about what the glue will do being sandwitched between the paper and bondo/rondo and how fun its going to be if after sanding some of the rougher edges the glue will come through.

As for sizing, I got it nearly right, I think I measured my daughters head right but misjudged the size of the helmet itself. The faceplate extends lower then I thought and I didn't account enough for any padding that I'd want to add inside. But hey, its my very first try at this so I'm actually pretty happy how close I got (it looks like it will fit my son who is two years younger then my daughter).

I have used hot glue one my helemt build and it is no problem to sand, I haven't had any issues, that said the epoxy resin I used may have changed the properties of the glue. It looks like your building the same Mark 5 B pepakura model as me! If you want check out my thread to see what it looks like all built up. I suggest you build the whole top and back neck area as one piece and the chin and visor separately, it makes it easier to try and put all together imo. Well here is my thread - http://www.405th.com/showthread.php?t=44814
 
I have used hot glue one my helemt build and it is no problem to sand, I haven't had any issues, that said the epoxy resin I used may have changed the properties of the glue. It looks like your building the same Mark 5 B pepakura model as me! If you want check out my thread to see what it looks like all built up. I suggest you build the whole top and back neck area as one piece and the chin and visor separately, it makes it easier to try and put all together imo. Well here is my thread - http://www.405th.com/showthread.php?t=44814

Just had a look through it, looks good mate!

You mean building the two sections separately and then joining them up? That is basically what I am doing, I've got the two side sections nicely fit on two A4s and will be building those next. Even just from a building perspective it is easier to hold something more managable and then stick it to the whole model. Well atleast thats how I found it work nicely.

I did go away from hot glue though, I find the hobby craft glue much easier to work with. But its pure personal preference.

Your bondo does look a bit crumbly, don't know if that is just the picture quality? I think I'll try doing the resin and bondo on a smaller thing first before tackling the helmet.

Cheers,

Bas
 
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