another noob with an HD MKVI build

[agordon117]

hey guys, new here so forgive me if it takes a while to adjust to all of the posting restrictions (how to do clicky pics, number of pics per post, etc). Two weeks ago i started my master chief MK VI build. I have scaled everything, and pep'd the shoulders/biceps (hd), forearms (regular), helmet (first piece and for practice), and chest (decided after first coat of resin to scrap it for an HD one, but at least i know the size is right).

I've posted this build log on my home forum (fx-sabers), but no one is interested in my progress there. here are some pics of my progress.

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Just a few assorted progress pics. again, i don't know the rules yet. i'm going to start the HD chest tonight and then move to either the codpiece or the real helmet when i finish. i have a 3d clear and a mirroed gold visor on the way.

I bought a bike helmet and ripped out the padding for my mkvi helmet. it almost fits too well. as far as electronics, i'm planning an ipod-type dock in the backpack (obviously ripped apart so it fits), shield lights, possibly high powered leds (luxeon rebel) for the headlamps, and fans (obviously). voice amp might work its way in as well.

I've worked with electronics (dang small ones too) for the last two years, so wiring up a suit of armor should be cake.

Scored a sixsixone vapor suit for $60 a few days ago, and i'm hoping a large fits me. it should, but you never know.

I'll keep my progress updated as i move along, wish me luck!

 

[TJX62]

Looking good so far. Pep looks nice and clean with no warping. Very nice, can't wait to see more of it. Happy building!

 

[agordon117]

Thanks, i'm gonna redo the forearms tonight and tomorrow in hd. i know some of my folds are the wrong way (indents before elbow should be in, not out, and chest should have indents, not nipples).

I have a schedule worked up that should see a presentable suit by feb 15. i'm giving a demonstrative speech on how to do this and i at least want the upper body ready to be shown off as a finished product.

Chest was pretty warped, as was the helmet. hard to tell from pics, but they are being redone anyway.

Also, gonna try to get higher quality pics. if something is wrong that i am unaware of, i want someone else to be able to see it and warn me.

 

[agordon117]

Test fitting the low res. Might make the final a tad bigger.

Here is the hd forearm. Making some nice progress.

 

[Spitfire22V]

I wouldn't make the new chest piece any larger. In fact, it looks a little too big as it is now. You'd be surprised at how much it limits your arm mobility if even oversized a little. Good luck.

 

[agordon117]

It is gonna be close. I'm gonna attach some clips and put on my pressure suit before i make a decision.

 

[agordon117]

Made some more progress. Resining and fiberglassing goes much quicker than pepping.



Test of the tester chest piece. Just looking for size.





High detail forearm (right).



left shoulder with first coat of resin applied (currently drying).



right shoulder with fiberglassed inside (also drying)

And the right forearm is resined (first coat) and also currently drying.

Here is another test pic.



I threw on my test helm with the HD right forearm. I'm not sure if my original forearms didn't scale properly or what, but they were way too big. I tried the right one on with the right bicep and I had very little mobility. The bicep can't go any smaller or my arm won't fit through the opening. I have an athletic build (big and strong, not skinny and toned). I was originally going to make an iron man suit, but I don't have the figure. I will make a nice master chief though. 5'11", 200lbs.

 

[costumer99]

you should of left the visor in the helmet so it doesnt warp when resining and it looks a little big but other than that it looks good

 

[agordon117]

Helmet looks big? Much smaller and my head won't fit unless i totally get rid of the lip on the bottom. I cut the visor out once i realized that the helmet sucked and i needed to do the hd one. I snapped a pic of me in the helmet and chest at the same time. I'll post it later, i'm working on the left forearm now.

 

[Bishorzidi]

Helmet looks big? Much smaller and my head won't fit unless i totally get rid of the lip on the bottom. I cut the visor out once i realized that the helmet sucked and i needed to do the hd one. I snapped a pic of me in the helmet and chest at the same time. I'll post it later, i'm working on the left forearm now.

Yeah to be honest dude, the helmets from Halo tend to run small. I pepped a CQB helmet that was perfectly sized to my body, yet I could barely get my head in and out even with the neck ring trimmed. Trimming the neck is no problem. In fact, a lot of people do it because it's kind of a necessity if you want a properly scaled helmet. I suggest you build one smaller and just go with this. Nobody will notice. Great build btw, keep at it

 

[agordon117]

Look at the pic above where i showed the padding in the helmet. I already trimmed quite a bit. I'd have to trim toward the mouth and ears to go with a smaller helmet. Do you think that will be okay? Also, that helmet wasn't scaled, and a scaled helmet would be 75/86*current scale. If my head barely fits now and it isn't scaled, do you think scaled to 75/86 would be big enough to get my head into with the trimmed bottom? I really don't want to make a 3rd helmet if i don't have to, but i realize sometimes there is no avoiding it.

 

[agordon117]

1/3rd done pepping left forearm. looks like the right bicep warped a little. won't know for sure till later when i get home. if it did, i'm just gonna make another bicep part and put it on top of the current one.

If my undersuit doesn't arrive today, i'm gonna do the helmet next instead of the chest. scaled down and fingers crossed.

Helmet is definitely too big. the chest looks a bit big too, but then again, i think master chief had disproportionately wide shoulders from comparing his pics to mine. i have wide shoulders, and the fact that they still don't protrude like master chief's tells the tale. i may try to squeeze a few inches off of my height for this part.

 

[agordon117]

Just finished applying the inner coat of resin to the right forearm and the left bicep. Also finished putting bondo on the right bicep. It really only needs it on the bicep itself and on the support bar (long one).

No pressure suit today. Maybe tomorrow. I have to do some homework, finish the left forearm, lift, and re-fiberglass the support bar on the bicep (It is 55 degrees today, but will only be 35 tomorrow. Bondo cures in 3 hours, resin seems to take at least twice as long as that. I know you are supposed to fiberglass first, but since I switched the order, I will be able to do both today before the temp drops.

Here is the warped bicep. I'm gonna see if body filler will even it out. Shouldn't be a problem. The bicep/ shoulder part itself seems a tad too large, but my bicep won't fit far enough down a smaller hole to justify reducing it by 5-10%.

Off to do homework. I can't let the armor take up all of my time. Just all of my freetime.

 

[Spitfire22V]

Your helmet looks fine as it is. All of the armor pieces bulk you up quite a bit, and they tend to look wrong if you wear them one at a time. However, once you start wearing them together, they look correctly proportioned to one another assuming the scale isn't off too much. I'd say keep working on that helmet.

 

[agordon117]

hmm... it looks too big compared to the chief, and the helm is full size. off by 11/86 (my scale is 75/86). i might not take it down all the way in the interest of still fitting in it, but it needs to come down a bit. my neck seems to disappear. i'll take another picture tomorrow with my pressure suit, but i plan on starting the helm by then, so i need to make a decision.

either way, i'm making a new helmet to be in hd and since that was my first pep, i really had no clue what i was doing. i am much better at keeping things clean now.

thanks for the posts guys, they really keep me motivated. it is nice knowing that i'm not the only one who wants to see this progress.

 

[agordon117]

on the agenda for today is to finish pepping the left forearm and possibly hit it with it's first coat of resin. I'll see what the weather says about that. Then moving on to the handplates. After that I guess I'm going back to the helmet and chest (the two longest peps), then moving downward.

Undersuit will definitely be here today, so stay tuned for pics and questions about how stuff should fit.

Still on my todo list: buy some undersuit pants (I might just go with what Longshot-x did for the whole original undersuit since I like the look), find some gloves, find some nylon strapping with parachute clips (if I don't need them in one place, I can cut them off and use them somewhere else), and get some foam padding from the store. I ordered 4 cans of american accents satin oregano from k-mart.com last night, so I should be covered there. I probably have to pick up more primer and metallic undercoat, and if the satin oregano isn't glossy enough, I'm gonna clearcoat the whole suit (assuming the test piece looks good. I wouldn't just dive right in).

 

[Metalfire]

It all looks fantastic so far! I say, don't worry about the sizing to much with the helmet right now until you get the rest of the armor done. Like with the mando costumes, this will bulk you up a lot so the helmet will most likely look ok once everything else is on. If its sitting to low, put some padding in the top to help it sit better.

 

[agordon117]

Helmet is padded. in a few hours i'll have a pic with the chest, helm, and undersuit on, so i will have a better idea then

 

[Metalfire]

Ah, sorry I over looked that little bit. I personally think the size is right, if not just a tiny bit big. But I don't think its enough to warrant you making another helmet. However, that's entirely my opinion. Other than that, great job so far!

 

[agordon117]

Either way i'm making a new helm. The only thing i'm deciding is how much smaller to make it. I don't like the thow def helm and there is no waybi could carve out all of the detail at the bondo stage. I'm very proficient with a dremel and i know there is no way it's gonna get better than the hd helm with less than 2 layers of bondo, 2 total covering layers of glaze putty, and 50 hours of dremel work. Plus, then you have to smooth out all of the detail, which would also be insane (in the little crevices i mean). I'm not expecting this to be done next week, but if i put in the time on the pep, the final product will be that much better.