Boron Steel Armor

Should I attempt to create entirely steel armor?

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  • Good God no, you are insane

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Olghi

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Hi! This is Olghi here, I am a regular browser of the site, but have never attempted actually creating a set of armor. I was perusing the site today and something I saw on "Will it Blend" came to me...

Ultra Lightweight Boron Steel used in new cars could theoretically be used to create a suit of armor. It is very lightweight, and pound for pound has around the same strength as Iron. I have roughly priced amount of steel I would need, and the cost is around $2500-$4000, and would weigh about 80 lbs.

My question to you is: Should I go through with this endeavor?



If I were to successfully create a wearable metal suit, it would no doubt be not only the coolest quit of armor out there, it could possibly have practical applications. With all of this in mind, please give me some advice.

Thanks,



-Olghi[attachment=13799:steelmasterchief.JPG]
 
Interesting, but I would start with something smaller first just to make sure you know what your doing :) do you have any examples of your work?
 
Ghost147 said:
Interesting, but I would start with something smaller first just to make sure you know what your doing :) do you have any examples of your work?





Yes,I will see,too!
 
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I would HIGHLY recommend trying the process out on something way cheaper. (AS said above) If it works, then go for it! How would you be doing it? Using a pep file as a base? Or just shaping it out?
 
If this is your first atempt at anny armor I say don't do it... But if you have experence in making things as big as full armor then go ahead... if it turns out that would be sweeeeeeett... :eek
 
Your first problem is the weight. If you're carrying around that much, chances are it won't be useful for whatever purpose iron strength would do for you.



Second, as said already, if you've got no experience, you'll do nothing but waste $4,000.



Lastly, it'd be very difficult to get the intricate details in the armor replicated into the metal. If you plan to cut corners in the detail department, then there's not point in spending $4,000 on it anyways.
 
DO IT. CNC plasma+ vector output from pepakura is plausible.. just not with any great detail. Maybe MKV armor.
 
You could probably do this, however boron is quite expensive. It has/can be/en done though! It depends on what kind of armor strength you are looking for. For .22 rifle rounds, and birdshot or target load from a shotgun, aluminum at a certain thickness will do. Boron will hold up with a higher strength, but no matter how light it is, it still will be hard to move in for a human. Now Master Chief can move in his suit due to his genetic changes, and the technology that is behind him to help move the armor pieces. This would be a very interesting build, but one that you would have to be dedicated to physically, mentally, and most importantly your wallet would have to be dedicated too. Also you might want to check the chemical properties of boron, as it might be reactive to some other materials you use. Remember, saftey first. The strength you are aiming for will also determine the thickness of the armor. Finally you would want to add some kind of padding on the inside which would/could help with strenth and padding. Dont forget the heat and support required for this armor suit, but this type of suit can definately be done. Try not to be discouraged, but rather try to do what no others have tried before, and dont be afraid to learn from your mistakes. I myself am trying something along the lines of this project, but I am waiting for christmas to have some more time to work on it.
 
You sould add a -Yes, you are insane- button! But seriosly I believe it is possible if you have 5000$ to blow away like that and all the time anyone would ever want.
 
If the poster is a 13-17 year old kid, then I think this thread should be either locked or let die because this isn't going to happen(sorry for being a bit harsh, but it's true). Pepakura armor is the cheapest compared to a full metal suit because for one, it will be WAY cheaper to make and will be more comfortable to make. Second. Why make a suit of full metal? It's going to get really hot or really cold. Would you really put yourself through all of that just so you can wear armor around town? Third. What if the peices don't come out the same/desired size? You're going to have to scrap it or something becuase it's basically useless now.



Now, if you are someone older with a job and have some metal working skills, then go nuts. I would like to see it pull it off.



Just my two cents. And no, I'm not offending you bro, just to make it clear.



-Pony
 
Ok, basically I agree with what has been said already:



If you have significant metalworking experience/armor making experience then I'd love to see you go for it.



If you have significant metalworking experience but no armor making experience then I'd say make a cheap set first and if you like how it turns out, then go for it with the boron (this would be useful because you could be sure that your scale is right beforehand)



If you do not have experience with either, then scrap it and make a pep/fiberglass armor set. There are very good reasons why people aren't making halo armor out of metal:



1. cost

2. pep/fiberglass is much easier to work with

3. weight

4. You're going to cook and/or freeze in there

5. I don't think any of us are deluding ourselves into thinking we're making functional armor here (nor would we have a reason to make functional halo armor)

6. modern body armor is no longer made of metal. If you are dead set on making a functional piece of armor then I'd recommend making it using kevlar (still expensive but less weight and would actually be bulletproof...not that you should be putting yourself in situations where you may get shot while wearing homemade master chief armor)



That being said, seeing a helmet or something made out of boron would certainly be interesting and I'd love to watch your progress if you choose to do it.
 
Two words, sheet aluminum. Its strength is pretty good and is very light. Are you planning on doing stunts or something in this or just for looks? Aluminum sheet would be very light, but requires welding experience or metal working skills.
 
Hello All,

It can be done, I have been making Armour from metal for around 12 years now. Average weight of a full European harness is 50 pounds, and Japanese, 30 pounds. I would suggest doing a pep first to test size, then from that make your patterns. I would break it down into a few pieces and weld it together, the details can be made with revers embossing.



Cheers,

Stilgar
 
I admire the enthusiasm, but there are some things that need to be considered. First, a short bit on metallurgy. Steel is an alloy of iron that has a low carbon content, usually between .2% and 2.1% by weight. The addition of trace amounts of other materials such as chromium, nickel, or boron changes the properties of the alloy. Hardness, ductility, brittleness, etc. So, steel is iron, for the most part. Boron steel is a VERY hard very strong alloy used in automotive applications. It is not so much a lightweight alloy than an alloy with a high strength to weight ratio. As you mentioned, your suit will be quite heavy. I've worn steel armor before, and while the weight is spread out across your body, it's still a lot of weight. Check out medieval armor for examples of how steel armor works. Working steel into armor is a lot of work. I've been involved in medieval reenactment, so I have some firsthand knowledge. Carbon steel, which has a high carbon content and is relatively easy to work, is still a bear to move around and beat into shape. The more you beat on it, the harder it gets (this is called work hardening.) The way to combat this is to heat the steel and move it hot. Back to your boron steel. This stuff is SERIOUSLY tough. Rescue workers have had difficulty cutting and prying boron steel components on wrecked cars. Simple things like drilling holes presents challenges. You're gonna need carbide drill bits ($$) and use cutting fluid. Even then you're going to be replacing bits often. Steel is not really used too much for personal body armor. It's heavy and tends to spall (throw off tiny chips of metal) when struck by a projectile. Modern body armor that stops pistol rounds is made of woven aramid fabrics (kevlar being the most well known.) Stopping rifle rounds takes stouter armor. Ballistic steel plates can be found, but by far the most common material is boron carbide ceramic. It's an interesting idea, but I think using steel for a suit of MC armor is too heavy and too much work for too little in return.
 
bro i say "you got the dough the projects a go!!!!!!!" should look bad ass if you can get all of contours and curves to chief's armor. i say GO for it broski see you on the other side! :lol
 
I'm going to have to say no on this one (vote wise) but eagerly awaiting your response to this topic as i really do want to know if you have had any experience in this feild of work or not. If so, and you have the money, then i'd probably still say no as it wouldnt be as practical as you may think it could turn out to be. perhaps a lighter weight metal that is less expensive, then i can see more uses coming to it, but such a heavy alloy. not so much
 
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