1st Build Building Recruiter-Themed Eaglestrike Armor

[CaptainZero]

As I sit here waiting on my truck to defrost this fine, January morning, (and now while on lunch break) figured I'd finally actually get something up here.

I reckon this is probably going to be a little a little bit of a different process than what folks are used to, but I have some, let's say interesting, constraints to work with in terms of both concept I want to hash out as well as work space. This will probably be more of an "inside out" build in due part to environmental and weather constaints I have to deal with.

My goal with this thread is to not only document my build progress and any pecularities along the way but also hold to hold myself accountable to actually get this done.

The What:
As stated above, the build here will be a recruiter-themed Eaglestrike build. Build will heavily pull from what I run for the Eaglestrike core in Infinite with a little bit of 1940s/WWII inspiration for modifications and accessories that I think would make for some fun themed additions.

I'm targeting white primary, sage green secondary, orange tertiary, and black accent. I did a paint up of a 3D printed sidekick pistol I got from my local hobby shop and repaint of one of the GameStop helmets a little over a year and a half ago with what I just had sitting around and fell in love with the colors. Not the best paint job, but they were my first two props I'd ever painted outside of RC truck bodies. We all gotta start somewhere, right?

Helmet and pistol not actually part of this build, but they're an inspiration for the color pallete I want to do.

I'm leaning more towards either a light grey or beige undersuit for this. Would go black, but looking at black accent work for the sewn leather-esque parts on the suit. I'm thinking either grey or beige will be the better move here as I already have black boots. This will ultimately be based on what works with my budget and time constraints.

The Why
Going with Eaglestrike as most of the parts, least to me anyway, look to be easier to build out of foam for someone new(ish) to the trade. I've done a few things with foam, but that was mostly helping one of my close friends with a Mandalorian build (first for both of us). It's possible this may end up being a hybird 3D printed/foam build beyond just a printed helmet if some things work out as I hope they will this year.

Being realistic with myself, having really never done anything like this before, weathering is probably going to be something I'm going to need a lot of practice with before I can refine that skill to a point to my liking. Running with the "recruiter" theme, I reckon, is my way of putting this on the backburner for now until I can work on the weathering skill while also being able to go ahead with a build I want to do.

The Constraints
First and foremost, I live in an apartment in an area that's lovingly dubbed as having 12 distinct seasons. The time I have to work outdoors on my patio for painting, sanding, etc. is realistically about 3-4 months, if I'm lucky. Spring is pollen armageddon. Summer's here are stupidly hot and humid (I have gone to work 0545-0600 before to it feeling close to 38C and 90+% humidity in the summer). Winter's are typically just cold enough that I can't paint outdoors, and wind is pretty much a constant. There's usually 3-4 weeks a year I visit family and have access to a larger, outdoor work space that I can work on larger things.

Given the work space constraints/restrictions I have, my goal is to have this complete by Hallowe'en 2025 or by early 2026 for GalaxyCon Richmond. Ideally, I'd like to swing for Hallowe'en this year or GalaxyCon Richmond 2025. Being realistic with myself and realizing there's some gnarly ambiguity in some other things that will directly affect this project right now, I feel like late 2025-early 2026 is feasible and more realistic.

The Progress
This section will be updated as progress is made. Hopefully for easier navigation later on when I need a reminder for what I'm doing or planning.

Historical Equipment & Accessory Modifications

Initial Build Progress

Prototyping Parts - Cardboard Beginnings

 

[CaptainZero]

I've always been one who likes to coordinate and plan before tackling something head on. This section will aim to talk a little more about some of the modifications I want to do, what inspired them, and how I want to go about it. This post will probably see several revisions as I go through and update. I'll try to remember to add sketch ups of the concepts as I get something whipped up as reference

I'll preface this section section with saying I own a few US Army Signal Corps. EE-8 field telephones from the early 1940s, and those field units I have been the primary Inspiration for some of the accessory changes I want to do.

Historical Equipment & Accessory Modifications
UPDATE 1 - FIELD PACK (2024-Jan-11)

With that said, moving on the biggest thing I want to add to this build: a battery ammo field pack. This takes inspiration primarily from two things a BC-1000/SCR-300 field raido pack and the M2 Flamethrower, both of 1940s make.

The idea here is to take the battery pack of the radio pack and cross it with the flamethrower hose and wand for use with something like the spartan laser. I'm picturing this as the rectangular bartery pack from the field radio with the connectors and hosing from the flame thrower. This would then connect to something on the back of a prop weapon as a sort of power hook-up or fuel source.

My thoughts on building this are to use an alice frame for primary support, thick plastic or plexiglass to build the pack panel structure, do the detail work in foam, and raid the local hardware store for tubing and hose connectors. I want this pack to be practical to a point of being able to cart around figures, photos, and/or smaller things I may pick up at a con. I don't have dimensions yet, but I do have an alice frame sitting on one of my proton packs for my GhostBusters cosplay I can measure to get a base size later this weekend, if I don't forget. Concept sketch coming soon as well.

For those interested in reading up more on the SCR-300 and M2 Flamethrower, here's a few Wikipedia entries as jumping off points.

SCR-300 - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

M2 flamethrower - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

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UPDATE 2 - WATER BOTTLE (2024-Jan-12)

While wandering around one of the many antique markets by where I live back in October 2023, I came across a 1954 military issued water bottle. Picked this up for less than $8 USD since I thought it looked neat and was built solid. Only thing I have to do is repair the chain connection to the screw-on lid.

I get home with it and start thinking, hey, that's really close to the side accessory on my one dude. A bit of a closer look at the im-game model, and I think I can make this work. Yeah, it's not 1940s issue, but it's a very similar, if not identical, style to some of the ones I saw at the antique market that were 1940s make.

Main thing I'm think will need to be done with this is make the holster/cup/koozie thing to go around it to bring this more in-line with the game model.

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UPDATE 3 - SIDE POUCH (2024-Jan-11)

I promise, last of the incremental research updates for this post.

It helps me immensly to write out what I want to do and have that in front of me. Wanted to get this all off before the thoughts slip my mind.

As much as I'm a fan of the Wizard Pockets for the in-game Eaglestrike core, these won't be practical for me once everything is scaled down to fit little 5'2" me. Not that I think they'd be practical anyway with planning a field backpack already, but I think y'all get the idea. I need functional pouches to be able to store my wallet, keys, phone, etc.

Enter my good friends mentioned above, the US Army Signal Corps EE-8s.

These things are big. These things are bulky, and they are heavy. Reflective of the era they were made in, and reflective of the features I want to capture in using these as reference material.

Looking at how the pouches sit on me if I sling the one with the strap on over a shoulder, I'm thinking of scaling a side pouch based off of these down by about a quarter to a third in size for use in my recruiter build. I am not retaining the weight component of this for obvious reasons. I'm on the fence about recreating the handset comnection unit at this time. Could make for interesting pouch dividers, though.

Who knows, maybe I'll try and run down another one of these in the next year and do the Bluetooth conversion on the unit that I saw a tutorial for a few years ago. Turn it into actual, fully functional field comms. Could be a fun project if I can get the parts and make the time. Maybe take that and integrate it into an Eaglestrike ODST build or something down the road.

 

[CaptainZero]

Initial Build Progress
UPDATE 4 - THE BEGINNINGS (2024-Jan-17)

Initial build progress isn't much. I had, maybe two and a half days, if that, back in September 2023 when I visited family where I got to work a bit on a helmet kit I had picked up to assemble for the small helmet collection I have on display in my apartment. Ultimately decided if I could get it done up properly, I'd try incoporating it into this build.

Having never prepped nor assembled a 3D printed kit before, I figure I'd take this as a learning opportunity to tinker with. Worst case, I redo the print and start again with better working knowledge.

Far as I got on this before having to return home was sanding, priming, and sanding a bit more.

I still have a bit of work to do with the front left quarter panel on the helmet. I want to say it warped in shipping as that was one of the hot spells in the area my parents live the week it was shipped to them.

 

[Jev]

Don't see too many eaglestrike cosplays, I'll be interested to see how this comes out.
Best of luck!

 

[N8TEBB]

Very cool idea using an old military-issues water bottle as part of your build!

Hope those constraints don’t stop you from making a fantastic build! Best of luck

 

[CaptainZero]

Prototyping Parts - Cardboard Beginnings

UPDATE 5 - CARDBOARD PROSTHETIC (2024-Feb-04)

Minor build update in between the ongoing chaos of work, winter weather fun, and needing to fix my desktop. Working assembling the prototype of a prosthetic hand I'd run off before my desktop went kaput and starting on the backpack.

For the hand, I pulled a Pepakura model for Edward Elric's (Full Metal Alchemist I think is the anime) automail for the base model. I needed a reference to start with, and this fit the bill nicely. I started on transfering the templates scrap cardboard boxes back in December 2023, but things unfortunately fell off my radar when I pulled two weeks straight on-call as primary duty operator for work over the holidays.

Not the best glue work, I know, but part of my motivation for a cardboard prototype was to also refamiarize myself with gluing techniques. Haven't done much with this skill in a while, so it's more than a little sloppy as I reorient myself with a glue gun.

Seeing how this came out for what I have assembled so far, for the final build, I'm going to scale the palm and fingers up a bit while scaling down the thumb. The palm and fingers are more than a bit tight without a base glove before the final planned thickness for these parts, and the thumb parts are massive on me. There's actually third, bottom piece on the thumb but that's going to get dropped in the final build. By the time I do some of the model changes to bring this more in line with the Infinite game model, I doubt there will be space for it anyway as my thumb's not that long.

Up next for the hand, once my desktop is working again, is fixing the scaling on it and starting on planning some of the finer details. The detail on the palm and in the finger tips in the reference photo I have (see below) don't look like it'll be that hard to do in the final build. Worst of it, for me, might actually be the ball socket for the thumb and figuring out the best way to attatch it to a base glove while maintaining the look. I have some ideas I think will work, it's just a matter of working it out in a way that's comftorable for me while trying to be as screen accurate as possible.

Hoping this will be one of the pieces I can get fully built while visiting family in a few months. Planning on having everything precut ahead of travel, so all I will have to do is assembly. Holding off on painting until I get more done. The gunmetal grey I'm leaning towards as an undercoat for everything is the same I want to use for the hand.

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UPDATE 6(ish) - BACKPACK & UTILITY POUCH (2024-Feb-04)

I've got a bit of a start on fleshing out the utility pack I want to build. Picked up a frame from a local surplus store so I didn't have to keep disassembling my proton pack to get at the frame on it. Got a close color matched utility pouch from the exchange shop where I work to have as a basic something I could put my phone, ID, and keys in while roamimg conventions. Figured for $7, the pouch was worth it since it's also something I can use elsehwhere once I get farther down the rabbit hole of customizimg this build, and it also fits the theme of the build.

The more I look at the buckle and strap thickness on the frame, the more and more I keep thinking this will get modifed to resemble the buckle on the armor core. That's going to be a fun modeling project to dive into later this year, as I'll actually need that buckle to be functional for both the clip and means to adjust the waist strap.

Actual pack construction will more than likely mirror what I'm doing with the hand. Cardboard prototype first to refine my dimensions and features, and then break into the more detailed build later when weather clears up or I'm in a more favorable build location. I need this to be functional, to an extent, as well as lightweight. Hoping to get a start on this portion on the build over the next several months as long as I don't have something higher prioroty come up.

 

[CaptainZero]

As much as it pains me to have to day this, this build is going to be on hold for a while.

Higher priority things came swinging out of left field, and that needs to be dealt with first before I can continue with this.

Hoping to be able to return to this project later in the year once things settle down.