First Build // Halo Reach/Infinite Mark V(B)

[Cyno]

Original Post: January 3rd, 2025

I have been a Halo fan basically my entire life. I wanted to start this project a long time ago but my printer was broken and due to no repair experience, I was too scared to touch it. I finally fixed it and started this build. I only have my one CR-10 so printing is slow but this is what I am basing my build off of.

I like the colors but I will probably change them up just a little.

This is my armor smith layout. The armor files are from Nerd Forge Designs, the helmet from Galactic Armory, and the shoulder files from Moe.
I think the shoulders are a little big and I'm not too sure about the knife yet.

I started around the 28th of November and this is what I have gotten done so far. The back will be done printing by tomorrow morning.

I have started sanding the base print a few parts at a time. I just graduated and I'm in the middle of moving so progress may slow down for a bit but I plan to start Bondo and spray filling once I get settled. I want to keep this thread updated on my progress, specifically big steps and to help me stay on track.

My biggest fear is the soft parts, the visor, and major connection points. I'm not super worried about the under suit looking spot on since this is mainly for a hobby but id like a good ab area and possibly the neck seal.

I would love recommendations from anyone with experience for any part of the project. Excited to see how this turns out.

 

[SgtSaint]

Looks like you're off to a good start. Some may squawk about the CR10 line, but I've always loved my CR10s-5 and its a great DIY servicable machine.

I'm a little concerned about those thigh pieces though. The look oversize both around and in length. I'm picturing them locking up your hip range of motion and maybe the knees. Did you do a cross-section view to see how much room you have?

 

[Cyno]

Looks like you're off to a good start. Some may squawk about the CR10 line, but I've always loved my CR10s-5 and its a great DIY servicable machine.

I'm a little concerned about those thigh pieces though. The look oversize both around and in length. I'm picturing them locking up your hip range of motion and maybe the knees. Did you do a cross-section view to see how much room you have?
View attachment 355611 View attachment 355612

What do you mean by the cross section view? I dont see that anywhere.

Also I agree that they look like they may be a little big. I just feel that they look weird when i make them any shorter. I did a test ring and the circumference could probably go down a little.

 

[SgtSaint]

> What do you mean by the cross section view?
Did you see the cut-away of the helmet on that post? That is a cross-section where you can see the profile of a shape.

Cross section (geometry) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Like this is a cross-section of a screw going into something.

 

[CTN04529]

Great work so far! Love that black with the red accents. Best of luck on the rest of your build!

 

[Cyno]

> What do you mean by the cross section view?
Did you see the cut-away of the helmet on that post? That is a cross-section where you can see the profile of a shape.

Cross section (geometry) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Like this is a cross-section of a screw going into something.
View attachment 355613

I think I did what you mean and it looks ok but maybe a little clunky. I shorted the thighs a bit and did another test ring with a slightly smaller circumference. I think it will be good now. Im 2 days away from moving so it will be a while before the thighs are printed anyway. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[Cyno]

Original Post: January 3rd, 2025

I have been a Halo fan basically my entire life. I wanted to start this project a long time ago but my printer was broken and due to no repair experience, I was too scared to touch it. I finally fixed it and started this build. I only have my one CR-10 so printing is slow but this is what I am basing my build off of.

View attachment 355603View attachment 355604View attachment 355605View attachment 355606

I like the colors but I will probably change them up just a little.

This is my armor smith layout. The armor files are from Nerd Forge Designs, the helmet from Galactic Armory, and the shoulder files from Moe.
I think the shoulders are a little big and I'm not too sure about the knife yet.

View attachment 355607

I started around the 28th of November and this is what I have gotten done so far. The back will be done printing by tomorrow morning.

View attachment 355608View attachment 355609

I have started sanding the base print a few parts at a time. I just graduated and I'm in the middle of moving so progress may slow down for a bit but I plan to start Bondo and spray filling once I get settled. I want to keep this thread updated on my progress, specifically big steps and to help me stay on track.

My biggest fear is the soft parts, the visor, and major connection points. I'm not super worried about the under suit looking spot on since this is mainly for a hobby but id like a good ab area and possibly the neck seal.

I would love recommendations from anyone with experience for any part of the project. Excited to see how this turns out.

January 23rd, 2025 update:

I just graduated and moved for my job so its been slow. It also doesn't help that is cold and I cant spray any primers or paints on the pieces. I have printed out the helmet and glued it together but I'm having trouble with the small details not fitting. I am experimenting with different scales since they only take a few grams of filament. My printer has also been banished to the garage so I had to get this enclosure for the cold and dust.

I still have to print out the thighs, knees, calves, boots, and shoulder pads. I am also looking at printing a magnum and BR or shotgun (maybe both). Luckily I can work on the seams with bondo and also try to get the rigging right. I am also thinking about using bondo and acetone mixture to cover the layer lines on larger surfaces.

Any recommendations regarding this or anything else are more than appreciated.

 

[SigmaProps]

That helmet print looks pretty darn clean! Nice to see this build progressing again. To add to the confusion regarding your thigh scaling, bared off your original post they look good to me. The thighs on Mark V (B) just happen to ride about that thigh, so from the perspective of in game accuracy you're doing a great job!

 

[Cyno]

January 23rd, 2025 update:

I just graduated and moved for my job so its been slow. It also doesn't help that is cold and I cant spray any primers or paints on the pieces. I have printed out the helmet and glued it together but I'm having trouble with the small details not fitting. I am experimenting with different scales since they only take a few grams of filament. My printer has also been banished to the garage so I had to get this enclosure for the cold and dust.

I still have to print out the thighs, knees, calves, boots, and shoulder pads. I am also looking at printing a magnum and BR or shotgun (maybe both). Luckily I can work on the seams with bondo and also try to get the rigging right. I am also thinking about using bondo and acetone mixture to cover the layer lines on larger surfaces.

Any recommendations regarding this or anything else are more than appreciated.

March 9th, 2025 Update:

I now have everything except the security shoulder and weapons printed out. My straps and buckles come in today so I get to start rigging. I'm not entirely sure how to do that since I have no knowledge of sewing or tools to do it. I think I'm just going to go with e6000 and superglue. I have buckles and I'm printing off other pieces to help out. I have no idea where to start so we are winging it.

I ran into a problem where the calves are slightly too tight around the upper calf. I used a hairdryer to heat the plastic up and bend it out slightly. This feels much better but I may need to do it a little more. I will see once I get everything rigged. I'm also thinking I may have this issue with the biceps as well. They fit very snug so getting a buckle in there will be troublesome.

I have been sanding and filling for the last month but its been raining basically every other day so its hard to get out and do that. I made a makeshift sink for wet sanding. I took a old plastic tote bin and poked a hole in the bottom to let it drain. I clamped my hose to the side and got a nozzle so i could control the pressure from there. Bang. I got an outdoor sink for sanding.

The most intimidating pieces right now are the belt and the boots. I don't know how I'm going to connect the belt in a way that's both comfortable and actually holds up well. The boots i have an idea but I don't know if it will work.

All of the armor files other than the helmet and the commando shoulder pad are from NerdForgeDesigns if you want to look at the files.

Again, any help or recommendations are appreciated

 

[JamesAdams]

Let me start by saying great build!

As for the belt, I'm currently working on this as well. I've got slots in my pieces to run a 1inch nylon strap through them to essentially wear it like an actual belt. Then I'll be holding it up via the chest harness. This also gives me a point to attach the thigh pieces. This VERY rudimentary sketch may help:

As for the boots... are you wearing actual boots underneath or more of an athletic shoe? I built mine in front and back pieces similar to how it appears you printed yours. I simply attached the front to the back via some 1 inch elastic straps so it can stretch over the top of my footwear. You can slightly see it in this picture between the boot pieces. This might be an option for you.

Keep up the great work. I look forward to seeing the full suit up!

 

[Cyno]

Let me start by saying great build!

As for the belt, I'm currently working on this as well. I've got slots in my pieces to run a 1inch nylon strap through them to essentially wear it like an actual belt. Then I'll be holding it up via the chest harness. This also gives me a point to attach the thigh pieces. This VERY rudimentary sketch may help:
View attachment 358954

As for the boots... are you wearing actual boots underneath or more of an athletic shoe? I built mine in front and back pieces similar to how it appears you printed yours. I simply attached the front to the back via some 1 inch elastic straps so it can stretch over the top of my footwear. You can slightly see it in this picture between the boot pieces. This might be an option for you.
View attachment 358956

Keep up the great work. I look forward to seeing the full suit up!

The boots look like the idea I was thinking of.

As for the belt, my files do not have the slot in them but I wish they did. I saw some files that had the slot but Id have to spend $50+ for the entire file set of armor and I just cant do that right now.

The harness is a great graphic. Thats what im working on right now. I cant decide if I want to wait until after im done sanding to mount the buckles on the biceps and the thighs.

 

[spartan114x]

Are you using NerdForgeDesigns armor pack?Duh I can read lol. I have the same files!

For the harness, I used this tutorial and made some modifications. This was hugely helpful for a base layer. I had also NEVER sewed before, but was able to use my wife’s singer machine with great success.

Strapping Guide: Making, and sizing it.

SO, I have had a few people asking about strapping recently. After making several suits for my husband @Kusak , I have learned a few things on what has worked for us. So, when @Lobbster contacted me to help him make his strapping I jumped on it. Our plan is to place the strapping inside his...

www.405th.com

Biggest tip for me was attaching elastic bands inside the bicep, forearm, thigh, and calf pieces to help hold them in place instead of rotating around. And I used a loose V formation of straps on the bicep pieces for additional stability and flexibility.

Also - and you might be too far down the road for this - but a coat or two of Rustoleum Auto Filler Primer cut my sanding time in half. Keep it up! Check out my post if you want to see some of my updates. I’m also SUPER happy to show you some of my harness stuff in detail.

Good luck with the belt. I haven’t figured it out either

 

[Cyno]

Are you using NerdForgeDesigns armor pack?Duh I can read lol. I have the same files!

For the harness, I used this tutorial and made some modifications. This was hugely helpful for a base layer. I had also NEVER sewed before, but was able to use my wife’s singer machine with great success.

Strapping Guide: Making, and sizing it.

SO, I have had a few people asking about strapping recently. After making several suits for my husband @Kusak , I have learned a few things on what has worked for us. So, when @Lobbster contacted me to help him make his strapping I jumped on it. Our plan is to place the strapping inside his...

www.405th.com

Biggest tip for me was attaching elastic bands inside the bicep, forearm, thigh, and calf pieces to help hold them in place instead of rotating around. And I used a loose V formation of straps on the bicep pieces for additional stability and flexibility.

Also - and you might be too far down the road for this - but a coat or two of Rustoleum Auto Filler Primer cut my sanding time in half. Keep it up! Check out my post if you want to see some of my updates. I’m also SUPER happy to show you some of my harness stuff in detail.

Good luck with the belt. I haven’t figured it out either

From what I can tell the E6000 is working fine on the straps. I am currently in the sanding process and using bondo and the filler primer pictured below. I have hit all pieces with 80 and 120 grit. Im going for 220 this weekend and then I think it might be done in that regard. I dont need it to be reflective smooth. Its supposed to be war torn armor. Not brand new iron man.

I want to try to strap everything up to make sure it all works but I dont want to secure straps and buckles to parts if they dont end up working. For example if the bicep is slightly too small I dont want to waste the time sanding and painting, but i also dont want to paint it after the strapping is done cause it will get probably get on the strap.

 

[spartan114x]

From what I can tell the E6000 is working fine on the straps. I am currently in the sanding process and using bondo and the filler primer pictured below. I have hit all pieces with 80 and 120 grit. Im going for 220 this weekend and then I think it might be done in that regard. I dont need it to be reflective smooth. Its supposed to be war torn armor. Not brand new iron man.

I want to try to strap everything up to make sure it all works but I dont want to secure straps and buckles to parts if they dont end up working. For example if the bicep is slightly too small I dont want to waste the time sanding and painting, but i also dont want to paint it after the strapping is done cause it will get probably get on the strap.
View attachment 359188

I masking taped my straps and buckles after harnessing to keep the paint off.

With two or more coats of primer, I found 320 to be pretty good. I printed at 0.2mm which I regret. Doing all my new stuff in 0.15.

You can also use hot glue to test strapping. It holds steady but is also easy to remove.

 

[Cyno]

March 9th, 2025 Update:

I now have everything except the security shoulder and weapons printed out. My straps and buckles come in today so I get to start rigging. I'm not entirely sure how to do that since I have no knowledge of sewing or tools to do it. I think I'm just going to go with e6000 and superglue. I have buckles and I'm printing off other pieces to help out. I have no idea where to start so we are winging it.

I ran into a problem where the calves are slightly too tight around the upper calf. I used a hairdryer to heat the plastic up and bend it out slightly. This feels much better but I may need to do it a little more. I will see once I get everything rigged. I'm also thinking I may have this issue with the biceps as well. They fit very snug so getting a buckle in there will be troublesome.

I have been sanding and filling for the last month but its been raining basically every other day so its hard to get out and do that. I made a makeshift sink for wet sanding. I took a old plastic tote bin and poked a hole in the bottom to let it drain. I clamped my hose to the side and got a nozzle so i could control the pressure from there. Bang. I got an outdoor sink for sanding.

The most intimidating pieces right now are the belt and the boots. I don't know how I'm going to connect the belt in a way that's both comfortable and actually holds up well. The boots i have an idea but I don't know if it will work.

All of the armor files other than the helmet and the commando shoulder pad are from NerdForgeDesigns if you want to look at the files.

Again, any help or recommendations are appreciated

View attachment 358757

April 15th, 2025 Update:

I have set up a paint booth in my garage because it was super windy for more than a month and I couldnt wait any longer.

Using this paint booth I was able to paint the wrist and belt armor as well as one bicep. I also used a black acrylic paint wash to weather them and will try to add some silver scratches later.

I ordered a Red Chief Visor from Galactic Armory since I used their files for the helmet. They mistakenly sent me a gold one and were nice enough to let me keep it and send me the correct red one. Im a little worried about the transparency of the red visor but i think it will be better once in the finished helmet. worst case scenario I use the gold one instead or just figure out how to chrome it more myself. The gloves I will be using are pictured below with the visors and bicep armor piece.

I plan to complete the belt and biceps first as those will be hard to rig before painting. Then I will rig everything and then complete the paint job. That's the plan at least.

 

[Bargo]

Can't wait to see your Suit up!

 

[Cyno]

April 15th, 2025 Update:

I have set up a paint booth in my garage because it was super windy for more than a month and I couldnt wait any longer.

View attachment 360553

Using this paint booth I was able to paint the wrist and belt armor as well as one bicep. I also used a black acrylic paint wash to weather them and will try to add some silver scratches later.

View attachment 360557View attachment 360556View attachment 360555

I ordered a Red Chief Visor from Galactic Armory since I used their files for the helmet. They mistakenly sent me a gold one and were nice enough to let me keep it and send me the correct red one. Im a little worried about the transparency of the red visor but i think it will be better once in the finished helmet. worst case scenario I use the gold one instead or just figure out how to chrome it more myself. The gloves I will be using are pictured below with the visors and bicep armor piece.

View attachment 360554

I plan to complete the belt and biceps first as those will be hard to rig before painting. Then I will rig everything and then complete the paint job. That's the plan at least.

May 5th, 2025 Update:

Well I have good news and bad news.

Good news is I have finished the helmet and most of the upper body.

Originally I couldn't decide between a gold or red visor, but I ended up using red since it matched. I can also use the gold in the future if I want an actual chief helmet or just gold in general.

I added 50mm fans, LED lights, a 9v battery for the lights, and a battery pack inside the helmet. Its a little crowed wire wise since I dont know how to solder and I had to use what I was given. I hid them under the foam and it helps pad the helmet. I also tried to use as little foam as possible cause I know it will get hot.

As for the armor, I have a homemade rigging harness. It works for the most part and I will eventually try to make an ab wrap to hide it. I need to pad the forearms and find a way to get the chest and back to hold together. I am using magnets at the shoulder attachment to help line it up but thats not enough. I had them rip off last night but I dont think I gave it enough time and glue.

I haven't even sanded the boots yet and I need to put more bondo in the seam of the thighs. The calves are ready for painting mostly. The seam is a little rough but I really cant do any more for it. I have sanded and filled and sanded and filled and sanded and filled and sanded and filled probably about 8 times now. Its still visible so I think I will just deal with it. Maybe I can hide it somewhere else or it will be gone by the time im done weathering. Some other visible print lines have disappeared after weathering on the parts above.

Now for the bad news.
While putting the final piece of foam in the helmet... Im talking the LAST 30 seconds of this 220 hour project... I dropped it while it was covered in fresh hot glue directly onto my hand. Out of reflex I grabbed at it with my other hand and dropped the helmet. This gave it a crack on the front top portion of the helmet and burned both of my hands pretty bad in the process. Im all good now and was honestly more upset that I dropped the helmet than anything. I tried to fix it by hitting it with gray spray paint and then turning it into a large silver scratch. I think it sticks out but others think it looks fine. I guess im my own worst critic. At least now I can say I put blood, sweat, and tears into this thing and I have actual battle damage.

I plan to print a BR and Reach shotty from Galactic Armory for weapons and some different shoulder attachments. Im hoping to be fully finished with the base suit soon.

Feel free to leave any tips or criticisms.

 

[N8TEBB]

The matching red visor is very sharp. I like it.

Rest of the suit is looking VERY nice as well! Covering the rigging with an ab wrap is a good way to go- that's what I did. Sounds like you're nearing completion.

Having clips of some sort to hold the chest piece together will be much stronger than magnets. Parachute clips work well. As for the forearms, I've seen other people pad them out with upholstery foam to get them to fit more snug on their arms.

As long as your head fits in the helmet there's no need to worry about having lots of wires! My helmet is a tight squeeze as well, but it's worth it to have all the electronics. Your lights and fans will be great for conventions! Will you have to change the 9V battery out regularly though? Would you consider a rechargeable option?

Nooo I'm so sorry you dropped your helmet. Hopefully that corner will be easy enough to repair.

 

[Cyno]

The matching red visor is very sharp. I like it.

Rest of the suit is looking VERY nice as well! Covering the rigging with an ab wrap is a good way to go- that's what I did. Sounds like you're nearing completion.

Having clips of some sort to hold the chest piece together will be much stronger than magnets. Parachute clips work well. As for the forearms, I've seen other people pad them out with upholstery foam to get them to fit more snug on their arms.

As long as your head fits in the helmet there's no need to worry about having lots of wires! My helmet is a tight squeeze as well, but it's worth it to have all the electronics. Your lights and fans will be great for conventions! Will you have to change the 9V battery out regularly though? Would you consider a rechargeable option?

Nooo I'm so sorry you dropped your helmet. Hopefully that corner will be easy enough to repair.

I have some foam for the gauntlets and other friction fitting pieces. And to make everything else more comfy against my body. Especially those hard corners. Do you know if hot glue is strong enough to hold the foam in those forearm pieces? Its a tight fit but it is needed to hold them in the correct place.

I dont think I will have to change that 9v battery out that much. Its supposed to have a 24 hour battery life for my LEDs and I made it easy to replace. So easy it actually fell out when I dropped the helmet.

The helmet will have to work for now. I wasnt looking for any type of club certifications so its fine if its not perfect.

 

[KaeSpoon]

I noticed that your helmet has had quite the tumble! It looks fine to me, but I would look into Apoxie Sculpt. That product is what I use when there is an area I need to resculpt, in fact- a good chunk of my front brim broke off my helmet and I had to resculpt that section entirely. The sculpt holds up incredibly well, and a lot of hobbiest use it for sculpting animal models or other things that require durability.

Before..........................................................................................................After

Let me know if you need any help with the product, cheers!
Kae