First pep project - Halo Magnum M6D - {Pic Link Heavy}

[405 LordFoo]

Hopefully I'll catch all the forum protocols, first time poster, long time lurker.

Full time employed, kids, and wife... huge fan of the game and the books. Finally managed to get enough free time to dabble in this a bit.
I chose the Magnum M6D as I've been a gamer from the start, there were ample resources on that prop, and it was easy to commit to opposed to something like a helmet or starting on armor.

The PDO I referenced and used was wyatt croxtan's. It was linked to here I'm sure in the pep database, if not it's certainly on the Halo Costuming Wiki in the weapons section.

I say referenced because it became clear to me that I wasn't going to be able to get something entirely game accurate with my fledgling skillset and time. I had to make corrections in some places, and take "artistic license" in others.

I'd like to thank the community here and on the interwebs for the abundant amount of tutorials/references/walkthrus/guides.

IF the forum gods are with me, hopefully photos and narrative are below.

My working space:
Cut pep's (a Dewalt razor), a cheap IKEA cutting board, tweezers for the small fellas, hot glue gun.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_1.jpg

Slide, and that concaved bastage for the muzzle up front. I used a colored pen set to help with the folds.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_2.jpg

Grip and slide coming together, hot glue finger shrapnel .
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_3.jpg

Gun mainly completed, I would later add on some of the detail peps like the magazine button (or safety toggle), and those side barrel wheel doodads.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_4.jpg

Front shot. Star Wars Lego photo bomb
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_5.jpg

Rear. At this point it was apparent to me that there was going to be some "alignment" problems. the slide REALLY had to be stuffed under the front portion, and itself was a bit cock-eyed.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_6.jpg

Side profile, here are the detail peps added. Also to note here, the grip extension from the pep file didn't seem to align properly with the rest of the handle. I figured there was some "option" that I missed or perhaps i folded something wrong. So I made a small bumper box to properly align it. I had pretty much resolved myself to ditching the magazine "feature" altogether. I also realized I was going to have to fill or do something about the substantial gap in the rear.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_7.jpg

here is the pep fully basking in the glory of resin only for hardening. I was able to coat it in a full swathe, but I still ended up with some warping. I did make a second pass after this one had cured in order to hopefully get a consistent cover/buildup on the entire prop.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_8.jpg

Thank you all for any input you may have, more to come.

 

[Squireyoung117]

Looks great man, the folds look really precise. Keep up the good work.

 

[SpartanJem013]

Pretty awesome work! Did you just fiberglass the outside?

 

[405 LordFoo]

I coated the shell in resin. Eventually though, as I worked the sanding. I ended up fillin it with rondo.

 

[405 LordFoo]

##
#Rondo Stage

With two shop lamps, some foil and a leftover Xmas box, this is where I set it to cure while rondo'd.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_rondo1.jpg

This was rough sanding. Here I still have some of the Pep details. Like the "twistie doodad's" on the sight shroud, the "safety" button (I'm guessing), and the trigger.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_rondo2.jpg
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_rondo3.jpg

I was having a /hard/ time with the barrel, and it's alignment. I had been adding rondo/sanding/over and over to try and get it right and finally I just blocked out the whole barrel and shaped it regardless of the cardstock. Life got much easier.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_rondo4.jpg

In fact a lot of the details I was spending hours on trying to make the rondo work with the Pep folds, seemed like I was always fighting the folded details. For the slide, my PDO didn't have vents, but I added them by cutting heavy cardstock (that I was using for a sliced Magnum) and stacking it 2 high. I then rondo'd over those.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_rondo5.jpg

Here I'm doing my best to line up the vents that i've added in. Best symmetry I can, as well as blocking in the "sight" platform.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_rondo7.jpg
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_rondo8.jpg

More shaping. More sanding... then sanding...then more sanding. I ended up sanding off the pepped "safety". I came up with a solution I liked better so I backfilled it.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_rondo9.jpg
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_rondo9a.jpg

I was happy with the final shape of the gun base at this point.
However I didn't like the depth of the handle. So I cut some card stock. Back buttered it with resin... then rondo'd over it.
I also added the sight. That was a small piece of wooden dowel I picked up from H.D. and just rough sanded it into a shape I was ok with.
I also decided I wanted to see some "clip". I took a scrap piece of wood, angled it then cut a couple rectangles of card stock for the butt of the clip, Hot glued it.. then rondo'd the cardstock part.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_rondo9b.jpg
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_rondo9c.jpg
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_rondo9d.jpg

 

[405 LordFoo]

##
#Primer / Sanding / Painting
Rondo'd shapes done, with detail lines cut in with a blade from a scroll saw. This was my first glimpse of the gun with primer.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_paint1.jpg
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_paint2.jpg

I sanded the primer to finish up the sanding as well as place my detail pieces on.
For the "safety" I took a vent Lego, pushed it into some clay the kids play with, then filled it with fiberglass resin.
For what I presume is the "clip release" I pillaged thru the nerf gun collection and found one I liked, pressed it into the clay... rinse repeat. Sanded to happiness
For the "twistie" dials on the sight shroud I found a flatheaded screw I liked and just pushed it deep into the clay, rinse repeat with the resin.
I backbuttered each detail piece with resin, pressed it into place and let it cure for a couple hours.
I had also blocked out the handle to test out a black I wanted.
Also of note: the trigger is gone. Lesson learned, when you're proud of your work, you want to show it off, when your work /happens to be a gun/...People will pull the trigger. No harm done though honestly I like it better without a trigger.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_paint3.jpg

I"m now starting full paint. here is my base black...and a 600 grit rough up of the handle grip.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_paint4.jpg

For the handle and base black I used a spray can.
For the remaining painting... I used an airbrush. Let me first say... I'm not a painter, and I've never used an airbrush, so there was a LOT of trial and error. These pictures are far from my first attempt. The paint I used was a mix of a metallic grey / white/black... no specific mixture ratio's. Just mix until I liked it.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_paint5.jpg
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_paint6.jpg

Happy with the base coats I moved on to blackwashing the details with Q-tips, and highlights for the scratches/wear n' tear. I used a paper towel dabbed in the white paint and just dragged or spotted where I thought things looked or deserved it.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_paint7.jpg
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_paint8.jpg


Here was my final product:
I used detail brushes to do the reds/yellows.
For the rear of the gun, I'm not sure what that was supposed to be, but I decided to replace that with another Lego piece. It's also just held in there with resin.
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_paint9b.jpg
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_paint9c.jpg
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_paint9a.jpg
http://lordfoo.net/Halo/Magnum/PepMag/pep_paint9.jpg

Thank you again for offering and fostering a great community.
A helmet and suit are on my list, but I think the kids want something for Halloween in the realm of Ironman so it'll be a while.