First time EVA Foam ODST

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That looks like it was a fun time...gutting things after they're supposed to be done to me sounds like it would be a hybrid of rage and fear lol.

The seams don't look out of place at all and since you've painted it you can barely tell they're there!
 
Also: Another slow update time.

Got myself a re-scaled forearm that I think I still buggered the scaling but at this point of time I'm not going to re-scale, re-print and re-complain about this bloody section. I need moar progress!

EDIT: I hate hot glue. This by far has been my messiest section aside from the lower leg piece. Holy....

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Of course in this picture it seems ok but it is more squat in person...please take my word on that :C

Sat next to Mega Man's cannon aka version one, version two fits much more snugly on my arm and since I didn't go "hurr durr let's save time by taping plans together", it allowed me to bevel the edges and get a better shape over all.

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As I mentioned above it still feels short to me as the greebling on the top looks smushed when I mocked it up, as shown in the image below. But I still need to add like a half inch to 3/4" piece to the front cuff to allow for more length so hopefully that will beef up that length. Unlikely. But whatever. :unsure:

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Since I wanted to get going due to lost time, I just tacked the elbow cover via a scrap piece of foam. It's held in place until I carve up a decent mount to fill in the gaps.

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And the real monster of this section? The greebling... this bloody greebling. I spent so much time staring at the foam thinking I could cut an angle into the foam (and attempted it once...don't ask about that escapade) before I finally gave in to a method that is a little overboard but allows me to get the angle whilst cramming in the ridged sections to it.

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Kinda hard to see but I just sank the front down till it was flush with the base, giving the same effect I needed without beveling, gluing and screaming for days.

I have a bit to cut away on the bottom to sit flush on the customized top part but that's it aside from the craft foam detailing. And the left arm piece. :cautious:

I'm hoping to get the other side done this week. All thats left for minor builds is the resized belt, crotch plate and the plates that sit above the upper leg pieces. For large builds is just the helmet...since I started on that first I'm going to end on that last.
 
After all the grief, the forearms still turned out pretty well.
I would have to agree though. The templates for this are not... The most convenient and easy to work with. At least you saved your sanity and made your own version. I stuck with it and had to make that greeble with the grill thingy twice. First time was a mess. Second time I made it 6 mm foam instead of the floor mats. And that thing was still a nightmare to figure out how to assemble
 
Ohhhhh you're lucky to have that thinner foam. Only stuff I have is the floor mats and the thin stuff.

I thankfully only need to attempt one of those detail sections as for my left forearm I'm planning on having a tacpad in the form of an old phone with a foam case around it be mounted in its place. Bullet dodged there lol.

To swerve off topic headlong into the other topic of floor mats, the Crappy Tires around me are so intermittent with their "perma sale" they always seem to have on the mats. One week it's $20 bucks down from $40, this week it was $26 and one week it was $15. I try to limit waste but with my über pro scaling style I've used a little bit of extra mats here and there.
 
Have you gone to Walmart? I usually go there for my mats. A pack of 4 runs for about $14. Since we are in the same neck of the woods, I can only assume the ones close to will price them the same.
 
I've actually been pretty unlucky with Walmart. They've been sold out every time I've gone in, which isn't a big deal since people get them all the time. I've got just that bad of timing with them hahaha!

I've just bought a fresh pack from Canadian Tire so next time I get some I'll check Walmart again one final time just in case.
 
Since I have to make my left forearm I spent tonight slowly and casually working on the TACPAD instead.

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Based loosely off the Reach TACPAD (I miss Reach) and flipped it 180 to how its worn on Spartans, it should hopefully suit the ODST style of armor despite them probably using a more slimmed down style. I stuck an old phone in it and plan on using it as shown. Only downside is the phone isn't a double tap to turn on like my original older phone I wanted to use, but that went KIA (Or is it MIA since...Halo), so battery usage won't be good if I leave it on all the time.

I may end up remaking the right side to better match the actual Reach pad now that I look at it as I type this up... It would definitely look much nicer than that unpleasant two tier stepped shape.... blerhhearhagh:oops: At least it'd be an easy surgery.

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This is all pre craft foam application so I hope to make it more detailed on the left side and the little thingy that juts out at the top will get more detailing. My only other gripes are that the buffer on the top is a little deeper than I wanted but the device in game is pretty bulky and my bevel wasn't as sharp as I wanted it to be but that will change.... And my knife skillz weren't top game for halving my foam but that there craft foam will hide it in the end.

Its going to be on my left arm so here it is sat atop my right arm piece instead. To go back to my constant complaining about my mess up, I'm going to be putting a hefty cuff on the front at possibly 1-1/4" long to gain some of that length back since I indeed did make it a little squished in Armorsmith...

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It fits nicely but overhangs a bit as expected to represent that its an added piece of equipment so I will need to affix it via rare earth magnets in the front part and rear right corners for maximum stickage as it will be subject to a ton of movement when I walk.

I'll see when I can get to working on it next as the next two days are going to be too busy for foam work :(
 
*Speechless*

That really looks amazing. I am a little surprised that you think you need to "fix" any of it. I am totally a fan of what you've done.

There are a few rough spots here or there, but a little sanding will take that away so there's no notice of it.

Great work, Begocer, looking fantastic!
 
Begocer, you build is looking killer!!!! If your in a bind about getting EVA foam.....check Harbor Freight.....they ship to Canada. A 4 pack of foam mats goes for $9 US........You will pay for shipping though.
 
Begocer I'm not sure if it's similar prices in Ontario but for BC

4 Interlocking 2'x2' mats 10mm thick
Walmart - $14
Canadian Tire - $14
Home Depot - $14

8'x4' Roll 6mm thick
Canadian Tire - $26

You can also find stuff at Michael's sometimes and the weekly 50% off coupon is a game changer for that. Also, check to see if you have a local plastics supplier, mine has a few different EVA densities which can be handy in crafting.
 
I actually haven't checked Home Depot, I should try them out. I honestly wish Canadian Tires here had them that cheap hahaha

Unfortunately there aren't any suppliers around me that carry affordable materials, the only places are nearly an hour away and I have no time to pick them up.

Michael's finally came in handy when I found my craft foam :D paired with a 55% off coupon I couldn't complain.
 
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Thats good to know for future projects ( If any will arise) Dirtdives!

Not trying to sound snide at all, but I am someone who if I know the shipping will
bring up the price that is similar to if I were to buy it in person I have no issue biting the bullet on an upfront price that is a bit steep. Just saves on waiting times lol
 
Another slow week in regards to progress from me.

I started last Thursday to remake my TACPAD's shape (I caved I'm sorry Sean Anwalt) and made the mistake of putting what I thought was going to be a 'good for background noise' Netflix show...turns out Final Space was amazing. My mistake. I only got the new angled front section done that night...

But today was a different story. It was 'details' day for my forearms and TACPAD.

Aka stick parts on the pad and make it seem like it was from Reach. Payday is this week so I'm going to get some rare earth magnets for this guy and my chest section.

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That weird blue section on the top of the new angled side is to hide my awful angling...I was just making it out of scraps and made my angle cuts larger than needed and ended up keeping the tester for the final thing.

Going to end up painting the left section as 'buttons' but painting isn't even on my mind just yet. (I still have to sneak around all your threads about painting and such)

The forearms got a risky and super scary on the fly modification:

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I gave them racing stripes for faster movement! +4 to melee!

Just kidding!

Tada:
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I cut out and lowered the strip to simulate the gauntlets 'two-piece' section that is held together by the faux clasp I haven't yet fully finished yet. Greebling is stuck on and most of the details included in the file from here is stuck on, minus two pieces I haven't added as I notched out the section they go into, just for better arm movement. I also added the inch-ish cuff to the front which THANKFULLY(!!) added the length it needed. Only issue which isn't a big one at the moment is with the spot where my hand goes through. It is pretty tight and I have to wrestle my wrist through it but it also acts as a good stopping point so it won't slip down my hand.

With all this good progress I had to take a few steps back as you can see the elbow cover is removed for now as I noticed in the reference pictures it was farther back compared to where I had it tacked in place. That'll be put back in place soon.

The same is replicated on the other piece but since thats going to hold the pad, it doesn't have the fancy clasp work like this one.

Also, I'm beginning to see your great dislike of hot glue, PaiganBoi... so much ugly overflow...
 
Oh boy. The second I saw it hit August 1st my mind went like so:

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"OH GODOHGOD ONLY 30 DAYS OH GOD!!!!!!"

Freaked out for an hour before work and went through things in my head before calming down about 2%.

So tonight I battened down the hatches, left Netflix off and finally finished both the forearms and the chest mount!

Detailing is done, elbow guards are attached and their horrible method of mounting is hidden behind a thin flexible layer of craft foam. Its a technique that surely will cause you expert foamsmiths to groan in agony but the screaming Toad in my head forced me...30 days man, 30 days!!

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The chest piece makes me laugh at how hard it is to get into... With the cuff I added, it made the already kind of tight neck hole into one that is way too tight. When I put on the chest its like squeezing frozen ketchup through a tiny bottle hole... I can still get in at least *shrugs*

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I tacked the plate onto the chest, climbed into my ODST sweat pants and put full power to the awkwardness laser banks for this:

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My first taped together fitting! Sans the smaller bits that I didn't want to tape on...

I'm glad I'm not one who is claustrophobic as I feel like a walking brick wrapped in more bricks, minus the weight. I have such a weird range of movement just for how the upper arms were sitting and rubbing against the forearms. Everything is just sitting under their own weight so hopefully when the strapping is done up things will look more crisp and straight (I'm picking up the strapping soon I promise!)

This was a massive morale boost for me despite the major issue glaring at me right now: The chest plate looks far too tall in my eyes, I feel it should be squished down a tad... I want to remake it but I don't at the same time. One pro for it is that it didn't take too long to make, about an hour or so with my perfect (not) level of focus. Con: I would have to remake it... What do you all think?

Parts list is nearly all checked off save for the crotch plate, boot covers and helmet, which I'm printing the plans off tomorrow for it. I was going to remake the belt buckle but I held it up against the stomach pieces and felt it was just fine.

I also have hit up the barber to get that scraggly beard of mine down to a shorter length to hide it underneath the upcoming to-be-made skull bucket. You can see how small the DFT helmet was as I didn't upsize the PDFs (oops) and how much my beard pops out from it. Haven't been dragged into any sanders at work so I'm ok for now! :D

*distant sounds of incredible amounts of DAP being purchased are heard*
 
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I agree that the chest plate looks a little large but, put some paint on it and I may look a little different. I was comparing your plate to game reference and what area the plate is covering it looks right.
 
About the helmet.....yes it is an issue but can be corrected easily. The size isn't the issue. It isn't complete. If you look at all the game reference pic of an ODST bucket, the bottom or opening is tapered inward. DFT's isn't. If you add a strip to elongate the helmet a bit then add another strip that has a slight to moderate bevel, you'll get that tapered look and cover more of your head......or just cut you beard.....that might be easier.......:D. You could also get or make a balaclava. That will cover your beard and neck area just as well.
 
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