Found the EL wire on Amazon for a reasonable price and like I said before, its really easy to work with, so it would take no time to add it on.
FoamShep build for ME3 launch
- Thread starter TJX62
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Found the EL wire on Amazon for a reasonable price and like I said before, its really easy to work with, so it would take no time to add it on.
frosted glass spray works great. another avenue is wax paper. I've used wax paper to diffuse LEDs and flash bulbs before. And I'm currently using the frosted glass spray with an art project for school. I'm glad I saw this thread too I'm definitely going to try that EL wire. Thanks.
Great job so far, I really like the work your putting in
Also,thanks for the foamtiles.com shout out. I saw the box in the background and was really tired of buying this stuff from the local hardware store so I checked out the website. To my pleasant surprise I found they send you three free samples of the product; very cool!
Also,thanks for the foamtiles.com shout out. I saw the box in the background and was really tired of buying this stuff from the local hardware store so I checked out the website. To my pleasant surprise I found they send you three free samples of the product; very cool!
Hmmm, it seems as though I need to pick up some frosted spray this week lol. Thanks for the input!
Thanks you! Even though there is a lot of work in it, its been all worth it. I honestly didn't know they gave out free samples lol. I put in an order on there eBay store, and it was there in no time. Pretty decent prices too.
#######Day 9 - 10########
Got major work done over the weekend. Couldn't do much on Saturday, but Sunday afternoon, sat down for 6+ hours and cranked out most of the back. First was the collar, and it was a bit tricky to do. Used the main piece from Ithica's templates and the spine pieces from Volpin's to get it as close as I could to the game. All in all I'm fairly happy with it, the only other thing I could have done was make it a bit wider.
Now the only problem was that the collar wouldn't reach the proper spot. I just couldn't get it to bend into the proper. Solution? Have it strapped to the chest. I used some left over strapping and clips to make a shoulder rigging to keep the collar pieces in place without worrying of them slipping. Here is a picture of me with the chest piece and the shoulder rig on. Still working on a way for the collar not to twist and bend. (I'll put up a pic of the way the rig is set up when I get home)
Next up was the spine. This was the one piece I was worried about the most. Didn't know how I was gonna cut it or where to put the detailing, but all in all it came out well. (You'll have to excuse me I forgot to take any pictures of when I cut it so I'll do my best to explain) After some thought about it, I decided the best way to tackle it. I carved the outer ridge first, cut out the inner spine, carved the inner spine out, and then backed it all with red by using the inner cut out as a guide. Cut out the spine columns and then used the excess to line up the pieces with the proper spacing and order. Once the back was finished I attached a piece of elastic from the end of the spine to the bottom of the cod piece to hold it all together (shown in the second shot) After glue and bending, here's the final result.
I didn't know if I was gonna like the color scheme, but seeing in actually done, I love it. I absolutely can't wait to do the rest of the detailing on the front.
Well that was a big update lol. Thanks for looking at the thread and happy building!
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Exactly what I usually say lol. If time and foam wasn't such a finite resources right now, I would be tempted to make it a bit longer. However, I will make note of it for if I ever build another N7 suit.
#######Day 11########
Well its officially crunch time now. I have under a week to get the suit complete for the launch and theres good news and bad news. Good news: I went ahead and got 99% of the back done. All its missing now is the red trim on the middle back plate and the frosted plastic. Wiring was all done and wasn't as bad as first thought. I ordered a 10 foot length of EL wire and had over a foot to spare afterwards, so you may be able to get by with only nine feet.
Lights on:
Lights Off:
Inside of suit:
The inside of the suit was covered in black foam to prevent any of the light from seeping through the back.
Now to the bad news: my poor dremal decided it couldn't go on anymore as I started to cut through some plastic. So at this moment, I'm a main tool down. I'm going to try and borrow one from a friend, but during that time, I would love to get suggestions on what dremal/rotary tool that you guys use or if there is a certain model recomend. Until then, Im gonna focus on getting the foam templates precut and ready to be sanded. Happy building!
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Prettyfloralbonnet
Jr Member
Looking great so far. Did you have any issues with the forearms at all? I noticed everyone uses a symmetrical pattern but every cut and adjustment I've made puts that square opening on the wrong side of my forearm. Not to mention that there should be a difference in length for the top of the pattern compared to the bottom (with wrist/forearm circum. differences). Feels like I'm missing something fundamental.
Thanks! The forearms weren't too bad. On the templates, I shortened the two end pieces that connect to one another near closest to the wrist. Make sure you subtract an equal amount from each side so the rectangle will be straight. If the rectangle is on the exact opposite of the forarm, your good. When I put on the gauntlets, I turn my forearm with my palm facing up, put the gauntlet on the right way, then turn it inwards slightly. It looks the most natural in what ever position your wrist is in.
It has been a week or so since I've logged in and you have been busy. Looks like you are on track to meet your deadline. I am looking forward to seeing pictures of your awesome suit at the launch! Keep up the good work!
As for dremels, I just use a Black and Decker one that I found on sale for $10. It is bulkier than an actual dremel brand tool and the bits are lower quality, but it was only $10. My plan is to use that one until I find a great sale on a better tool and keep my Black and Decker for a back-up. My advice would be to get the cheapest one you can find and wait to get a good sale on a Dremel brand, or maybe a Dewalt. Or borrow your friend's until you find a good sale. Whatever works.
As for dremels, I just use a Black and Decker one that I found on sale for $10. It is bulkier than an actual dremel brand tool and the bits are lower quality, but it was only $10. My plan is to use that one until I find a great sale on a better tool and keep my Black and Decker for a back-up. My advice would be to get the cheapest one you can find and wait to get a good sale on a Dremel brand, or maybe a Dewalt. Or borrow your friend's until you find a good sale. Whatever works.
MikyVengeance
Well-Known Member
I really wish I could of built something cool for Mass Effect 3 launch. It's a bit too late for me. Good luck dude! 
Looks really good
Looks really goodWarpath5150
Jr Member
Great stuff, foam seems easy to work with when you have templeates
Thanks Nessy. I'm track for the most. I'm spending the whole weekend to get the suit done. As for the dremel, I ended running out to Walmart after class the other day and picked up one. Its a Dremel 3000 series and just from using it the other night, I am really, really enjoying it. A little bulky, but feels lighter than my old one and powerfull to boot.
Thanks! I spent so much time cutting out those spine pieces, but I think it shows.
I really wish I could of built something cool for Mass Effect 3 launch. It's a bit too late for me. Good luck dude!
Thanks man! I think someone could do a suit over the weekend, but they would need to be commited afterwards lol.
Thanks! It is really easy to work with as long as you change blades out every 2 or 3 pieces if your using an Xacto knife.
#######Day 12#######
Finished strapping the chest and back by adding shoulder straps to it. It helps keep the suit up and keeps the shoulders in place. Which I just finished! The inner shoulder is really just a rectangle piece of foam bent and shapped. The outer shoulder is made from 3 pieces, sanded at an angle and glued together. I attached them with a piece of nylon strappingso they can still move somewhat independently from one another. The first one is a bit narrow, but when I put it on, it pushes it out, making it look a lot better.
The two straps near the top of the shoulder are loops that I thread the shoulder strap through to keep it in place. The bottom is elastic in order to keep the outer shoulder from moving out of place. Just to see what it looks like all together, I threw it on my mannequin.
All in all im happy with it. The straping won't be noticed as the under suit will be all black.
I won't be doing any work tonight as there is a terrible storm that will probably hit us head on. If there are any spartans that will be hit by the storm, hunker down and stay safe.
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If you are careful about it and don't use a lot of pressure with it, you will be fine. I haven't really run into any problem witht the foam losing texture, but I could see how if you were rough with it. it could cause the texture to smear. If you use the smooth side and plast-dip it, you shouldn't have to worry about it.
I hope your storm doesn't cause the same kind of trouble the the author of BioWeapons blog ran into when he was building his foam N7 armour. Poor guy found a tree in his bedroom. Speaking of him, have you read through his write up of his N7 armour build? Link is here if you want. It was a fun read.
You progress is looking good, I have only one thing to say "Reapers look out!!!"
You progress is looking good, I have only one thing to say "Reapers look out!!!"
Thanks Nessy. Luckily, it wasn't as bad here as I thought it would be, so there were no trees in the living room.
#######Day 13#######
So its the home stretch. I'm shooting for it to be finished, either late tonight or early tomorrow morning. To keep on track I need to finish everything but the thighs. So last night, I got the bicep, elbow, knees and shins done. The biceps weren't that tough, they are essentially foam cylinders with grooves cut through them. Then I glued them together and added a strip of foam in order to keep it together more.
Next up were the elbow pieces. The shape is kind of like a diamond with flat tips, then the sides are angled and beveled. Attaching them was a bit of a challenge. I took a page out of EvilFX build and created a flexible elbow. I did this by attaching a piece of elastic to the elbow, then threading it through the bicep and forearm. The result is an elbow piece that stays in place, but will still move when I do.
Last up was the shin and knees. The templates I used apparently don't fit my calves, so I had to improvise. I had to make the calf much larger and since there is a large gap near the bottom, I had to add a plate in order to cover up the seam. It’s not part of the costume, but it wouldn't look good without it. Here's a picture of the plate (the seam isn't that big, I just couldn't get the Velcro in place).
and the suit as of right now.
I have just enough foam to do the thighs with no mistake, so I'm checking and double checking my measurements. I will be casting the rest of the build till it’s done, so if you want to stop by I would appreciate it (the link is in my signature). Until then, thanks for looking!
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