Under Earth Props
New Member
Hello 405th!
We have made this thread to show the process of our Halo4 Battle Rifle construction.
Below are photos we took during the process from start to finish.
But first, the final product!
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First things first we gathered alot of reference images from both the game and online. Using these we begun to figure out the most practical way to construct the rifle. After our research was complete we found a high quality side on shot of the gun to get our measurements from. Displaying this on a tv screen we adjusted the scale of the image until when measuring it with a rule each line and component of the weapon equaled a whole numbered measurement. (i.e. 10mm instead of 9.78 etc.). This process allowed us to replicate the gun to a very accurate scale. Once we had all of our measurements we recreated the gun in a design program to use as our final reference. (see image below).
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Using our reference picture we began constructing the rifle using 3mm layers of mdf sheeting. We cut and shaped the mdf with saws, dremel, and a router. Once the rough shapes where made we finished them using files and sandpaper to achieve a clean finish.
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Using this layer method we built up the full shape of the gun. For the barrel piece of the rifle we machined a piece of solid black acetyl plastic in a computerized lathe. Being a machinist by trade I was able to replicate the sizes and roundness of the barrel very accurately.
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Once the mdf pieces were complete we began to add all the small details that are on the gun. We used plasma cut and machined steel pieces to achieve a high fidelity finish. We constructed the gun in two separate halves that would act as the master molds.
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The next step was to fabricate a base and a housing to pour our silicon compound into. Doing this allowed us to minimize the amount of silicon needed for a complete mold. Once the base and housing was made we then primed, painted and sanded the surface of the gun smooth.
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We then poured our silicon compound into the housing to create the molds. We also created an insert piece that would sit inside the main mold. This meant that when we poured the plastic we were left with a 5mm thick shell of the gun instead of it being one solid piece. This both reduced the amount of plastic needed and also left the gun hollow with enough space to place electronics and mechanical pieces inside.
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with our molds made we proceeded to create a few test pieces to find the best way to pour our plastic compound and to try a few paint schemes.
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Happy with the molding process and the finish of the plastic casts it was time to create a full cast of the battle rifle. We cast the two plastic halves and then joined them together and cleaned up the seam line with bog/filler to leave it smooth.
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With our full casts joined and flushed together it was time to prime the plastic ready for the base coat. After this was complete we began the process of taping the gun ready for the final paint job. We used high quality aerosol paints to leave the painted areas durable and scratch resistant.
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With our battle rifles complete it was time to have some fun with them!
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If you would like any more info contact us on-
email: under.earth.props@gmail.com
or contact us on our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Under-Earth-Props/634267226649766
We have made this thread to show the process of our Halo4 Battle Rifle construction.
Below are photos we took during the process from start to finish.
But first, the final product!
First things first we gathered alot of reference images from both the game and online. Using these we begun to figure out the most practical way to construct the rifle. After our research was complete we found a high quality side on shot of the gun to get our measurements from. Displaying this on a tv screen we adjusted the scale of the image until when measuring it with a rule each line and component of the weapon equaled a whole numbered measurement. (i.e. 10mm instead of 9.78 etc.). This process allowed us to replicate the gun to a very accurate scale. Once we had all of our measurements we recreated the gun in a design program to use as our final reference. (see image below).
Using our reference picture we began constructing the rifle using 3mm layers of mdf sheeting. We cut and shaped the mdf with saws, dremel, and a router. Once the rough shapes where made we finished them using files and sandpaper to achieve a clean finish.
Using this layer method we built up the full shape of the gun. For the barrel piece of the rifle we machined a piece of solid black acetyl plastic in a computerized lathe. Being a machinist by trade I was able to replicate the sizes and roundness of the barrel very accurately.
Once the mdf pieces were complete we began to add all the small details that are on the gun. We used plasma cut and machined steel pieces to achieve a high fidelity finish. We constructed the gun in two separate halves that would act as the master molds.
The next step was to fabricate a base and a housing to pour our silicon compound into. Doing this allowed us to minimize the amount of silicon needed for a complete mold. Once the base and housing was made we then primed, painted and sanded the surface of the gun smooth.
We then poured our silicon compound into the housing to create the molds. We also created an insert piece that would sit inside the main mold. This meant that when we poured the plastic we were left with a 5mm thick shell of the gun instead of it being one solid piece. This both reduced the amount of plastic needed and also left the gun hollow with enough space to place electronics and mechanical pieces inside.
with our molds made we proceeded to create a few test pieces to find the best way to pour our plastic compound and to try a few paint schemes.
Happy with the molding process and the finish of the plastic casts it was time to create a full cast of the battle rifle. We cast the two plastic halves and then joined them together and cleaned up the seam line with bog/filler to leave it smooth.
With our full casts joined and flushed together it was time to prime the plastic ready for the base coat. After this was complete we began the process of taping the gun ready for the final paint job. We used high quality aerosol paints to leave the painted areas durable and scratch resistant.
With our battle rifles complete it was time to have some fun with them!
If you would like any more info contact us on-
email: under.earth.props@gmail.com
or contact us on our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Under-Earth-Props/634267226649766
