1st Build Halo Reach Foam Build (Complete)

[RandomRanger]

Dubiousness ensues
RandomRanger if you will.....please explain how a cut becomes audible......

When I put a fresh blade on, I can slice through the foam and it makes 0 noise at all. Completely inaudible. Eventually the blade will start struggling to make a perfect cut (even if sharpened, I use NicPro blades) and around this point you can start to hear it passing through the foam if you listen closely. It sounds like of like paper. Even if I sharpen the blade, it never seems to go back to being completely silent (I use one of those long rounded ones).

It's worth noting I use xacto style craft blades, and not snap-off (ocassionally I use both).

 

[Dirtdives2424]

I use xactos.....standard blades #11.....Amazon has a 300 pack for $14 HERE..... don't think I've gone through 1/2 the pack in 5 years. Not sure about the noise level...since I'm always listening to something...or have the washing machine on, or son yelling at his Xbox friends.....or 100 other noises going on in my house.....we're a loud, big, noisy family.

 

[RandomRanger]

Yeah, it's really hard to hear. I like to listen to loud rock, sea shanties, and etc. when I'm crafting but I built up a feel for it. It's not a metric I've seen anyone else use, but if your cuts work for you then they work

 

[Dirtdives2424]

You had me at sea shanties.........

 

[RandomRanger]

You had me at sea shanties.........

O, I got a sister, she's nine feet tall
Weigh, me boys, to Cuba!
Sleeps in the kitchen with her feet in the hall
Running down to Cuba

 

[Dirtdives2424]

I can actually hear you in NY!!! Dogs are running into oncoming traffic.........

 

[MrJamin]

Wait - You guys use xacto blades? I always thought people used something like this - Link

the long rounded one.

(I use one of those long rounded ones).

Also - Dirtdives RandomRanger - the long rounded ones (usually in knife blocks) are not for sharpening, they are for honing - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honing_steel

 

[scorch]

I glued these together. I'm letting myself be happy with the end result. Had to glue these together under duress I learned a lot from this but am going to move forward and keep them. Hopefully the overall piece turns out okay.

These are some images of the front of the chest piece that were made a week or so before I made an account.

I liked how I glued these pieces together better in these previous pictures. After these last photos were taken I have been using this method of gluing with the bottle below and it has been giving me hell:

I put some thinner in it and it stir thoroughly - and the consistency isn't well..consistent. It becomes tacky incredibly quick within the bottle, sometimes while I am applying it.

 

[PlanetAlexander]

Sally Brown, she's the girl for me bo-

OK back on topic. I use carbide blades in my utility knife, which are REALLY good. I also have a diamond sharpener, which isn't as costly as it might sound but definitely worth it. I feel like I don't need to use a ruler for straight cuts anymore, since I'm getting used to controling it, but I still use it for bevel cuts. And I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates how it feels when the blade is running along the metal ruler edge, thought I might be doing it the wrong way after all these years!

 

[Spidermonkey60]

I glued these together. I'm letting myself be happy with the end result. Had to glue these together under duress I learned a lot from this but am going to move forward and keep them. Hopefully the overall piece turns out okay.

View attachment 294624 View attachment 294625

These are some images of the front of the chest piece that were made a week or so before I made an account.

View attachment 294626 View attachment 294627 View attachment 294628

View attachment 294630
I liked how I glued these pieces together better in these previous pictures. After these last photos were taken I have been using this method of gluing with the bottle below and it has been giving me hell:

View attachment 294629

I put some thinner in it and it stir thoroughly - and the consistency isn't well..consistent. It becomes tacky incredibly quick within the bottle, sometimes while I am applying it.

Make sure the cap is completely sealed when youre down and between pieces being glued to minimize air getting in. I also try to only put a day or twos worth or so in the bottle at a time. Use it fast enough and you dont waste it!

 

[Spidermonkey60]

Yeah, it's really hard to hear. I like to listen to loud rock, sea shanties, and etc. when I'm crafting but I built up a feel for it. It's not a metric I've seen anyone else use, but if your cuts work for you then they work

Have I introduced you to my friend Geralt? You should try tossing him a coin for an hour or 10...

 

[RandomRanger]

Wait - You guys use xacto blades? I always thought people used something like this - Link




Also - Dirtdives RandomRanger - the long rounded ones (usually in knife blocks) are not for sharpening, they are for honing - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honing_steel

Mines not a honer, it is indeed a sharpener. I've had many people try to tell me otherwise for some reason though. Last I checked, honers are diamond coated.

 

[marinesniper]

I glued these together. I'm letting myself be happy with the end result. Had to glue these together under duress I learned a lot from this but am going to move forward and keep them. Hopefully the overall piece turns out okay.

View attachment 294624 View attachment 294625

These are some images of the front of the chest piece that were made a week or so before I made an account.

View attachment 294626 View attachment 294627 View attachment 294628

View attachment 294630
I liked how I glued these pieces together better in these previous pictures. After these last photos were taken I have been using this method of gluing with the bottle below and it has been giving me hell:

View attachment 294629

I put some thinner in it and it stir thoroughly - and the consistency isn't well..consistent. It becomes tacky incredibly quick within the bottle, sometimes while I am applying it.

great job my good man. if you work at a place that gets a lot of stuff on truck you can use the black wide metal bands and cut them to different lengths then you can have ones that are as long as 2 yard sticks or 10 12" rules if one get bad just recycle it and grab another. just some ideas for you to ponder..

 

[scorch]

great job my good man. if you work at a place that gets a lot of stuff on truck you can use the black wide metal bands and cut them to different lengths then you can have ones that are as long as 2 yard sticks or 10 12" rules if one get bad just recycle it and grab another. just some ideas for you to ponder..

Hi marinesniper thank you very much. I believe you are talking about large pieces of metal that act as straight edges? I may be misunderstanding where to get these from - sorry! *Facepalm*.

 

[scorch]

I have to re-do the inner front part of the chest as the pieces...they didn't make it...

Looking back - this piece below wasn't so bad. I think I was being too hard on myself. I abandoned it because the corners that weren't attached had some windows. I suppose I could have filled it with putty or that spackle(?) substitute. Anyhow I am going to try a simpler approach that doesn't utilize as many seams and angles.

I have these pieces cut out and ready to go yet again. I combined pieces to make it somewhat simpler. The connection between those side pieces and that trapezoid is very fragile because of the bevels on one side. This is the 2nd or 3rd time cutting this particular shape.

I am not doing the details as windows or hollow textures on the trapezoid piece on the bottom. I intend to do a solid piece instead on top to add texture. The word of what the opposite of a window would be is eluding me.

 

[Spidermonkey60]

I have to re-do the inner front part of the chest as the pieces...they didn't make it...

Looking back - this piece below wasn't so bad. I think I was being too hard on myself. I abandoned it because the corners that weren't attached had some windows. I suppose I could have filled it with putty or that spackle(?) substitute. Anyhow I am going to try a simpler approach that doesn't utilize as many seams and angles.

View attachment 294670

I have these pieces cut out and ready to go yet again. I combined pieces to make it somewhat simpler. The connection between those side pieces and that trapezoid is very fragile because of the bevels on one side. This is the 2nd or 3rd time cutting this particular shape.

View attachment 294671

I am not doing the details as windows or hollow textures on the trapezoid piece on the bottom. I intend to do a solid piece instead on top to add texture. The word of what the opposite of a window would be is eluding me.

Those indented pieces on the trapezoid section, if you arent going to do them as a recessed piece, at least draw the shapes on the foam, and then using your xacto blade follow those lines. Only cut into the foam a little bit (not all the way through) once you hit the piece with a heat gun, the cuts will expand and look very nice as carved detail lines

so this is the piece im talking about

and this is what i mean by the lines will pop once you hit them

 

[scorch]

Those indented pieces on the trapezoid section, if you arent going to do them as a recessed piece, at least draw the shapes on the foam, and then using your xacto blade follow those lines. Only cut into the foam a little bit (not all the way through) once you hit the piece with a heat gun, the cuts will expand and look very nice as carved detail lines

so this is the piece im talking aboutView attachment 294672

and this is what i mean by the lines will pop once you hit them
View attachment 294673

Thank you for this very valuable advice. I will try this out, and that is incredible...!

Do you heat gun every surface once you have finished gluing constructing or only when you want details with this method?

 

[Spidermonkey60]

Thank you for this very valuable advice. I will try this out, and that is incredible...!

Do you heat gun every surface once you have finished gluing constructing or only when you want details with this method?

The whole thing, it helps to seal the foam

 

[scorch]

All these pieces need backing behind them which I am working on now but here is where I am at.

Version 1, 2, and 3 from the left to right respectively. I made a fresh set of stencils for these pieces.

Version 1 had 3 pieces of trim. The joints that were mountains between the trim were hard to get even so I didn't bother continuing

Version 2 used one solid piece of trim, but it was short at the ends, and I wasn't completely happy with the job I did gluing. Maybe it would be inconsequential in the end, but I wanted to try again. On version 2 I tried spider's suggestion of the light incisions, and heat gunned it to see what it would look like. I was actually very happy as I aw the details emerge - it really felt exciting. This is incredible. Thank you Spidermonkey60!

Here are the seams that I thought "I can do a bit better" on.

Here are the seams I felt better on:

Now I have to deliberate on how to approach the backing. I am thinking that the angles on the backing won't be 100% congruent to what it actually is. If I can get away with a slightly wider seam angle I will be happy.

 

[PlanetAlexander]

If you're having trouble with the angles, and don't mind... cheating... a bit, what I did with my marine backpack is just used hot glue to keep them in place. I was making my own patterns and couldn't get the bevel angles right, so I held the pieces in the right position and used hot glue to stick 'em together.

Don't forget with the seams, you can sand them smooth with the rotary tool and fill them in with something like gap filler (I hear Kwik seal is used a lot).