Making My First Armor For Halloween

[Hamstar]

With Halloween fast approaching I arrogantly thought I could crank out a quick set of GOW armor before it gets here.



After some reading up… and a lot of education, I thought it was best to change gears from being something pre-done, to something a little more original.



So I canned all of the drawings and cut-outs I had made

It didn’t take me long to figure out what to make, a death knight, or something along those lines.



It’s Monday, I go to work Thursday, and off again Monday… so I has 6 days to get this costume cranked.



Not much time to think about it… so I’ll show you where I’ve been, and where I’m at… work will continue on again Monday.



Also, while I’m working on this, I’m simultaneously working on the Cardinal guitar.



My first attempt was get a whoooooooole bunch of old newspapers

Make some homemade glue

And paper mache that sucker.



One forearm later I realized that I don’t have time for this noise.

Jen gave me a hand as I tried to make a plaster mold of my body

Which failed once it came off.



Alright…



Next I made a cardboard cutout of my chest

And fiberglassed it

It’s about as comfortable as listening in on your parents pillow talk.



Tick-tock the time is going…



With the failsauce that was the chest, I decided to cheat and bought this sporting thing (don’t ask me what it’s called) and started to build up the shoulders from there

And glassed the shoulders

Which after this next part was done, I realized I have to re-think… but more on that later.



I changed gears to what I think should be the hard part, the helm.



So with an old motorcycle helmet …

…and cut that sucker into bits

I’m going to focus on the head and go from there I think



So I start cutting out eye slots

I start building up the helm in cardstock

You’ll see the design changes a few times, mostly it’s trial and error



At one point I concluded that I needed a rig mount as the project was growing beyond my desk… so I made one

Mount in place, I continued to build up

(you can see part of the guitar I’m working on in there lol)

Let the glassing begin…

Set and dried, the next layer goes down…

After that dries comes the “fun” layer.



This layer is fun because the lovely Jen helped me as we shredded up fiberglass sheets into thin strips and then I tore the fibers apart to make this rough “hair” looking stuff…

On layer 4 of the “hair” (set & cure between layers)

…and it’s shredding my chem. gloves… as well as my hands

But by layer 5 it’s where I want to be

When dry I start cutting like an emo on prom night, and then start applying the base flat black

I then start working in my silver range, my copper/gold range, and then some green and black highlights… after brushing in the colors I get my desired effect

The camera really doesn’t do it justice



With the helm down, I start on the shins… no reason in particular to go there and not the arms… I guess that the backpart was near my hands at the time.



So I bought these shin things

And after I cut off a bit at the base to give a better travel.



Now these are going to be glassed, but this is impact ABS style plastic, and therefore the glass appliance my break off easily/cleanly.



To prevent this I drilled AP screws into them as anchorage points.

And then I went with a random glass sheet layout carefully glassing the screws planes in the process.

Once the glass cured, I cut off the excess screws (at random heights) so that I could start building up the appliance detail.



I then made a rough skull shape, and then banded the top of it to make a 3-D shape, and spent the next few hours sculpting that shape in hot glue

A few layers of black… and then again with brushing in the colors the first shin looks like this

With time being as short as it is, that’s where I’m at currently.



Soooo much more to do in such a short period of time.



This is my very first attempt at making anything armor or armor related, so it’s a lot of trial, error, error, more errors, trial again, errors, rinse repeat.



I know it wont be perfect, but it’s a first attempt in a very short period of time, and of the 4 or 5 trick or treaters we expect to get, I don’t think they’ll complain when they get a bagful of candy from the weird dude with this huge bobblehead looking costume on

 

[teletron1]

It looks scary as hell . I like the details your adding . Might wanna sand some of those sharp areas down to give it a more finished look . For a scratch build it gets a 4out of 5 in my book considering how short a timeframe you have & what you're working with . cutting the helmet was a good idea .(hands you a box of band-aids)

 

[Gaza cee]

that looks awesome so far, keep us posted.



I really like that helm.



- Gaza

 

[mrdeth0]

Where exactly is this from? Looks familiar, but I cant pin it down.

 

[Hamstar]

the vast majority of it is based off of the knight I drew for the tattoo on my leg



webwise I stole elements from this pic

and this one

I'm thinking about stealing chest ideas from this one (when I get around to making it)

 

[ZackyPanic]

Wow. Truth be told, I in no way expected the transition from the first couple attempts to where you are currently.



That's pretty awesome for a touch-and-go on the spot project, you really MUST post more pictures of progress along the way, and if you finish in time - the end product in use.

 

[Sniperbaas]

Bloody amazing! At first the helm reminded me of the one that Sauron wore in LOTR, but now it has evolved into something truly frightening. If I saw you lurking outside someone's bushes on Haloween, I'd probably flip out something sharp and back away very very quickly....

Nice job though



Cheers!

 

[Spartan 343]

That is BEAST. I love the way the fiberglass gives it an awesome texture. Almost like Venom from spiderman.



Keep it up man, you are doing great!!

 

[bobbio555]

Bloody amazing! At first the helm reminded me of the one that Sauron wore in LOTR, but now it has evolved into something truly frightening. If I saw you lurking outside someone's bushes on Haloween, I'd probably flip out something sharp and back away very very quickly....

Nice job though



Cheers!

Me too, except without the "o", and the "u" and the LOTR.

AKA, Saren from mass effect

 

[Liq]

I ain't gonna lie... I was planning on coming in here and getting ready to do the "why did you wait one week away to do this" speech, but I just can't. This is an AWESOME idea, and it has pretty much inspired me to do a scratch build dk set of sorts. I would LOVE to see what you could do with this get up if you had say a month or two.



GREAT work, and kudos to you! it will be awesome when completed.

 

[jurgenp1]

man thats realy scary. looking great.

 

[Hamstar]

That's pretty awesome for a touch-and-go on the spot project

Thanks!



I wish I had found this site before now, you all have such amazing insight and ideas put into practice that had I have been here sooner, there would be a night and day difference to where I would be with this…



But this is my first project for armor… my next will be much more informed, and I hope a lot better!

Bloody amazing! At first the helm reminded me of the one that Sauron wore in LOTR…

I didn’t even think of looking at LOTR! Wish I would have now that you mention it! I loved his armor!

That is BEAST. I love the way the fiberglass gives it an awesome texture. Almost like Venom from spiderman.

This was actually a practiced method believe it or not.



A couple of years ago I took a commission to make a “Venom Guitar” where I did a sculpture on the guitar combining a toy from Walmart and hot glue

On an funny note; he hated it and I ended up doing a simple paintjob

… Saren from mass effect…

I’ve never played that game… I’ve owned it once (never opened it), ended up giving it to a friend who wanted it, but couldn’t afford it at the time.



I may have to re-buy it and play it myself, that character looks awesome!

I ain't gonna lie... I was planning on coming in here and getting ready to do the "why did you wait one week away to do this" speech, but I just can't. This is an AWESOME idea, and it has pretty much inspired me to do a scratch build dk set of sorts. I would LOVE to see what you could do with this get up if you had say a month or two.



GREAT work, and kudos to you! it will be awesome when completed.

I’ve actually been hitting myself with that for a while



Jen and I were married on Halloween, and LAST YEAR I wanted to make my Klingon uniform (I was a Klingon for our wedding).



Life happened and the time went by without me making my armor.



Then I was going to do a tribute to Andy Hallett who played Lorne

Jen hated all of the work in last years costume (not the costume itself)

(I made that out of hot glue and newspaper)



This gives me the experience to work on her armor, so it really works out



Thanks everyone for the awesome comments and feedback!

 

[Hamstar]

When does a project become a mission?



Let’s debrief…



I finished out the next shin and threw some base color on it.

While that cured, I bought some gloves

And added a light glassing to them so that I could attach armor pieces

While that cured I hacked up some guards

And sewed them together with crafting wire

It was mentioned that the helm looked “Mass Effect Inspired”, so I went out and bought the game… and to be funny, incorporated it into the armor in a more literal sense.

I hacked up the case and used it to square out the bracer a bit

Matched out the other side

Then I cut out a couple of skull shapes, and over the next forever hours… sculpted out a bracer to my liking

Added a base

Then the other side

I started on the boots while that cured

CD wallet now full as I started to destroy Xbox cases, I changed sites to the shoulders, testing the extension.

Do like… so lets doll it up a bit with some impact guards



I cut out a skull shape in poster board, then duct taped it in place

Cut my fiberglass cloth

Resined it for an under coat to make a hard base

Once hard I then cloth base glassed it

Then another coat of resin to strengthen

After curing it was back on my desk for placement of the next shoulder and to hand singing in pain hours of sculpting…

Being night now, I’m glassing it in the basement (to the Joy of Jen and Amy)

While side 2 gets the hard base, side 1 gets a base

A very long time ago when I learned how to glass I was given crap about too much resin and how if I bagged it… it would make me spend all day sanding.



But I want crazy lines and texture!



So I’m cheating with the resin to knock several tedious hours of sculpting off… I boogered that sucker up with a ton of overly mixed resin and bagged that sucker… then I played around with squirting even more resin in and textured it in the bag.



The pic does it no justice!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand sculpt

So the gloves… RUINED!



I over saturated them, it was like a hand sculpture.



A new “new” pair of gloves later, I decided to go a better route. I boarded, hardened, sculpted

Based out

Heres it gripping

Remember that front I made? Cut it down, and now to place

Chevron 1 locked in place, I then start forming the back plate

While the hard base sets, I drop a base coat on the other shoulder, and start to dash in black into the cloth with spray paint

Back hardened, I then glass the hell out of it… I’m talking 4 sheets thick of glass as this is load bearing.

I was a Klingon for my wedding… and I decided to put a Klingon armor spine to the back as a meaningful gesture… there was entirely too much thought put into this, just going to throw that out there.

And I’ve officially outgrown the desk based model tree that I made for the helmet… it’s time to pull out the 2x’s and start making an all new base

Now to marry the back to the shoulders.

This is load bearing, so there are some decent bolts used.



Beyond tired, I forget to take pics of the cardboard chest… or the hardening base.



I did snap off a glassing shot

There are several glassing session in that image. There’s a lot of structure made there to support the top, and there’s a belt path (I forgot to mention I pathed out the back as well).



While the back cured I laid out my paint arsenal

And worked out the right “recipe” for color



Which gave me time to glass the front of the chest and use the plastic boogering up technique I’ve come to appreciate so very, very much at this point.

Time to bring the texture home…

I know I’m skipping a whole heck of a lot of steps, but it’s still an awfully long update despite it



Back painted…

Sides

Chest glass final

I sacrificed one of my new pairs of BDU’s (tear) and yes, I painted them

After almost falling asleep working on it… I managed to finish sculpting out the chest and based it

Mounts for the chest created & bolted

I’m level 50, so a quick pop by city hall for the cape mish

Cut and detailed the chest

And I finally get to put it on to test!!



Insert iceburg to dampen the hell outta this pleasure cruise.



I’m suited up… walking… CRAAAACK



The ski boots… BROKE!!

But I leave for the office in 23 minutes!!!!



A suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupper quick fix

Bolt bolt… rivet rivet…

paint paint and out the door I go



I pulled up to the office with 20 min to suit up just smelling of paint.



I get on the main floor, and the other boot fails, breaks and that was that. So tonight when I get home I have to make some new footwear.



And that’s where I’m at.



That’s right… all those pics and the important one of me wearing it not to be had.



Well not tonight at any rate.



to be concluded…

 

[Hamstar]

I’m sorry for neglecting to post what happened with the armor, all the effort I put into it, and the day fell apart, our anniversary went significantly not as planned. I was so heart broken/crushed that I didn’t even bother uploading pics of me in the armor I created for that day.



The thing is that I never put the armor on for our anniversary and the only pic I have of me in it was when I was at the office and not in full makeup or anything.



it was a half assed threw on the basic parts thing and not me in costume.



Here is a pic taken of me in the costume at work…

At the office I made it up to my desk before those ski boots gave out, which is why I’m in my standard combat boot in the shot.



This is what they looked like semi-assembled when I got home

The pic was on the 30th… and after work I rushed home and started working on the boot issue in time for Halloween day/night.



I pulled out my most favorite pair of $#!T kickers, and Dremel-Jay… then started cutting on the boots to beat hell.

I then took the parts and attached them to my shoes with pop rivets, hot glue, fiberglass resin, and irritation.



I double deuced the hot glue guns and just as a tribute to the boot that broke, I made one slightly crooked… you can only tell if you look at the top, but I twisted it until it got to the uncomfortable point, ratcheted it back a ¼ twist and put that sucker there.



I like to put meaning into my work.



Here’s the raw shot of the “boots”

I based them out in black

Then I did a detail to each to match the rest of the armor

I put them on, ran up and down the stairs in them… they were so much more comfortable than the ski boots… but then again they are now based out of my favorite pair of Columbia hiking shoes, so I guess they would be.



Now at this point some of you know how very horrible things went, and although at this point the costume is ready for Halloween night… it was never worn and the story should end there.



But this armor is one comment from having life breathed back into it.



At home and in between coats of paint on the Cardinal guitar, I asked myself what I disliked the most about the armor… and it’s the helmet. I’m gonna junk it, or if someone in MN wants it before I throw it away…



I pulled out some stock and started drawing angles.

And then I start making a mockup helm based off of the shape of my head and not some ancient motorcycle helmet.

I started to build up off of it

Hated it, and cut it back down…

Then tossed it.



No, this isn’t right… that looked like some sort of bastardized autobot… and the motorcycle one that I built was accused of looking like a bionic something or other.



This thing is supposed to fit me.



I have a skull theme thing going, and why am I looking to examples online??



Screw that, I suck at it, I’m going to scratch it… I take out a caliper and start working out where my eyes and nose are…

I start drawing a bit more off of that

Bear in mind that I’m running up and down the stairs at this point painting on a guitar and making this thing in between.



Sparing the blanks and the failures we’ll move straight to mocking…



After I’ve made a helm that has juuuuuust enough room for padding, I then clothed it out

What you may or may not have noticed is the jaw.



The jaw conforms to my jaw. It goes in, but since it goes in if I glass it I can never get it over my huge melon, so instead I built the jaw out of hot glue.



The jaw is flexible and will allow me to get the helm on, yet based out so it’s ridged enough to hold shape.



I thought it was clever



And then I started glassing

Now this is where I’m at as of this posting.