0235
Active Member
well. this project is done. and i have learnt alot, and i mean alot. i am now a GRP expert at uni, and i can now be in a romm filled with solvents and not get dizzy.
while my armour is quite low quality compared to most peoples armour (and it took longer than most people) i enjoyed making it, and everyone else who i know has no idea how good everyone elses armour is, so thats good. there are some pics here of me at a party wearing it (a few days after it was 100% complete, and the picture of the AR shows why i didnt resin it.
there is someone behing me (thats why my shoulder looks a bit odd) this shot was very lucky, and taken my someone dresses as Pvt Joker from FMJ (lol, he was the photographer) as the visor looks gold and reflective. in fact they are just yellow lenses from sun glasses, and they only look gold because of my face. the light on the AR works (and most people we fascinated by that) and my armour was surprisingly comfortable, i could even sit down.
another full body shot. as you can see, no boots (well, just plain boots) i never got round to doing them and it had snowed outside, so i couldnt have worn them. the guy in the background is RAF, an ex cadet (it was a cadet disco). it was odd that most of the older people were more wowed by my armour than the younger people eho simply though that i had bought if from ebay. the yout of today, no apreciation (lol, sarcastic, im still youth)
me, from behind, whith pegobear, eating food.
i didnt want to eat or drink ANYTHING that night, becase if i needed the toilet, i would have been screwed.
AAAAND FINNALY!
THIS is why i didnt resin the gun.
EVERYONE wanted a piece of the action. everyone wanted to run around with it and shoot each other, even one person dressed as a cowboy, who had a gun, couldnt stay away (thank god i didnt take my g36...) this guy was the only person who took an care with it (the only person who knew i was building it there) and thats why i didnt resin it.
i knew it was going to get sat on, if it had been fora con then yes, i would have resined it, and GRP'd it, but it was for a party, with younger people and it was inevitable that it would get broken, and it was even st on (not even GRP would have taken that) but it served its purpose. i had a ggrand entry, including a shopping bag of food, and it was fun.
the only problem i had was the arms. i used velcro / hook and loop to attatch them directly to my coveralls / overalls / boiler suit and while the velcro held, the glue i used to attatch the velcro to the shoulder piece didnt, so by the end of the night, with my body heat and the heat of the building, they wouldnt stick properly.
on another funny note some of the comments i got were "you should sell this, make more, sell it etc" "can you respray that green camo, and you can be a bad guy for our next training exercise" and, when i forgot to wear my helm on final parade "soldier, where is your head dress!"
now, the advice bit. while my armour isnt the best and it would probarbly be better to go to other people for advice, here are a few tips for da noobz
-HD pepe files. while they may look daunting and scary, use them. even if you make it in low rez to get the scale, then use HD ones later. it will save ALOT of time afterwards when sanding and forming. i used low res. my stuff sucks
- make sure you are right. this may be a bitt odd but im just not right to be a spartan, im too thin, and too short, my arms are narrow and my hips wide, i just dont look the part. if you want armour, granted. make some, but if you want to be THE chief, you might be a bit dissapointed
-MOUSE SANDER!!!! or an electric sander. sand paper sucks balls. it takes ages and hurts your hands. for a low low price you can pick up a small "mouse" sander. it will make your life very very easy.
- there is a reason to use car body filler. i said "no im using wall filler". it cracked. car body filler is more flexible, and easier to sand.
- time. remember the clocks. give yourself time and schedule. i started in the summer of 2010, early summer, i just keps saying "the next day" until poof, it was winter and i couldnt do anything (well, i brough a heater and used a garage, but that cost alot)
- fibreglass is a gift from the heavens. but like most gifts all they want to do is make your journey there that bit quicker. resin n fibreglass. DO NOT DO IT IN YOUR ROOM (like i did). no more needs to be said
- be proud. its simple. i look at my stiff and though "that sucks" but when everyone was saying nice things i realised, hell im comparing myself to AceNat, no wonder my stuff looks ****. just be positive and look on the bright side, such as I HAVE FREAKING ARMOUR XD
- be creative. while there are no a-z guides or instructions, there are many different ways to do armour. i chose the simpleset shortest ones, and i was punished for my lack of imagination, though when it came to the paint job i though that green was too bland, lets go for arctic camo (a bit like Sgt forge from halo wars) and was rewarded for my creativity
- make a gun. that AR took me 2 days from pepto finish. yes there was no resin or bondo / rondo / GRP, that would have made it 3, but EVERY spartan needs a weapon, and if you have a few days spare before the big day of nerdy gathering, make a quick weapon, so you dont look silly and naked. in the words of the chief "i need a weapon"
- cheap spray paint is just as good. i see no difference between the local wilkinsons gloss to high end wilko gloss (confused, they are different shops) except the wilkinsons takes longer to dry, but you leave it 2 hours anyway! cheap spray also goes a long way. they are usiualy in bigger cans. and just like GRP, do it outside and wear a mask.
- EVA foam. look at my legs, the inside, strange huh, what is that, well its EVA foam! they are floor mats and the most amazing thing ever. they are soft, shapable, and look JUST like the inside parts, no more hard pieces griding tnto the tender area, just soft foam.
i actually stole that idea from AceNAt when she was doing her Kat armour. most people were so impressed they looked over the fact that she had used the floor mats. i will always recomend them
if there is anything to take away from this little reant like help sections its definately EVA foam and make a gun in 2-3 days.
this is spartan 235, signing out.
while my armour is quite low quality compared to most peoples armour (and it took longer than most people) i enjoyed making it, and everyone else who i know has no idea how good everyone elses armour is, so thats good. there are some pics here of me at a party wearing it (a few days after it was 100% complete, and the picture of the AR shows why i didnt resin it.
there is someone behing me (thats why my shoulder looks a bit odd) this shot was very lucky, and taken my someone dresses as Pvt Joker from FMJ (lol, he was the photographer) as the visor looks gold and reflective. in fact they are just yellow lenses from sun glasses, and they only look gold because of my face. the light on the AR works (and most people we fascinated by that) and my armour was surprisingly comfortable, i could even sit down.
another full body shot. as you can see, no boots (well, just plain boots) i never got round to doing them and it had snowed outside, so i couldnt have worn them. the guy in the background is RAF, an ex cadet (it was a cadet disco). it was odd that most of the older people were more wowed by my armour than the younger people eho simply though that i had bought if from ebay. the yout of today, no apreciation (lol, sarcastic, im still youth)
me, from behind, whith pegobear, eating food.
i didnt want to eat or drink ANYTHING that night, becase if i needed the toilet, i would have been screwed.
AAAAND FINNALY!
THIS is why i didnt resin the gun.
EVERYONE wanted a piece of the action. everyone wanted to run around with it and shoot each other, even one person dressed as a cowboy, who had a gun, couldnt stay away (thank god i didnt take my g36...) this guy was the only person who took an care with it (the only person who knew i was building it there) and thats why i didnt resin it.
i knew it was going to get sat on, if it had been fora con then yes, i would have resined it, and GRP'd it, but it was for a party, with younger people and it was inevitable that it would get broken, and it was even st on (not even GRP would have taken that) but it served its purpose. i had a ggrand entry, including a shopping bag of food, and it was fun.
the only problem i had was the arms. i used velcro / hook and loop to attatch them directly to my coveralls / overalls / boiler suit and while the velcro held, the glue i used to attatch the velcro to the shoulder piece didnt, so by the end of the night, with my body heat and the heat of the building, they wouldnt stick properly.
on another funny note some of the comments i got were "you should sell this, make more, sell it etc" "can you respray that green camo, and you can be a bad guy for our next training exercise" and, when i forgot to wear my helm on final parade "soldier, where is your head dress!"
now, the advice bit. while my armour isnt the best and it would probarbly be better to go to other people for advice, here are a few tips for da noobz
-HD pepe files. while they may look daunting and scary, use them. even if you make it in low rez to get the scale, then use HD ones later. it will save ALOT of time afterwards when sanding and forming. i used low res. my stuff sucks
- make sure you are right. this may be a bitt odd but im just not right to be a spartan, im too thin, and too short, my arms are narrow and my hips wide, i just dont look the part. if you want armour, granted. make some, but if you want to be THE chief, you might be a bit dissapointed
-MOUSE SANDER!!!! or an electric sander. sand paper sucks balls. it takes ages and hurts your hands. for a low low price you can pick up a small "mouse" sander. it will make your life very very easy.
- there is a reason to use car body filler. i said "no im using wall filler". it cracked. car body filler is more flexible, and easier to sand.
- time. remember the clocks. give yourself time and schedule. i started in the summer of 2010, early summer, i just keps saying "the next day" until poof, it was winter and i couldnt do anything (well, i brough a heater and used a garage, but that cost alot)
- fibreglass is a gift from the heavens. but like most gifts all they want to do is make your journey there that bit quicker. resin n fibreglass. DO NOT DO IT IN YOUR ROOM (like i did). no more needs to be said
- be proud. its simple. i look at my stiff and though "that sucks" but when everyone was saying nice things i realised, hell im comparing myself to AceNat, no wonder my stuff looks ****. just be positive and look on the bright side, such as I HAVE FREAKING ARMOUR XD
- be creative. while there are no a-z guides or instructions, there are many different ways to do armour. i chose the simpleset shortest ones, and i was punished for my lack of imagination, though when it came to the paint job i though that green was too bland, lets go for arctic camo (a bit like Sgt forge from halo wars) and was rewarded for my creativity
- make a gun. that AR took me 2 days from pepto finish. yes there was no resin or bondo / rondo / GRP, that would have made it 3, but EVERY spartan needs a weapon, and if you have a few days spare before the big day of nerdy gathering, make a quick weapon, so you dont look silly and naked. in the words of the chief "i need a weapon"
- cheap spray paint is just as good. i see no difference between the local wilkinsons gloss to high end wilko gloss (confused, they are different shops) except the wilkinsons takes longer to dry, but you leave it 2 hours anyway! cheap spray also goes a long way. they are usiualy in bigger cans. and just like GRP, do it outside and wear a mask.
- EVA foam. look at my legs, the inside, strange huh, what is that, well its EVA foam! they are floor mats and the most amazing thing ever. they are soft, shapable, and look JUST like the inside parts, no more hard pieces griding tnto the tender area, just soft foam.
i actually stole that idea from AceNAt when she was doing her Kat armour. most people were so impressed they looked over the fact that she had used the floor mats. i will always recomend them
if there is anything to take away from this little reant like help sections its definately EVA foam and make a gun in 2-3 days.
this is spartan 235, signing out.
