ODST Visor Material Suggestions
- Thread starter Amikas117
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FoxtrotZero
Jr Member
I've never actually done it myself, but I think there are three common ways to make visors.
The first is to get a motorcycle visor. This works for a lot of helmets and not for others. I don't think I've seen this one done for ODSTs, because of the strange, characteristic shape of their visor.
The second is to get a vacuum-formed one, either by doing it yourself (as I understand it, making a vacform rig isn't that complicated, but it is some involved engineering and it's sure not worth it for a single visor) or by buying one someone has made (I think there are some guys out there who sell them for fairly reasonable prices, but I haven't done the research myself).
The last is to make it yourself out of some sort of heavy duty plastic, I think styrene is the most common solution (but I don't know much about plastics, so don't take that at face value). This can be done, generally speaking, by either heating and bending it (which might not work so well given the complex shape) or cutting it into a number of flat pieces and joining them (but I'm not sure if there's a reliable way of epoxying/melting together the pieces).
The last two options may or may not be done with pre-tinted/coloured plastic. Applying a sheet of tint to plastic, or a sheet of reflective/iridium material, is a possibility and, if done correctly, looks very good. Hopefully someone with more experience will sweep through and have something to say.
The first is to get a motorcycle visor. This works for a lot of helmets and not for others. I don't think I've seen this one done for ODSTs, because of the strange, characteristic shape of their visor.
The second is to get a vacuum-formed one, either by doing it yourself (as I understand it, making a vacform rig isn't that complicated, but it is some involved engineering and it's sure not worth it for a single visor) or by buying one someone has made (I think there are some guys out there who sell them for fairly reasonable prices, but I haven't done the research myself).
The last is to make it yourself out of some sort of heavy duty plastic, I think styrene is the most common solution (but I don't know much about plastics, so don't take that at face value). This can be done, generally speaking, by either heating and bending it (which might not work so well given the complex shape) or cutting it into a number of flat pieces and joining them (but I'm not sure if there's a reliable way of epoxying/melting together the pieces).
The last two options may or may not be done with pre-tinted/coloured plastic. Applying a sheet of tint to plastic, or a sheet of reflective/iridium material, is a possibility and, if done correctly, looks very good. Hopefully someone with more experience will sweep through and have something to say.
Worbla has their transparent plastic that seemed like they would be good for visors. You just heat it and form it to the shape you want, and it can be tinted. Though it looks like it will work better if you put it on top of something the shape you want it to be, in which case you would need a form in the shape of the visor you're making. I've seen a few reviews of the stuff that looked like they worked out okay, but it's fairly new and I haven't used it myself.
Cpl Shepard
Member
I'm going to warn you about the motorcycle visors. I've used mirrored blue iridium before, and while the effect looks very nice, trying to shape the halves for the unique ODST shape will cause minor melt that blurs vision. I wouldn't recommend it for the price over making a Vac-formed visor.
Cpl Shepard
Member
If you're working on a new ODST suit, I can't recommend this enough:
http://www.evike.com/products/31579/
I used this vest to mount my own set(the front collar comes off), it's a great base for the ODST armor, and the shoulders can shift freely so you're not stiff trying to move around.
FoxtrotZero
Jr Member
I like the look of that MOLLE vest. If I ever get that far into my ODST build, I might consider buying one. It would give a good support structure, as well as a good bulky underarmour look (without having to wrap my torso in 1/2in EVA foam). It has a full back, which the ODSTs don't quite, but I might end up wearing a backpack of some sort, anyway. Might have to slap the big shoulder pads on myself, too. Not bad, though.
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