RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pics)

[JayOneSeven]

Wonderfully detailed and neat peps. Keep it up! :]

 

[RobotChicken]

Thanks for the comments!

The details are great! I can't wait to see how you will manage to not cover them with the bondo (I'm using it for the first time and I'm having a lot of trouble not covering details...)

I've worked with Bondo before (in its intended usage - car bodywork) and although that's a much larger scale than costume armor it still takes some care to achieve the proper contours. I've also used it to smooth out my Gene Simmons spiked armor and dragon platform boots from "Creatures Of The Night" (I'd post a photo, but this one's storage box is currently buried in the garage and I've yet to track down the pics of me wearing it.) Scaling the Bondo down even further yet for this build shouldn't be much more difficult than using filler putty with scale plastic models, and since I don't settle for mediocre I'm confident the armor will turn out very nice.

I'm nearly finished with custom replacement gauntlet detail and a tutorial (my first!) to go along with it. It's slowed down quite a bit at the moment because the priority right now is getting Steve built from Minecraft for this year's Halloween. Awesomeness is coming here soon though...

 

[RYNO 666]

These details are brilliant!

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

 

[RobotChicken]

Temporarily going on an off-topic tangent here to show why no updates are occurring on the Master Chief build. I have two days to finish skinning the legs and backside of the torso, and add foam and strapping to the legs. Blue tulle was added to a licensed Steve mask and the inside headrest is lined with foam for a comfortable fit (now Steve actually turns his head when my son turns his head, rather than my son's head turning inside a stationary mask). The headrest is also glued in place at the correct height inside the mask for it to sit slightly above the torso. The torso is spit into front and back halves and connected with quick-release clips. Arms are lined with foam and a hole will be cut for inserting a pickaxe so it's held in place the way Steve holds it in the game. It's coming along quite well and the kid is thrilled at how it's looking thus far. The pieces are all made from double-thickness cardboard for strength, laminated with with colored cardstock. (I had suggested making the torso using cardboard from a large wind machine box so he could keep cool, but he thought that joke was only slightly funny.)

 

[GreatLuster44]

nice work place and you looking up a lot about the armor to.

 

[Carpathia]

Nice work on Steve! I did something similar for my daughter...

Unfortunately, it's looking like it's going to be raining tomorrow night, so she may not get to wear it out (running ink!).

 

[RobotChicken]

Nice work on Steve! I did something similar for my daughter...

I saw that in another thread (I think the Halloween Spirit one) and my son and I think it turned out well (but we think that walking in the Creeper will be about as fun as my son's "tin soldier" walk in his Steve legs - maybe she'll hop like the Creepers do in the game). We had rain all day Monday, but it's forecasted to be clear on Thursday, so luckily Steve won't end up with a polka-dotted outfit from raindrops. My plan was to coat all the pieces with outdoor Mod Podge so they'd be water resistant and more durable against wear & tear, but the stuff takes 72 hours to dry so that's just not an option anymore now. We may still coat the pieces later. Steve was built from start to finish in about 2 weeks. Will post another photo later with it all together (the candy container is a Minecraft pumpkin/jack-o-lantern with an open top).

 

[Carpathia]

My daughter's legs stick out the bottom of the creeper costume, so it looks like the creeper is floating a bit, but she has full range of movement with her legs. She can even go up and down stairs in it. Unfortunately, it's supposed to be raining all day Halloween here, so we may not get out at all. She got to wear it to school, so she's gotten some use out of it. I hope your son likes his costume and has a good time!

 

[RobotChicken]

With no knee joints he wasn't at all a quick trick-or-treater, but he was by far the most popular everywhere he went. Cars were even stopping to take photos of him. The fame and attention were enjoyed and he had a great night. Now it's time for me to get back to work on Master Chief.

 

[Nicktendo]

Hey RobotChicken,

Just wanted to say "Wow." You're doing really exceptional work here. I've scrapped/restarted my build about a half dozen times, and every couple years I wonder back to the forums and convince myself that this time I'll finish! It's things like your attention to detail that make me want to dust off the ol' Xacto and get back to work.

Really looking forward to future updates. Cheers!

EDIT: So I've read through this thread 2 or 3 more times, and I'd like to inquire about this mat board you're using. I've used "illustration board" before, and it was basically a really thick (1.5-2mm?) paper. Care to divulge any details on what you use? Thickness? Place of purchase? I'm just looking into a variety of possibilities. Thanks.

 

[RobotChicken]

I'd like to inquire about this mat board you're using.

Hey, thanks for the kind words. Since my work is all still in the pep stage, I'm left very humbled when comparing it against other builds further along than mine and hope my finished pieces end up looking as good as what other people here have completed. I've been cooking up something special for the next update and it's got me all eager to get it done and uploaded.

Mat board is the actual name of what I use. It's normally used with picture framing for placing a decorative border inside the frame and around the photo(s). Like when there are several photos in one frame, they're often each mounted behind a single mat board with cutouts for each picture. It sounds like your "illustration board" is the same stuff. Mat board is about 1.5mm thick and comprised of several layers of paper (like plywood board in carpentry). It's usually available anywhere picture framing is done or the supplies are sold. This includes Wal-Mart, Target, K-mart, ShopKo, Jo-Ann's, Craft Warehouse, Michael's, etc. You might even find some in a second-hand thrift shop for considerably less money. The department stores tend to stock only pre-cut mats intended for framing. They would work if you needed only a small amount of material, but since I expected to maybe use a lot and wanted the option of larger pieces, I bought a 24"x36" sheet of white at our local Michael's for $14.99 and so far I've used only a small amount of it (here's a link to the product I'm using: http://www.michaels.com/24%22-x-36%22-Matboard/fr0725,default,pd.html). I cut it by hand with X-acto knife and metal straightedge, and it glues just like cardstock. To get rounded beveled edges like the recessed lines I added to the crescent inset on the gauntlets I used a single-direction sweeping motion of the mat board's edge over a piece of fine-grit sandpaper. The stuff is easy to work with until you make very small or narrow parts which then tend to have the multiple paper layers start separating. I simply glue them back together with Elmer's.

 

[Nicktendo]

Mat board is the actual name of what I use...

Hey, thanks for such a comprehensive answer. I'm in a place where I've got to order most of my supplies, as transportation is limited. The thing about ordering stuff is the description does not always match the product!

I've been cooking up something special for the next update and it's got me all eager to get it done and uploaded.

Looking forward to it!

 

[RobotChicken]

The thing about ordering stuff is the description does not always match the product!

The link I gave is presumably the same stuff I bought in their store. It's just plain uncut mat board.

 

[Jester19]

This is a fantastic build so far. Your craftsmanship and skill clearly show through in each piece. And then there's the scale. Its pretty astonishing when all taken together. I'm also very impressed when a builder such as yourself is able to go back and change the model & pep to better reflect what they're trying to create. That's a skill set that's currently outside my reach.

I'm a novice to the art of pep and costume building in general and I appreciate the time and effort that go into the detailed walk-through posts. It gives me some ideas for how I plan on changing things as I continue building. While I plan on sticking with the basics as I build my first helmet, I'm intrigued with the thought of using mat board to reinforce the model in places and to add detail in others.

I've seen others mention using white glue for their peps vs hot glue. I've used hot glue on mine so far and the results have been pretty decent; what benefits do you find using white glue? Beyond the obvious one of the ability to glue small pieces such as the ones you're working on, of course...

Keep up the great work!

 

[RobotChicken]

Thanks!

I also plan to use mat board on the helmet for raised details, recessed details, and reinforcement (particularly in the flat brim where so many people have problems with warping and symmetry).

I like white glue because it's designed for paper, costs much less than hot glue sticks, doesn't cause bumpy uneven joints, doesn't create those dang stringers everywhere, I don't have to wait for a glue gun to heat up, no fingertip blisters, dries hard instead of rubbery, and most importantly, will not cause a gummy crap edge when filing the corners smooth after hardening. Yes, the raised areas (including glued edges) get knocked down with a file before adding Bondo, and filing through the paper into a glue joint (Rondo on the inside, of course) will cause problems with the rubbery hot glue exposed. When gluing paper, and especially if sanding/filing into the glue seams, I would use white glue, wood glue, or superglue. I don't use superglue because the price-per-ounce is WAY higher than with white glue and I always seem to get it all over my fingers. White glue on my fingers just wipes off (or peels right off after drying).

Hope that helps.

 

[RobotChicken]

Despite a lot of other things screaming for attention from me right now, progress still crawls along with the gauntlet detailing. I'm currently at the last phase, engineering their attachment to the armor (taking into account stepped detail lines which will interact with the part's edges)...

I sure will be thankful when these parts are done!

(Eventually the server will not be "too [damned] busy at the moment" and I'll actually be able to submit this!)

 

[HaloGoddess]

AAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA LOL

Glad to see I am NOT the only one that is SO ANAL about detail! I had people that were frustrated with me years ago becuase I would point out tiny details that a pep piece is missing and I was constantly pointing out what was missing, what didn't look right and what needed to be changed AND I would show reference pictures to prove my point! LOL

I also find it funny that we are both using the 12" McFarlane Halo figure for reference. Don't know if you have one, but I have even looked at my Halo Kotobukiya statue for reference too and there are minor differences between that and the McFarlane figure. I honestly think the McFarlane figure has better detail references to work from though. I also have that book and have used it too.

Too bad we aren't nearby each other because then we could go parading around in our super hi-def Halo costumes. The only difference is, I am making mine super detailed out of foam and I am making the Hayabusa armor. hehe

I also know exactly how you feel about that section on the forearm. That drove me crazy too. XD Also, you might notice it when you get to it, but the hi-def version of the thigh is wrong too. I've already had to custom build some parts. Can't wait to see what else you come up with.

 

[RobotChicken]

Thanks - I had a whole long reply typed but (again) it got lost during yet another damned "The server is too busy at the moment. Please try again later." error. This is really getting out of control. I would never accept this kind of performance from my own site if I was administrating one. (I must try harder to remember copying my form text before attempting to post...)

 

[Dorvack]

Post deleted.

 

[RobotChicken]

Who knew chicken went so well with whine...?

I'm vegetarian and don't drink alcohol. (I presume you enjoy this site's increasing lack of accessibility....) This thread does not exist for me. I'd be building the costume with or without a build thread because it's for my son, not for the 405th. I simply thought other people might enjoy seeing detail taken to an extreme. I'm guessing that if you spent 25 minutes typing up a post and had it vanish when trying to submit it due to a site problem occurring more and more frequently, you might "whine" a little bit too.