Samus Varia Suit [noob build] WIP

[PepperChip]

Hello everyone.
This is my first armour related posting!

Now, to put a long story short, for the last few years I've been trying to make Samus Aran's Varia suit armour. After getting a little ways into with using chickenwire, I discovered pepakura, foam and found this awesome forum!
Truly, you guys have awoken the creativity in me that has been slumbering for some time through your own artistic wonders!
I know it's not Halo related (though it's on my list!) but you guys are the nicest, most-accepting, armour-related forum I have found.

And cutting to the chase:
Rather than go back to square one with the work i've done on my helmet, i'm going to patch 'er up with papermache to give it form, then try wacking some bondo-stuff on it.
Helmet:

I had made the starters of Samus' chest plate in chickenwire - which no longer fits as well as it did... I'm going to use it's dimensions as the basis for a foam template.
One thing I will be keeping is my styrofoam ball shoulders. I love those suckers. I've got to find the pokey-uppy-bits for them though [have moved house 5 times in the last year and a half and things have gotten lost -_-]
Like so:
Front/Side Image
and
Back View

Which brings me to now, having just found the type of foam I need.
This is my workspace:

I have no time limit for this project, as I've gone past my own deadlines countless times already.
I'm not sure on whether or not to try and incorporate LEDs into the suit - I have very little knowledge of what I would need to do - but there are many helpful tutorials about.


At this stage I'm getting patterns and what-not ready from scratch.
I hope to have some more current progress pictures very soon!

 

[KeXun]

seems like a good start

 

[Revenant1988]

I would go easy on the bondo. It is very heavy and brittle and is generally not a good idea to coat an entire piece in it. I do have the Samus Helmet pepakura file if you would like it. I think it would be a better use of your time to be honest, but that is just my opinion. I'd send you to the place I found it at, but I can't find it so if you want the .pdo file, send me a private message and I'll email it to you.

As for the LEDs, take it easy lol you got plenty of time to cross that bridge.

 

[WSYDGladKumar]

I would go easy on the bondo. It is very heavy and brittle and is generally not a good idea to coat an entire piece in it. I do have the Samus Helmet pepakura file if you would like it. I think it would be a better use of your time to be honest, but that is just my opinion. I'd send you to the place I found it at, but I can't find it so if you want the .pdo file, send me a private message and I'll email it to you.

As for the LEDs, take it easy lol you got plenty of time to cross that bridge.

If you don't mind, I'd like to receive this file also. I'm trying to acquire a large quantity of pep files. I like to think of myself as a collector.

 

[PepperChip]

Revenant:
Thanks, that's really helpful. I would love the Helmet pepakura file! (will pm shortly)
With the helmet I made previously, I must say that I am rather attached to it. It's also been staring at me for years urging me on to finish it... like the voice in the back of your head. Therefore, if possible, I would like to try and spruce it up still
My plan is to start with the Chest and work my way down, saving the head for last so that I can get a better idea on proportion. That way I can try both and see how they go. You know what they say; two heads are better than one

You're right about LEDs though. I'm getting way ahead of myself - I'm just excited to be working on it again!

No time limit for this suit for me, it's been so long already that as much as I'd like to get it done, I'm no longer in any rush. Next year may also prove to be very busy if everything works out as planned. (Work, kid, husband, wifely-duties, study.)

I'm still working on a decent pattern for the red part of the chest plate. I'm getting closer bit by bit. I feel this will be the trickiest part (especially with the boosters on the back) next to the "rib" section.

 

[pepsicola3825]

I would go easy on the bondo. It is very heavy and brittle and is generally not a good idea to coat an entire piece in it. I do have the Samus Helmet pepakura file if you would like it. I think it would be a better use of your time to be honest, but that is just my opinion. I'd send you to the place I found it at, but I can't find it so if you want the .pdo file, send me a private message and I'll email it to you.

As for the LEDs, take it easy lol you got plenty of time to cross that bridge.

Just seeing this thread now and I'm pretty much in the same boat as PepperChip..
I've been using cardboard and paper mache to attempt to construct a Samus suit, which resulted in a huge mess, colorful slur of words and eventually surrender the project to the trash can.
Can I also get the file?

 

[Warpath5150]

so far, so good. Keep up the good work, and I know that for the arm-cannon you could use a PVC pipe and detail it like the cannnon, if you cant find one already made

 

[gc 3000]

I'm interested in seeing more of this build. I hope everything works out for you!