Starting from scratch

[VitaCoco31]

Hey everyone,

New member here. I am totally new to cosplay and I have some super noob questions.

I want to go ahead and start collecting all of my materials to make my master chief suit. I am going to 3D print the helmet and make the rest out of EVA foam.
The noob questions are as follows:
- What filament is recommended for the helmet? (I was thinking of using PLA+)
- What paint should I go with aside from the basic primer?
- What thickness of EVA foam should I use to make the suit look as realistic as possible? Also what brands are good?

Thank you! Any additional tips and tricks would be appreciated!

 

[Billbill36]

I’ve made my fair share of helmets (10 I think) and I find PLA+ gives the best results when factoring strength, heat resistance and sandability.

Not as sure on the foam side of things, I’m just now dabbling into it for some of the soft parts on my suit, I’ve heard people use half inch EVA foam mats so that’s what I bought, but I’m too inexperienced on that front to say if it’s the best.

Good luck and can’t wait to see the results!

 

[Parzival]

Welcome! A great thread to give a gander would be N8tebb's MkVII build. In this thread he has many references, tips, tricks, and even a youtube video giving the overview of his process. N8tebb is an absolutely great reference for new members. Good luck!

N8tebb's forum post:
N8TEBB's Mk 7 Build!!!!!

 

[VitaCoco31]

I’ve made my fair share of helmets (10 I think) and I find PLA+ gives the best results when factoring strength, heat resistance and sandability.

Not as sure on the foam side of things, I’m just now dabbling into it for some of the soft parts on my suit, I’ve heard people use half inch EVA foam mats so that’s what I bought, but I’m too inexperienced on that front to say if it’s the best.

Good luck and can’t wait to see the results!

Thank you! Glad to know I am headed in the right direction with the 3d part!

 

[VitaCoco31]

Welcome! A great thread to give a gander would be N8tebb's MkVII build. In this thread he has many references, tips, tricks, and even a youtube video giving the overview of his process. N8tebb is an absolutely great reference for new members. Good luck!

N8tebb's forum post:
N8TEBB's Mk 7 Build!!!!!

I actually found out about this website because of his video. His mega tutorial was amazing. I def need to take a look at his thread.

 

[N8TEBB]

hey hey! Looks like you've been linked to the resources I was aboutta link you to XD

Sounds like you want to go the same route I did with my suit, printed helmet and foam suit. So I'll briefly summarize what I did:
I printed my helmet in PLA+
The suit is made from 12mm (1/2 inch) EVA foam floor mats from the hardware store. I'm not sure of the brand, but here's a LINK. I'd reccomend just getting what's available to you at your local hardware store/walmart.

To paint the helmet:
I did multiple rounds of spot putty, filler primer, and sanding
I sprayed it with spray paint directly on the filler primer

To paint the foam:
I heat sealed it with a heat gun
filled the seams with kwik seal
sealed it with plasti dip (though I've been informed leak seal does not wrinkle as much, I'll be giving it a shot for my next project)
sprayed with spray primer
sprayed with spray paint

There are many many options to go with when it comes to paint. Many members use latex house paints and spray guns to apply it. I have not been willing to research all of that yet, which is why I stick to rattle cans. As long as the colour is what you're looking for there's not really any harm in going the simple route. The paint can wrinkle over time, but in my experience it's not detrimental to the look of the suit. When painting in general, make sure to give the paint proper dry time. For spray paint, this usually means 24 hours. If you apply paint over wet paint, it can cause wrinkling or prevent the base layer from drying properly.

It's always good practice to do paint tests to make sure you have the look you're going for. Also be sure to test the paint on the foam and on the prints. Make sure to test it on the sealer/primer you're using too (leak seal/plasti dip/etc)

 

[VitaCoco31]

hey hey! Looks like you've been linked to the resources I was aboutta link you to XD

Sounds like you want to go the same route I did with my suit, printed helmet and foam suit. So I'll briefly summarize what I did:
I printed my helmet in PLA+
The suit is made from 12mm (1/2 inch) EVA foam floor mats from the hardware store. I'm not sure of the brand, but here's a LINK. I'd reccomend just getting what's available to you at your local hardware store/walmart.

To paint the helmet:
I did multiple rounds of spot putty, filler primer, and sanding
I sprayed it with spray paint directly on the filler primer

To paint the foam:
I heat sealed it with a heat gun
filled the seams with kwik seal
sealed it with plasti dip (though I've been informed leak seal does not wrinkle as much, I'll be giving it a shot for my next project)
sprayed with spray primer
sprayed with spray paint

There are many many options to go with when it comes to paint. Many members use latex house paints and spray guns to apply it. I have not been willing to research all of that yet, which is why I stick to rattle cans. As long as the colour is what you're looking for there's not really any harm in going the simple route. The paint can wrinkle over time, but in my experience it's not detrimental to the look of the suit. When painting in general, make sure to give the paint proper dry time. For spray paint, this usually means 24 hours. If you apply paint over wet paint, it can cause wrinkling or prevent the base layer from drying properly.

It's always good practice to do paint tests to make sure you have the look you're going for. Also be sure to test the paint on the foam and on the prints. Make sure to test it on the sealer/primer you're using too (leak seal/plasti dip/etc)

Thank you so much!

BTW I found your YouTube channel earlier this week, and I am quickly becoming a fan. Your content is awesome. Keep up the good work!