The Hunter Costume: AKA Operation Cockpit

[RFPnoodle]

No no. I haven't started building. I've gotten all my plans and blueprints.

This is how I built the Jackal, too. I got my own way. I know it's frustrating for you all to wait, though, as it is for me. I promise I will build something soon. I'm packing to move at the moment, so things are a bit hectic.

I've got this.

 

[Extra Crispy]

Yeah! I know how you can cut them! Go to your local Joanns or Michaels and get a "Styro Cutter" --> http://underdesign.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/styro_cutter.jpg
The needle heats up to 350 degrees and cuts through styrofoam pretty well. I've used it for both props and Sculpture 101 before. A helpful hint is to use it outside, because the fumes of melting foam is nasty, and probably toxic.

MAN. I wish I had one of those. Do want. *is excited*

 

[GMer56]

Yeah! I know how you can cut them! Go to your local Joanns or Michaels and get a "Styro Cutter" --> http://underdesign.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/styro_cutter.jpg
The needle heats up to 350 degrees and cuts through styrofoam pretty well. I've used it for both props and Sculpture 101 before. A helpful hint is to use it outside, because the fumes of melting foam is nasty, and probably toxic.

That looks like a soldering iron with a long tip.
Man, I wish I had the foam to be able to need one of those.
Hope the hunter armor turns out epic! Scare your enemies, scare your friend's enemies, scare your friends!

 

[HaloReplicas]

please keep us updates I AM TENSED!!!

 

[Sumofl]

For some added height, don't try to put your head in the hunter head. Use cameras on the body to see out from inside.

 

[Boba Fett]

For some added height, don't try to put your head in the hunter head. Use cameras on the body to see out from inside.

Actually, she could probably pick a spot in the torso to install a polarized viewing area. Cameras would be nice though... especially so you don't back up over somebody! My one question, how are you going to handle the arms? Are you going to go 1:1 size on this? Or maybe like a baby hunter? I really can't wait to see what you can do! Very ambitious, but after your jackel... I'm sure you can do it!

 

[RFPnoodle]

Thanks all for still waiting patiently. This is as frustrating for me (if not, more) as it is for you all in waiting. I need to bother my dad, AGAIN, about those stilts. Aside from that, I have almost no life, due to teaching taking up a lot of my time. (key word: almost. I am hanging in there with smaller creative endeavors for the time being.)

But what I can tell you is that I will not be putting my head into the head of the hunter, nor my arms in its arms. The reason I am calling this "operation: cockpit" is because I am pretty much going to be riding in a cockpit of sorts. I am going to try and scale it 1:1 as much as humanly possible.

Thanks again, all, for your patience. I promise you I have not forgotten about this project, and I will not let it die.

 

[Jester1014]

Ok I've read up on your thread and I had an Idea to shoot ya. I'm an engineering student and I also worked as an electrician for a few years. The Idea I had for your spines is a little complicated at first but also cheap and you can get the materials at H.Depot.

When putting together a pipe run we use these connecters, they come in many sizes. I'll see If I can post you a pic of what I mean.
The pic I'm showin you is something i had in mind. It'll weigh about a pound and a half with skin on it. Hope this is helpful.

[/IMG]

Someone spoke of this earlier and this is what came to mind.

 

[RFPnoodle]

Interesting...though would this be possible to do in cardboard?

 

[Jester1014]

yes and no. you could do it with cardboard but you may not have the strength needed. With cardboard it may just get wet and not have near the stregth to hold the cable. I've looked at a few more materials, and I've come up with a combo I just have to build.
It's just an idea. It involves a light weight foam, but it uses the measurements of the couplings. If it's cool with you could you send me the length and width of the spike/ antennae, to scale? I'll make you a demo. hows that sound. I've got nothing but time here. And my extra $ grants are coming in so I'll have some cash to throw in. Just email me OR Pm me.

I'll help ya out as much as I can. I love the Lekgolo and Sangheili, they're my fav enemies to play against and Favorite character to play is the Elite.

1014

 

[RFPnoodle]

It's all good, dear. I can't start work until I make progress on the stilts, which are still in the process being made... >.>

I have to scale it by sight, which is why I can't do that yet.

I think cardboard is doable though. I was just wondering as far as what was necessary for structure. I can understand the cable thing though, buuuut if I layer the cardboard. aha! I'd prefer to stick to mostly cardboard to match the rest of the costume anyway.

Thanks for your offer of help, though. It's good to know you've got my back.

 

[Jester1014]

Okay, so do you want it to move from rest to attack? Or just flop around? What type of cardboard are you going to use?

This build has me really interested.
you've got me hooked already. and I made a parts list and bought a hunter figure today. HA! I'm making my own. not hunter suit, I just wanna see if my idea will work.

Heres another Idea I've done. but it didn't hold up for longer than a day or two.
If you want to go full CB then try the spiral.
you cut a strip of cardbaord the length you need, but make it about 3-4 inches wide and along the length of the cut you want to taper the strip down to about 1 inch. Roll it like you would a newspaper starting at the small end and rolling to the fat end. Put it into a pantyhose or something of the nature. Use the tip of the Pantyhose leg and grab that small end and pull it the length of the leg. TI should have a pretty good shape to it.
We used this technique when setting up a birthday display for one of my cousins. He likes octopus and squid. So the them was under the sea. Sorry to digress there.

 

[RFPnoodle]

Hm. That is a very creative idea.

To answer your questions, I am going to get the spikes to raise and lower. Also, I am just using regular corrugated cardboard from boxes, because they're cheap. I can get them for free anywhere, and I've got enough experience with cardboard at this point that I could find a way to make anything work.

I am glad you are interested. I apologize that this thread hasn't gone anywhere in the way of pictures yet. It must be frustrating for all of you. I know it's frustrating for me. I keep nagging my dad about building those stilts. The reason I'm having him do it is because I gave him a challenge, I wanted strong but light-weight, and I drew up the blue prints and gave them to him, since he is the man with the knowledge of tools (and who actually has tools, as I live in a dinky apartment an hour and a half away).

From what he tells me he is using some kind of really strong, hard foam (?) plus some kind of metal? and like sandwiching them? I don't quite get what he is doing. But yeah, I know that the wood we used for the Jackal stilts was strong and worked fine, but it was really heavy. Plus the Hunter stilts will keep my feet horizontal, whereas the Jackal had them tilted at a high-heel-ish angle.

 

[Jester1014]

have you thought about foam-rubber coating a pair of drywall stilts? Like the Halo Wars Elite costome? you can get a good pair for 50 or less if you go to flea markets. It's what i've been looking at. but I exceed the weight limit for most. i'm 6'3" with boot and weigh in at 300+, no i'm not fattie either.
their limits are at 150 - 200 lbs. I'm starting on the first antennae this weekend... would you like me to post some pics for progress? this is your thread, I'm just asking.

 

[RFPnoodle]

I'd love to see your pics.

I'm also going to make this as cheap as possible. My costumes are usually pretty expendable. I'm not sure what drywall stilts are...?

 

[Jester1014]

Dry-wall stilts can you a lift in height anywhere from a foot to 3 foot. They act just like a shoe and flex. so no outright stiff stilt...
I'll post once i begin construction i have all meterials needed so far. Just have to start them.

[/IMG]

This is a more expensive set but this is the basic idea. They're actually quite stable.

Why not make your costumes last, or sell for charity events?

 

[RFPnoodle]

I feel like I would break a leg in those things... O.O

I would make them last, but historically they haven't lasted for long. It's pretty much a matter of accidental damage. I still have my grunt around, though it needs some repair. My Jackal...needs a lot of work. The colors of the face finally faded out completely so it looks like a zombie right now. But I expected that; it was only a matter of time. But that's a technical flaw with how I did it, so yeah. My very FIRST grunt from high school has been destroyed, simply to make room for my newer one.

It's also a matter of where I will contain these projects afterward. It's a shame, I know, to put that much effort into something to have it just sit there and never be worn again, but that's pretty much how it is for my costumes at the moment. A buildup of energy, a moment of fiery glory, and then a pile of ashes afterward.

Ideally if I had the time/patience to learn how to fiberglass things, I would make the hunter a bit more...permanent.

And as far as auctioning things off? The costumes basically only fit me, as I usually build around body parts. As a result, I know their weaknesses and how far I can push certain areas of the costumes, etc. I don't think they would fit/last on anyone else.

So as lovely as my costumes are, they are not without flaws. I usually just build one, show it off, document the hell out of it, and then move on to the next.

However, the good thing about the way I build costumes is, it's like a series of prototypes, and I get better as they go on. Each time I build a costume, I learn something new about making the next one better. Yeah, they look pretty good, but if I had the patience to go back and build them again I would know how and where to fix them. So while each costume ends up being scrapped, it's all in the name of science. I'm teaching myself, so there are mistakes and learning opportunities. The costumes before the current ones don't get made in vain. They make way for better things.

 

[Jester1014]

yea thats all armor building really is. trial and error.

but the auction off part i was thinking of more like statues not suits.

 

[roman5150]

I feel like I would break a leg in those things... O.O

I would make them last, but historically they haven't lasted for long. It's pretty much a matter of accidental damage. I still have my grunt around, though it needs some repair. My Jackal...needs a lot of work. The colors of the face finally faded out completely so it looks like a zombie right now. But I expected that; it was only a matter of time. But that's a technical flaw with how I did it, so yeah. My very FIRST grunt from high school has been destroyed, simply to make room for my newer one.

It's also a matter of where I will contain these projects afterward. It's a shame, I know, to put that much effort into something to have it just sit there and never be worn again, but that's pretty much how it is for my costumes at the moment. A buildup of energy, a moment of fiery glory, and then a pile of ashes afterward.

Ideally if I had the time/patience to learn how to fiberglass things, I would make the hunter a bit more...permanent.

And as far as auctioning things off? The costumes basically only fit me, as I usually build around body parts. As a result, I know their weaknesses and how far I can push certain areas of the costumes, etc. I don't think they would fit/last on anyone else.

So as lovely as my costumes are, they are not without flaws. I usually just build one, show it off, document the hell out of it, and then move on to the next.

However, the good thing about the way I build costumes is, it's like a series of prototypes, and I get better as they go on. Each time I build a costume, I learn something new about making the next one better. Yeah, they look pretty good, but if I had the patience to go back and build them again I would know how and where to fix them. So while each costume ends up being scrapped, it's all in the name of science. I'm teaching myself, so there are mistakes and learning opportunities. The costumes before the current ones don't get made in vain. They make way for better things.

According to the orientation video, thats what the 405th is all about.

 

[HaloGoddess]

Another Hunter costume? I would love to see this! The Hunter is such a large character and I don't see too many people attempting to build this guy. I really can't wait to see how this turns out and am excited to see some progress once you start on it.




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