Tips for my first armor set?

[Recordspinner]

So this will be my first time doing any craft project on this scale. I do intend to practice on spare materials before attempting any piece of armor. Tools: No 3D printer, minimal craft tools. Available Resources: Got a hardware store 5 minutes away, 2 craft stores 30 minutes away. Minimal skills with fiberglass/paper crafting. Open budget, all the time in the world. Looking for a Mk.5 or similar design. Any help will be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Kahn 319]

i understand you want to do a mk.5 but if you are just starting out and wanting to do foam, i highly recommend Andrew DFTs Odst tutorial on youtube, he walks you thru all the processes and gives you the templates you need for the foam, its a great place to start, and with some work it comes out looking real good.

 

[Recordspinner]

i understand you want to do a mk.5 but if you are just starting out and wanting to do foam, i highly recommend Andrew DFTs Odst tutorial on youtube, he walks you thru all the processes and gives you the templates you need for the foam, its a great place to start, and with some work it comes out looking real good.

I'll go with that, thank you.

 

[JammedMite942]

As said before, I recommend you start with foam. It might be tempting to skip out on all the extra tools like a rotary tool and a heat gun, but don’t. They make a world of difference and are totally worth it if this is something you intend to do a lot.

Good luck with your build, you should make a build thread!

 

[Cadet]

You are going to want to start with Research.


Start by picking a specific armor set or style that you want to build, narrow it down. You mentioned the Mark V, but which Mark V, from which game? Halo CE? Halo CE:A? Reach Mark? Halo 4/5 Mark V? Each iteration of the Mark V is very different from the other, so, so you need to be specific about what exact armor set you want to build. Then start gathering reference for that specific set.


Once you have picked which Mark V, search the site and start reading through W.I.P. threads for that armor.

Also, Check out the tutorial index:
Halo Costume Tutorials

Read as much as you can and see if a specific build method sticks out to you. Pepakura. Foam. 3d printing. Then research that method. Familiarize yourself with it and see what others have built in that style. Remember that no one technique or material is objectively better than another. Each has its own pros and cons, tips, tricks, and techniques, and amazing results can come with all of them.


If you want to build your own costume, you can then go in the Armory on the site and download the files for the armor you want to make. Files are organized by Game and then armor set, and all pieces for each armor set will be included in one .Zip file. Then start building. You are going to make mistakes but until you actually start you are never going to learn and grow as a builder.

Tutorial Index

 

[Recordspinner]

As said before, I recommend you start with foam. It might be tempting to skip out on all the extra tools like a rotary tool and a heat gun, but don’t. They make a world of difference and are totally worth it if this is something you intend to do a lot.

Good luck with your build, you should make a build thread!

I already have a rotary tool and a heat gun, so that should make things easier. Thank you, once I have a plan in place I'll start a thread.

 

[Recordspinner]

You are going to want to start with Research.


Start by picking a specific armor set or style that you want to build, narrow it down. You mentioned the Mark V, but which Mark V, from which game? Halo CE? Halo CE:A? Reach Mark? Halo 4/5 Mark V? Each iteration of the Mark V is very different from the other, so, so you need to be specific about what exact armor set you want to build. Then start gathering reference for that specific set.


Once you have picked which Mark V, search the site and start reading through W.I.P. threads for that armor.

Also, Check out the tutorial index:
Halo Costume Tutorials

Read as much as you can and see if a specific build method sticks out to you. Pepakura. Foam. 3d printing. Then research that method. Familiarize yourself with it and see what others have built in that style. Remember that no one technique or material is objectively better than another. Each has its own pros and cons, tips, tricks, and techniques, and amazing results can come with all of them.


If you want to build your own costume, you can then go in the Armory on the site and download the files for the armor you want to make. Files are organized by Game and then armor set, and all pieces for each armor set will be included in one .Zip file. Then start building. You are going to make mistakes but until you actually start you are never going to learn and grow as a builder.

Tutorial Index

Thank you. By Mark V, I meant the Reach one. I'll probably go with foam, because I have the tools and not a 3d printer.

 

[Cadet]

Thank you. By Mark V, I meant the Reach one. I'll probably go with foam, because I have the tools and not a 3d printer.

Okay then you will want to start with the Foam files found in this entry:

Halo: Reach - MJOLNIR Mark V - Standard

This is a comprehensive zip file including numerous files from multiple artists. Contents of zip-file: halo-reach-mjolnir-mkv-bicep-left.pdo Modeller: ForgedReclaimer halo-reach-mjolnir-mkv-bicep-right.pdo Modeller: ForgedReclaimer...

www.405th.com

The rest of the Reach area armor add ons, chests, shoulders, and accessories that we have in the Armory are meant to be built on the base provided in those files.

Halo: Reach

Halo: Reach is a first-person shooter video game set in the Halo universe and direct prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved, depicting the Fall of Reach. It was developed by Bungie, LLC. and published by Microsoft Game Studios solely for the Xbox 360. Reach was released on September 14, 2010. -...

www.405th.com

 

[N8TEBB]

Cadet same some great advice for getting started. It all comes down to making sure you are familiar with the armour you're making and the method of construction you're using. If you're going with the foam method I would plan out the materials you're going to be using. It's good to make a plan for:
1. What kind of foam are you going to be using/Where are you going to get it?
2. What kind of glue are you going to use?
3. What are you going to use to cut it?
4. How will you fill the seams between the foam pieces?

Checking out the tutorial index is always a good idea, but can be a bit intimidating at first because of the sheer number of links. For a general overview, I found Fallen and RandomRanger's foam guide to be quite helpful. If you want to see in detail how a foam armour piece is created, EVAkura's tutorial here is quite helpful. Along with tutorials, following along with someone else's build can be an excellent resource as well.

Here are a few threads from people who have made the mkV out of foam that might be worth a read:
(reach) Halo Reach MKV Build
(infinite) Foam - (WIP) Zero's GEN III MK V [B] + Weapons
(reach) Beginning my Halo Reach MKV (b) build