1st Build [WIP] ODST Armor Build Log

[ZackisANerd]

Hey everyone,

After years of admiring Spartan builds and ODST kits from the sidelines at conventions and instagram, I’m finally diving feet first into building my own ODST armor set. This thread will serve as an ongoing log of the build — one part progress journal, one part cautionary tale, and (hopefully) something useful for anyone thinking about printing out some armor!

This is my first time ever doing 3D printed cosplay, so any tips and advice are welcome! I’ll be updating this post as I go, so expect it to grow over time. Whether you’re here to offer advice, steal a few tips — welcome aboard.

The Plan:​

• Full ODST armor set (leaning into Halo 3: ODST aesthetics), i’m thinking charcoal black/grey primary and a metallic navy accent color scheme with a silver visor, but this is subject to change!
  
  
• Primarily 3D printed with some EVA Foam elements (inner thigh, shoulder straps, rugsack lining, etc)
  
  
• Functional visor (meaning i can see through it), weathered finish, and con-ready mobility
  
  
• A 3D printed M6C/SOCOM and M7S SMG, 3x flashbangs, 3x grenades
  
  
• Voice amp, lights, stickers, and other bells and whistles to help bring some more customization to it

This will be a slow burn as I'm doing this in my spare time, fitting it in between design gigs and life in general — so patience is appreciated. I’ll be updating with photos, notes, mistakes, victories, and everything in between.




Let’s see how this goes!

 

[ZackisANerd]

Day 1 – File Prep & Print Planning

Kicked things off by getting all of my .stl files prepped in Bambu Studio for printing on my Bambu Labs A1. I'm using a mix of assets for this build — the main armor and rugpack were purchased from The Brink Studios on Etsy. The files are clean, well-supported, and required minimal tweaking for me. Huge props to them for saving me a ton of setup time!!

To add some personal flair and extra detail, I also picked up a few accessories from Galactic Armory. If you’re looking to layer some custom elements into your kit, they’ve got a solid selection to pick from. Other miscellaneous files I got from Thingiverse, and I'll be sure to update you all with individual links as I use them.

Once everything was sliced and ready, I threw together a quick table to track estimated print times, filament usage, and cost per part — because let’s face it, this hobby isn’t cheap, and I like knowing what my wallet’s getting into!

All parts are being printed at a 0.16mm layer height and an 8-15% infil (using Bambulabs basic PLA), striking that balance between print quality and time. I’m aiming to keep post-processing as painless as possible — less time sanding, more time assembling and painting. Once prints are done, the plan is to hit them with a few coats of filler primer, sand down the layer lines, follow up with Bondo where needed for the trouble spots, and then add a final coat of primer. It’s my first rodeo with smoothing 3D prints, but I’m definitely hoping this workflow keeps the grunt work to a minimum while still getting that clean, game-accurate finish.

I’m sticking to a three-phase workflow for this build: print everything, sand everything, then paint everything. I’ve found that batching the work like this helps me stay consistent and prevents me from getting scattered. That way, I’m not bouncing between detailed work and dirty work — I can focus all my energy on one type of task at a time and give each phase the attention it deserves. Plus, it’ll help keep my painting quality consistent across the whole set, instead of rushing to finish individual pieces out of order.

I'll update you guys once i start printing this week! The printer should be here tomorrow, so i'll have something printing by EOD!