Yet another ODST Build

r73

New Member
Like many others I have seen making threads, I also am starting on an ODST build. I see that AguilarWorkshop's ODST files are pretty popular and went with them as well. I'm about a week into it, maybe a little longer. I have two 3D printers basically going 24/7 on the parts, a Creality Ender 5, and a Creality CR-6 MAX. So far it has been going at a good pace, no snags yet. The parts are coming out pretty well an the paint jobs are coming out close to what I want. I just got my nylon straps in the mail so I will be starting to rig up the chest armor soon.

20230221_212027.jpg

Minus one belly plate I have the chest armor painted and ready to go.

I also have a helmet that I bought the files from another Etsy seller NerdForgeDesigns that I like, but will most likely reprint the helmet because the paint jobs just don't quite match up:

20230220_233206.jpg


I do need to retry vacuum forming the visor since there is this ripple in it.
 
Just realized scrolling through my photos I do have the first weapon that I will use with my cosplay. An MA37 from reach. I accidently went a little heavy handed on the weathering, so I decided to just go all in on it and call it the "Phoenix of Reach" with my idea being that it was recovered from one of the few non glassed areas near Forerunner ruins after reach was glassed:

20230217_180453.jpg


Here it is right before I started weathering:


20230217_170821.jpg


And here is it is pre weathering compared to my first first MA37 that I printed and painted 3ish years ago:

20230216_223233.jpg


And then one last photo to end this blurb, cat for scale:

20230219_183944.jpg
 
Like many others I have seen making threads, I also am starting on an ODST build. I see that AguilarWorkshop's ODST files are pretty popular and went with them as well. I'm about a week into it, maybe a little longer. I have two 3D printers basically going 24/7 on the parts, a Creality Ender 5, and a Creality CR-6 MAX. So far it has been going at a good pace, no snags yet. The parts are coming out pretty well an the paint jobs are coming out close to what I want. I just got my nylon straps in the mail so I will be starting to rig up the chest armor soon.

View attachment 328272
Minus one belly plate I have the chest armor painted and ready to go.

I also have a helmet that I bought the files from another Etsy seller NerdForgeDesigns that I like, but will most likely reprint the helmet because the paint jobs just don't quite match up:

View attachment 328273

I do need to retry vacuum forming the visor since there is this ripple in it.
Your armor so far looks great! I can't wait to see all the progress you make on it and great AR props as well!
 
Was able to make some more progress today, I had finished most of the shoulder pieces yesterday so I did a test fit to make sure it all fit together, and another cat scale test

20230223_111616.jpg


With that out of the way I got the shoulders all painted up, and once again had to do a cat scale test

20230224_140314.jpg


With the cat scale all correct, I started on rigging the shoulders and chest plate together with nylon straps
20230224_140953.jpg

20230224_175012.jpg

The duct tape is just temporary while I make sure all the straps are the correct size, though I did end up running out of nylon strap so it just didn't quite fit correctly on me, but I had to try a human test fit anyway (One of the back straps was to short to clip in, and all the other straps went tightened correctly

20230224_174617.jpg


So with that all done (mostly) I am working on the forearms now. I have one wrist plate that I started painting, another that just finished printing, but my printer is starting to print really bad, like under extruding while also stringing and globing so it probably needs a good cleaning.

20230224_175440.jpg

20230224_175607.jpg

I do have the forearm main part printing out on my other printer and thankfully that is coming out well so far, well besides a little stringing as well.
20230224_175434.jpg



20230224_175736.jpg


I'm trying to remember to take more photos of the actual steps in-between, but it always slips my mind because this is the first build if have documented.

I should hopefully be able to get the forearms completed-ish over the weekend, and then it might be a little bit before I can progress to the waist armor, one of the conditions for being able to do a full ODST was that I would also have to make a Mercy from Overwatch cosplay for my wife, and I have yet to do anything on that except print the staff.
 
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Love the yellow on the chest plate!

Aguilar Workshops stls are great, ive been having a great time working with them.

Can't wait to see the end result!
Thank you, yah I had that yellow sitting in my garage from some other projects and thought it would make a nice popping color. And Aguilar Workshop's files have been wonderful so far, they print off so well and everything fits together nicely
 
Your armor so far looks great! I can't wait to see all the progress you make on it and great AR props as well!
Thank you, I am still trying to improve but ever since I started printing off human size props I have just been hooked on it. I'm hoping to get this all completed for a convention near me in August. Its a decent ways away but you know something always seems to come up so I wanted to give myself a lot of time.
 
Love the way the helmet and rifle looks, can't wait to see it all once it's finished, oh and amazing cat scale!!
Thank you! The ODST Helmet was the second helmet I had made, right after making a Mark 5b from Reach. Both of those taught me a lot because I had to print them in 8-10 pieces to fit on my print bed, and it was the first time I had ever messed with epoxy glue, which is quite a beast to deal with.
 
Since I'm winding down the prints on my ODST for the next few days not much new was printed (other than Mercy parts). But I did get some time to paint the forearm, and remembered to take intermediate photos too! Starting off I had all the paints I was using out so I got a good documentation shot I guess
20230225_213320.jpg

Most pieces get hit first with a coat or two of protective enamel, no idea if it really will work but I saw it in the paint aisle and said why not. The latest piece didnt get this though because I ran out, and its a tad bit pricy, though I might get it again for the lower half. Next I hit it with 2 layers of Primer, followed by three "base color" layers. For the darker details I use metallic dark metal, and the lighter areas/most of it, I use the metallic aluminum. That leaves the pieces looking basically like this
20230225_211926.jpg

I then spray from a distance a dusting of metallic dark metal to give it a little sparkle and cut down on the flat look of the aluminum.
20230225_212243.jpg


Then I go in with some Metallic black stainless to darken it up some more

20230225_212540.jpg

And then finally I give it a few gloss protective top coats so it doesnt get damaged as easy
20230225_215151.jpg


As may be evident in the photos I don't tend to sand my pieces, and while yes they would probably look better, one I'm kind of lazy, and two I kind of like the 3d printed look on the pieces. Justify it with a little head canon that in the future we would be 3d printing armor, and that's enough for me. (Also I waste a lot more paint than is needed with extra coats to fill in the layer lines).

I have the elbow plates printed and painted as well but just forgot snap a photo of them, and the gloss paint I'm using for them takes much longer to dry than these metallic ones.

If I do manage to post an update tomorrow it will most likely just be painting the other forearm armor since that's the last piece still printing, and them maybe getting a better test fit photo since I have a new roll of nylon straps coming in.

Also just a random pic of the forearm armor unpainted incase I want to compare it in the future

20230224_222700.jpg
 
Just realized scrolling through my photos I do have the first weapon that I will use with my cosplay. An MA37 from reach. I accidently went a little heavy handed on the weathering, so I decided to just go all in on it and call it the "Phoenix of Reach" with my idea being that it was recovered from one of the few non glassed areas near Forerunner ruins after reach was glassed:

View attachment 328274

Here it is right before I started weathering:


View attachment 328275

And here is it is pre weathering compared to my first first MA37 that I printed and painted 3ish years ago:

View attachment 328276

And then one last photo to end this blurb, cat for scale:

View attachment 328277
Lookin good!!! I appreciate the cat for scale makes it much more clear xD
 
Since I'm winding down the prints on my ODST for the next few days not much new was printed (other than Mercy parts). But I did get some time to paint the forearm, and remembered to take intermediate photos too! Starting off I had all the paints I was using out so I got a good documentation shot I guess
View attachment 328323
Most pieces get hit first with a coat or two of protective enamel, no idea if it really will work but I saw it in the paint aisle and said why not. The latest piece didnt get this though because I ran out, and its a tad bit pricy, though I might get it again for the lower half. Next I hit it with 2 layers of Primer, followed by three "base color" layers. For the darker details I use metallic dark metal, and the lighter areas/most of it, I use the metallic aluminum. That leaves the pieces looking basically like this
View attachment 328326
I then spray from a distance a dusting of metallic dark metal to give it a little sparkle and cut down on the flat look of the aluminum.
View attachment 328327

Then I go in with some Metallic black stainless to darken it up some more

View attachment 328328
And then finally I give it a few gloss protective top coats so it doesnt get damaged as easy
View attachment 328329

As may be evident in the photos I don't tend to sand my pieces, and while yes they would probably look better, one I'm kind of lazy, and two I kind of like the 3d printed look on the pieces. Justify it with a little head canon that in the future we would be 3d printing armor, and that's enough for me. (Also I waste a lot more paint than is needed with extra coats to fill in the layer lines).

I have the elbow plates printed and painted as well but just forgot snap a photo of them, and the gloss paint I'm using for them takes much longer to dry than these metallic ones.

If I do manage to post an update tomorrow it will most likely just be painting the other forearm armor since that's the last piece still printing, and them maybe getting a better test fit photo since I have a new roll of nylon straps coming in.

Also just a random pic of the forearm armor unpainted incase I want to compare it in the future

View attachment 328330
Your prints are looking really clean!
 
Like many others I have seen making threads, I also am starting on an ODST build. I see that AguilarWorkshop's ODST files are pretty popular and went with them as well. I'm about a week into it, maybe a little longer. I have two 3D printers basically going 24/7 on the parts, a Creality Ender 5, and a Creality CR-6 MAX. So far it has been going at a good pace, no snags yet. The parts are coming out pretty well an the paint jobs are coming out close to what I want. I just got my nylon straps in the mail so I will be starting to rig up the chest armor soon.

View attachment 328272
Minus one belly plate I have the chest armor painted and ready to go.

I also have a helmet that I bought the files from another Etsy seller NerdForgeDesigns that I like, but will most likely reprint the helmet because the paint jobs just don't quite match up:

View attachment 328273

I do need to retry vacuum forming the visor since there is this ripple in it.
Ok, so I have questions.

I have a CR6SE as well as a CR10, and my stuff is taking Days to get done.
What settings are you using?
I am going tanky on my set because I am big and clumsy and I don't want to break my stuff.
(If I creak this stuff like I break my SCA gear, I am going to cry...)
I also have to scale my stuff up from Aguilar's 5'10" model as I am 6'2"
I'm just wanting to see if I am being paranoid...
 
Ok, so I have questions.

I have a CR6SE as well as a CR10, and my stuff is taking Days to get done.
What settings are you using?
I am going tanky on my set because I am big and clumsy and I don't want to break my stuff.
(If I creak this stuff like I break my SCA gear, I am going to cry...)
I also have to scale my stuff up from Aguilar's 5'10" model as I am 6'2"
I'm just wanting to see if I am being paranoid...
So for the prints I haven't scaled anything yet. I'm 5'11, but 230 lbs. So far the shoulders, chest and forearms (forearms barely) fit.

I have been running both my printers with .4 mm nozzles, .2 layer height, 3 outer walls, and 10-15% gyroid infill. I use cura and reality slicer (which is just a re skin of cura I think). So far everything has come out well, nothing feels flimsy yet, but I am covering everything with enamel and/or 9-11 total layers of primer or paint (typically 1 layer enamel, 3 primer layers, 3+ ish color layers, 3 gloss top coat layers) and that really helps make it feel stronger.

I did just last night convert my ender 5 to use a .6 mm nozzle, and after 5 Benchy boats I got it dialed in.

I printed off some of the waist armor over the night with .28 mm layers, 2 outer walls, and 25% gyroid infill and besides the slight loss of detail it came out really good. Also cut down print time. .6 printed in 5 hours 10 min vs the .4 at 11 hours.

So I guess to sum it up, this is my first armor so I really don't know if my light infill is going to make it too weak or not. I don't "feel" it's to light, but I also have printed a few swords and didn't "feel" they were to light on infill, right up to the point that they snapped, so maybe someone with a little more experience could comment as well to guide us.
 
So for the prints I haven't scaled anything yet. I'm 5'11, but 230 lbs. So far the shoulders, chest and forearms (forearms barely) fit.

I have been running both my printers with .4 mm nozzles, .2 layer height, 3 outer walls, and 10-15% gyroid infill. I use cura and reality slicer (which is just a re skin of cura I think). So far everything has come out well, nothing feels flimsy yet, but I am covering everything with enamel and/or 9-11 total layers of primer or paint (typically 1 layer enamel, 3 primer layers, 3+ ish color layers, 3 gloss top coat layers) and that really helps make it feel stronger.

I did just last night convert my ender 5 to use a .6 mm nozzle, and after 5 Benchy boats I got it dialed in.

I printed off some of the waist armor over the night with .28 mm layers, 2 outer walls, and 25% gyroid infill and besides the slight loss of detail it came out really good. Also cut down print time. .6 printed in 5 hours 10 min vs the .4 at 11 hours.

So I guess to sum it up, this is my first armor so I really don't know if my light infill is going to make it too weak or not. I don't "feel" it's to light, but I also have printed a few swords and didn't "feel" they were to light on infill, right up to the point that they snapped, so maybe someone with a little more experience could comment as well to guide us.
So I downloaded Software called "Armorsmith" (its like $40 for a key) where you can take your measurements and make an avatar to place and scale Armor bits, and then export the modified files back out. Its taken a LOT of the scaling anxiety out of things.

In terms of durability, I am taking the overkill route, 8 perimeter walls, 25% infill.
I am swapping durabiluty for print time, but I also want to KNOW that if it breaks, I earned it.
I am just trying to see if I can find a middle ground
 
So I downloaded Software called "Armorsmith" (its like $40 for a key) where you can take your measurements and make an avatar to place and scale Armor bits, and then export the modified files back out. Its taken a LOT of the scaling anxiety out of things.

In terms of durability, I am taking the overkill route, 8 perimeter walls, 25% infill.
I am swapping durabiluty for print time, but I also want to KNOW that if it breaks, I earned it.
I am just trying to see if I can find a middle ground
That is great! Yah I also have a key for armorsmith as well, and planned on using it for my legs. Have you found it to be pretty accurate?
 
That is great! Yah I also have a key for armorsmith as well, and planned on using it for my legs. Have you found it to be pretty accurate?
So far so good. I am currently working on the Breastplate, so we will see how it plays out. The center piece seems to be accurate.
 
Usually thats a sign of a nozzle clog or extruder drive gear being messy or worn out teeth causing it to slip when pushing filament in. Looks amazing do far, love it!
Pretty much this.
Running PETG I am more or less swapping a nozzle after every other full spool run through.
The all metal extruder replacement for the CR6 is a game changer over the stock plastic one.
 
So for the prints I haven't scaled anything yet. I'm 5'11, but 230 lbs. So far the shoulders, chest and forearms (forearms barely) fit.

I have been running both my printers with .4 mm nozzles, .2 layer height, 3 outer walls, and 10-15% gyroid infill. I use cura and reality slicer (which is just a re skin of cura I think). So far everything has come out well, nothing feels flimsy yet, but I am covering everything with enamel and/or 9-11 total layers of primer or paint (typically 1 layer enamel, 3 primer layers, 3+ ish color layers, 3 gloss top coat layers) and that really helps make it feel stronger.

I did just last night convert my ender 5 to use a .6 mm nozzle, and after 5 Benchy boats I got it dialed in.

I printed off some of the waist armor over the night with .28 mm layers, 2 outer walls, and 25% gyroid infill and besides the slight loss of detail it came out really good. Also cut down print time. .6 printed in 5 hours 10 min vs the .4 at 11 hours.

So I guess to sum it up, this is my first armor so I really don't know if my light infill is going to make it too weak or not. I don't "feel" it's to light, but I also have printed a few swords and didn't "feel" they were to light on infill, right up to the point that they snapped, so maybe someone with a little more experience could comment as well to guide us.
So I downloaded Software called "Armorsmith" (its like $40 for a key) where you can take your measurements and make an avatar to place and scale Armor bits, and then export the modified files back out. Its taken a LOT of the scaling anxiety out of things.

In terms of durability, I am taking the overkill route, 8 perimeter walls, 25% infill.
I am swapping durabiluty for print time, but I also want to KNOW that if it breaks, I earned it.
I am just trying to see if I can find a middle ground

It's always a good idea to back prints with something. Whether that's fiberglass and resin or epoxy and strapping backing prints that'll take high stress, like thighs, backplates and chest pieces, will save you some heartache at conventions. I recommend having some sort of epoxy and strapping with you at cons to fix layer cracks when they happen, as well as some black acrylic paint and a sponge to blend the front of the crack. At the end of the day prints can still fracture at high stress points no matter how many perimeter walls you slap on, layer delamination is the nature of the beast for 3D prints.

Also r73 great detail on the forearms, those are always my least favorite part to finish!
 
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