Well with the summer job finally over, and a little padding in my bank account I’ve decided to start work on a longtime dream of mine—the illustrious space marine costume.

While I had originally intended this costume to be done by November for a convention my friends and I are attending, looking at the sheer amount of work involved I can tell that won’t be possible. So, this thread is designed to detail my progress on my Astartes costume, which should be complete by June of 2010. This factors in school time, work, and the occasional bouts of free time referred to as student breaks.

C&C is appreciated as always, and I would like to stress the importance of this. Your comments, critiques, criticisms, etc. will help motivate me, change things on the costume and hopefully make it the best it possibly can be. Also, feel free to post or PM website links or image links to things you may find relevant to this undertaking- you never know what might wind it’s way into the finished product!

To say the least this project is dear to my heart, and as such I would like to give back to you all as well! When certain stages of completion are met (example: I complete both leg greaves, or I finish the chest piece), I will reward a poster (chosen at random) with a gift. I will announce the goal for that particular period, as well as what the gift will be.


This is the eyepiece I have chosen as the basis for my augmetic replacement on the costume. It is half of a pair of goggles, which the strap broke on. I will likely replace the black lens with a red one once I debut this at a convention.


old headphones which will be converted into audio filters, connected to a styrofoam plate on the back of my head. These will help hide the straps from the rebreather.


definently one of the more interesting parts of this project. Once I receive the rebreather I am going to cover part of it with a latex half skull mask, so it will align where the triangular notch in the mask is-- it will look like I have a skeletal lower half of the face. Instead of buying air canisters, i am going to bore out the vents on the sides and put shower plates on the holes, so I can breathe freely.


this is a very crude mock up of what im talking about, sans the rebreather and custom plating/tubing. It also shows that I am in dire need of a haircut, so off to the stylist I go!

The first session’s goal is to complete assembly on the rebreather/eyepiece/audio filters on the head. I hope to have this completed by September 30 , 2009. The gift will be a kitbashed/custom “counts as” Shrike model, incorporating bits from several kits-- this model will be awarded once this goal is met, and will be painted in the chapter colors of the winners choosing!

here is "captain billy" (a few friends say he looks like the late billy mays). He's primed black, so whoever wins him just tells me what to paint him as and he'll be ready to go!
I look forward to your responses, and I hope you will all enjoy my "blog"!

Well, this is different. I'll be keeping an eye on this - promises to be interesting!

Well, this is different. I'll be keeping an eye on this - promises to be interesting!

I'll do my best to keep it interesting then

Ooo this is exciting. What material are you using for the plating? I hope it's not papier-mâché

Very ambitious, I hope this costume turns out well. Also interesting twist with the prizes thing. So far the eye piece looks great but not much else to comment.

Looks and sounds like fun.

sA

Thanks for all the replies so far guys!

Ooo this is exciting. What material are you using for the plating? I hope it's not papier-mâché

Plywood frame then either cover it in polyurethane foam and "glue" it with liquid foam OR make a wire mesh layer over the plywood and coat it in fibreglass. Both have their advantages and disadvantages so Im not sure which will be easier yet.

Very ambitious, I hope this costume turns out well. Also interesting twist with the prizes thing. So far the eye piece looks great but not much else to comment.

Yeah, it is a little ambitious on my part, but it's something I've wanted to do for a while and I figure now is the time. There will be more to see shortly, like the design I have sketched out for the cloak as well as concept designs. Then of course there is the work on the rebreather mask once it arrives. There will be no shortage of updates on this project, that's for sure- I'm sure more will catch your eye soon.

Looks and sounds like fun.

Glad to hear it.

If you all have any advice as the project goes along, or want to email links to helpful sites/inspiring pics, I have created an email specifically for this project:

Reclusiam_studios@gmx.com

Cheers,
-- Chappy.

(more pics to come soon)

This is not your average P&M Blog I'll Give you that, I think it's the only costume that I've seen on here.

I'll be watching quite adamantly for updates and will give you my less than professional opinions free of charge. The rebreather is gonna look sweet!

Will you be shaving your head to pull off the "Bald and Screaming Sarge" look?

I love the idea and you got some really ace looking parts so far. The shoulderpads are going to give you fits! You might get lucky with some small sized designer trashcans, but I suspect they will be too brittle ..

The_Chaplain wrote:Plywood frame then either cover it in polyurethane foam and "glue" it with liquid foam OR make a wire mesh layer over the plywood and coat it in fibreglass. Both have their advantages and disadvantages so Im not sure which will be easier yet.

Thank the Dark Jebus! You, sir, have my full attention now.

Ah, great stuff!

I hope I didn't overlook this, but what chapter is it gonna be?

Very intresting idea. It looks good so far.
I will be watching.

I'll keep watching this. Best of lucks to you, sir .

Veeeeery Interesting. Will be keeping an eye on this one.
No pun intended.

Are you going to shave your head for this?

Well today is turning out to be a quiet work day for me (unfortunately it is primarily occupied with packing for my upcoming move back to university). I am taking some breaks to do concept sketches for your alls' benefit-- even going so far as to sketch multiple options for you all to vote on before I build the parts

Thank the Dark Jebus! You, sir, have my full attention now.

glad to hear it!

I hope I didn't overlook this, but what chapter is it gonna be?

A fair question: the costume is intended to be as one of my DIY army marines, the Confessors. In essence, they are the Imperial Fists' successor equivalent of the Mortifactors.

Will you be shaving your head to pull off the "Bald and Screaming Sarge" look?

Are you going to shave your head for this?

The hair is something I am approaching with caution for now. I am a full time university student, so I want something that is wearable on campus, but utilitarian enough for this costume. I won't be debuting this thing til summer of next year mind you, so that should give me plenty of time to try out short hairstyles before taking that bald plunge.
Ultimately, if I think it would be best for the costume I'll do it-- I'm sure the fiance would manage without my luxurious locks for a few months LMAO
Yesterday I had my hair cut from about 5-6 inches in length to about 1 and 3/4 inches. I basically told them to give me a caesar cut like so:

(mine doesnt look nearly that good though, i might have it redone shortly)
In terms of progress, like I said concept sketches will be incoming (gotta snag her camera and take shots) and this evening I will be depositing another paycheck- so I'll see if I can snag some corkboard/styrofoam and maybe some cable from art supply stores this weekend for the head.

Cheers gang, and thanks for the awesome feedback so far

As long as you're still screaming in every picture, we can accept the lack of baldness

As long as you're still screaming in every picture, we can accept the lack of baldness

You'll have to see the scream emoted through my one eye then, after I put the rebreather on-- but I will do my best. Are badass poses also acceptable?

Okay, 2 quick questions before I take some boxes outside

a) does anyone here know about voice emulating software?

b) is anyone interested in this blog occassionally being updated with video blog entries? The fiance told me she got a camcorder!

The_Chaplain wrote:

As long as you're still screaming in every picture, we can accept the lack of baldness

You'll have to see the scream emoted through my one eye then, after I put the rebreather on-- but I will do my best. Are badass poses also acceptable?

As long as it involves pointing with your weapon/pistol/hand with one foot raised, Capt. Morgan's style.

You could always take some screaming shots without the rebreather

For poses, you can also be pointing menacingly, or holding your fist/heretic-be-good stick up and forward

a)For voice emulation, what about those things you can get to distort your voice over the phone?

b)Yes

Okay guys, it's about time I did *some* kind of update for this thread! I apologize that today's update is kind of hokey, but the last few days have been hectic. I promise the next update will be a substantial one!

Unfortunately, all the camera equipment is on its way down to university with the mrs, so until the next update (weekend of the 29th) I am spreading out "todays" installment into 3 parts, with 3 rounds of voting. The winners can then be announced on the 29th, hopefully in the first video installment!

The point of the voting is to see what the community wants to see me build the most, and then when it comes time to build/stitch/etc. I'll already have the design in mind.

You don't have to vote, but if you choose to - please say Tabard 2 or, I really like the so and so shoulderpad (this will help me calculate the votes) If you have a capital idea for something that isnt pictured (like a shoulderpad idea) describe it, and I will do a sketch that can be voted upon. Right then, let's get the pictures up!

Shoulder Pads (top 2 votes will be chosen as the left and right pauldrons, respectively)


Small shield, and a half skull in an "iron halo" type deal.

Winged skeleton clutching either a laurel or a halo. company marking/campaign badge will be painted on the inside.

Brazier of fire.

chains with skulls

And for those who said I need to scream more:

Winged skeleton.

Also, your angry face is indeed angry!

Iron Halo skull thing.

And your screaming face reminds me of the Bee Gees for some reason.

Amazing! And I look forward to know how you'll made the shoulder pads (and I like the one with the skeleton with laurels the most)

I like Brazier of Fire.. do you think you can get it to really flame?? That would be most cool.. and hazardous too!

Also, your angry face is indeed angry!

thanks! haha

Amazing! And I look forward to know how you'll made the shoulder pads

To make the suit lighter, PU foam with details in plastics, plasticard and sheet metals and then painted. I will be adding a strap connected to the side interior of the chestpiece which wont impede my movement at all, and allow for free rotation of the shoulder-- without the damn thing falling off.

I like Brazier of Fire.. do you think you can get it to really flame?? That would be most cool.. and hazardous too!

Nah I definently couldnt do that because it'd get me kicked out of the convention hall, and wind up burning me. Wood, foam or sculpted material is the only way to do the fire.


Thanks for the votes so far guys! You all beat out the bolter and chainsword in terms of feedback hands down

I'm anxious to see the developement. Personally I always wanted to make a Power Armour, yet since I was with other projects I couldn0t figure out an efficient way to make them (I have options in my head).

I'm anxious to see the developement. Personally I always wanted to make a Power Armour, yet since I was with other projects I couldn0t figure out an efficient way to make them (I have options in my head).

I've wanted to make a suit of power armor for years, well that and get a tattoo LOL. There are issues with both, in that you have to decide on what you want, and realize that you cant really go back on it once youve committed to it.
I must warn you, and anyone that wants to make a suit is...its expensive! one thing that I sorely underestimated was the cost. I figured that the suit would cost about 200 or 250 dollars, tops. But, after realizing the head with skull rebreather alone has eaten a 5th of that budget, I see the error in that thinking, and the actual will be closer to 400! Still, if it's worth doing- it's worth doing right!

Quick question: post the rest of the pics for the voting today (3 greave options and 2 tabards) and grind my nose to the whetstone and get work done without updates for over a week or save them for another day?

Chains with skulls looks cool.

And I'd wait with the rest of the voting. Let this be voted first.

Your angry face puts the traditional Bald and Screaming Marine face to shame! Hmm... It's missing something though... Ah! The beard needs to be thicker and have some good hang to it!

I agree that you should wait and let the votes come in on the Pauldrons first. I'm thinking the skull in the Iron Halo or the skulls on chains.

About the armor plates...have you looked into how they make Storm Trooper armor? Vacuum formed plastic, can be done in your garage. If you're interested, I'll dig up and find the link for it.

Either way I'll be watching this thread with interest. It's something I've always wanted to do as well.

I have not lormax, but i would appreciate that link very much!

@ Metallifan: remember, the beard and mouth will be covered with the rebreather. (which just arrived hooray for me, now I just have to wait on the mask and sealant)

as far as votes go: between bolter and chainsword and dakkadakka we have:

1 vote for chained skulls
3 votes for the brazier of fire
2 votes for the winged skeleton
1 vote for the skull in halo.

Yea, I was thinking about that too. Vacuum formed plastic is probably the way to go, though you could do wax hardened leather too. The best would probably be vacuum formed plastic OVER wax hardened leather if you wanted to actually use it for violent activities where you didn't want it to crush. If you don't actually intend to run around in the woods or get hit by a stick though, vacuume formed plastic is a good plan.

I see your point.

I think that with enough time and some money I could cold-forge a Power Armour on 1mm thick steel, and then add the rest with Polyestirene + Polyester Putty (I don't know it that's the exact name in english, it's the putty used to fill bumps in vehicles before repainting them).

Quite ambitious.. Nice!

If you want some advice on armour, I wear plate armour on a regular basis, so if you want some pics on attachment, straps, etc... Just shoot me a PM!

I downloaded the guide that these guys made for their space marine armor the other day, and I'm cross referencing it with the measurements my buddy made for me on a pda file. Apparently I need special measurments cause im built like a tank
Why is it that all these costumes on the internet seem to be Black Templars?





fear not, the shoulderpads will not be anywhere near that large!

I thought space marines were all about excessively large shoulder pads?

Can I put a negative vote against the brazier of fire? Fire is good, but I'm not sure coming out a brazier is the right idea. Lots of cooler thing could be flaming. (And when I first saw the image I thought it was a pair of dentures...)

Morgrim wrote:I thought space marines were all about excessively large shoulder pads?

Can I put a negative vote against the brazier of fire? Fire is good, but I'm not sure coming out a brazier is the right idea. Lots of cooler thing could be flaming. (And when I first saw the image I thought it was a pair of dentures...)

touche about the shoulder size.
I got the idea for the brazier of fire from the corpse cart from the fantasy vampire counts range (the one with all the skulls and coal in it). If you have a better recommendation, please feel free to give a suggestion, input is always appreciated!

A poster over on bolter and chainsword says he works with set props, and suggested putting an internal fan, a red LED light and a container of dry ice into the pad for realistic fire lighting and even billowing smoke! He even went the extra mile and drew a diagram!



Opinions?

Also, today will be primarily a work around the house day- but I will try and sneak on periodically to check in, and work some more on the rebreather mask.

Cheers folks, it's gonna be a good day!

That brazier would be the

I do hope that you do get the proportions right because even looking at the 2 SM costumes up above the boots on the first and the upper torso to the legs on the second are so outa wack >.>.

But yeah the shoulderpads don't have to be HUGE (look at my avatar even) just proportional to the chest. The big thing though is that all the smurfs I see have LARGE boots.

Skull in the iron Halo or the skull on chains get my vote.

I'd discard the dry ice, for while it won't drench you, it'll create some humidity that might make you feel uncomfortable (if not damaging the suit)

This thread is probably the first of its kind, and awesome.

I vote skull with chains too.

I'd discard the dry ice, for while it won't drench you, it'll create some humidity that might make you feel uncomfortable (if not damaging the suit)

that is definently something to look into, ill ask a local dry ice distributor about that in the morning.

This thread is probably the first of its kind, and awesome

why thank you

As of right now, the winged skeleton and the braizer have the most votes with 5, so I think I'm gonna be closing the voting for that. The skull with chains is an honorable runner up, so I think i'll try and incorporate a chain with it somewhere else-- like on a leg greave.

Speaking of: lets get the pics of those bad boys' pics up and make a vote!


greave option 1: mini shield for the knee cap. unadorned on the greave itself except for the odd purity seal and maybe some battle damage.


greave 2: straight out of dawn of war. the winged eagle knee continues into the greave itself.


greave 3: reliquaries of bones ala the forgeworld chaplain dreadnought.

Also, if anyone has any recommendations for music, I need to make a playlist for this project-- been listening to the same stuff for too long.

I'd say the first one, 'cause its simple. I'd concentrate more on hoe to make legs rather than cool designs to put on legs at this point, but I'm no expert.

Just do whatever you thinks best.

Hey this is awesome!!
also i think the first greave by far the best as simple and iconic.

will be staying tuned to this tread from now on.

A quick question: do you plan to fight with this Power Armour or you just want to look awasome?

I'd concentrate more on hoe to make legs rather than cool designs to put on legs at this point, but I'm no expert.

a valid point, and I am in no means an expert either. In fact, I will be working in tandem with a buddy who practices woodcraft on the construction of this suit. (sent him the blue prints, which he has okayed for work). I can tell you that the frame for the legs are surprisingly simple: two plywood circles connected by 4 plywood pillars, and then coated in the foam/fibreglass. The knees are what will be a pain in the ass, I want as much flexibility in the joint as possible- so I am talking with him about vulkanized rubber joints fastened into the thing (so that i dont have to walk like a fething robot)

Right now I'm just getting an idea for the aesthetics of the project, and asking for feedback- while I finish up packing for my move, and taking time to work on the head whenever possible in the dayThe legs and chest cant be worked on until I move in with my buddy the craftsman, even then school will limit our working schedule somewhat.

Just wanna say thanks again to everyone that is being so supportive on this project, and I appreciate all the feedback that has been given so far.

Trust me, forget about pywood. Work straight on metal.

1mm thick steel sheets are quite cheap and you can give them the shape you want with very few hammering (except the shoulder pads, I won't lie)

If you opt for that path, I can give you tricks and tips.

Wouldn't that be heavy though? I'm gonna be walking around in this thing for a good 4-6 hours per day for every convention.

Not at all, that's why I tell you to use 1mm steel, it's actually lighter than one would think.

Dark wrote:Work straight on metal.

You can give them the shape you want with very few hammering

Also, you get to look like Tony Stark.

Hahahaha.

My beard is longer, though

Greave voting so far:

5 votes for the shield knee greave
4 votes for the reliquary of bones
1 vote for the winged skeleton greave.

I think it's pretty obvious who is going to win in this one haha.

I might be able to snag a couple shots with a friends digital camera today before I see Inglorious Basterds, but I make no promises.

These are the 2 tabard ideas, in case I can't get costume pics up today.


Black templar inspired, the 2 strips that are commonly painted as cloth would in fact be long purity seals.



Inspired from the commander box/assault on black reach captain. The colored rope would be white for the first company.

Cheers,
Chappy

I vote for the second model ^^

What mk. are you modelling the armor on?

1st Armour looks better

I prefer the first armour.

If you want to be mobile with the kneed pads, it's the back of your lower leg you need to worry about (the bit where the marines only have black carapace). Also, leave room for your calf: it thickens when you move or kneel, and you want the blood to keep on runnign to your toes .

For ease of construction, I would suggest against a loose knee pad. It will move away from the lower leg when making certain movements, making it hard to attach, and a greave that covers the knee does not impede movement in any way. Talking from experience: wear knee protection for skating or volleyball underneath if you intend to kneel for more then thirty seconds...

I have to agree with Dark though, steel may be lighter and easier to work with then plywood, provided you have the right gear. If it's only for show, even aluminium would do. If you intend to fight with it, that'll dent real easy though.

I find it exceptionally unlikely you are going to be able to fight in this thing. Just keep it for display.

What mk. are you modelling the armor on?

probably mark 7, since thats an easier design to do than say, mk 3 iron. I'd prefer to do a more elaborate armor mk, but this is for ease of production.

I find it exceptionally unlikely you are going to be able to fight in this thing. Just keep it for display.

no no no, no battling in this suit- I dont wanna be making repairs on my baby hahaha. Display only for now.

How exactly would I make a frame out of metal though? (at the risk of sounding like a tech heretic) cant i just do a wood frame then hammer the metal over it?

I'll check back in later guys, I'm driving over to the doctor to get my chest xrayed.

Lol A metal space Marine frame unless you did like tin would probly way like 150 pnds haha. Even reg full plate armor is like 80 pnds that'd suck without like hydrolics inside.

CajunMan550 wrote:Lol A metal space Marine frame unless you did like tin would probly way like 150 pnds haha. Even reg full plate armor is like 80 pnds that'd suck without like hydrolics inside.

My full plate including helmet weighs about 30 kgs, and is made of 3mm steel. So, 1 mm steel should do ok .

no no no, no battling in this suit- I dont wanna be making repairs on my baby hahaha. Display only for now.

How exactly would I make a frame out of metal though? (at the risk of sounding like a tech heretic) cant i just do a wood frame then hammer the metal over it?

If you won't be battling in it, consider aluminium or even PVC; when heated, it can be shaped and I've seen people make some very nice stuff out of it.

As for a frame: you bend it, hammer it, and rivet it. If you have the material, welding (or smithing) it may be options as well. Yep, it's noisy .

CajunMan wrote:Lol A metal space Marine frame unless you did like tin would probly way like 150 pnds haha. Even reg full plate armor is like 80 pnds that'd suck without like hydrolics inside.

That's a common missconception from people who never weared an armour and believes all what they see from movies.

The_Chaplain wrote:How exactly would I make a frame out of metal though? (at the risk of sounding like a tech heretic) cant i just do a wood frame then hammer the metal over it?

If you make a wooden frame, you'll destroy it when hammering on it. You just need the sheets of steel cutted with the pattern you need and, if you don't want to get an anvil with it's stakes, you'll just need a dishing concavity (easy to make), a good steel pipe and a biiig peenball hammer.

For moulding the steel, I recommend a 400gr hammer, and I glued on it's flat face raw hide (obtainable from dog chew toys at petshops) so the hammer won't leave marks on the steel.

Just wishing you luck on this project, always happy to see solid 40k costumes It's a bit of a back up, but what dust mask is that? Good ones are hard to come by, and that one has a nice shape to it. Pity it isn't in black / dark grey, but that can be fixed.

- Salvage

@Dark: yeah I'll definently pm you if my buddy and I go the metal route, that sounds durable to say the least.

@ Boss_Salvage: it's the 7500 model mask from the company 3M. I ordered mine online at cooper safety for a little over 20 dollars.

Thanks for the posts guys, it's really making up for a craptastic day (found out I'm really sick at the doctors, she said it's most likely shingles >_< )

expect a pic of the work in progress rebreather mask in the next 2 hours, gonna borrow a friends camera after I pick up prescriptions.

If you do go aluminium, you can't go too wrong with T5 aircraft aluminium. I have a large scutum made from that for fighting, and it is nearly invincible, but fairly light. The thing is around 4' tall and weighs less than 15 pounds.

I definitely would stay away from wood though. Metal, leather or moulded plastic would all be lighter and easier to shape, as well as breathing a lot better.

Trust us armor geeks: metal is far lighter than people claim it to be, and armor is far easier to wear than it is to carry, so don't get too worried if you suit seems a bit heavy for you.

Wehrkind wrote:I have a large scutum made from that for fighting, and it is nearly invincible, but fairly light. The thing is around 4' tall and weighs less than 15 pounds.

You know Wehr, I so misread that line

- Salvage

That might explain why I am so popular with the SCA ladies...

Gah still no updates after 2 hours!

I will definately be keeping tabs on this thread, it has always been a dream of mine to build a space marine costume for a con, the only difference is in my dream it is ceramite.... and im 2' feet taller.... Barring that the costume is made of metal. Also, nice idea with the augmetic eye.

I apologize profusely for not having the picture up several hours ago, I went straight to inglorious basterds and a bar after getting my prescription filled- the latter against my will.



This is just an idea of what the mask is gonna look like. I plan on adding some more techy bits (like tubes) onto it, and really reinfrce the skull on there (freaking rain has made it start to peel as its not 100% glued shut).

It needs a lot more work, and I apologize for the dark pic it was the best I could manage tonight.

are you going to paint the skull part silver?

are you going to paint the skull part silver?

Yes, once the mask is fully fastened and teched up I will be coating it in silver paint.

What kind of helm are you aiming for? tbh i dislike the skull but i might be wrong since it is still WIP, the majority of the work you have done so far is great and i hope that you will have your complete armour in no time

It's just going to be a rebreather. I'm not exactly sure on how to make a comfortable breathable helmet- so that may come at a later date.

yeah it's still wip- come the the 30th of september (my self appointed deadline for the rebreather/audio filters/ eye piece it'll look better.

(and if it turns out I dont like the skull or it becomes too large a pain in the ass I can always find some grating to integrate into the front of the rebreather)

How are you going to do the mechy bitz?

How are you going to do the mechy bitz?

shower grates, cable, styrofoam as the base of the back head plates (coated in bondo to harden then painted) and Ill try and feed a camelbak feed into it leading into the backpack so that I can drink as necessary throughout the day without having to peel off the mask.

Tabard 2, as its not based on the black templar, grr black templar,

when can we expect upcates?

when can we expect upcates?

excellent question, Im in the process of unpacking stuff as I just moved down to university this week and everything is jumbled-- I might be able to have a little summary post or video and a teaser of upcoming updates this evening but as always I cant make a promise, as it also depends on the level of tech I have available.

cheers

Why are you using Stryofoam? Why not use sintra/Komotec? It is a lightweight expanded PVC board. Easy to cut with a hacksaw, knife or dremel. It is also called "expanded PVC" You can get it from sign stores or online.

am in the process of making a Mandolorian Merc, and it is being incorparated into the armor I am building.

The_Chaplain wrote:I downloaded the guide that these guys made for their space marine armor the other day

Man those are cool can you send me the diagrams on put a link up? I want to make the bolter and chainsword.

The_Chaplain wrote:

no no no, no battling in this suit- I dont wanna be making repairs on my baby hahaha.

What about the furries you must purge while wearing that?

If anything you could probably make the suit and put a layer of metal on all the parts that could get damaged and you're not making a helmet right?

also just wondering what are you going to wear under that?

howdy all, first week of classes is almost at an end, and what a chaotic week its been! Ive managed to save a couple hundred dollars on school books-- so I am going to do something a little unorthodox. I am scrapping the rebreather and going to be making a full helmet instead.

I have been talking with a costume prop creator, who has resin casts of marine helmets for sale- she is willing to cut some off the price and send me the back half of the helmet but ill have to paint it and such myself (which i would prefer actually). this is a pic of one of the helmets:


The reason for the half helmet is because when I was at the local PX the other day I came accross THIS:


it looks a lot better in person, and has mirrored eyes (so people outside can only see the red light shining out, though you can see perfectly).

Once the helmet arrives, it will simply be a matter of fitting it into the faceplate slot and adding any additional padding I need (a friend donated a set of motorcycle helmet pads for this),as well as repainting parts, like the skull as a bleached bone tone. the end result? a chaplain's helmet!

@Typhus-- I will be wearing a form fitting long sleeve shirt for the torso, and probably a pair of black tights for the legs for breathability. that way any spaces in the armor arent exposing bare flesh (as would be the case with tshirt and shorts.) Ill end up adding some sheet metal plating to a pair of construction boots for the power feet.

cheers all, I apologize for the lack of update pics of late- but they will be coming in due time. Also, I have found a program that allows me to record and convert speech and save it as mp3s and rip it to my ipod- so it may be possible to record speeches and what not in marine voices and play them in costume. Ill try and upload one to youtube to show what im talking about.

Thanks for keeping interest gang, cheers! (off to lecture)

You could eliminate the knee pad problem if you used mk6 leg armor. I have been thinking if you built the under structure out of pink or blue insulation foam then coated that with fiberglass it will be both light and sturdy and you can paint the fiberglass with automotive paint.

sonofruss wrote:You could eliminate the knee pad problem if you used mk6 leg armor. I have been thinking if you built the under structure out of pink or blue insulation foam then coated that with fiberglass it will be both light and sturdy and you can paint the fiberglass with automotive paint.

Yeah, I could make them mk 6 greaves- but Im still gonna need some way of keeping them from sliding, and able to bend. Thats really an issue I can address when the time comes I think.

In an unrelated note, youtube is being a bastard and not letting me upload mp3 files on its website

This should be really cool. Can't wait to see it done. If you are making a chaplain suit, what weapons will you use? Not just a bolted I expect.

Valcatta wrote:This should be really cool. Can't wait to see it done. If you are making a chaplain suit, what weapons will you use? Not just a bolted I expect.

powerfist with a built in flamer and either an elaborate sword or a mace to act as a "crozius". (think vulkan hestan as a chaplain)
I'm looking at larp weapons, since they are either foam or latex <conventions have strict rules against dense wood or metal weapons>. If you all have a suggestion, or know a website im all ears.

the powerfist will pose a unique set of challenges, as i hope to make it fully articulated; meaning i can move the fingers and even clench the fist. I have ideas on a spring and hinge system- but how to attach manipulators and make a housing for my real fist will be interesting.

I'll try and get a couple sketches up this weekend including the powerfist mechanism design up here in a post this weekend, as well as a sketch i did for the cloak design which im having someone sew for me.

Just as long as it doesn't end up looking like this:



You should be okay, even without articulating fingers

Thunder Hammer:
http://www.strongblade.com/prod/sbf-weap-ovrldbttlehmmr.html

They have some other weapons that might work as Power Weapons.

These fellows have an even bigger selection of LARP weapons:
http://www.medievalcollectables.com/c-6-larp-weapons.aspx

Edit: Just noticed this: http://www.medievalcollectables.com/p-2521-imperial-commander-long-sword.aspx

Try http://www.calimacil.com/ for some cool weapons. You can choose the pigment of most weapons if you want a power sword/mace/whatver they may have.

To prevent the greaves from sliding, make sure they attach firmy around the ankle (preferably on solid boots), and you'll be fine. Why would you want them to bend, btw?

http://www.calimacil.com/argalad.htm

Oh come on. It's Freaking HADHAFANG!

http://www.calimacil.com/krom.htm

Krom, The conqueror's sword? Krom the Conqueror? Seriously...

Grrr...

well, I completely underestimated how much school absorbs my life when it starts back up- and it saddens me to say that i could not make the deadline, and sadder still the head section of the costume is going to have to be postponed until the back half of the helmet kit arrives (my birthday present). However, I will not give up!

here is the faceplate as it stands now, in all likelihood I will need to give it a new strap and sand the sides down to fit in the rest of the helmet.





the mask will get a paint treatment of a bone color, and rock salt will be used to chip the paint.

My 3 day fall break is coming up, so I will take that time to gather supplies for the next mini parts of the project, like sewing the patterns into the tabard and cloak I have cut out and ready to go, might try and work on the non powerfist glove as well.

At next update I will announce the winner of the model giveaway, so stay tuned.

metallifan wrote:Just as long as it doesn't end up looking like this:



You should be okay, even without articulating fingers

LMAO

I hope this is not where all nerds end?!!?!

Wow....those guys look like part of the Moth Emperor's domain....blast them. The Terminator head is genius! The first thing that came to mind for the helm was one of those cheap-o skeleton masks at Wal-Mart, but that's much better! Cant wait to see the rest of it!

Terminator mask aint look that bad.

Good luck.

You need to shave your head, only then can you prevent LED fires.

How bout an update???

How bout an update???

trying to get one up for you all by the end of this weekend, it is continually busy at school and my time to work on this is limited.

I'll be celebrating my 4 year anniversary with my significant other and my birthday this weekend (so i will be busy)- but I will try my best guys.

For the power fist to atriculate the fingers. One way to get them in full motion is if you remember those little arm grab toys as a kid with the fingers on it that when you pulled the handle the whole hand would clinch together. You can use that or something very similar in idea to make the hand move as yours would be to small to fit inthe size your shooting for. Love the terminator helm and the combination helm that it will become. Any chance you can pm me where the movie helms are made from?.

OK how about an update now?

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build_Halo_Armor/

This video shows a great way to make armor if you are up for the challenge. Part of the challenge is stomaching the over-produced video tutorial. Its a great technique to make this sort of thing.

http://www.buycostumes.com/GI-Joe-Duke-Child-Missile-Launcher-Arms/60658/ProductDetail.aspx

Here's a pick of the missile launcher thing, it's not for the entire fist, but may be able to fill in some hydraulic area.

Although it would be much easier to do lightning claws or if you can bend the claws good enough the wolverine claws are a good choice.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3381043

Only because you asked for pics.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Well seeing as how its Halloween, figured I'd update this blog haha. Unfortunately not as much got done on it as id hoped, but school work obviously takes precedence over hobbies so...

Here is the helmet as it stands now, with a coat of cream/bone color, teeth outlining and some boltgun metal detailing.




Im not sure if I should dirty this up too much further, but if you all think it needs some battle wear what would you recommend?

My abilities as a seamstress arent that great it seems, but work on the cloak and hood is transpiring- the hood (for visual reference) will give the chaplain mask a visual flair similar to this motivational poster.


Lastly, an interesting anecdote: i went to a halloween store for some costume ideas and I ran into a poster from the bolter and chainsword who let me have this little fella for couple dollars off the clearance price. I figure with some pvc piping, leather for the grip and a few other doodads I have the beginnings of a nice crozius arcanum. thoughts?


I'll try my best to get more regular updates guys, but while the emperor may be willing-- academia isnt always as kind

Til next time, keep the faith and smite now the scions of the witch!

And congratulations to halonachoes for winning the captain mays prize drawing, please pm me with details on how you wish the model to be painted.

DUDE THATS SERIOUSLY TIGHT.. would you mind sharing where you got the helment itself ffrom not the skull?

Empchild wrote:DUDE THATS SERIOUSLY TIGHT.. would you mind sharing where you got the helment itself ffrom not the skull?

Sure, the helmet is a terminator salvation tie in mask available from most stores that carry toys, or purchasable online, for about 30 dollars.

didnt you combine it with a space marine prop helment? Cause that is what I was looking for.

Empchild wrote:didnt you combine it with a space marine prop helment? Cause that is what I was looking for.

No, I decided that going with the front section of the helmet and a hood would be more viable for 2 reasons:
1) better circulation of air: Im gonna be walking around all day in this thing, brow sweat wont help much

2) cost: even with a discount, that helmet wouldve set me back close to 100 dollars. Money is tight all around, and all told this costume will cost me anywhere between 400 to 800 dollars to make-- if I can cut some corners here and there and still pull off a decent costume I'm going to have to.

If however you are looking for this person her name is Brahsculptor on the website deviantart.com.

About the weathering on the helmet, I'd decide later so you can get more done.

Such a slow but awesome blog!

Hey, buddy, what are you going to plan to use for armor? Just curious ya know.

I know this is necro bot can someone please tell me what happened to this!

typhus wrote:I know this is necro bot can someone please tell me what happened to this!

Nah, it's not necroing- you have a right to know, and better it comes from the horses mouth than some unsubstantiated rumor.

I tried a couple different methods to get armor sections done, and none of them turned out *quite* right, and some failed miserably. In short, I blew more money than I wanted to on a failed product- but rather than give up, I decided to do some commission work to recoup some financial losses. As it stands, I almost have enough money for another go at it, but this time I will be working in conjunction with some more talented hands. I supply the ideas and concept work, and they provide the finished, polished product. One is a local prop manager, and the other is a talented craftswoman and amateur metalworker I go to university with. Their idea is to use light framework, but some special insulated board instead of PU foam to fill in the gaps using triangular cuts, so when glued together itll have a mosaic/puzzle pattern to it (before sanding that is). They assure me that the end product will look great, and im sure they will do a better job of it than I can.

I promise I will get some pics up as soon as I receive them from my associates, and ill try to get some progress vids up too. thanks for the continued interest typhus (and others like you)

I will sure keep an eye on this as I have never seen a chaplain costume.

Chappy here: sadly, I am gonna have to call off this project- as my personal financial situation has become too difficult to warrant any personal projects (read: I am managing to live and eat by the skins of my teeth.)

I may try and resurrect such an endeavour in the future, but for now I respectively ask a mod to close this topic. My apologies brothers, but this chaplain has *sadly* lost faith.

SHame to hear that. I hope things turn out OK for you!

Shame to hear that it's all gone downhill

Here's hoping things turn around for you and that this project doesn't meet an end

S_P