Build Halo Armor

This week on [http://www,indymogul.com/bfx Backyard FX] we show you how to make a futuristic set of space armor just like Master Chief wears in Halo 3.

Step 1: Shopping List

- Ream of Heavyweight Card Stock
- 2 Aqua Resin Starter Kits
- 2 yds. Fiberglass Mat
- Nylon Straps and Buckles
- 4 ft. of Velcro
- A few feet of 1 in. Foam Padding
- Cheap Black Gloves
- Dark Colored Under clothes

Step 2: Get Blueprints From These Sites

Step one is go to this link: http://www.indymogul.com/3RR and download the free Pepakura viewer. It lets view and print out the blue prints directly on to your cardstock. There is a ton of information and pepakura blue prints at 405th.com, and or just type in this shortcut http://www.indymogul.com/3RS to see my guide to get you started.

Step 3: Cut and Fold

Now you can start the cutting, folding and gluing process. Its sort of like origami on a bigger scale.

Step 4: Waterproof the Cardstock

Once you have a complete section of the armor folded and glued you need to waterproof the cardstock with a clear coat. THEN cover the inside and outside with some aqua resin. Aqua Resin is like polyurathen resin but way less toxic and less stupid about curing temperatures.

So one glazing coat of aqua resin on the inside of the carstock form and one on the outside.

Do these one at a time, each coat should take about an hour to cure.

Step 5: Apply Fiberglass

Next you’ll need to add apply one or two layers of fiberglass for added reinforcement. These layers
go on the inside only and use fiberglass veil and some more of your aqua resin! This should take
at least 2 hours to cure.

Step 6: Carve Out the Details

Now that your armor is sturdy you can get in there with a rotary tool and carve out some details. Some bondo or plumbers epoxy can help here but only if you have some extra cash.

Step 7: Paint the Armor

Now we need to paint and distress the armor. My armor is 1 coats of primer, 1 of silver and 1 of flat black.

Step 8: Straps and Padding

So the last steps are padding and strapping. Probably the most frustrating part of the build. Youll need to glue in padding and attach nylon straps until all the armor sits right on your body. That is the basics of building armor.

And for the helmet you can totally use this technique just add a cheap motorcycle visor and add some if your feeling crazy add some light!

Step 9: Warnings and Common MIstakes

Also here are the 5 most common mistakes people make when building their first armor.

1) Not being patient. It can take as long as a year to build one suit
2)Don't fiberglass the outside of the armor, and when applying your veil use small chunks, not big ones.
3)Don't forget to scale the armor to your body. The real master chief you are not.
4)Don't forget the under armor. It can be as simple as dark colored long johns, or as expensive as fancy pressure suits.
5)Not reading the safety instructions. Dust masks and eye protection a must.