Project: REACH (CAUTION: PICTURE HEAVY/LARGE PICS)

Ohaiguise. I've got a hell of a project that I'm working on now. I'm in the process of printing and pepping together a set of MJOLNIR armor from Halo: Reach. More specifically, I'm attempting to rebuild Jun's armor. This will be fully integrated with electronics and hardware and will be reinforced to withstand brutal beatings that airsoft provides. But while this is part of Project: Reach (which I will update here), that's not why I'm posting this. See below.

I'm pepping the assault rifle from Reach, but here's the twist: I'm going to be dropping AEG internals into it once I've reinforced the interior. But I can't do this by myself. I need some airsoft experts on board (i.e., Tyson, Ben, etc.) to help me figure out how to drop this into the body. I'll post regular updates once I get started.

The third phase of Project: REACH, provided the armor and AR are successful, will be replicating the sniper rifle and possibly dropping AEG internals in that. I'll keep you updated as I get started.

Remember, check the next two posts below for updates to the project.

This post is reserved for armor and weapon updates.

Progress List



Armor
Armor Completion Data will be down until I have managed to sort through the development issues with the armor. Stay tuned with the latest posts to see the progress.



Weapons

Chaingun Back: Not Started
Chaingun Barrel: Not Started
Chaingun Clip: Not Started
Chaingun Cover: Not Started
Chaingun handle: Not Started
Chaingun Hold: Not Started
Chaingun plate: Not Started





You Now Can Haz Pictures!


The entire right arm assembly(EVA Shoulder, bicep guard/shoulder mount, handplate and forearm), pepped and ready to resin.


The right gauntlet, boot toe, and tactical knife, also pepped.


The ammunition backpack, just assembled, still split into two pieces.


The backpack, fully assembled and connected, with support beams. The support beams will be removed after the resining, but until then they have to stay.

This post is reserved for project updates.

2011.01.02: Changed my focus from Jun's armor to Jorge's armor. Completed left forearm gauntlet and EVA shoulder. Total time doing papercraft folding: 8 hours. The pieces will still need to be resined, fiberglassed, and all of that fun stuff.

2011.02.02: 80% completed on pepping the right bicep. Bought fiberglass cloth and resin last night. Jeez, that stuff is expensive. Just in supplies so far in this project, I've been set back $70. And it's only gonna get worse. Total papercraft folding time: 12 hours.

2011.03.02: Well, resining has been sidelined. In order for it to cure successfully, I have to have temperatures of 60 degrees or greater.

Very nice idea. I hope it works out. I'd be happy to help in any way I can. Are you doing papercraft stuff for the rifle or are you going to take an existing platform and modify it to look like the rifle?

Some things to think about
1 Dissasembly- You are going to want to get into this thing both to put the GB in and to be able to put the rest of the internals in. You are also going to want to be able to take it apart. I guess a two shell system would be easiest to construct, but not to get into. For two shell construction take a look at Tysons JLS FN2000. It is a two shell bull pup gun which should put you well on you way to understanding how you are going to build this thing.

2. How will it be REINFORCED? If you are building it from scratch I would recommend trying to figure this out soon because it will determine how you will assemble it. You are going to want some hard contact points between the parts where they can touch and where you can put hardware (screws, bolts, nuts).

If you are patient with it and take it one step at a time this thing will end up being pretty awesome. Good luck!

Grady the Scot wrote:

2. How will it be REINFORCED?

To answer that, if you know the papercraft process, the card stock shape is just mainly a mold for the fiberglass and epoxy resins, as well as the detailing Bondo filler. Ultimately, any papercraft shell (armor and weapon alike) going to be a tough fiberglass interior with a durable layer of plastic resin on the outside.

Furthermore, I HAVE to have patience. I assembled the gauntlet (as mentioned in the updates post) last night. It took five hours to assemble from start to finish. The EVA shoulder took about 2-1/2 to 3 hours. And that's just cutting and folding. =P

Quote :

Furthermore, I HAVE to have patience.

Whoa whoa whoa, don't get me wrong. I didn't say you couldn't do it or you didn't have the patience. I just said it's going to take some patience. Which is, if I understand papercraft, VERY true.

As for the reinforcing I know that the papercraft models where basically shells of paper. I have seen people put bondo on them before and I slightly recall victor talking about fiber glass. Sounds like the shell part is going to work. What I'm talking about is on the interior. If you take apart your airsoft gun body even the least complicated like a P90 or FN2000 you should see that the body doesn't just meet on the edges. There are "mountains" and "valleys" in the plastic. They should be symmetrical on both sides. The mountains should touch each other and reinforce the shell. The valleys are the places where the other components fit in like the gearbox and barrel and hop up ect. This keeps it from being just all shell. Even fiberglass boats which are the epitome of a "shell" have some reinforcing cross pieces to keep the fiberglass from caving inwards. These "mountains" are also the hard contact points where the screws go to keep the two halves of the body together. You are going to have to figure out how you are going to place those pieces in the fiberglass/plastic shell. Whether you cut out sections of the papercraft model and make molds for the plastic/ fiberglass to make these "mountains" on the inside of your gun or you melt in pieces of reinforced plastic afterward or you come up with some kind of bolt and sleeve method (bolt goes all the way through the two pieces and the sleeve is made to fit exactly the interior dimension to giving the body reinforcing ribs or bones) is up to you and if you are going to make the plastic/fiberglass on the exterior the same as the interior then you have some thinking to do about how you will reinforce it.

Grady the Scot wrote:

Quote :

Furthermore, I HAVE to have patience.

Whoa whoa whoa, don't get me wrong.

Actually, I didn't mean to come across as defensive or offended or anything like that. I took no offense to what you said. I apologize for that.

Also, the gun's a long way off, so it's the furthest thing from my mind right now. Until I can prove to myself that I can actually do this thing right through the armor, I'm not touching the idea of assembling the gun. That's going to be my reward project. It's nice, though, to figure this stuff out as we go. I'll definitely want a lot of input on the gun when it comes time....which might be next semester, if things creep by like they are so far. I do live in a dorm, so I can only resin and whatnot when the weather allows.

EDIT: However, What I'm thinking, though, is to make a few attachment points inside the shell and then drop an inner body into it (which houses the internals). The only thing out of place will be the AR mag, which I'll have to sort out when the time comes.

Update: I start the full resining process tonight. I should start adding pictures by tomorrow afternoon.

Well, since I can't resin until it warms up, I'm just going to keep building. In the mean time, here's a little bit of info for you. On average, unless it's an extremely simple build with very few folds, it takes between an hour and an hour and a half per sheet of cardstock to assemble a piece. For example, the gauntlets were five pages each. It took five and a half hours per build. The more complicated ones can take upwards of two hours per sheet. I'm already forecasting that the helmet will be my second-longest build, being around 24 total hours. The chestpiece, I'm forecasting, will take between 38-40 hours to build. Bear in mind, this is just doing the papercraft folding part. This isn't factoring in resining, fiberglassing, sanding, painting, and making it a fully wearable piece. This is a 1-month+ project, no question.

Now some more specific info about my build. With the exception of the left gauntlet (which was my test piece), all of the pieces are scaled to 90% of their true spartan size. Reason for 90% instead of scale to fit me is that I don't have Jorge's build. Therefore, I have to make up for it in armor shape and underarmor padding to make it look better. With 90%, it's easier to tailor it to the exactness. Also, with a 90% scale, it's easier for other people to wear it, if they so desire.

sounds like its going well. One quick comment. According to the Halo wiki on Jorge

http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Jorge-052

He is 7'4" and 90% of that is approx 6'6"

I thought you were a little shorter than 6'6". That's taller than Evan or Gene. I'm not trying to prove anything. I just want to make sure you don't build it and have it fit like a tent.

Grady the Scot wrote:

sounds like its going well. One quick comment. According to the Halo wiki on Jorge

http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Jorge-052

He is 7'4" and 90% of that is approx 6'6"

I thought you were a little shorter than 6'6". That's taller than Evan or Gene. I'm not trying to prove anything. I just want to make sure you don't build it and have it fit like a tent.

Yep. you're right; I'm definitely shorter than 6'6". I'm gonna look into that.

EDIT: You made a very good catch there. It concerned me. I went back to my source files and found out that 99% the actual source files are, in fact, not scaled to Jorge's height, but rather to the dimensions of a normal person person who is 6'2". You made a good find, though, and it gave me a scale reference for some other pieces that are adjusted to Jorge's height. Nice work!

Glad I could help. I can't wait to see how this thing is going.

Grady the Scot wrote:

I can't wait to see how this thing is going.

You're in luck! I just updated the page with the first picture updates as of right now. I'll be bracing the pieces before resining, which will straighten them out.

EDIT: As of right now, I have also started on the backpack. This is a 28-page project, though most of is is of square design with very few intricate folds.

nice pics

New pics of the backpack are up. Please make note of the support beams holding the two halves level. They will be removed after the resining if the pack is strong enough, but until then they have to stay, as one side of the upper half is heavier than the other.....don't know why though.

EDIT: Major find. I found Jorge's chaingun while scouring 4shared for it. It's actually seven separate files (barrel, back, grip, etc.) with over 60 pages of parts total. This will be bumped ahead of the assault rifle if the armor goes well.

Ok guys. Major update. I realized, after finishing the codpiece tonight, that the parts were way too big. So I've started over on the right forearm and the codpiece; the other parts I can live with. They're sized well enough. I'm going through the proper calculation formulas to size them to me now. This does, unfortunately, set me back 8 hours of pepping work, but the trade-off is that I'll have better-fitting armor. Pep projects slated for this Sunday are as follows:

Right Thigh
Grenadire Shoulder
Right Forearm
Forearm Attachment

New update, guys. I found a better knife model, one that is more detailed and more accurate than the one I have built now. I'm going to keep both knives, but in case someone wants a knife prop, I'll leave it open for grabs upon completion. Also, I finished the right thigh yesterday. It's a much better fit since it's been scaled. Going to scale the rest of the stuff.

I know I'm overdue for an update, but my camera's been acting up lately. I'll do my best to have stuff by the weekend though.

Ok guys, there's going to be a major picture update here later Saturday afternoon, as soon as I can get my laptop to read my memory card. But I'm posting a text spoiler below for those who don't want to wait for the afternoon update.

Spoiler:

Interesting fact, also spoiler:

Spoiler:

I have pictures this time! Here's where I'm up to so far:

EDIT: I've decided, although it might be a bit pointless, to replace the pepakura vent flares on the spine of the chestplate with a set of cut steel plates and I'm going to open it up underneath the vents to allow air flow. I MAY put a very small LED fan there for the glow needed; haven't decided that far ahead yet.


The Grenadier collar, finished and ready for resining.


All of my parts up to now.


The helmet as of last night.

That is awesome!

I'm just gonna leave this here. Not a rant, but just a little entry for your entertainment:

Fiberglass indoors, they said. Shouldn't bother you, they said. Fiberglassing indoors had to be the worst idea I've had yet toward this project. The migraines....I'll be glad when I get past the fiberglassing stage and get to the painting.

nice... if you decide to make some more sets and sell them, i might take a jorge set... probably be expensive though.

echo214 wrote:

probably be expensive though.

Trust me....you have no idea how right you are. In supplies alone, I've already busted out about $150, and I'm about to have to put out another $60 for a detailing sander, more fiberglass cloth and more paintbrushes to resin with. When I'm done, I'm estimating (and I've done the math about 3 times to be sure) that this custom armor, just for me, will be worth about $700-$800. And with each armor being custom scaled and also with each armor being done differently, it gets up there. I've seen some Halo Mk VI armor going for $4000...

lol coulda told you fiberglassing indoors was a bad idea.. btw this is an awesome project