collinE83 Armored Mega Man Build!

collinE83

Well-Known Member
As the title says, I'm working on a Mega Man build. Now, I don't want to belittle anyone else's hard work, but I don't know who made the spandex rule with this character. That's all I've ever seen: bulbous limbs and spandex. Some pull it off fine, others just look derpy. I would not look good like that. So my number one requirement for this build is no spandex. Well, that's actually my only requirement. But I'm super motivated to build a costume that I wouldn't be embarrassed to walk around in.

After seeing what's possible on The RPF, I don't see any reason why I wouldn't be able to accomplish a sweet looking “armored suit” style Mega Man. I guess I'm not necessarily needing it to be hyper realistic, but definitely more in line with an android that's designed to destroy other robots. If I can come anywhere close to the style of the failed Maverick Hunter video game, then I'm on the right track.

Here's what’ll be my inspiration—



My goal lies somewhere between these two designs.

Since I'm not really an artistic/creative guy, I'll be borrowing random parts from other builds, characters, models, etc. I haven't planned out all of what I'm using yet, but I'm hoping to make them obscure enough that it doesn't distract people from the costume as a whole. Like seeing the Batman and Robin movie and all you think is "Hey, that's just George Clooney dressed as Batman... Arnold Swarzennegar dressed as Mr. Freeze… a terrible train wreck dressed as a Batman movie.”


Soooo let's get into the build--

I've done quite a bit of experimenting so far, trying out a lot of different ideas to even settle on how I want my version of the character to look. To be honest, I'm still experimenting.

I figured I’d start with making the helmet. I watched the Evil Ted "How to make a foam helmet" video ( [video]https://youtu.be/ODSNPYdvJRo [/video] ) and the first step looked to be making a duct tape head. My girlfriend tends to act like she doesn't know how to do anything when I ask her for help, so making the head was a solo job. It took a couple of tries, but turned out alright considering.








Took a break to let my girlfriend know I was thinking about her. Not creepy at all...



Pretended I was in a horror movie for a little while...


Filled it with too much sprayable insulation foam, but whatevs. I lost some of the definition and shape, but I supposed the circumference still ends up being the same.



I cut the duct tape off half the head



Traced the duct tape templates onto paper, then onto foam, then pieced the helmet together.



uh... NOPE!

I took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in derpville, so that helmet idea took a quick trip to the trash can. I realized with how stupid it would look if I built it from scratch, I'd just have to build a helmet from a pdo file or something. At least I have an insulation foam head in my bedroom now... watching over my bed while I sleep.

Anyway. I learned quite a bit doing that, so not entirely unhappy with the effort. Back to square one.

Next option is to just modify an existing helmet model. Without a lot of foam experience, I decided to go ahead and try the JFcustom foam helmet for the Vanquish ARS armor.

I already posted a bunch recently regarding that build, but here's some of the pictures anyway.





I learned a lot from that as far as scaling wrong, assembling unevenly, painting, etc.

I've settled on two helmets I’d want to base my build off of. One is the already foam PDO’d Titanfall helmet that JFcustom unfolded. The second is a helmet model I found while browsing for Planetside 2’s NC Heavy.

NC20assault20helmet.jpg



I do want to make some modifications, 1) so they're less recognizable, and 2) so they're more Mega Man-ish

I need to export the .obj file, adjust, and then re-unfold. Next update is going to be about progress on the face-mask I'm working on, then the boots I'll be using from the Tribes Ascend Heavy foam model.
 
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I love the re-vamp!! Excellent idea with your own interpretation of Mega-Man! Can't wait to see what you do next!

Subbed!!

thanks for the derp shots too... I think that's an important part of the process.
 
Update on the boots. Not a bad choice; I decided to go with some Tribes Ascend Heavy armor action!



I used the JFcustom unfold of the model.



I don't know if it's just me or if this is more complex than most models. I see a lot of people putting multiple parts together in a day, but this definitely took more time. It came together fairly well, though, and I'm happy with the results. It's nowhere as complex as the pictures, but still cool. And I can modify it a bit to make it more complex. Either add pieces or make cuts that'll add detail.



Next was the shin.



A lot more labor intensive than the boot and extremely tricky to put together. Knowing how much of an angle to cut, or when to glue and when to wait until more was put together, was pretty tough. The end result was pretty cool once it was put together with the boot.



I thought the size of the boot, and the fact that I'd be walking on it, would warrant a thicker foam. Using a 1/2" or 12mm foam mat made the build go a lot slower. It took longer to cut, dulled my blades faster, and I had to move along slower with the hot glue. I didn't forsee that, but now that I'm knee deep in the 1/2" foam, literally, I have to commit to it or start over. It is a lot sturdier, though, so I can't really complain too much.
 
Time for another update!

So the first package of foam I used was the darker color and the second was a lighter color (as seen in the boot pictures above). I didn't notice it until I got to working on the left boot and shin, but the lighter foam was a few millimeters thicker than the darker foam.



Curse you and your tricks, Harbor Freight!

So once I figure it out, I realized I had to make my mountains and valley cuts a bit deeper to get the same definition in the folds I was doing. They're not 100% the same, but sufficient.




I haven't really settle on what I want to do for the thighs, cod, torso, biceps, etc etc etc :cry It was kinda nice just brainstorming and putting the boots together. Now I have to actually start making decisions again and get to work on the next pieces. If anyone has suggestions on what they think would be a good "skinny armor" for the parts that aren't going to be as bulky and why, I'm all ears. I like the look of the Iron Man Mark 43, but might be too recognizable and I'm afraid I'd have to then use the Mark 43 for the rest of the parts to match. Not sure about this.

Also, I'm still working on a mask face... or face mask. Doing some vacuum forming over a face mold and deciding if what I have pictured in my head actually translates to reality. This is the kind of the idea for a face underneath the helmet if I do it--


Thinking about the Mega Buster, I want to make it more fun than something you normally see. I'm familiar with electronics, having built a Xbox 360 laptop years ago. I just ordered a couple of things to experiment with and see if I can make it look a little more functional than flashing lights.


I don't want to make the project bigger than I can handle, but I think it'll be alright

Side note-- I hadn't seen this on the forums in all my searches until it linked to it on my own thread. This dude's Mega Man build looks like it was inspired pretty much the same way as mine. Worth a look.
http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=202508
 
As mentioned in previous posts, I've been working on a mask for Mega Man's face and deciding if I wanted an open face helmet, or just a pretty visor helmet. It kinda depended on how well my vacuum formed face turned out that determined whether I'd go with one over the other.
I had success back in the day with a cheap vac former consisting of a 12" x 12" x 6" box made from 1/4" MDF sheets. I was able to vac form a case for a Game Boy-style N64 portable I was making and it turned out great.




Making another box ended up being a breeze. Rather than going and buying some MDF, I just used some leftover 7mm expanded PVC sheets. I "glued" it together with silicone caulk, so it'd be sealed tight, then cut up a sheet of craft foam, so there'd be a little bit of a seal around the border when I put the wood frame down.



After making the box, i went ahead and worked on the mold of my face. My girlfriend was kind enough to lend her assistance.



And bless her heart for helping, but somehow "thick layer of vaseline over my eyelashes so they don't get pulled out" translated to "put a bit of vaseline on... I guess... if you want." When I went to pull it off, it kinda stayed attached to my face... by my eyelashes. >_<

I had work in the morning, so I couldn't spend all night with a plaster block on my face. I spent the next hour and a half slowly pulling the plaster until it either let go of my eyelashes, or the eyelashes let go of my face. The joke's on the plaster. I still have half of my eyelashes.



I coated the inside with vaseline and got some silicone putty and stuffed it into the nose section. Since the contours of my fat nose wouldn't allow me to just pour plaster directly into the negative and cleanly pull it out, I put the putty in and then poured the plaster. Aside from looking a bit ridiculous it turned out well. I hate that the breathing straws I put in my nose expanded my nostrils and made my nose look even bigger. I wish I had forseen this. Regardless, I now have a plaster Collin face.

This was partway through coating with wood glue.



My dedicated vac forming workshop



I first tried some thin styrene sheets I had and I didn't like the high amount of detail I was getting from it. I realized my face is kinda too stupid to feel comfortable using as Mega Man's face. I especially wasn't feeling the giant nostrils. or the double chin from the position I laid in.



Then I tried some of the 4mm expanded PVC I had and I was liking that a bit more. It was thicker, and showed less definition.




Then I thought about taking it one step further and forming another sheet over the already formed sheet. DOUBLE LAYER FACE.

Not to get too deep here, but stick with me. Thinking about it, taking away some of the definition in the face, I could potentially be making a Mega Man face that would remove some of the humanity that people could identify with. It could possibly make him look a bit more sinister or at least more dangerous. So I did this. and then I took a heat gun and just messed it up a bit. I may add in some damage, or some sort of Terminator-ish broken face effect, but I like this look.




Again, I may or may not go this route depending on feedback. I could just throw the idea out and go with a helmet with nice "X" shaped visor. Not sure.

Next, we'll be looking at the thighs and perhaps the cod piece.
 
Your effort (and girlfriend patience) is more than admirable. I have to think about the damage, but I think you're on point anyways.
 
We must have attended the same college of face sculpting:

IMG_2443.JPG

Silicone mold. Mind said, "You don't need that much Vaseline. It's gonna mess with the set time of the silicone!! Result: over half of my eyelashes pulled out. I had no idea my lashes were so luxurious.
 
Your effort (and girlfriend patience) is more than admirable. I have to think about the damage, but I think you're on point anyways.

Thanks, sir. I'm going to move onto other areas and revisit the mask. Hopefully I'll have settled on something by the time I come back to it.

We must have attended the same college of face sculpting:

View attachment 489722

Silicone mold. Mind said, "You don't need that much Vaseline. It's gonna mess with the set time of the silicone!! Result: over half of my eyelashes pulled out. I had no idea my lashes were so luxurious.

Dude. I just want to pull out some mascara and do those bad boys up.
 
I've been pretty busy and been trying out a few different things to see what works and what doesn't.

I'm looking for thigh pieces I can use and was thinking I'd want a pair that are more bare bones than the other large pieces I've built. I wanted them to be thin, plain, and to compliment the giant boots I have.

I first looked at the Vanquish ARS thigh. I figured without the booster packs, that might work out.





Easy build, really quickly went together without any issue.

In probably the most random approach I've taken, I saw a recent build for the Dead Space security suit here. http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=240177

Really cool suit, but I saw a picture of the security suit's greaves and really liked them. I initially thought they were thighs, but ended up being wrong. I never let being wrong stop me, though! I scaled those suckers up and build them as thigh pieces!






For my next trick, I'm going to scale up Iron Man's Easy hand template and use a finger piece as a helmet!

And to tie the Vanquish ARS and security suit "thighs" together, I wanted to make a cod piece. I just don't feel like it's possible to get a good feel for them without seeing what they'd be worn adjacent to. Lo and behold! I found a nice unfold of an Iron Man Mark 40 Shotgun armor. It looked nice.




I didn't want to just glue the cod together, because I wanted to be able to put it on and take it off easier. I also didn't want to use clips, because I wanted to be able to sit down and have it stretch a bit. But I didn't have any elastic...



didn't...



have...



elastic...



...



Bingo.

My son doesn't even need those Star Wars briefs anymore anyways... but I do. I need them.




And here's me with all the parts on.




The funny thing about all this is the only thing I want to use is the cod piece. In fact, any thigh piece I use is going to need some heavy modification to fit with the cod I choose, and I like the Shotgun cod here. So I was thinking about maybe using as much of the Shotgun armor as I could for Mega Man's base armor. It's different enough from most of the more famous Mark suits, and I'd ensure that all the pieces will fit together. I think I'm going to be moving in that direction. It was fun building all the different pieces, though.
 
This is coming along great! I know exactly what you're experiencing because I built a space marine out of foam and man, it was kind of a pain at times. But the end result is going to be so worth it!

Thanks for the updates!
 
Quick update. The left forearm is done and that's the last piece of armor I'm doing from the Tribes Ascend Heavy.





I just placed a foam piece in place of that silly symbol on the original model.



And for some reason I wore it on my right arm instead of left to take a picture. It's a left arm piece... and I'll be wearing it on my left so my right arm can carry the weight of the arm cannon for longer periods.


This one wasn't put together as cleanly as I normally like. I just realized in these pictures it looks a bit bad, but nothing that can't be filled in and painted over!

The Iron Man Mk40 armor is in its infancy, but is coming together nicely. Some links for download of the BSD Mk40 aren't working anymore, so I'm currently editing part of the model and unfolding myself. I started a condensed summer semester for school, so I shouldn't be getting as much of this done as I'd like. I'm kind of addicted to it, though, so I'm sure I'll still be working on it when I shouldn't.
 
I never thought I'd go this long without an update, but here we are.

Last post, I warned I'd be involved in school and that'd be taking up a lot of my time. I ended up not being able to juggle so much in my schedule, got behind, and dropped my classes. More free time! I hate to look at it like costume building took precedence over school, but after working as a mortgage loan servicer all day, I need something to unwind with each night. The costuming supports my sanity at work, the schooling is something I just have to take in little bits, I guess. Anyway...

I last left off with the decision to do less mixing and matching of random pieces than originally planned. I think it's only going to benefit me in the long run to have clean suit that looks like it's supposed to go together, rather than looking like Dog from Half Life 2. And even though the Mark 40's core armor is obviously much different from the boots and the forearm, I'm reducing the level of detail in the Mark 40 to match up a little better.

I didn't scale the Mark40 torso at all. Without knowing how the original size would fit on me, I figured I'd just build it and then make some adjustments if needed. I'm right under 5'11" so I think I'd be fine either way.

torsopep.jpg


The summer temperatures get up above 100F here in Utah, even if just for a few days out of the year, so I started abandoning hot glue in favor of contact cement. There are things I like about contact cement, things I don't. I missed being able to adjust my angles to my liking and just filling and holding in place with hot glue, but I like being able to heat form the foam if the curve isn't right. Pretty much all of the Mark 40 parts are being done with contact cement.

I don't normally take so many pictures while building a piece, but here's as much as I had patience for.

Back----

back01.jpg
back02.jpg

back03.jpg
back04.jpg

back05.jpg
back06.jpg


Chest---
Chest01.jpg
Chest02.jpg


My son said it looked like a butterfly... so I spanked him and sent him to his room.

Chest03.jpg
butterchest.jpg


Chest.jpg
back.jpg


Filled in the air intakes on the shoulders.

side.jpg
[/URL]
torsomod.jpg


Neck---

neckpep.jpg


Harbor Freight foam mats have been coming a little thicker than normal, so I had to fillet some of the pieces like a fish to get them thin enough to fit together.
neck2.jpg


Put some magnets on the back and they work like a charm.
neck3.jpg


And then some mirror selfies
chest%20suited%20up.jpg
back%20suited%20up.jpg


I'm not totally happy with the chest. Running a heat gun over the surface and using contact cement ended up making parts less crisp and more uneven than results I've gotten before. Maybe that's just me though. I haven't made any decisions about redoing the chest, but the option is still on the table.

I've been working on the Planetside 2 NC Heavy helmet little by little and it's kinda ridiculous. I thought I could merge most of it into a single layer and make a nice easy foam pep, buuuuuut it was a little more complicated than I thought.

NC%20Heavy%20helmet%20explode.jpg


I just figured I'd start with the innermost layer and build out with what I wanted to keep on the model. After some modifications and unfolding, innermost layer ready to pep.

MegaManHelmetPep.jpg



torsopep.jpg


back01.jpg


back02.jpg


back03.jpg


back04.jpg


back05.jpg


back06.jpg


Chest01.jpg


Chest02.jpg


Chest03.jpg


butterchest.jpg


Chest.jpg


back.jpg


side.jpg


torsomod.jpg


neckpep.jpg


neck2.jpg


neck3.jpg


chest%20suited%20up.jpg


back%20suited%20up.jpg


NC%20Heavy%20helmet%20explode.jpg


MegaManHelmetPep.jpg
 
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Nailed it! :p





I proooobably need to scale it up quite a bit and add a piece under the chin to complete a more helmeted look. Once I get it to a size I like, then I'll start adding the other pieces to it. Eventually, once I finish polishing the PDO, I'll feel comfortable letting people have it if they wanted to build the helmet themselves. For now, just some trial and error. I'm really excited to get it sized right, edit the unfold, then cut out the "X" and get a visor in there.
 
I don't like how messy my posts are and would like to reduce the load time, Sometimes I can't see picture attachments through the mobile site, though, and sometimes I can. I'd like to make it viewable both ways.

Is it recommended I add my photos to my post as attachments and pick certain settings to show thumbnails... or just leave as-is? Not sure how this works.
 
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