Mostly scratch built Aliens Colonial Marine. Mostly...

[bigbisont]

If anyone wants to read up on the process and details about materials, I have a very detailed thread on the Aliens Legacy forum. Otherwise I guess this is just a show-off thread!

I hope to evolve it toward screen accuracy as time goes on. Some things (BDUs in particular) simply have to wait for budget reasons.

 

[Heatshock]

Wow. Is that pep???

 

[bigbisont]

Wow. Is that pep???

The breastplate actually is pep. The helmet is a real M1. The rest is a combination of cut up rubbermaid garbage cans, plastic bowls & flower pots, PVC pipe, and lots of rivets!

 

[Riceball]

For something that you cobbled up from a bunch of spare parts and garbage cans it looks really good. One thing though, you should really take your finger off of the triggers unless you're doing some sort of shooting pose. I realize that they are fake guns and all but it does add to the authenticity of the look when you pose with your finger straight and off of the trigger and it's something of a pet peeve of mine as well. But as I said before, looks very good otherwise.

 

[aeonpulse]

Riceball is right! Trigger-finger dicipline is very important! :lol It's also something I always notice, and keep mindful of when posing for pictures while in costume.

As for the Colonial Marines costume, I'm impressed. It all looks great, especially considering the materials you were working with. I'll have to check out your more detailed build thread! thumbsup

 

[faille]

+1 for thread title!

 

[JasonCash]

looks really good, I've been wanting to do this for a while now

 

[bigbisont]

You know, there was one point as my wife was snapping the cell phone pics where I actually became aware of the fact I had the finger on the trigger...and I thought to myself, "surely I wont catch flack for this...will I?". I actually deleted one where I realized my finger on the trigger was the only part contacting the weapon.

Sure enough, first friend I showed the pics to said "I know who I don't want with me at the firing range! You've proven yourself to have bad habits."

DAMMIT!

Im actually safe in real life! but i guess fat chance of convincing anyone now...

Anyways, on the AL forum the thread is similarly titled.
"~95% Scratch Built armor (Done!!! Pics pg 3)"

 

[Fly4v]

“I can do it cheap!” has turned into “Oh crap, this is harder and more expensive than I planned”
This is the greatest advice and it applies to all types of projects. :thumbsup

And, yes get your finger off the trigger. Its there in all your photos. :thumbsdown

 

[Finnlock]

Great work, love to see people do something with found objects> you really show some cool creativity.
and a def +1 for thread title

As for the trigger issue, not that big a deal to me...
I hate to think people are letting it overshade the great work you have done with the build.

Keep it up the great work!

 

[bigbisont]

Great work, love to see people do something with found objects> you really show some cool creativity.
and a def +1 for thread title

As for the trigger issue, not that big a deal to me...
I hate to think people are letting it overshade the great work you have done with the build.

Keep it up the great work!

Thank you finn, I appreciate that. And thanks for the kind words from everyone else.

 

[Fly4v]

As for the trigger issue, not that big a deal to me...
I hate to think people are letting it overshade the great work you have done with the build.

It is no way detracts from the great and inventive work. People needed to hop over to the build thread to just see how inventive it was.

It is a great excuse to put the armor back on and take more pictures. :thumbsup
If I had a set of colonial armor.... I'd wear it as opposed to my normal ground kit.

Time to Preach, Bigbisont can ignore I believe he has got it: If we were razing about eye pro or ear plugs. Yes that would be a bit much.... but what all that comment are worried about is negative habit transfer.
If an individual practices poor trigger and muzzle discipline with a toy they will more likely do the same with an actual firearm.
It is an easily preventable accident that is just waiting to happen. I have seen it numerous times.

 

[bigbisont]

It is a great excuse to put the armor back on and take more pictures. :thumbsup
.

Ha, yeah I think I may have to. Plus I am toying with a short sleeve setup that may need a 'lil documentation. I'll be tweaking a few things for comfort as well.

(and i think we all know the #1 non-armor related tweak I'll be making to the next round of photos...)

 

[Fly4v]

Plus I am toying with a short sleeve setup that may need a 'lil documentation.

(and i think we all know the #1 non-armor related tweak I'll be making to the next round of photos...)

Will that be USMC or US Army style roll up, inside visible vs camo exposed respectively.

#1 non-armor tweak? A Flame Unit! The Shotgun! :love or new BDU's?

Since it has yet to be mentioned, Thanks for showing what Multi-cam looks like as the base uniform with movie armor.

 

[kursk171]

Looks great!

Question: My son and I have decided to go as Colonial Marines for next year's Comicon. This year we went as Sith Lords of the old Republic. He is getting an airsoft Pulse Rifle for Christmas. There is also a Mardi Gras Sci-Fi walking parade each year in New Orleans called "krewe of Chebaccus". It is a blast. We will do Sith this year, but want to do Colonial Marines next year, as we know someone who has the full "Aliens" costume (must be hot in all that latex).

I know at one time there were several "Colonial Marine" cosplay units around the country, but don't know if any are active. I want to get as many resources as I can, like schematics for a flame unit, armor, what type of Camo BDU's they use (looks like the old WWII Marine "Frog" camo to me), vendors who sell props, etc. I have seen some if these items on EBAY, but the prices are obscene.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Kursk171

 

[kursk171]

This subject is probably worn out, but I have to agree on the finger in the trigger well. I am a NRA certified firearms instructor, and will fail a student on this issue.

Remember what Eric Bana's Seal Team character said in the movie Black Hawk Down- After being dressed down by the Ranger commander for carrying an unsafed weapon, he turned around, waggled his index finger as said "this is my safety". Best line in the movie.

 

[Rikarus]

Damn fine work Marine! Damn fine!

 

[Riceball]

Looks great!

Question: My son and I have decided to go as Colonial Marines for next year's Comicon. This year we went as Sith Lords of the old Republic. He is getting an airsoft Pulse Rifle for Christmas. There is also a Mardi Gras Sci-Fi walking parade each year in New Orleans called "krewe of Chebaccus". It is a blast. We will do Sith this year, but want to do Colonial Marines next year, as we know someone who has the full "Aliens" costume (must be hot in all that latex).

I know at one time there were several "Colonial Marine" cosplay units around the country, but don't know if any are active. I want to get as many resources as I can, like schematics for a flame unit, armor, what type of Camo BDU's they use (looks like the old WWII Marine "Frog" camo to me), vendors who sell props, etc. I have seen some if these items on EBAY, but the prices are obscene.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Kursk171

There's a guy who goes by Men at Arms that sells movie accurate BDUs through his website. The Alien Legions people swear by them and they are pretty much the only movie accurate BDUs out there since the original ones from the movie were custom from the cut of the uniform to the camouflage pattern. If you aren't concerned by accuracy people have everything from old woodland BDUs to Multicam in either BDU or ACU pattern. If you can find it, Polish desert camouflage is pretty close to what they used on Aliens but they're hard to find and it might cost just as much to get the real deal from Men at Arms. I've also heard of people getting an old pattern called safariflage and recoloring it but I think that safariflage is next to impossible to find these days.

 

[Fly4v]

Looks great!

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Kursk171

Here is a link on how to convert the BDU collar.

USCM Collar Tutorial, by Alex Ko and Kevin Burton

Here are the Polish BDUs that are close.

Helikon SFU Trousers Cotton Ripstop Polish Desert

Helikon Genuine BDU Shirt Cotton Ripstop Polish Desert

I had a link saved for alternative uniforms but it is sadly dead. It had one of the options of using Urban BDU's after a color removal and then doing an orange re-dye.

 

[Fly4v]

Couldn't get the website to come up but was able to get the instructions, if you want to give it a try.

When I priced all the Urban BDUs, remover and then the dye decided it would be better just to get the Polish uniforms.

"If you can find 100% cotton Urban Cammo BDU's, you are better off. It also works with the 50/50.

Rit Dye: 2 orange, 1 green: TWICE the amount of water.
​

1) Remove the bottom pockets on the shirt. The added material on the sleeve can also be taken off. Modify the collar to a "Mandarin" or "Chinese" collar.
2) Wash the hell out of them. You can use RIT DYE REMOVER, about 10 packets to lighten up the colors on the cammo. The lighter the better. Be careful of bleach as it will weaken the material, especially the buttons! They make fabric safe bleach, which is ok. ​

3) If you want to distress them do it now. ​

4) Set up a tub, or whatever and mix up your dye and water solution. Wear LONG rubber gloves ( the dye will stain your skin). ​

5) Drop the pants and shirt into the mix, swish it around so that all the material is exposed to the dye. ​

6) Wash ​

7) Dry​

8) Wear ​

9) Wash again when dirty"​