DIGG: http://digg.com/xbox_360/Making_MJOLNIR_Armor_under_30

So with Halloween being four months away, I decided that now was as good a time as any to start working on this years costume. Seeing how I work at Trader Joes and we have a limitless supply of boxes, I decided to save a few bucks and make the entire thing out of cardboard. After three days I've managed to make the entire thing and thought I would share my progress.

So for now, everything has been crafted out of cardboard. The next step will be to use caulking to fill some rough spots and then coat everything with a mineral water/elmers glue combination. I'll take better pictures later, but heres at least an image of the helmet and the Assault Rifle:






I don't know when I'll post again, but I'll include some better shots. I just bought a full spandex body suit that covers everything including the head from a shady ebay retailer.

One of the things I noticed with other Halo costumes (like Madhoth's picture) they never show any battle damage. I want my costume to have plasma burns and chinks in the armor. To do this, I picked up some spackle putty and put it on the helmet like so:




After it was good and dry (took five hours), I started to sand it down. Next I added a coat of polyacrylic finish over everything so that it would be waterproof and be easier to paint later.

The last thing I did was spray the helmet with a rubber paint used on things like wrench handles and other places where you need a good grip. I used it because I liked the texture it gave and because it was a good base color for when I add more color and details.




It doesn't look like much now, but give me a little while and I post how I airbrush the details on. I found some LED's for the assualt Rifle and I'm looking forward to showing you guys how that turned out.

Ok, so I managed to get everything sanded down and sprayed with it's base color. All the peices feel much more sturdy now so I'm happy about that. Here's what the armor looks like now:




I'm really having fun with the assault rifle.



After all this, the costume still holds its title of being the poor mans Master Chief costume seeing how so far it's still only cost me less than $10 to do this.

When I look at the visor I still think that it's just right. I think the picture kind of made it look like it extends out much farther than it actually does. Next step is is painting in the green and other details.

So I think that I pretty much have the Assault Rifle right where I want it. Theres still a few things that could be cleaned up, but it's pretty much done to me. I painted it, added some gloss, and put in some LED's and a switch so I can turn everything on and off. I also made the ammo counter in Illustrator and printed it out on a transparency (seemed like the easiest and cleanest way to do it).







I also just got the spandex suit in from China a couple of days ago so I'll be working on that now putting the panels in under the fabric. The coolest part is is that it's all one solid piece of fabric making everything much easier, plus it was only $5.

Helmet is almost done, just need to play with the eye shield a little bit.





Hey all, just thought I would toss out a teaser of how the costume looks now.





Now I'm just working on the spacing between the different parts of armor (neon color things), and trying to make it easier to move around in. Almost done.

Sorry for the lack of updates everyone; I'm finding less and less time to work on this project. Everything is painted, now I'm trying to make sure everything will hold together. Running into a few problems here and there, but I think I'll be able to figure it all out.

Total cost is now in the ballpark of $26.00

Ok guys, this is it; I am done working on this project until September. There's a lot of touching up I would like to do; I'm started to see the problems with using cardboard but it's still holding together great. Here are the final shots I'm going to throw up for a while.





To all you guys that showed support, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I intended this project to be something I dabbled with just hear and there, but you guys made me want to work on it a lot more. Thanks again for all the help; I'm going to let this thread rest a bit and then I'll show what i've done in september.

So here's how it breaks down:

Cardboard: Free
Magnets (6): Free
Acrylic Paint: Free
Spray Grip Surface (3): 6.75
Craft Foam Paper: 8.00
LED's (3): 5.38
Spandex Suit: 5.00

Total: $25.13

Just a little bit cheaper than I thought it would be. Granted I had a lot of the paint already, this project still shouldn't cost more than $35 if I didn't already have some of the materials.

Holloween? Psh, just wear it whenever. I would.

That's intense; pretty amazing work for only 3 days.

Wow, that must take lots of time and determination.

lol, awesome! Take a pic with it on.

Make an energy sword too, and incorporate some type of magnets on your back to mirror the same effect as teh game.

Thanks guys; I'm also going to pick up some LED's for the rifle. I'm having a little trouble finding a gold visor though that doesn't cost more than $20.

Gold construction paper and cut miniscule eye slits into it.

Damn dude, that suit is pwnage. The knickers will be flying at your left and right whilst walking down the street as the master chief! Seriously, good work, it's very impressive looking.

That looks really good. It actually looks like the suit, unlike some sad attempts that I've seen. Most helmets I've seen are just dirtbike helmets painted green and gold.

Holy awesomeness.

I wanted a more details; the stuff I see online are always vaccum form pieces of plastic. I'm going to add panels under the spandex as well.

Cool, some kevlar/teflon protection layers between the cardboard and you are ready to rock!

Wow, I'll definitely be interested in the end result.

that looks amazing! great work!

******* hell man.

Thats awesome!

Looks really good for cardboard! Now don't screw it up on the finish...
I'm amazed that people put so much work into something as futile as haloween...but meh...as long as you're having fun and not killing anybody with your halo rifle, you should be ok

Needs moar cowbell.

wow that looks great. lol i can only imagine people wondering who u dressed up as.

Siiiiiiiiick! =D

I'd normally make fun of you for being a dork and having too much time on your hands but I must admit, I'm very impressed. It isn't easy crafting something out of cardboard - let alone make it look right but you did just that. Great job man, keep up the great work, post more pictures as you go along. Can't wait to see this badboy painted and suited up.

find some 1 who works at a engineering firm with a rapid prototyping machine and pay them off to make it :3

(mind you that would cost in the thousands...)

Dang... That's awesome, kinda makes me wish we had more of a halloween here in Aus... But everybody else... Look out for a Master Chief this halloween!!!

Nice. Make more and sell them ftw.

All that work for "thats a good astronaut suit, son", I bet.

Just dont stand in the rain with it on.

My hats off to you, I attempted to make a HEV suit out of cardboard and it was such a pain I gave up. You stuck with it and it looks great so far.

All you has to do is hit is with a clear coat and it will be rain safe.

Nice to see Master Chief comes equipped with a Sound Blaster card.

I'm really no fan of HALO but thats awsome what you made.

props for you!

Hahahah, that made me laff >.<


moar pics dammit! We demand it!

Wow. Good job at completing it in 3 days.

How about you take some pics of yourself wearing it? :D

With sunglasses, or with salvage the flaps from those bike helmets.

That'll be cool.

lol cardboard
looks good though for cardboard.

This is impressive.

if you can top him, I'll give you 1000 e-cookies.

That isn't a HEV suit

niether....is.....what...tastybread is making?




???

One of the things I noticed with other Halo costumes (like Madhoth's picture) they never show any battle damage. I want my costume to have plasma burns and chinks in the armor. To do this, I picked up some spackle putty and put it on the helmet like so:

After it was good and dry (took five hours), I started to sand it down. Next I added a coat of polyacrylic finish over everything so that it would be waterproof and be easier to paint later.

The last thing I did was spray the helmet with a rubber paint used on things like wrench handles and other places where you need a good grip. I used it because I liked the texture it gave and because it was a good base color for when I add more color and details.

It doesn't look like much now, but give me a little while and I post how I airbrush the details on. I found some LED's for the assualt Rifle and I'm looking forward to showing you guys how that turned out.

LOL! I have the same ikea chair...


Hmm...the shape is still very irregular, you should have added the spackle more smoothly...I know you want battle damage...but this is not battle damage, it's just a bad job. :/

Trust me, you wont be dissapointed on the final product.

looks cool to me, although more melted that battle damage. I'll give yah time to finish it be4 I pass judgment, it's obviously very early on.

lol, i have that same chair too...

Anyways, it looks cool with the color, but imo it looks pretty bad now. i trust you and i'll wait till u finish it up.

It looks to me like the visor extends out far too much. Other then that, awesome job.

Very good point. I hope he realizes that.

Wait a minute... why are you making halo armor AND NOT GORDON'S ARMOR!

This is blasphemous.....

Ok, so I managed to get everything sanded down and sprayed with it's base color. All the peices feel much more sturdy now so I'm happy about that. Here's what the armor looks like now:

I'm really having fun with the assault rifle.

After all this, the costume still holds its title of being the poor mans Master Chief costume seeing how so far it's still only cost me less than $10 to do this.

When I look at the visor I still think that it's just right. I think the picture kind of made it look like it extends out much farther than it actually does. Next step is is painting in the green and other details. Might be a while now before I post again seeing how I only get one day out of the week to work on this. Thanks for the comments.

What are you going to use for the black leather between the metal parts in Master Chief's armor?

Didn't he mention a spandex suit?
EDIT: Oh wait, he didn't, that was the other Mjolnir armour.
EDIT2: O wait...I DIND't Imagine that...
/me goes away to get his head examined

He did indeed, I was checking through the thread to make sure I hadn't imagined that

Yeah, I bought a full body spandex suit. Includes the hands, head, neck, you name it it's covered in one solid peice of spandex. I'm also going to put cardboard panels under the spandex, and then at work we have this black plastic mesh that we use in the produce shelves; I'm going to use that to add texture to the spandex. Spandex suit was only $5 too.