Best way to make allies at work is to spend your break time chatting with your co-workers. You should talk about non-work stuff but invariably you all will talk about work and that is how others will get an idea of what you are doing without cutting into your productive time.
Also make a point of chatting with your boss when ever you see him/her in the hallway. Nothing deep, a simple "hello, how are you doing" will suffice if your boss looks busy. But you want to give the impression that you are an out-going employee that is part of the team. If you get more than a few seconds, ask how was their weekend and slip in something about your progress. The boss doesn't need the details but just the impression that you are working on something important and that you are making progress. If they boss doesn't know what you are doing, make sure to request a meeting where you can give a summary of your project and your future plans. Ask for the boss' input and advice if anything to make them feel like you respect them. If the advice is good, take it and build a working relationship with your boss. If the advice is bad, don't reject it outright but take it home and think about it, weighing the pros-and-cons. If it's still bad, formulate a friendly rebuttal on why some other direction is better. Sell yourself. Get buy in. Manager's don't like maverick's even if they are good at what they do.