Materials

[ponchomon]

Hey there everyone,

I was wondering if anyone would know a cheaper alternative to steels and metals for a costume that I was thinking of making that was non 501st material. The costume is mostly metal if I wanted to make it authentic but I know that it would be heavy, hot and expensive. I was told maybe polystyrine and Silver spray paint would be the way to go but I have a feeling that if I went down that road I would not get the same effect I want.

Does anyone know a blacksmith? Kidding...Sort of. The images below would give you an idea on how much would be needed and the equipment that I need. This might not be an ideal Cosplay to start with outside of what we build here but I would like to get an idea of what was in store for me if I went down this road.

Thought that it would be good so I could wear it at SupaNova, Oz Comic Con and the Medieval Festival in Caboolture every year. Thanks for any ideas you can give.

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[PhantomBlade]

EVA foam (jigsaw floor mats) is remarkably popular for that sort of thing. Cheap and easy to shape. Coat it in plastidip and a few layers of paint and you can manage a fairly convincing metal appearance.

Sintra is also quite popular. Bit more expensive, but it lasts longer. Bunnings sell in in the Suntuf brand. It's closed cell pvc board. Comes in white or black, and in 3mm or 6mm thickness.

You'll want to buy a heatgun if you don't own one already.

[ponchomon]

Thanks for the info. Muchly appreciated.

[Slide Effect]

EVA foam (jigsaw floor mats) is remarkably popular for that sort of thing. Cheap and easy to shape. Coat it in plastidip and a few layers of paint and you can manage a fairly convincing metal appearance.

Sintra is also quite popular. Bit more expensive, but it lasts longer. Bunnings sell in in the Suntuf brand. It's closed cell pvc board. Comes in white or black, and in 3mm or 6mm thickness.

You'll want to buy a heatgun if you don't own one already.

EVA foam for sure. Its easy to cut and shape. Once you heat it you can sand it pretty easy too
It is a great way to do this type of armour and looks really solid when complete.

All the guys that make Warhammer 40k costumes use this method.

Head over to drawn to life and they will be able to tell you more too.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

[Duras]

<- you can make some cool stuff from foam

Look for Evil Ted Smith and Punished Props on YouTube as a starting point

[ponchomon]

Alright I will. The more ideas I can get the better.

[ponchomon]

Would thickness of the EVA foam made differences in how to make it? Such as the thicker it is, the harder for it to set/bend?

[PhantomBlade]

Sort of. If it's too thin and bends really easily, it's not going to hold its shape, especially in qld. Something the thickness of floor mats is most popular, because it's a nice workable thickness (with a heat gun) and is easy to find. Also quite sturdy once it's set. Doesn't take very long to set either.

[Hydro]

Eva foam mate works a charm