ACParadise Forums

For starters, everyone who has armor solutions and methods or suggestions, post them here so we can have some sort or reference that people can go back to since it seems to be a popular topic that ends up getting re-answered from time to time.
Then people with specific questions can ask them here.

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Wayne of AGSMA
PSOC
AGSMA
ACParadise
USA Musume

This link was posted somewhere, and it may come in handy for some of you armor-builders out there:
http://amethyst-angel.com/armormaking.html

Features non-metal, non-fiberglass technique.

Juste Belmont from Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance:
http://www.classicgaming.com/castlevania/just.gif
http://www.classicgaming.com/castlevania/wnc-just.jpg

How would you make the breastplate Juste has on under the coat?

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What's mine is mine.
What's yours is also mine.

You could always use poster board and cover it with aluminum foil.
How would you make Naga's armor from Slayers?

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Just one smile could change the world.

For my money, plate metal armor is best made with, well, metal. Sheet aluminum is expensive, but looks a lot better then foil or paint. Taking a Dremel and etching out the embossed cross would make it look almost perfect, though expensive and very time-consuming. Resin-casting the entire plate might work if you're looking to save money, but it'd take about the same amount of time, assuming you'd paint or etch in the embossing. If you did it this way, the best way of getting the color right is using some of the good crome or silver paint (the stuff with actual metal in the paint) and then spraying on 4 or 5 coats of high-gloss clear varnish.

Either way, I'd do the little pieces on his jacket the same way I did the breastplate, with just some store-bought chain running between them.

For relatively small pieces of highly curved armor, like Naga's, I'd make a modeling clay copy, create a mold from that, and then resin cast it like that. Maybe use florist's foam inside the spikes to save a little weight. Then just sand, toss on about 3 coats of primer, and paint.

I'd suggest aluminum flashing and rivets. You can buy the flashing for about $10 a roll at Home Depot, the rivet gun's about $14 and the rivets and washers'll set you back about another $5. Just make sure you bend over all the edges, or you're going to get really cut up. I used it for my Edward Elric arm for otakon, and while I had to use fiberglass resin on the shoulder and a piece of plastic pipe for the elbow joint, it came out very good. Here, check it out if you want.
Picture

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~Kia-chan

how would you make sangos battle demon armor?

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I love Inu-Yasha!

Well Sesshoumaru's armor is certainly complicated. I need to make that and I'm despreate to find blue prints for it and a how to on just making his armor. Some ideas on making that fluffy thing would help.

One of my favorite ways to make armor is to make a base out of plastic canvas, cover it with felt, pin on the felt, and dump a mixture of boiling water/glue/and flour paste over it. It works very well and is tres sturdy.

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Nevermind the furthermore, the plea is self defense.

waaa! my favorite armor method is very easy, and quite fun actually.

All you do is get (depending on the amount of armor you need to make) roughly ten billion sheets of fun foam. I used brown for bronze armor, gray for silver armor, and a darkish yellow for gold. Just cut it into the shape you want, and then make little versions of the big shape you just did. Glue those on like you would shingles, one a little underneath the other. After that, get some puffy paint and make a line around the edges so it looks like a weld (its really cool looking at the end!!)

Once done with that, go outside and spray paint these bitches with either bronze, chrome/silver or gold paint. Do both sides, since it looks really crappy to have this awesome looking outside and then a fun foam inside (not very threatening!!!) so do that. Then after it dries, you can put on elastic or ties so you can wear it, and enjoy. Looks v. chic. If you need an example, go to my page here and my Samurai Yuna is COVERED in this bronze foam armor. Check it out.

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|c|o|s|p|L|a|y| is my anti-drug!

That sounds very time consuming. >.< *looks around* Oh crap! School!!!!!

Can anyone tell me how to make Sora's (Kingdom Hearts) key-sword?

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Some days pass right on by, like rain from a black forest, seeing shadows walk in rows, do you really think I can follow? ~Mandy-chan~

Does anyone know how to attach armor made of plaster to lycra. It's for a plugsuit so it has to be removeable.

Could anyone help me here I need Rogues Armor from Ragnarok Online, and a Hunter Nin Mask. My topic is below.

http://www.acparadise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1711

I need help on how to make Alphonse Elric Armor! Can anyone help me out I need to finsih it by 40 days

This is craft foam right? Because I need to make shoulder armour, and yeah I am cluless. Will it bend easily though? I heard it does but doesn't look that crappy. Oh, and...what is puffy paint? >_<**Is such an ametuar** lol thanks.

x

how can i make ichigo's sword(bleach) wichis like 5 feet long?!-

Ok, my advice to Everyone who's making armor is to remember 2 things...

1) keep it as Light as possible. This usually means using foam, cardboard, plastic, Fiberglass, and sometimes even Paper machette(sp) and Paperclay. From personal experience, I can say that you do NOT want to be lugging around alot of metal or wood.


2) Keep it as well ventilated as possible. You'll be waring this around a hot con for atleast a day(if not 3) You don't want to smell like you've been at a con though. Most armor isn't very breathable, so at best, minimize skin contact, and leave a breath hole or two.

My personal reccomendation for any little baubles right now is to construct as much of it out of Craft foam and paperclay as possible. then give it a light brushing of fiberglass resin for rigidity (Don't include Fiberglass cloth or mesh unless your experineced) It's going to cut down on the weight alot... and if AT ALL possible put some cloth between it and you.

I need to make Vincent's armor claw & boot covers from Advent Chidren. If any one has any ideas of DURABLE materials to use, please tell me.
I don't mind making it out of metal, but I'd like to know how, can anyone help?(send me a reply by mail )

I made my Naga armor out of styrophoam covered by black postboard. It looked nice, but it didn't last very long. :/



I suggest using phoam paper for the most part, it's flexable and can look great when it's finished. I used that for Cammy White's red armor gloves, and they came out alright. :3

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"Be who you are and say how you feel, for those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."

Dr. Seuss

Heres how to make a FUNCTIONAL Cloud shoulder armor from the FF7 game. Modify my instructions for other pieces.

Youll need
a ball $1
fiberweave $5
fiberglass resin $16
vinyl spackle $2
sand paper $2
foam brushes $ .50
hot glue (its hot glue!)
some large bolts and springs $5
chrome paint $1.69


Fiberweave and fiberglass resin are found at lowes and home depot near paint in the adhesives section. There used for patching bathtubs.
Heres how you use them. Take the weave (its like a pabric only its woven fiberglass) cut it into small squares. Pour some resin in a pan and squirt a decent amount of hardener (dont be stingy or itll take forever to harden.)

WEAR GLOVES FOR THIS PART.
Brush resin on ech strip and cover the ball with them. When its covered and hardens youll have a fiberglass ball with bit of a cloth looking pattern all over it.
Next take the vinyl spackle (better than regular spackle!) and spread it all over the ball as smoothly as possible. This is to help get rid of any texture from the cloth and to smooth out any lumps. Plus this stuffs cheap!
Sand it smooth.
Take some large bolts and slide the springs around them then hot glue these all around the ball.
Chrome paint it with chrome spray paint $1.69 a can at walmart.

TA DA! You now have a FUNCTIONAL piece of armor. Simply use a drill bit on a dremel to saw off excess ball shape till itll work as shoulder armor and hot glue it to your costume (or to a harness).


NOTE: if this is too much to try to deal with just get some plaster of paris strips at a craft store and cover the ball with it. It wont be real armor but itll look right

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Never give up

Would a thick layer of well-made sculpey work for armor? (sorry if it's incorrectly spelled. ^^'') Y'know, the stuff you mold and crap, then bake it and voila, it's hard. ^^'



I need it for the shoulders. ^^'

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"Eien ni ichiban utsukushiku kagayaku hoshi dayo." (You are the star that shines most beautifully forever.)
~Chiba Mamoru from the last episode of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Sailor Stars

I think Sculpy (yah, however it's spelled!) would be too heavy and brittle, not to mention expensive. Wonderflex, paperclay, papier-mache, plastic food containers or kids' toys that have the basic shape you need....any of these would be better choices.

Could someone give me tips on how to make Lenneth Valkyrie's armor out of sturdy, but inexpensive materials? ^^;; I'm on a bit of a budget here...


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/w ... yrie03.jpg

does anyone know where i can get relatively cheap chainmail? im small, so you would think a commission wouldnt be that big a deal... but no, 200 dollars for just a half shirt is a bit much.

or else, anyone know something (besides that annoying fabric stuff) that is good imitation chainmail? like plastic chainmail or something...

if it makes any difference, i would *prefer* for it to be aluminum, which is ALOT lighter than steel...

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i would put something deep and meaningful here...

but im too lazy.

that and i dont really have anything deep or meaningful to say

Chain mail is expensive because of how it's made. Someone has to link together individual rings of metal to create the item so even if it's a small piece, it still had to begin as just a pile of separate little metal rings that have to be linked together one by one.

Some possible alternatives might include fashioning your own shirt with a fireplace mesh or the stuff used in range hood filters. Here are 2 examples:

http://www.masewa-wiremesh.com/wiremesh ... screen.htm

http://www.rangehoodfiltersinc.com/?gcl ... gAodESnIhQ

I don't vouch for either of those sites, but they just have the pictures of what I'm talking about. Neither of those materials will drape as well as actual chain mail, but they might be ok substitutes for costume purposes.

Not sure which "annoying fabric" you're referring to, but maybe a metallic fishnet would give a decent effect. Like this only in black or gray: novelty net/mesh fabric.

Good luck in your search.

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on what materials I need to make FFAC Vincents claw and he cheapest and most easy to work with? Please and thanks!!

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I will live with my sorrow.
I will live in my own life.
I will defeat sorrow in this place.
I don't know when it will be,
but someday I will conquer it
and I will do it without
FALSE HOPE

You'll probably find some good ideas here:
http://amethyst-angel.com/armormaking_vincent.html

Hi, I need to know how to make the armor ( the two front pieces and shoulder armor)for Princess Zelda from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. any ideas or directions?

Not sure if this Zelda armor is the same thing you're asking about, but this link might be a good starting place: http://amethyst-angel.com/armormaking_patterns.html

You can use whatever material you want, of course, but at least it gives you an idea for patterning and whatnot.

what's the glue/flour/water mixture for? is it to create a smooth, paint-able surface?

Oh, thanks!

Here is a website with a tutorial for craft foam armor. It's alot like Amethyst Angel's but without having to cover the foam in plastic.

http://entropyhouse.com/penwiper/costum ... sdeep.html

cheap sorta but plyable armour.. use silver PVC vinyl. it will stay in shape, is stiff yet you can still move..and it also comes in gold and black...
and..the best part..ITS LIGHT WEIGHT!

Geez...you mean the really really big one that has the screws coming out of it?

Foamies are like...my god. I don't know what I would do without them. Once I learned how to use them, I got SO much better at armor-making. And they are so cheap too!

I'm trying to figure out how to make the leg pieces for Protoman. Here's a reference pic:


I'm going to have to make two pieces: one to cover my foot and one to go up to slightly above my knee. I figure if I bolt the two of them together (looking rather robotic, too) it should connect them at the heels. Then just indent it a little more near where my foot would need to bend upwards.

But the real question is... what material do I use? Wonderflex seems like it'd be the best choice (based on my limited knowledge of crafts...), but it also seems rather expensive. Any ideas? : /

any one have good tip on making zack armor fomr ff7:cc? i have made 2 time bouth time not very good.

alright...fake chainmail. I know it can be done with PVC or even rubber links instead of metal. I am currently jumping back and forth between these two options but i thought i would ask if anyone has any experience with either of these two methods - whom would be able to recommend one over the other (for ease of creation and appearance)

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zexion (KH2) - 100%
Near (Death Note)- 100%
Lavi (DGM V.2) - 75%
SW Jedi - 75%
Link (Twil. prin.) - 20%

hello, im new to the world of cosplaying, i've neevr been to an expo and my friend invited me to go to Fanime with her this year, problem is i want somethign that'll be memorable...i was thinking somethign alojng the lines of this :http://www.genjitsu.net/tokyo2k9/cosplay0012.jpg
if anyoen knows of a site, or materials please help a newbie out
my limit is 600 american

So I only have 3 weeks left until the Sakura-con in Seattle. I've chosen Ashe from FFXII as my costume, but now I'm totally lost. I can't go back now because I've already completed a portion of her costume and ordered pieces for the rest.

What I need help with is just figuring out a dang pattern for her leg/knee pieces. All I have to work with is Craft Foam and Wonderflex. I can grunt my way through the others pieces (and in fact, have most of it done), but the legs are giving me all kinds of trouble!

Any suggestions for how I should sketch out this pattern? I've measured my legs and tried to fold paper around them as a starting ref, but I'm still very confused! My leg measurement around the highest point for the thigh piece should be 13 inches and the lowest part (towards my knee) is 11 inches. I couldn't thank you enough if you lent me hand!
Please help :O

Hi, i was wandering if anyone could tell me exactly what FRP stands for and why is it so expensive? And also if anyone could tell me where i can get my custom Keyblade night costume made for like under 300$. I came up with it after playing Birth By Sleep and i would really like to get it made. Thanx

Hey- Just thought I would post this photo link by my German student friend. She is the WONDERFLEX Queen of Germany. See her pics to see why.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamuicospl ... 850007913/

Although not as easy to work with, FOSSHAPE is an amazing material as well, also heat activated, but takes some practice to get use to it... since you can not re-heat or re-activate like WONDERFLEX.

Thermoman

What is the secret of creativity of an animator.

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I am 26, I am male, I love to learn.

Our Monster Hunter group on FB has a bunch of tutorials for sintra on video.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/258173517528375/photos/

The videos are towards the bottom, but sintra is a hard durable plastic that I have been using for the past year and I swear I will never go back to any sort of craft foam or wonderflex. Please enjoy!

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High res shots and complete work in progress found at these sites!

Sounds great, i will see it

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You can see the lovely cosplayers here,i love it:
http://www.cosplayonsale.com/hell-girl- ... 25_65.html

Just finished my first rubber cast. It's a fun flexible way to make armor that doesn't restrict your movement. Check out my WIP in the FB link below! It's some pretty cool stuff!

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High res shots and complete work in progress found at these sites!