/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

[Build Thread No.9435066]

What are you working on right now?
What do you plan on working on next?
Have any questions about your current/next build?
Post your last build.

[Anonymous No.9435093]

>>9435066
I'll hopefully be starting this (armor component) in the next month or two. I've made armor/weapons out of foam before but it'll be my first time working with insulation foam, so I'm excited to see the end results and how I like it in comparison to just using EVA foam.

On that note, what would be my best bet for sealing insulation foam? Does it react/behave the same way as dense EVA sheets in regards to paint/primer?

[Build Thread No.9435097]

>>9435093
I'm curious, why insulation foam? I've used it before and hated working with it because of how brittle it was.

I sealed it with some sort of epoxy that I forget the name of and it came out kind of badly A ton of bumps formed that I had to sand out.

Pic related, I made the base shape of the sword out of insulation foam.

[Anonymous No.9435103]

>>9435097
I was talking about that Pink insulation foam everyone is always raving about- Apparently it's decent and it also generally works out way cheaper than EVA foam in Aus, which is my main concern.
Is that the one you used? Because if it is fairly brittle I might reconsider.

[Anonymous No.9435109]

>>9435103
Yep, pink insulation foam. It was way too fragile for me but it's pretty damn cheap so it would probably be worth it to get a sheet and test it out yourself.

Honestly, after using EVA-38, I have no desire to ever go back to yoga mats or insulation foam.

[Anonymous No.9435939]

>>9435093
Pink insulation foam will dissolve slightly or worse if you spray anything too close. Go find some styrofoam and use a spray paint on it, it'll melt because of the solvents. Insulation foam is slightly hardier but it can still go mush.
Like other anon said, it's also easy to dent/punch holes in with, say, a Worbla armour spike accidentally bumping into you/kind of brittle so it's a major hassle to use as the actual exterior. I've seen people coat it in fibreglass resin and look great though, but since you're looking for cost-efficient that's kind of out of the question. It's not a bad material to make shapes or molds off of, but it's not a great product for a final product on its own.


For the topic, starting pic related, hoping to get this done by August for Gamescom.

[Anonymous No.9437460]

>>9435103
>Pink insulation foam everyone is always raving about

???
are you sure they were using it to replace EVA foam? because insulation foam doesnt bend and it crumbles easily.

ive seen it used for cosplay before but it was used as a filler for a base and then carved.
looking at the cosplay you want to do, i dont think insulation foam is the right choice of material.

[Anonymous No.9437523]

Working on Bastion from OW for Dreamhack and AX

[TemjinTBW No.9437549]

Currently I am putting some last bits together for a Stug III costume from Girls und Panzer. Once this is done I am going to resume work on making my Genesic GaoGaiGar costume.

Last build was an RX-79[G] Gundam

>>9437523
This is looking really good so far. Do you have somewhere I could follow your progress?

[Anonymous No.9437556]

>>9437549
I have a facebook page where I post updates: www facebook com/na45cosplay/

[Anonymous No.9437564]

>>9437523
oh shit! I was planning on doing something like that but ive never done a full body mech cosplay before.

any guides you are using for inspiration? or are you just that good at planning/crafting all of this?

[Anonymous No.9437578]

>>9437564
I was actually planning to have it transform between the two forms but the electronics were too expensive.

I don't actually really plan anything, it's all freehand. I just use a few reference images from multiple angles. I mostly just do stuff through trial and error, it's only my second cosplay so I don't have a real process besides being pretty meticulous.

If you're looking for guides, I like the Punished Props videos. They have a bunch of great videos for learning how to do some basic stuff.

[Anonymous No.9437696]

First time working with sintra, and I really love it! My problem is finding a seller.
I underestimated my quantity and feel like it's a bit too small compared to my body.

[TemjinTBW No.9438109]

>>9437696
Where are you located?

[Anonymous No.9438134]

>>9438109
Canada.
I also forgot to post my "progress" picture. But slightly feel embarrassed compared to you guys.
I bought my sintra from cosplay supplies.

[Anonymous No.9438167]

Modelling one of the Pods from Nier Automata at the moment for 3D printing, just trying to get the proportions right...

[Anonymous No.9438594]

>>9438134
Don't think that way. My first cosplay was literally cardboard and spray paint held together with twine.

There's no point in comparing yourself to others as long as you're proud of what you've done.

[TemjinTBW No.9438651]

>>9438134
Try http://www.piedmontplastics.com/

I buy all my sintra from them. You can get giant 4x8 ft sheets of 1mm at a cost of anywhere from 15$-50$ usd depending on the current market price. Their website shows locations in canada, maybe your close to one?

Also keep in mind sintra is just a brand name, you can usually get a generic version that is practically identical from most plastics suppliers that will be cheaper than the branded kind.

>>9438594
Also what this anon said. We all start somewhere. The most important thing is to finish projects and build experience. Set a goal or an area to improve on with each project and youll be golden.

[Anonymous No.9438687]

>>9438651
>>9438594
T-Thanks anons, they have a location in my city, I'll definitely give them a visit(or call)

[Anonymous No.9439546]

Slowly building shovel knight. My heads considerably larger than the mannequin, but im reconsidering the bottom portion since his helmet has less space to see through.

Still need to seal the seems and start on the horns.

[Anonymous No.9439552]

>>9439546

Lets see of rotating helps

[Anonymous No.9439592]

Ral zarek from magic the gathering.

[Anonymous No.9440252]

Working on a Ghirahim cosplay. I started with the back of the cape, pic related is with the diamonds not sewn on yet

[Anonymous No.9440810]

>>9439546
Nice, not a lot of Shovel Knight cosplay out there. For the body, are you shooting for the proportions from the game or doing something more realistic?

[Anonymous No.9441442]

posted in help thread with no answers,
best glue(or whatever) for sintra?

[Anonymous No.9441562]

>>9440810

Thanks. Likely going to go for in game and adjust for my measurements. Horns are coming along nicely for 2mm foam. Luckily the helmet has them on what appears to be rings before the actual helmet, so I may just attack them to those and velcro them so i can take them on and off.

That or build around the current horns since they seem a tad bit too long. Whatever is easier to transport.

[Anonymous No.9441895]

Finished the gun and it came out great

[Anonymous No.9442218]

>>9441895
Really coming along, can't wait to see the whole thing finished. You said this is your first cosplay? That's crazy.

[Anonymous No.9442258]

>>9442218
Second real one, third if you count a shitty cardboard Captain Falcon (you can see the helmet in the background)

[Anonymous No.9442373]

Bouncing back and forth between Mei from Overwatch and someone from Star Wars. Celebration got me too pumped for anything but Star Wars shit.

[Anonymous No.9442385]

Making a Titanfall 2 pilot costume. Working on the jumppack now. Not as good as I want it to be, but with limited tools and resources I have right now - this'll have to do, I guess.

[TemjinTBW No.9442629]

>>9441442
I use EZbond thick type. You can buy it in 16oz bottles for about 40-50usd on amazon.

>>9441895
Looking good ^^b

[Anonymous No.9442649]

>>9441562
I would say the horns are looking a bit too long horizontal wise. I know its pretty hard to gauge how the horns really should be like since even in the official art it seems to change in size a lot.
other than that, it generally looks pretty great.

[NA-45 No.9442670]

>>9442385
Very cool, do you have a reference image you're using you could share? I don't actually play Titanfall so I'm curious what the model you're basing it off of looks like.

[Anonymous No.9442694]

>>9442649

Sounds good, probably gives me an inch or two to play with attaching wise.

[Anonymous No.9443026]

>>9442694
Great shape.

[Anonymous No.9443120]

>>9442670
Here. I'm using a pilot loadout screen, and it's really useful, with a rotating model and such.

[Anonymous No.9443122]

>>9442694
Looking fantastic, hope you post more as you go.

[Anonymous No.9443166]

>>9443026
>>9443122

Thanks. Only have the shovel aside from the helmet. Likely going to redo the guard since its a bit off. Will post more with time.

[Anonymous No.9443169]

>>9443026

Thanks. I dred having to seal the seems eventually.

>>9443122
Heres the shovel. Likely will redo the guard and blade since some glue shows.

[Anonymous No.9444031]

Been working on a handful of tasks for a Jacket costume for the Calgary Expo next week. Been applying some grime to my mask, also just finished up a modded cassette recorder thatll play some voice lines and some clips from the Hotline Miami soundtracks.

Nothing particularly extravagant (and I'm probably too old for this shit) but I've always wanted to do a con in costume at least once.

[NA-45 No.9444085]

>>9444031
That looks really good

[Anonymous No.9444092]

>>9444031
I demand you cosplay as Chicken Boo. Please.

[Anonymous No.9444097]

>>9444085
the nice part is that the painting was essentially idiotproof. The worst that could happen if I fucked up is it'd look ugly, which was exactly the point. Still debating whether or not to go crazy on fake blood, I have that Insert Coin letterman jacket and ended up being really surprised by the quality of it when it arrived, so I'm a little nervous about how bloody I should get.

>>9444092
kek. Could make for an interesting crossover...

[Anonymous No.9444147]

>>9444031
great job actually dirtying up that mask.
ive seen so many Jacket/Richard cosplayers who go way overboard with the blood but forget to actually do something on the mask.

and i guess thats another point. dont go too overboard with the blood and make sure the blood splatters actually make sense. (if that makes sense)
This person has a ton of blood on their arms but look at the chest area. its practically clean.
it just looks off.

anyways, good job so far. Ive always wanted to do a biker cosplay but could never find the right puffy jacket.

[Anonymous No.9444313]

Has anyone here used paperboard for props or costumes? How well does it accept fiberglass resin? I recently gained access to a laser cutter and unlimited paperboard - I kind of want to make a Kylo Ren helmet with laser-cut foam or sintra for the filigrees but I already have a repainted Black Series helmet.

[Anonymous No.9444436]

>>9444313
well people do cardstock to fiber glassresin all the time with pepakura projects so i dont see why it shouldnt work?
unless paperboard reacts differently to the resin. I guess you can always do a small test with it.

[TemjinTBW No.9444525]

>>9444313
You cant laser cut sintra. It will make toxic fumes and can damage the laser. So Ive heard at least.

[Anonymous No.9444716]

>>9444525
Sintra is just PVC, ain't it?

[Anonymous No.9445378]

>>9444716
>PVC
>polyvinyl chloride
>burning PVC releases dioxins (chlorine gas) and hydrochloric acid vapor

don't do it senpai
don't cut sintra, pleather, plastic pipes, or garbage bags with a laser

>>9444525
It wouldn't damage the laser itself since the laser emitter is way in the back of the machine

[NA-45 No.9446295]

Finished the front chest piece last night, only one piece to go

[Anonymous No.9447942]

>>9444031
Fuck, I should have been doing this last week after what a godawful stretch of work I had. Oddly therapeutic.

[Anonymous No.9448302]

Not sure if this is really the right place to ask, but I need some suggestions.

I've got an Avon S10 gas mask for my HUNK cosplay and I'm trying to recreate the voice projection unit he has on the front that looks like pic related. I don't know what materials or methods the guy used to make this mask other than using an espresso machine filter for the grate. Does anyone here have any ideas?

[Anonymous No.9451265]

>>9437523
Can I ask what you're using as a base material for this and did you use some kind of a filler/sealant for it? The curved surfaces look awesome.

[Anonymous No.9451767]

>>9444313 here, documenting my experiments

The two extreme conveniences that the laser cutter offers, accuracy and speed, mean that I can go through putting an entire helmet together in one night so I'm doing multiple test builds at once. Each helmet here took a total of about five hours from raw paperboard to (nearly) finished pepakura build, with the vast majority of time spent on gluing pieces together. The helmet with the wooden rim had some problems so that dome is not attached at all yet.

Even with the cut accuracy and the heavier materials, the parts will bend and warp a bit, making assembly as messy as regular pepakura. I started using laser cut plywood for making hard-edged parts that need to stay in shape like the rim in the middle of the helmet and the bottom edge. The ears have sloped edges that I plan to freehand with Bondo and a flat edge.

I am going to also try laser cutting foam to get complex curves like the helmet dome (and later coat it in Rondo for a rigid outer layer) but there are some complications with cutting foam on the laser. The insane heat where the laser hits the foam causes the edge of the foam to melt and contract inwards so you get width to a cut that shouldn't have any. Multiple cutting passes with a low power setting might work though.

Another idea would be using the laser to kerf wood according to a pepakura pattern and make the whole thing from wood and wood filler. I can't even begin to have an idea if this would work though.

[Anonymous No.9451786]

>>9451767
Also, the pink stuff on the left helmet is Bondo glazing putty on top of a layer of wood glue. I wanted to fill in the polygonal edges to make sanding a little cleaner...or that's the theory at least.

Eventually I plan to cut a piece of acrylic with the laser and heat it into shape on top of a form in the same way that you would with sintra or worbla.

[NA-45 No.9451821]

>>9451265
EVA-38 and since I'm rushing to finish by Friday, no ;_;

If I had more time (and money desu), I'd do some hardcore sealing and filling but alas...

It honestly pains me to do what I'm doing right now but I don't have time to finish nicely.

[NA-45 No.9455644]

Here's a finished photo of the Bastion I've been working on. I entered the Dreamhack cosplay contest and won my division (they sorted by number of contests you've entered before). There are still a bunch of minor painting details that I need to go back and do but I'm pretty happy how it turned out

[TemjinTBW No.9455705]

>>9455644
Very nice work! And congrats on the award!

[Anonymous No.9455779]

It's really weird seeing a thread that's genuinely nice and supportive. /cgl/s content usually comes off as obnoxiously catty and vindictive.

[NA-45 No.9455805]

>>9455705
Thanks!

[Anonymous No.9455816]

>>9451767

Domes seem a little high on both buckets. I recommend mixing up some rondo (50/50 bondo and fiberglass resin slurry) and just slapping it on with your hands and some latex gloves. Go at it after the fact with a wood rasp to whack off the high spots and fill the low spots after you sand. It'll save you a lot of thin layers on top of those polygons. I also recommend mixing up some two part plastic and doing a couple slush layers on the inside of the bucket for strength. You doing these for fun, or are you a clan recruit? The two aren't mutually exclusive I guess.

[Anonymous No.9458487]

send help.

[Anonymous No.9458518]

>>9455779
>It's really weird seeing a thread that's genuinely nice and supportive
it really depends on the thread but yeah, help threads are usually good.

>/cgl/s content usually comes off as obnoxiously catty and vindictive.
thats really more of a 4chan thing in general rather than /cgl/ specific.

people that post on 4chan end up having that sort of mentality mostly because everyone tends to voice their opinions truthfully without holding back instead of treating a place like a hugbox.
of course people tend to shitpost for the sake of being able to shitpost without any sory of repercussion.
in other words, dont take people seriously here when you see them bitch or get angry about stuff.

[Anonymous No.9458943]

Gipsy Danger helmet drying. All pieces have been 3d printed. I have a week in a half to finish mine and the three other jaegers. Mecha lord please bless me.

[Anonymous No.9459013]

>>9458943
Are you smoothing it out more? Can still sorta see some of the indicators of a 3D print.
How're you doing the lense? Pretty cool.

[Anonymous No.9459272]

>>9458943
Did you outsource the printing? How much did that cost?
If not, how long did it take to print yourself? Did you make the model yourself?

[Anonymous No.9459586]

Pretending I know how to make armor

[Anonymous No.9459672]

>>9459586
whats your reference?

[Anonymous No.9460288]

>>9458943
>>9459013
Seriously, there are seams galore on that sucker. Invest in some XTC-3D or at the very least some sand paper. Maybe even go over the whole thing with some resin. Those polygons make my heart hurt.

Nitpicking aside, it looks fine considering your time constraints. However, you're going WAY too heavy with your paint.
It looks like you're using rattle cans. You have to go in light passes and hit the spots you've missed AFTER the layer before it has cured. Otherwise you're going to keep getting nasty clumping and drips that don't cure properly that will ruin the finish.

Don't waste all your effort with a shitty paint job.

[Anonymous No.9460292]

>>9459013
>Are you smoothing it out more?
haha nope no time
>How're you doing the lense?
plexiglass
>Did you outsource the printing? How much did that cost?
nope this the first time ive ever 3d printed. cost way too much but its split up between 3 other people
>If not, how long did it take to print yourself?
ill have to add up the numbers but basically 24/7 for 4 months x10 (printers)
>Did you make the model yourself?
god no i dont have that skill, the models came from ripped character files from the game. I had to dumb down the models to make them easier to print and edit since the models had serious random and misplaced vertices. It explains the polygon issue that>>9460288 sees but fuck it it made my life 10x easier this way.
>>9460288
>Seriously, there are seams galore on that sucker. Invest in some XTC-3D
I know, I did. I dont care about the clumps as much anymore, after 4 months straight im just happy its coming out as well it can lol.

[Anonymous No.9460307]

>>9460292
>>9460288

Can you coat something with multiple layers of XTC-3D and have it turn out very smooth with almost no sanding?

I fucking hate sanding.

[Anonymous No.9460320]

>>9460307
xtc-3d certaintly helped. it turned the layer look of the filament into something more smooth. however if you want it to be leveled then youll need to sand. I only used 1 or 2 layers because i too hate sanding (also lack of time)

[Anonymous No.9460423]

>>9460292
>Nitpicking aside, it looks fine considering your time constraints. However, you're going WAY
too heavy with your paint.

completely missed the point of the post. Everything looks okay enough except for the god awful paint job. Don't turn "good enough" into "hot garbage" by ignoring fundamentals.

>>9460307
Nope. Even with the xtc you need to sand if you want a good finish. Learn to love it because 90% of everything non-fabric based is sanding.

[Anonymous No.9460444]

>>9460292
>24/7 for 4 months x10 (printers)

what the fugg

did you print out entire costumes for the four jaegers

[Anonymous No.9460455]

>>9459672
Unreal Tournament GOTY.

[Anonymous No.9460457]

>>9460455
Progress as of today

[Anonymous No.9460521]

>>9438651
Another anon here.

They have a location close to me, can you just walk in and buy a sheet or do you have to contact them ahead of time? Sorry if this is a offhanded question.

[Anonymous No.9460530]

Appliquing fans onto Lady Eboshi's top. Laser cut the fabric so the edges won't fray and I can just tack them down quick with some temp fabric adhesive and a feather stitch. Not looking forward to adding the fan slats though.

[TemjinTBW No.9461516]

>>9460521
They usually have a minimum order limit, I think for mine its 50$ usd. Considering one sheet can be about half that youd probably need at least two. Still a good deal imo.

Tbh just call ahead and ask them.

[Anonymous No.9462062]

>>9460457
noice dude

[Anonymous No.9462074]

>>9460530
That looks good so far, anon! Your stitches are so neat.

[Anonymous No.9462124]

>>9435939
How do you plan on making this silhouette on a human body?
Have the legs on the outside of your own legs?

[Anonymous No.9462136]

>>9435066
Does anyone here have experience using magnets as fasteners for their armor pieces? I want to reduce bulk/straps on my cchest piece and I thought magnets might be the way to go at the side seams. Do they attach/hold well onto foam? Should I be worried about them potentially ripping off the foam if they're too strong?

[Anonymous No.9462156]

>>9462136
i do. dont do it UNLESS you have something to brace it against. i was able to glue the magnet to a piece of wood or a thin piece of metal. then glued that to the foam. the more surface area contact the better. I've had magnets rip out of foam that was only glued and not braced.

[Anonymous No.9462294]

Do these abs look wonky to y'all? I've trimmed them about 100 times but they still irk me. Think I may need to remake them.

PS pls excuse homeless shelter room

[Anonymous No.9462448]

>>9462124
That's the plan, unless I find a better solution than black leggings and robot legs on the outside. If I try to make the legs fit mine it would look like knock knees.

[Anonymous No.9462695]

>>9462156
That's what I was worried about, thanks anon. I like the idea of really clean seams/joins using magnets.
Is there a particular type/strength you use or recommend?

[Anonymous No.9463701]

>>9462294
i think they just look wonky because youre trying to recreate armor from a low poly model and now seeing it in real life. if youre trying to recreate that model exactly, it looks fine.

but if youre trying to take that model design and trying to recreate it with a more realistic look, then yeah, it looks off. probably because abs dont really look like that.

does that make sense?

[Anonymous No.9463723]

>>9462695
I used magnets that were rings for joints like knees that had some strength to them. I suggest looking into magnetic purse snaps since they have a raised piece used for locking.

[Anonymous No.9463724]

>>9460444
>444
>four jaegers
yes

>>9460423
its lookin fine to me after it dried.

[Anonymous No.9463809]

So I need some minor stuff 3d printed for some cosplays. I have access to a 3d printer via my housemates uncle, but what's the best program to make the models in? preferably free since all I'm doing is a belt buckle and some jumbo bullet cartridges.

[Anonymous No.9463884]

>>9463809
Blender. Its one of the most popular free 3d programs out there. Pretty easy to use too.

[Anonymous No.9463992]

>>9463701
Totally! I just meant crooked lines desu. The low-poly look is intentional. I wanted a difficulty cop-out for my first build, haha.

[Anonymous No.9464299]

Finishing up my Little Devil Eli from Love Live. So many small details.

[Anonymous No.9464468]

>>9464299
Ahh that's so cool! Jelly of girls and traps for cute lacy stuff like this

[Anonymous No.9464990]

>>9463809
If you have a student email and want to eventually model more complicated things, get the three-year student trial of Maya or 3DS Max. Otherwise, Blender.

I know Maya and 3DS Max very well and Mudbox to some degree; I can still barely use Blender but I'm getting there. Its UI is a bit odd.

[Anonymous No.9467733]

I finally found a perfect TV for a TV head! I was determined not to buy one for $XX off Craigslist, and here was this guy sitting on the curb two weeks before fanime!

>tfw attempting to ground the high voltage line scared.jpg

[Anonymous No.9470517]

>>9467733
wouldn't it just be safer to just create the head so you don't die?

[Anonymous No.9470548]

>>9470517
It's perfectly safe when precautions are followed, you just sometimes hear a loud pop when the tube discharges. Also no that would look terrible.