View Full Version : Easiest method for CosArmor...?

Otaku X
07-31-2002, 03:11 AM
I am working on Deedlit from RoLW, I was wondering (since I'm pretty much a newbie when it comes ot cosplay) what would be the easiest thing to do for Deedlit's chestplate/shoulder armor...(i.e. plastics, fabric, foam...etc) Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!


07-31-2002, 05:58 PM
The method I would use is the felt and glue method. I've never tried it, but someone explained in detail on COSP ML, you may wanna search the archives at groups.yahoo.com for the actual email. Basically, you get a mold of whatever body part the felt is covering, and put your piece of felt over it. Rub elmers glue into the felt, making sure to stretch and mold it exactly the way you want it to dry, since it will be very hard to cut/change after it's dry. Leave to dry for a few days. Sand and paint as needed ^_^

07-31-2002, 09:29 PM
Im doing lina inverse armor right now I learned this one from a friend

use two sheets of plastic mesh and sandwich cardboard in the middle of it and glur and or duck tape together in the form you want it to be then glue super glue and hotglue lol(iono?) the fabric to it...this will be my first time doing armor..seems the easiest lol

Otaku X
07-31-2002, 09:38 PM
Yay those both sound like good ideas n.n I'll have to try it out! My original plan was to use wire supported fabric...but I wasn't sure if that would work since I've never actually made CosArmor before. I thought I'd get some suggestions from people with more experience n.n

07-31-2002, 09:40 PM
pleather painted silver (or whatever metal or black color) makes nice armour. its stiffish and hot glues to other stuff nicely. cuts easily too. and shape lines go in nicely with a sewing machine. uh... its fun stuff? ^^;

Otaku X
08-02-2002, 02:30 AM
sweet n.n I can't wait to give it a try!

08-02-2002, 02:45 PM
Iwould of never thought of pleather.

08-02-2002, 05:12 PM
Now is the time to admit my deeeeeeeep daaaaaaaark cosplay secret.

I actually have made a Deedlit costume for Halloween back in 96 or so. ^___^ And I did the armor with papier mache which I then sanded, spray-painted, and glossed. It looked perfect and was nice & light weight.

One tip though, put foam (or anything squishy, yes squishy is a technical term) under it or it might hurt in the long run.

Mei Lan Chang
08-03-2002, 08:26 AM
Squishy. I like that.

Otaku X
08-03-2002, 03:22 PM
Me too! n.n

08-03-2002, 03:52 PM
paper mache always works.

08-03-2002, 06:05 PM
whatever you do don't try to make it out of metal b/c it's not exactly the easiest type of material to work with. LOL

There's this thing you can find at art supply stores called "model magic" I think.... not sure about the name. It's a fiber like material that once a little water is added it can be sculpted. Think of it as paper mache but more convienent cause all you have to do is add a little water.....errrr kind of.

08-03-2002, 06:13 PM
wait I just found some of this stuff lying in my bedroom. It's called "celluclay" It comes in a rectangular block about 6" X 6" X 12" thats 5 lbs for about $22. Yes it can be sanded and painted once dried just like paper mache. Be sure to test a small sample first before using cause I added too much water and it never dried....arrrrrrrrgh there goes $22 down the drain.

08-03-2002, 09:33 PM
I recall seeing a cosplay site called "Mochi cosplay" or somthing like that. They work a lot with plastics, and have a plastic tutorial. From the sounds of things, it would work very well for deedlit's shoulder peices, and might work out better than paper mache, etc. Since they're just large curves, I wouldn't suggest fiberglass here... plastic would probably be your best bet.

08-04-2002, 11:56 PM
You wouldnt happen to have a link to the site would you?

08-05-2002, 12:04 AM
Behold, the wonders of Google!

08-07-2002, 01:33 PM
I made a 2 inch diameter ball out of "celluclay" as a test sample and let it dried for 3 days. I just cut the ball in half yesterday and only the outside has dried.

*arggghhhhhh jumps onto a table and pulls hair out in frustration*

If I ever use this celluclay again I'm only going to use it for thin shelled sculptings like 1/2" or less.

L to the 3rd
08-07-2002, 09:55 PM
it's all about foam and double stick tape, baby.

08-29-2002, 03:00 PM
I feel kinda bad for bringing this thread back from the dead, but I think my original review of "celluclay" was a bit unfair due to not experimenting with it sufficiently. So in the interest of fairness here's another review of celluclay part 2.

Celluclay is kinda like paper mache, but you can sculpt with it after adding some water. You can not apply it in thin layers like paper mache or pour it into a mold like plaster. It's physical properties is clay-like when wet hence the name celluclay. Add a little bit of water, mix it up, and you're set to go. If there's too much water then add more celluclay to get the right moisture content. This is VERY important because this stuff isn't going to dry if it's too wet. Once dried this stuff can be sanded and the cracks and dents can be filled with spackle to produce a smooth surface. It can also be painted.

lightweight and strong enough for costuming purposes. Reasonably priced, non-toxic, easy to work with

takes a LONG time to dry. I made a 1 inch thick slab as a test sample and it took a month to completely dry. However, celluclay can be warmed in an oven to speed up the drying time.

what can be made:
small things like jewelry perhaps. If you're going to make large thick objects start off with a piece of stryofoam and slap some celluclay over it and then sculpt. If it's made of pure celluclay it will never dry. You can make thin shelled stuff like body armor but it must be supported by an armature.

In a nutshell celluclay is pretty good stuff. My biggest peeve is it's long dry time which limits how thick your sculptings can be. I once said keep it under 1/2 inch but I guess you can make thicker sculptings but just be cafeful. If it's too thick it won't dry.

why such a long post about this material? Now that I know how to use this stuff, I've got some real evil cosplay plans for this :devil: :devil: :devil: