Iron man Costume help! First timer

carter123 · Jul 22, 2014

So currently I'm out in Afghan on my second tour of duty. After saving up some cash I'm looking to build myself a replica iron man suit or any MK, However i have seen different techniques such as using foam or cardboard for the moulds.

Can someone please give me bait of first time advice,
-on what i should expect etc,
-how much i should be expecting to spend
- and any links to plans or tutorials please

This would be greatly appreciated, as i have the money just not exactly the experience or skills atm.

Cant wait to start!

Darth Vapor · Jul 22, 2014

Foam is by far the easiest and probably the cheapest. It's just a matter of how far you want to go. At minimum you will need.

Pepakura software $40ish
EVA FoamRolls 3-4 $25 each at Sears...not sure where you can get it where you are at

qty depends on how many mistakes you make and best use of space
Hot glue gun $20
Glue sticks $20-$30 worth
lots of Xacto blades, the sharper the better $50
Card stock to print patterns on $20
Heat gun for forming foam $25
industrial scissors for edge cutting foam $15
Arc reactor from kitchen sink parts $25
various straps buckles and Velcro $50
Old easy to slip on boots or shoes for feet Free to $50
Paint...this is where it can get expensive. Mod Podge and Plastidip to seal the foam...I used automotive paint and gloss $100 easy...there are cheaper ways
Helmet can be made out of foam, but I never could get it right with a removable face plate. I bought a nice Fiberglasss one from here painted $250 with lighted eyes.
Homemade hinge system for helmet $15 in parts
Repulsor Lights bought from here ($50) led circuit board with push switches so I can activate with my hands.

Im im sure I'm missing some things but it adds up. Good luck. It's a fun hobby. Start with easy sections first until you get the hang of working with foam. Your first few pieces will look like crap, so I remade those a few times. When you fight per it out, the hard part is scaling and sizing.

Thanks for for defending our country and what we take for granted every day...our freedom.

BBrian · Jul 22, 2014

I went the pepakura, fiberglass, car bondo route. It took me about 10 months and $1500.

BBrian · Jul 22, 2014

How do I post picture? I'm new. I will show you some pics of my iron man build.

chazdragon · Jul 22, 2014

BBrian said:
How do I post picture? I'm new. I will show you some pics of my iron man build.

Select the Insert image button on the task bar above where you are typing; It looks like a picture of a tree and then select the file you would like to show us.....

Thank you for your service.

Zlurpo · Jul 22, 2014

Darth Vapor said:
Foam is by far the easiest and probably the cheapest. It's just a matter of how far you want to go. At minimum you will need.

Pepakura software $40ish
EVA FoamRolls 3-4 $25 each at Sears...not sure where you can get it where you are at qty depends on how many mistakes you make and best use of space
Hot glue gun $20
Glue sticks $20-$30 worth
lots of Xacto blades, the sharper the better $50
Card stock to print patterns on $20
Heat gun for forming foam $25
industrial scissors for edge cutting foam $15
Arc reactor from kitchen sink parts $25
various straps buckles and Velcro $50
Old easy to slip on boots or shoes for feet Free to $50
Paint...this is where it can get expensive. Mod Podge and Plastidip to seal the foam...I used automotive paint and gloss $100 easy...there are cheaper ways
Helmet can be made out of foam, but I never could get it right with a removable face plate. I bought a nice Fiberglasss one from here painted $250 with lighted eyes.
Homemade hinge system for helmet $15 in parts
Repulsor Lights bought from here ($50) led circuit board with push switches so I can activate with my hands.

Pepakura software: the free version is easily enough for a build. No purchase necessary.
Foam: 2 of those rolls is enough. I did a mark 4 and had some leftover with 2 rolls.
Glue gun: $7
Glue sticks: you could do this for $12 off glue sticks
x-acto blades: $7 for a pack, and $4 for a knife sharpener which will multiply the life of a blade by 10 times.
Card stock: I dunno, but certainly not $20. More like 8.
Heat gun: never used one.
Scissors: used normal ones for cutting cardstock. No special scissors used.
Arc reactor: I'll trust him on this one, I used one my roommate built.
Velcro, no buckles or straps needed: $6
Shoes: thrift store, $8
Paint: yeah, I spent at least $60 on paint and plasti-dip

A little ghetto rigging and the lights can be activated with magnets, touching plates, or switches for very cheap.

carter123 · Jul 23, 2014

Darth Vapor said:
Foam is by far the easiest and probably the cheapest. It's just a matter of how far you want to go. At minimum you will need.

Pepakura software $40ish
EVA FoamRolls 3-4 $25 each at Sears...not sure where you can get it where you are at qty depends on how many mistakes you make and best use of space
Hot glue gun $20
Glue sticks $20-$30 worth
lots of Xacto blades, the sharper the better $50
Card stock to print patterns on $20
Heat gun for forming foam $25
industrial scissors for edge cutting foam $15
Arc reactor from kitchen sink parts $25
various straps buckles and Velcro $50
Old easy to slip on boots or shoes for feet Free to $50
Paint...this is where it can get expensive. Mod Podge and Plastidip to seal the foam...I used automotive paint and gloss $100 easy...there are cheaper ways
Helmet can be made out of foam, but I never could get it right with a removable face plate. I bought a nice Fiberglasss one from here painted $250 with lighted eyes.
Homemade hinge system for helmet $15 in parts
Repulsor Lights bought from here ($50) led circuit board with push switches so I can activate with my hands.

Im im sure I'm missing some things but it adds up. Good luck. It's a fun hobby. Start with easy sections first until you get the hang of working with foam. Your first few pieces will look like crap, so I remade those a few times. When you fight per it out, the hard part is scaling and sizing.

Thanks for for defending our country and what we take for granted every day...our freedom.

Thanks for your post this really helps, can u give e a quick idea on how the suit joins together if you get me?
Like do the panels hinge together somehow? and what do u attach the suit to? do u need to wear a morph suit or something like that?

Thanks again

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks a lot for your ideas, looks like its a big project, as i seemed to forget about all the little stuff, can't wait for this to start when I'm home, thanks

- - - Updated - - -

Zlurpo said:
Pepakura software: the free version is easily enough for a build. No purchase necessary.
Foam: 2 of those rolls is enough. I did a mark 4 and had some leftover with 2 rolls.
Glue gun: $7
Glue sticks: you could do this for $12 off glue sticks
x-acto blades: $7 for a pack, and $4 for a knife sharpener which will multiply the life of a blade by 10 times.
Card stock: I dunno, but certainly not $20. More like 8.
Heat gun: never used one.
Scissors: used normal ones for cutting cardstock. No special scissors used.
Arc reactor: I'll trust him on this one, I used one my roommate built.
Velcro, no buckles or straps needed: $6
Shoes: thrift store, $8
Paint: yeah, I spent at least $60 on paint and plasti-dip

A little ghetto rigging and the lights can be activated with magnets, touching plates, or switches for very cheap.

Thanks a lot for your reply, seems like everyone has their own ways of doing this, where do you get the templates from for Papakura?

Zlurpo · Jul 23, 2014

Where do you get the templates from for Papakura?

Depends on which suit you want to do. I'd start here:
http://www.therpf.com/f24/jfcustoms-foam-files-148889/

User JFcustom has modified patterns for several suits (iron man and others) to be made from foam.

If you want to do the Mark 42, here's some:
http://www.therpf.com/f78/helagaks-iron-man-mark-42-all-files-released-176505/
http://www.therpf.com/f78/jackieisr...-pepakura-files-back-added-first-post-176839/

And if you want general help in how to do everything that first link has a ton of good tips from JFcustom, and there are lots of tutorials on youtube by members here on the RPF.

carter123 · Jul 23, 2014

Cheers mate ill have a look now, just a shame the internet is so slow out here like. I would just buy a pre made suit, but i think it takes the fun away and the achievement

BBrian · Jul 23, 2014

Here is a couple pics of mine.

Darth Vapor · Jul 28, 2014

Legs hinge at the knees, biceps and forearms hinge at the elbows, I attached the shoulder pads to the chest piece with buckle straps for ease of transport and storage, I have one half of my chest piece with elastic band and the other side with buckles (could do both sides with elastic, cente of the rib cage/ab section is elastic band for flexibility, ab plate attaches by buckle and gelding in place with Velcro, cod piece attaches to rib cage/abs with Velcro.

Everyone does it different. Just depends on how you build it and your size, shape and build.

Iron man Costume help! First timer

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