WIP - X-men's Cyclops

WarDarkFox

Active Member
I'm going to attempt a Cyclops costume. I am going to start with the visor and then later on decide what version of Cyclops I want to do. That will be the difficult portion, as I do like the 90's version of Cyclops but I'm not so sure about wearing lycra/spandex. I may make a more modern look for Cyclops and incorporate regular cloths to make my own version of the character, not sure at the moment but that will be something I will decide later. Maybe with some help from you guys when I get to that point. But first I'm going to work on the visor.

If you are interested the link for the file can be found in my signature. I chose to make my own model in order to ensure that it would fit very close to the face and not be too large or bulky when you wear it. Here is the completed pepakura

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Before I started to resin, I did a dry fit adjusted the visor on my face to see how much bend I needed with the ear pods, then cutting strips of card stock I glued 2 section of the ear pods in order to replicate the distance and also to help stabilize the file while applying the resin. Since the weather is not quite 75°, I'm using smooth on's 101 and 102 epoxy resin due to being able to use it in >40° temperature and for the very low volatiles(working in a closed garage).

Resin'd and drying
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For the next stop I decided against using fiberglass on the inside since i would be pressed up against my face. Instead I Rondo'd the inside, which hasn't been my strong suite but worse case I could always remake the visor again. Unfortunatly when i started making my mix I found out the hardener for the bondo had separated and was very soupy. I mixed it up the best and gave it a shot. I used 50/50 bondo to epoxy resin mix and then added both the bondo hardener and epoxy hardener based on the look and feel while i was mixing. Then just brushed it on little by little.
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Next morning I checked on it to see how I did, it was a little sticky to the touch but not much. I just hit it with a lot of talc powder and let it sit some more. Fixed it right up.
I am not the best when it comes to bondo, I'm still learning and even though I try to do thin layers during the application, I always end up using more than I should in areas, which is more work when it comes to sanding but is still fix able. This is where I left off last night
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Have to finish out my first layer and then begin sanding. Probably 1 or 2 more times of bondo before I can prime/cut out the recess.

That's it for now. If anyone has any insight when it comes to the visor or the costume portion please let me know your input. Thank you!
 
Alright back again with another update. I sanded all that excess bondo from the first round and finished the second before putting a light layer of primer on to check for any spots that need more attention. I'm going to put another coat of bondo on the outside but need to work on applying it better
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I started to mess around with it, putting it on/taking it off, testing how well it sat against my face....etc. The one thing I found it that it gave too easily, it didn't have any solid feel to it. Bent easily and the sides would twist if you took it off to quick....so likely if I finished with it as it is I would have to replace it probably after 1 or 2 uses. To fix this I ended up going against my initial idea and put a layer of fiberglass on the inside. To do this I got the cloth fiberglass instead of the mat, cut it into long thin strips(about 4"Lx 3/4"W), used some spray adhesive on the inside and started to layer. Once that was done I mixed up some resin and instead of brushing it in, I decided to pour a good bit of resin onto the fiberglass and just roll it around to cover all the areas adding more as I went along. Then with a small brush lightly draw any excess out and back into the mixing cup. Once that was done the next issue I had to tackle was the left side had warped a bit where the earpod is. So i took some pieced of wood and made a brace for it and propped it up to cure hoping it would be fixed

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Thought everything was great, but when i went to check on it the yesterday morning.........this happened
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So I have a visor resinded to a piece of wood! Well crap, but not to worry I worked on it last night, with some careful hands and dremel work I was able to remove the wood and get all the excess fiberglass off the file.

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Next up is more bondo or maybe something similar but something that I can work with my hands and mold to the smoothness(I'm still not very good with the scrapper and bondo). Still a little loose on my face but with the fiberglass I can heat it and bend it to that point.

Until Next time
 
Gave the visor a good sanding before I heat bent the sides to better fit my face. Took a couple tries to get it just how I wanted it but also trying not to break or burn what I've done. I also did a bit of tweaking in the nose area to have it sit comfortably. I put the visor on to see how it looked and how it held up without any help.


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Sanded some more before applying another layer of bondo to the outside. I actually did better quickly spreading the bondo with my gloved hand than i did with the spreader. Tonight will be more sanding and then move onto potentially cutting out the opening. Also depending on room I may glue a thin layer of foam on the inside edges so that i can wear it for long periods of time without it cutting into me.

Agenda
-Sand smooth
-Cut opening
-Attach ear holders
-Primer/base
-Paint
-Insert red acrylic lens
-Electronics
 
Took a bit of a break to work on the basement, but last night decided to sketch out the visor and ended up cutting it out. Looks pretty good and at the right eye height.
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Will have to go and fix a few minor dings that happened when i was cutting but it's getting there, still figuring out the lens and light options on top of deciding to go with a sound file for when firing(haven't done any electronics before other that my Ghostbusters kit).
 
It's looking pretty good. You're inspiring me to attempt one. Looks like there's plenty of space in there to put the batteries and lights.
 
It's looking pretty good. You're inspiring me to attempt one. Looks like there's plenty of space in there to put the batteries and lights.

That's great, look forward to yours. So far I plan on 2 3.5v batteries set up inside the ear caps with some foam over top to protection.....lights I'm still trying to figure out.
 
That's great, look forward to yours. So far I plan on 2 3.5v batteries set up inside the ear caps with some foam over top to protection.....lights I'm still trying to figure out.
I fear you're going to need a red plastic screen with red leds towards the back of the visor (right next to your face) pointing towards the red plastic. If the plastic doesn't have any scuffs or anything the light won't really show up as being in the plastic, it will just pass through. Hopefully the red in the plastic will catch the light going through it and glow.

Otherwise, maybe red leds passing through a clear lens with some scratches in a grid pattern might do the trick? That way the leds can be mounted around the perimeter of the plastic.
 
Not really a big update, been working with the visor just bondo, sanding, bondo, etc to get it right where i want it. Ran into a bit of a spot when it dropped on the floor and the bondo by theft ear pod cracked a bit, so had to spend some extra time reinforcing that area. I also got my hands on some clear and red acrylic. Trying to heat bend it into shape.... with some success(although not perfect). The picture is with a one that I cut out and bent(not fitting all the way in yet). I'm going to wait on permanently fixing the lens inside till i can test out my led configurations for the best effect. I have a few ideas but need to get the parts in to test. Once I get the visor done, I can move onto the other points of the costume such as the bandoleer/utility belt, suit/glove,boots, and whether I want to add sound(which I would need to figure out what arduino code and parts I need to make it all work).

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Small update: Ok not much has been happening with the build since home life has gotten a little crazy. Lots of sanding, bondo, repeat to get the visor pretty smooth, not going to go all out though cause the small dips or dents that are left will give it a more realistic battle used look. Most of the frustration was trying to heat bend the acrylic to fit properly without huge gaps. The heat gun did the job mostly but as soon as i heat and bent one side the other would warp or start to straighten out. So did a bit of searching and found a method that worked perfectly. What I did was heat up the oven (electrical, not sure if it makes a difference or not) to 300°F and placed my cut piece on two layers of aluminum foil. Placed it in for 5-6 minutes. When it came out of the oven I just lightly picked it up at one end and slowly pealed if from the foil. At this point the uniform heating makes it very pliable, which made it easy to place right into the visor and mold it to the curve inside(wear heat resistant gloves with no pattern), I wish I had better gloves but all i could find was a pair of motorcycle gloves. Then it was a matter of holding it in place without burning myself too much till the acrylic set.
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Ended the night by putting a layer of aluminum paint on the visor for possible wear and tear effect
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So soon the Visor will be done but want to wait on the electronics so i can mess and plan before finishing. Got some parts for the bandoleer with will need lots(i mean lots) of pockets, belt buckle, and center chest piece. The boots are going to be interesting... I've been looking but haven't jumped the gun cause I wasn't too sure how the would look or fit. Other than that there are a few more odds and ends to the costume which will be tackled when probably 75% of it is completed since i will need to wear the suit in order to make adjustments.
 
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It's been a while since I posted and worked on the visor. On top of many things going on at home (trying to finish a basement and replace a shower), I got a bit discouraged with the lens and not having a single beam. So I've just been messing around with different ways to have it work in the way I wanted and still have that visibility, the costume as a whole is has been backtracked and I will work on it when I have the time so it is not a rush to finish anymore. Anyway I believe I have figured out a way to have a single beam for my visor, which has gotten me back into working on it again and wanting to do it instead of trying to talk myself into working on it. So I have to do a little bit of modifications to the visor in order for my plan to work, I don't want to give out all the details just yet since I want to absolutely make sure it works.

So to begin I'm adding a ledge to the inside of my visor, using epoxy putty and a thin flat piece of metal("ruler") to make it even. When it has hardened I will go other in inside and opening with sandpaper to even things out. Adding a ledge will allow me to have a more evenly set piece of acrylic lens and give enough clearance for Led's to be added.

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Next I'm tossing out the red acrylic lens, It will be red be through another means. Hopefully I can get a piece of the new acrylic cut and formed so I can begin placing and soldering the LEDs on to test.
 
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update: The inside shelf has been sanded down and fitted with a cut piece of acrylic. The visor is going once again for a coat of primer. Now here is the kicker, i need some opinions about the Yellow I have. It is about as yellow i could find in the store for rust-oleum, if there is something better please let me know. I have tried krylon but for whatever reason whenever i try to apply it just looks terrible. Anyway here is a sample of the paint
20140903_000056[1].jpgThoughts?

Finally here is a little preview of my solution to the solid visor red light and still be able to see
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The visor will need to have the final coat of yellow before this is installed, but just planning ahead.
 
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Getting closer. Once this dries I'll give it a once over to make sure i cover all the areas. There will be some drilling for the switch to activate the beam but that won't require too much touch up.
 
Time for an update. Did a lot of work trying to get the visor where I wanted it. Lots of issues and now with trial and error I am just a few steps from having the visor complete. My goal is to wear it for the Cincy comic expo on Saturday as a civilian cyclops since the suit hasn't been started yet.

So for the lens I went just with the red UV acrylic since the original idea to put that break light repair kit red on top didn't pan out. The glue even with working out all the bubble, as soon as light was added it showed a lot of ugly marks. So tossed that out. Several pieces of acrylic and head bending burns later I have the lens installed and adhered with epoxy glue

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The two opening on the back of the earpod are for a clear elastic band to hold the visor secure to my head. I also went ahead and drilled a hole for the push button to activate the beam
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What is left to do tomorrow is to solder and glue in place the button, LED's, and battery. I am also going to attach a pair of ear holders from an old safty glasses so it sets on my ears and face just like my glasses. I may even add a nose piece to the front so it doesn't cut in or if skilled enough use some hot glue to create a cussion point. Crossing fingers to get it all done tomorrow otherwise its Ghostbusters to fall back on
 
Visor is now complete! Lets just say i fought soldering the leds for several hours. My iron is going in the trash and replaced. Anyway hope the end result looks good and if anyone has any tips for stuff i can put on my hose to lessen the cut in feel, I'd greatly appreciate it.

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Your visor looks really good. I think your perseverance paid off. I'm most of the way through a pepakura build of a different version of the visor, but seeing your results I'm very tempted to start over with yours.
 
Thanks Boshuda. It was definitely worth it. Some thi gs I wish I would have done and will add latter is foam padding around the parts that touch your face and reinforce the area arounf the earpod. I had the corner cracked putting it on and off
 
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