Captain Phasma in EVA foam for a teen

[kcail1]

Did coat #3 on the paint for a better shine. It's not cracking as bad as I had anticipated, but does rub off on the hands when getting the pieces on. Oh well.

Dry run on fitting. I had to trim a few parts here and there and I'm using self adhesive velcro strips to prevent some parts from sliding down (namely the thigh guards). The crotch and butt flap are attached to a cotton webbing belt I dyed (it was Army surplus) and I am not able to attach the other utility parts to that belt because my kid is not 6'3' like Ms. Christie. In fact, a lot of trouble could be solved if my 12 yo was more like 6 feet tall.... . The Velcro is working well, although I have a feeling I'll be doing spot repairs at con, no doubt.

Regardless, the cape, I'm still sewing the ribbon trim, but we put it on for photos. Shoes- I could not find anything store based, so I'm painting some shoes to be 'passable' a far cry from screen accurate, but for us, close enough (especially when you have a growing child.)

Most of all, my daughter loves it. And I think she looks awesome.

Kcail

 

[kcail1]

Took this out to LCTC this past weekend. It held up surprisingly well for cardboard and foam. I got lots of compliments on the work and that it looked good for what it was made of. My kiddo was only 1 of two Phasma's we saw and she really really enjoyed the unique "celebrity" of the costume. The weather was 75 degrees and about 60% humidity. I'm surprised the poster board didn't wilt more with sweat plus humidity.

The acrylic paint on the gardening gloves did flake and got everywhere. But overall, it was still a nice way to get that "industrial" look without having the skill or time to build the foam fingers ala Iron Man.

I need to do repairs on the 'belly plate' as it rotates as she walks. We lost the crotch plate somewhere in the parking lot coming home, but I'm going to rebuild that whole piece anyway. The chest did fine and other than that, a quick paint touch up, a few re-thought ways to get my kid into the armor will be implemented. Wizard World STL here we come.

Kcail1

 

[ShanJ]

It looks fantastic! In the future for armor, I know foam is a favourite, but I prefer sintra (also known as expanded PVC foam), or PVC itself. In my experience, it holds it's shape better, and looks far better as armor, it's what most of my mando is. It's what I'll be doing for my Phasma eventually, assuming I wont have my metalworking station up and running then. I've got some foam armor sitting next to me right now (Mass Effect 2 N7 Armor) being compared to my plates on my mando and the shapes seem to have been held more by the sintra. It's also stronger, and you dont need to seal it. On the topic of sealing, I've heard that plasti-dip works wonders on foam armor. As well is the velcro only stuck to the undersuit? It would probably be better to sew it on if it is.

It's fantastic to see more teenagers doing star wars costumes! I'm the only one where I am, but I love coming on the internet and seeing more people making cool stuff and wearing cool stuff that are around my age

 

[Holy Wookiee]

Impressive work and a very memorable experience for your daughter no doubt! I had to laugh at the missing piece too. Two years ago, we did HTTYD2 with my 6yo daughter as Astrid. That girl left a trail of spikes like breadcrumbs (my fault for using hot glue though) :lol

 

[kcail1]

It looks fantastic! In the future for armor, I know foam is a favourite, but I prefer sintra (also known as expanded PVC foam), or PVC itself. In my experience, it holds it's shape better, and looks far better as armor, it's what most of my mando is. It's what I'll be doing for my Phasma eventually, assuming I wont have my metalworking station up and running then. I've got some foam armor sitting next to me right now (Mass Effect 2 N7 Armor) being compared to my plates on my mando and the shapes seem to have been held more by the sintra. It's also stronger, and you dont need to seal it. On the topic of sealing, I've heard that plasti-dip works wonders on foam armor. As well is the velcro only stuck to the undersuit? It would probably be better to sew it on if it is.



It's fantastic to see more teenagers doing star wars costumes! I'm the only one where I am, but I love coming on the internet and seeing more people making cool stuff and wearing cool stuff that are around my age

Thanks for the compliment! Your mando armor is most impressive! I have heard of sintra but I don't use it for a few reasons: 1) cost 2) don't know where to get it 3) my 12 year old is growing. You mentioned you're a teen. You probably understand. You children grow... a lot. But that's not a bad thing.

Also, I'm going to probably use snaps on the leg armor since the adhesive doesn't like to stick onto the painted foam. The paint interferes with the adhesion. And if I have to buy a few rolls of adhesive velcro and just do fixes from time to time this year, that's ok too. I don't see this armor lasting past the three cons we have plans to attend this year (one down, two to go.) \

Also, earlier in this thread there was discussion of sealing foam too from another cosplayer. Using acrylic sealant, brushed on and then sanded, reapplied etc. I'm going to try that on a different project of mine.

Thanks and Rock On, Mandalorian!

kcail1

 

[kcail1]

That sounds adorable... the spikes popping off. We'll just say that Phasma lost her plate in the trash compactor she escaped from. Onward and upward!

kcail1

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[ShanJ]

I'm 14, I've actually made my plates slightly too big for me on my vest then I pull the vest in at the sides, same with the flightsuit. I'm making sure I have room to grow in all of my costumes, mainly because I hope to grow past my mother (I'm like a centimetre off!)
Being in Australia, I get my sintra from the local plastic's shop, but as I'm guessing you're in the US, you can get it fairly cheaply on amazon. I'd suggest going for the 3mm thick versions as they look good for armor but dont need too much heat to be shaped. I've been able to shape them myself with no gloves on, though I really wouldnt suggest it.

Are you planning on remaking the armor if it doesnt make it past this year?

 

[kcail1]

Yes, I'm in the US. And just remember, if you grow taller than your mother, she is STILL your mom. That sounds like a good plan for your armor. I've always wondered how the Mando's do their armor compared to Troopers. I've never studied it closely.

My daughter's choice in fandoms changes like the seasons. We started out with Harry Potter (I made her robes), then The Hunger Games (I made her Katniss's flaming dress with the wings) then we were into Jedi ( I made her Jedi robes, tunic, tabard and a light saber!) and then it was Big Hero Six (so I made her a wearable skirt/shirt/hat Baymax outfit). Now we are into Phasma.

So long story short--- I *might* remake it if she's still interested and grows.

Thanks for the tips and keep on building!

kcail1