I don't have a lot of experience with super glue but from my little use with it and my gut tells me it the snaps will likely pop off.
Brandon
Custom Batsuit - first WIP ever
- Thread starter Athanasius
- Start date
I don't have a lot of experience with super glue but from my little use with it and my gut tells me it the snaps will likely pop off.
Brandon
Athanasius
Active Member
Hmm ok fair enough, would there be any other kind of adhesive that would keep them on the back of the armour? I still haven't received the snaps in the post yet so I'm not sure what I'm dealing with yet. :/
Thanks heaps for your help and advice!
Judge Spartan
Sr Member
Weaponx82 is right with chicago screws, they work best for this type of application but you're are going to attempt gluing down half of a snap at least use epoxy, super glue will not hold..
Athanasius
Active Member
Awesome, thanks for your help!
So now I'm tossing up between trying epoxy with snaps or getting small chicago screws...
What I'd do with the chicago screws is basically hole punch the armour plates I have now and insert the screws, then get a couple more layers of thermoplastic and heat them over the screws so that they are basically permanently installed in the armour, and then all I need to do is install some eyelets or something in the fabric under suit or in some elastic strips and attach them with the other side of the chicago screws...
Which option do you guys think would work better?
I feel like the chicago screws are the way to go, to be honest the only reason I'm hesitating is because I already bought all the heavy duty snaps haha :\
But I can use them for other stuff, this costuming thing is in my blood now and it's not going anywhere, so there'll doubtless be some other project that'll require heavy duty snaps...
Thanks again for your help everyone, you're making a huge difference!
Judge Spartan
Sr Member
What my Buddy and I do is add a small washer on the side with fabric or elastic. just find a washer that has the same size hole as the chicago screw shaft, not the screw (male) end but the shaft (female) end, that way the chicago screw won't pop through the fabric or elastic. I truly do think the chicago screws are still the best way to go. The snaps you'll definitely use up elsewhere so they weren't a back purchase. Can't wait to see more of your progress:thumbsup
Athanasius
Active Member
Yeah I'm thinking I'll definitely go with the chicago screws, thanks heaps for that!
So I'm looking at these, would they be good to install in the fabric side for the screw to go through?
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/100Sets-..._Adult_Unisex_Accessories&hash=item53efda140f
The hole size is the same as the female post size of the screws so that should be ok, but is that what you meant by washer?
Sorry about all the questions, I'm just approaching territory I've never stepped foot in before so it's a little scary and I want to make sure I've done the research and planning as much as possible before I go ahead.
I really appreciate your help, everyone on this forum is so supportive and friendly, it's amazing!
Judge Spartan
Sr Member
I actually meant washers but those would work as well...
Athanasius
Active Member
Ok, I have another update!
So I've managed to finish shaping the back armour, and I love how it's turned out!
So as you can see, I've got one big plate for the upper back which will attach to the chest piece using thermoplastic straps over the shoulders and under the arms.
Then I've got the lower back pieces separated into smaller plates to allow for flexibility. These will attach to the mid section in the same way as the abs and ribs, using chicago screws and eyelets screwed into either elastic straps or the black fabric singlet I'm using.
So here's everything I've made so far (except the gauntlets):
All I've got left to do now is:
*Install the chicago screws in the mid section armour pieces,
*Make the ribs,
*Install the eyelets into the fabric parts of the suit,
*Install the other bits of closure (like the elastic bits for the shoulders and stuff), and
*Paint everything
And then I'll be done!
I've just ordered the chicago screws and eBay seems to think they'll arrive within the next few days which is awesome, so that and the ribs are my next step.
My self-imposed deadline is 17th February, so I'd say I'm well ahead of schedule, although I'm trying not to let that lull me into laziness. I'm also still waiting for Coofunkurly's gear, although there's still heaps of time before that's actually due so I'm not worried about that (although I am incredibly excited).
So yeah, that's what's going on, I hope you guys like what I've done, I'll keep you posted.
Thanks for reading!
So I've managed to finish shaping the back armour, and I love how it's turned out!
So as you can see, I've got one big plate for the upper back which will attach to the chest piece using thermoplastic straps over the shoulders and under the arms.
Then I've got the lower back pieces separated into smaller plates to allow for flexibility. These will attach to the mid section in the same way as the abs and ribs, using chicago screws and eyelets screwed into either elastic straps or the black fabric singlet I'm using.
So here's everything I've made so far (except the gauntlets):
All I've got left to do now is:
*Install the chicago screws in the mid section armour pieces,
*Make the ribs,
*Install the eyelets into the fabric parts of the suit,
*Install the other bits of closure (like the elastic bits for the shoulders and stuff), and
*Paint everything
And then I'll be done!
I've just ordered the chicago screws and eBay seems to think they'll arrive within the next few days which is awesome, so that and the ribs are my next step.
My self-imposed deadline is 17th February, so I'd say I'm well ahead of schedule, although I'm trying not to let that lull me into laziness. I'm also still waiting for Coofunkurly's gear, although there's still heaps of time before that's actually due so I'm not worried about that (although I am incredibly excited).
So yeah, that's what's going on, I hope you guys like what I've done, I'll keep you posted.
Thanks for reading!
Jamie Ridder
Active Member
Dude, that looks awesome
Athanasius
Active Member
Thanks Jamie!
Sorry I'm late in getting back to your questions. I think Judge Spartan has some good points on chicago screws.
I can't say what I prefer over snaps or chicago screws. I think it has to do with their purpose and if you can get it to work in your circumstances. In my suit, I've got rivets in some spots, chicago screws in others and snaps in others.
There's so many different types of snaps out there with different methods to attaching them to materials. I'm not sure what you have.
Here's some pics of the snaps I use on my thigh armor. It helps a lot in getting in and out of them.
I can't say what I prefer over snaps or chicago screws. I think it has to do with their purpose and if you can get it to work in your circumstances. In my suit, I've got rivets in some spots, chicago screws in others and snaps in others.
There's so many different types of snaps out there with different methods to attaching them to materials. I'm not sure what you have.
Here's some pics of the snaps I use on my thigh armor. It helps a lot in getting in and out of them.
Athanasius
Active Member
Thanks so much for this, this is amazing!
I'm going to do most of the attaching using Chicago screws because I've come up with a good way of permanently embedding them in the armour plates for a really strong and invisible attachment.
Some parts of the costume will definitely require the heavy duty snaps I've ordered though, so I think mine will be similar to yours in that there'll be a mix of different attachments and closure methods depending on the area and what works.
Thanks again, your advice and input have helped me immeasurably!
I'm basically just waiting for the Chicago screws and snaps to arrive in the post so I won't really have a decent update until that happens, but I'll post on here as soon as I've made any progress!
I'm going to do most of the attaching using Chicago screws because I've come up with a good way of permanently embedding them in the armour plates for a really strong and invisible attachment.
Some parts of the costume will definitely require the heavy duty snaps I've ordered though, so I think mine will be similar to yours in that there'll be a mix of different attachments and closure methods depending on the area and what works.
Thanks again, your advice and input have helped me immeasurably!
I'm basically just waiting for the Chicago screws and snaps to arrive in the post so I won't really have a decent update until that happens, but I'll post on here as soon as I've made any progress!
PhantomEvoX
Member
This may sound silly but to get the right size to fit my suit I traced the file above off my iPad so I didn't waste a bunch of paper lol it works pretty well blow it up with your fingers till you get the right size and just trace half on the paper
Athanasius
Active Member
I assume you're talking about sizing the bat symbol on the chest?
Yeah I used a fair amount of paper to be honest haha... But then after I got a good fit I realised that a perfect fit for me is basically the length of the long side of an A4 sheet of paper, so from now on whenever I print a new symbol I just use landscape and go full page and it fits me
Also, I have an update!
The snaps and chicago screws arrived in the post, and I've successfully installed some snaps in the back armour to attach the elastic straps to.
I realised that snaps will actually be just as easy as chicago screws so this suit is gonna end up being an equal mix between those depending on the situation. My first attempt went surprisingly well, I basically made a small, 2 layered rectangle of thermoplastic and cut four holes into it through which I attached the male end of the snaps:
I then basically heated that and the inside of the back armour and stuck them together, so the snaps are permanently and securely attached:
And as you can see, from the outside they are completely invisible!
Needless to say, I'm really happy with how this turned out and I'm going to be installing all the chicago screws and snaps using this method over the next few days.
That's where I'm up to, hope you guys are enjoying this thread, thanks for reading!
Judge Spartan
Sr Member
COOL!! Glad to see they're working out.. Can't wait to see more:thumbsup
Does this mean the thermoplastics can be fused together just by heating them up or did you have to use some sort of glue to attach them?
Either way it looks clean and secure.
Armatus Cosplay
Well-Known Member
That's one of the nice parts about working with Wonderflex, when two parts are heated they will adhere to eachother with enough applied force. It's not as strong a bond as if they where screwed in or glued, but it's pretty good.
I used wonderflex for a project a few years ago. It's comparatively cheap and fun to work with, but I ended up preferring more durable materials for my suits.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Athanasius
Active Member
Yeah, Armatus already said it but basically they have an adhesive "built in" that activates with heat, so at the same time that they become malleable, they also become very sticky. When it comes to sticking them to other things the adhesion is pretty mediocre but sticking them to each other as long as they're hot enough is a really really strong bond. If you do it right they can basically become one piece of plastic.
- - - Updated - - -
Hey Armatus, if I may ask, which materials did you go on to prefer after Wonderflex?
I'm already thinking of building a second batsuit after this and I'd prefer it to be as solid and durable as possible.
Thanks!
Athanasius
Active Member
Also, I have an update after the weekend!
I didn't do nearly as much as I wanted to do this weekend, but I still got to tick one thing off my to do list.
I figured out the sizing and attachments of the torso piece so that now it's actually wearable, albeit a fair way from completion.
So even though I originally didn't want to use velcro to attach the armour directly to the fabric, I feel a little better using it for this purpose as I had to fit it myself and I couldn't fit it accurately enough to be able to use snaps or chicago screws. So with the velcro it's easy to put it on and take it off and it's a little adjustable so that helps.
I've also added snaps to the underside of the chest piece the same way I did with the back piece.
My next step will be to add snaps and chicago screws to the rest of the armour, that was my goal for this weekend but fitting the velcro and straps and such actually took a lot of time :\
Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you're enjoying this thread!
Athanasius
I didn't do nearly as much as I wanted to do this weekend, but I still got to tick one thing off my to do list.
I figured out the sizing and attachments of the torso piece so that now it's actually wearable, albeit a fair way from completion.
So even though I originally didn't want to use velcro to attach the armour directly to the fabric, I feel a little better using it for this purpose as I had to fit it myself and I couldn't fit it accurately enough to be able to use snaps or chicago screws. So with the velcro it's easy to put it on and take it off and it's a little adjustable so that helps.
I've also added snaps to the underside of the chest piece the same way I did with the back piece.
My next step will be to add snaps and chicago screws to the rest of the armour, that was my goal for this weekend but fitting the velcro and straps and such actually took a lot of time :\
Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you're enjoying this thread!
Athanasius
Armatus Cosplay
Well-Known Member
For finished pieces I really only use ABS (normally 1/4" but sometimes 1/8"), or Smooth-ons 65D, which is a very strong casting plastic used with molds. Sintra is a nice balance between ABS and Wonderflex, as it can be worked with in much the same way as Wonderflex, (other then the sticks-to-itself thing) it just takes longer to cut and heat up for bending as it's denser. It can still be cut with an x-acto knife and patience (at 1/4", as 1/8" isn't very durable, for whatever reason it gets both thicker and denser at 1/4" in my experience). ABS is rather difficult to work with in the manner that you're using the Wonderflex, as it resists bending in more then one direction at once and has to get REALLY hot in order to become pliable, but it's extremely durable, as seen in my current project (humble brag
). You also need some more serious tooling to cut and sand it. The only plastic I know of that's better then ABS for this sort of application is polycarbonate, which is bullet proof at around 2" thick, but it's a bitch to work with and I don't have the proper equipment to heat form it, plus it's quite a bit more expensive then ABS. It's also a bit heavier, although it comes in clear or tinted sheets, which is cool.
