Different armour making techniques

[LittleBit]

Am about to help a friend with an armour-based project (not Iron Man-related, FWIW), and while I've been making stuff for a while now, faux armour is a first. Can't wait to dive in and learn.

Curious if any sort of "armour making comparison guide" has ever been put together, either as like a sticky on the RPF, or written up elsewhere. Have been digging through the RPF archives for a spell now, and while there's a lot of disparate info out there on sintra, EVA-type products, pepakura, fiberglass, standard moulding and casting, Smooth-On plastics, etc, I've yet to see a very generalized pro/con list of each laid out at one go. Perhaps that's all a bit apples/oranges, but for someone trying to dive in and choose one route, it's a bit daunting, even for someone w/ experience under their belt. That, or maybe I'm just in no mood to go buy another 100 lbs of WED clay these days.

And FWIW, perhaps my favorites out of any of the links has been the Phillipine RPF armour thread, and am leaning constructing that way: http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=85129 . Hope more details show up in that thread.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Hamsterstyle]

The most important question is what kind of armor are you going to make? Saying "What is the best way to make _______?" is always helpful.

I've used most of the techniques below, some only as a test. I've even tried Aqua-resin(which I found kind of useless for costuming, too brittle). This are just my opinions based on reading online forums and the little bit of testing I've done myself. So take all this as one nerds opinion on something he kind of understands.

-The Big Ones-

Pepakura/Resin/Bondo: Pros: Most major pepped models are mass produced by large communities, so it's basically paint by numbers. Creates a very strong costume. Easiest materials to get. Easy to obtain an industrial look. Cons: Simple mistakes can ruin weeks of work, very messy, very very toxic and pieces will smell for months. Somene else has to build the pep model.

Sintra/PVC-foam/Foam-ex Pros: Lightweight, easy to mold, least-toxic, easy to paint. Doesn't smell at all, Apartment friendly! Cons: Limited uses, low detail, can only mold one real angle. Somewhat brittle.

Molding/Casting, Smooth-On or Plastics. Pros: You can create very detailed complex shapes that can be quickly replicated. Cons: Difficult for beginners, takes up alot of space, time consuming, more pricey. Mold making small pieces is easy, but molding chest armor or other large pieces isn't.

Molding/Casting and Vacuforming: Pros: Quickest replication, moderate detail, not too toxic. Cons: You need a garage, and you have to build or buy a vacuform table and get a oven that you can potentially ruin. Can't create really complex details, still need to create the molds.

Styrene/Plastics and Rivets Pros: Quickest, easy to build in compression joints and articulated joints, lightweight, apartment friendly, not really toxic. Not too expensive. Cons: More uses than sintra, but still limited. Flexible, but can tear. Can cause delusions of grandeur for the modeler.

Rubber: I don't know anything about making armor out of rubber. Haven't even read much on it. Ask Batman people.

A few others:

Trashcan armor: Pros: Make armor out of trashcans, plastic bottles, spoons, recycleables. Cheap as hell, environmentally friendly, and if it works, bragging rights. Cons: Very Limited uses, most consumer plastics don't take paint or glue well.

Cardboard and Hot Glue: Pros: Dirt cheap, non toxic, easy to get materials. Cons: Least professional looking unless you are very skilled. But is a great way to template a project.

Paper-Mache: Pros: Fun as hell, messy, non-toxic, kid-friendly. Cons: Limited uses, hard to get detail, potentally fragile, very messy. Works best on bulky projects, not on detailed projects. Can get very heavy very fast.

 

[WarpedScale]

Styrene/Plastics and Rivets Pros: Quickest, easy to build in compression joints and articulated joints, lightweight, apartment friendly, not really toxic. Not too expensive. Cons: More uses than sintra, but still limited. Flexible, but can tear. [highlight]Can cause delusions of grandeur for the modeler [/highlight].

I don't have a problem with anyone in particular, but this made me snicker.

lollol:lol

Ryu

 

[LittleBit]

HS -

Thanks for the bullet points. Glad someone took up the challenge.
Most appreciated!