(One Shot) Just finished up my Shang Chi Costume with a crapton of Resin Cast Details

[Sithslayer78]

So what follows is the build book for a cosplay contest I entered. I'm terrible at documenting builds in progress because almost all of my work happens in crunch time, but here's what I got. It's formatted to discuss the build in parts, with a sort of planning stage in the beginning. My goal here was to make the most accurate costume possible, using whatever was necessary to make it happen.

1. Reference Conclusions (I wont post reference pics because they're all already in the definitive thread)

• Movie (wasn't yet on Disney+ during initial construction)
  • Zipper Locations, 2 on the back 2 near the shoulders
• RPF Thread
  • Confirmation on individual scales (See Quote)
  • A number of other items identified
• BTS Footage
  • Costume design: Vest + Shirt/Sleeve combination
    • Very typical Marvel Design Language
  • Estimate on scale quantity (~14,000)
  • Prototype costumes, not all are hero props, some are stunt versions.
  • ID on at least one pair of pants (Levi’s red tag, not what is shown in promo shots or the red carpet mannequin)
• Red Carpet Photos (@BrandondavisBD)
  • Missing sequin suggesting individual placement, confirmed in definitive reference thread
  • Shoes identified as Jordan Access "Black Gym Red", confirmed from multiple sources
  • Pants on red carpet missing in/outseam highlight
  • Tapered rings, seams present for split

2. Planning

• Fabric Jacket
  • Frankenstein existing patterns from similar clothing
• Add-on Rubber
  • Design, print, cast, glue
• Rings
  • Design, print, post, paint, wire, mount
• Staff
  • Cut Bamboo, dry, sand, deconstruct, wire, foam, paint/stain.
• Procure
  • Jordans and Pants
• Total time to completion: ~4 Months

3: Patterning and Fabric

• Fabric was originally suspected to have an underpattern to it, potentially screen printed on
• BTS footage showed the fabric to be a holographic dot pattern (Reference images below)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Patterns frankensteined from paper patterns & Goodwill clothing
• Sketches done on taped mannequin
  
  
  

4. Materials Testing and Selection

• Materials selected to ensure that adhesive bond was permanent to fabric
  • Sil-Poxy, Ure-Bond, Super Glue, and uncured material were used, only super glue was effective.
• Clear silicone would neither adhere nor dye.
• Urecoat was found to do both, and was readily available.
  • Given all of the materials surveyed, it is very likely that this is very close to the actual material used.
• Black Neoprene was chosen for black details. Initial plan was to laser etch black silicone or other rubber sheet, none would adhere.
• A number of small test molds were created
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5. Jacket Details, Black Rubber

• Designed in Solidworks, split to fit print bed where necessary.
• Negatives were produced for black rubber. Rigid mold.
• Creature Cast liquid neoprene was poured into these molds. Corn starch was brushed into the molds to disrupt surface tension and remove bubbles.
• mSLA was used for high fidelity and throughput
• Leftover materials were used from previous projects (exact materials needed)
• Long cure time due to air dry instead of chemical cure
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[Sithslayer78]

6. Jacket Details, Red

• Designed in Solidworks on 2D picture of template.
• Positives were printed and used to create silicone molds
• mSLA, again, was used for high fidelity and throughput
• Cast and cured under pressure using Smooth-On Urecoat.
  • Laser cut shelves used inside of a paint pot for vacuum and positive pressure.
• Rubber was tinted with black and red ink
• Demolded and flash removed before laying out and gluing with super glue.
• Multiple scale molds were created to increase throughput
• Several attempts were made to get the color right

7. Jacket Details

• Jacket lines painted using fabric paint then masked so that metallic red puff paint could be used for raised borders
• Rubber and Vinyl details were then super glued on using flexible super glue
• Additional thin black inner lining was added before final assembly
• Sleeves have dark red lining

8. Rings

• Modified 3D files
  • Cutouts for LED strips and diffuser
  • Scaled taper for arms
  • Magnet Cutouts and split
  • Split adjusted to allow magnets to act as physical keys
• Initial Concepts:
  • Floating tensioned (compressive) ring assembly
    • Very complex, easily tangled
  • Floating hanged rings
    • Tested at Magfest, very unsuccessful.
• Final design was to have the rings mounted on a PETG gauntlet to provide stability and spacing.
  • First two rings split in half to allow for hand to fit through

 

[Sithslayer78]

9. Staff

• Bamboo grown in my backyard
• Straight cut harvested, sun dried before sanding and staining
• Original plan was to use foam for the dragon scales, but SLA 3D printed was a better option overall, if slightly more fragile
• RGB LED strips inserted into either end, powered by a spliced vape battery and controlled wirelessly.

 

[greenmachines]

This is insanely and amazingly detailed work. Applause all around. The techniques are more than enough to be proud of but I look at the tailoring and the fit after all that technical build and love the details to the actual clothing work.

 

[Jedi Yar-Nala]

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G...

Nuff said.

 

[ichnob]

Came out phenomenal. Want those scale molds myself to make this outfit.

 

[kickman88]

WOW, AWESOME!