Tips for making T-1000 bullet hits? >>

[tim]

Perhaps this belongs in the Costuming forum, but for Halloween I'd like to be the T-1000 from T2. I should be able to find a cheapie cop costume for a few pennies.

I'd like to make some reasonable bullet hits to attach to the outfit. I know that in the film, the FX department had some hits that burst open flower-like, but I'm just going for something static. If I remember correctly, the static originals were resin or foam rubber, either chromed or metallized. What might be a good, durable, and cheap alternative? I was considering papier mache and spray paint, but any suggestions from the experts would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[silverskyes402]

Aluminum foil...$4 a box

 

[tim]

Aluminum foil...$4 a box

Oh sure...go ahead and suggest the logical and inexpensive solution. Sheesh!

However, I think I'd have to form the Al foil around something to give it enough of a consistent shape.

 

[Johnny Fever]

What about formed sculpy painted with several coats of gloss black then a coat of alclad?

-John

 

[silverskyes402]

Oh sure...go ahead and suggest the logical and inexpensive solution. Sheesh!

However, I think I'd have to form the Al foil around something to give it enough of a consistent shape.

lol yea, I went the cheap ass rout, tin foilf wouldent last a hour, it would get all outa shape, the sculpty and alclad sounds cool though

 

[tim]

^ How dense/heavy is Sculpey when dry?

 

[PHArchivist]

Is $150 out of your price range?

 

[tim]

By about an order of magnitude. Also, these will be for a costume that I will wear, so a display-grade prop replica might not be a good idea.

 

[missileman]

How about dropping lumps of molten solder, or pewter onto some clay, or perhaps into water.

Be very careful, I still have the scars from messing around with molten lead as a kid.

 

[SonOfPumpkinhead]

sculpey would work for this or you could get some cheap plasteline, a kit of molding silicone from smooth-on and a kit of smooth-cast 300 from the same company and cast several copies. The silicone and smooth-cast is about 30-40 per kit BUT you could sell copies out of your mold to recoupe costs later...

 

[Betamin]

I did a T-1000 costume years ago, and used Sculpey to make bullet hits. I made the back center part indented a bit, and put a safety pin in to the material so I could pin them to the shirt. After baking and painting them with silver spray paint, I put on a white tee shirt that was smaller than what I normally would wear so it would be tight and my black button down shirt over that. I then pinned the bullet hits through the outer shirt and to the tee so it helped support the weight. I've got pics at home, I'll post one later if you want.

 

[tim]

^ Thanks for the tips, all.

I'll look into using Sculpey, though my artistic skills are pretty bad. I might try putting a flanged base at the back of the bullet hit and try to sew it to the black shirt somehow.

 

[tim]

Well, I've decided to sculpt mine out of papier mache, applied on a shallow bowl lined with aluminum foil. I'll sand and paint the result; should pass the five-foot test when sewn/glued onto the shirt.

I found some black pants at Target and have a close-enough work shirt on order.

 

[patsmear]

Just thought of an idea.

What about doing small squirts of great stuff foam.

As it is setting use an egg, or one of those plastic containers out of the gumball machine, and push it down in the center.

It may work, and I know for a fact that it adheres to clothing really well!

Pat

 

[Edward H]

Just stumbled onto this thread... I took this picture a couple weeks ago... Not sure if it will help or not, but its the hero T-1000 shirt. The bullet splashes looked like they were made from foam rubber and then plated somehow...

 

[tim]

^ Thanks for that reference pic!

Here's my go at it, using papier mache applied to some aluminum foil that was loosely pressed into a small bowl. I spray-painted with an undercoat of satin black (didn't have any gloss black handy) and topcoat of metallic silver. I realize that my papier mache didn't come out smooth enough to have a SA look, but I'm pleased with the result overall. The positioning of the hits isn't final. I'm planning to attach them to the shirt with hot glue; I want to be able to remove the hits and re-use the shirt after Halloween.

 

[knightoftheroc]

How about dropping lumps of molten solder, or pewter onto some clay, or perhaps into water.

Be very careful, I still have the scars from messing around with molten lead as a kid.

I'd suggest instead, sculpting the pieces in clay, and then maybe pouring some solder into the clay mold- you can do it a lot safer than doing a lead pour, and even if the clay is moist, it won't explode the molten metal, like pouring a lead casting would do. As a plumber, I've poured a lot of lead joints, and you do NOT want to mess around with any more molten metals than you need to- see the above mention of scars.

Once you have your mold, light up a propane torch, and use the flame to melt a 95/5 solder into the mold in small portions to fill it, then wave the flame over it to make a uniform surface if need be. This is still not a 100% safe method- you're still dealing with open flame, molten metal, but it's a heck of a lot safer than pouring by the ladle full.

If you DO go with a full-on pour, make sure your mold is COMPLETELY DRY before pouring- ANY moisture content in the mold will instantly vaporize as the molten metal hits it, and the metal will EXPLODE all over that pretty kisser you've grown so used to. And then it won't be so pretty no more. Not to mention, hot metal on skin tends to be rather painful.

 

[Mecha01]

Turned out pretty good mate

 

[tim]

And here's the finished product. I used self-adhesive Velcro pads to attach the bullet hits, reinforcing the pads attached to the shirt with some wide stitches.

Now does anyone have a good version of the John Connor photo that the T-1000 carries around?

 

[reddwarf81]