I partially disagree with how fragile EL wire... the only weak part of the how operation is you initial solder point to the invertr. You have 2 very small ~.002in according to the calipers. You will more than likely need a micrometer for an exaxt. The point is that is where your weak point is.
If you can avoid any high impulse force to the solder joints you should be ok. Maybe add a loop for some give?
The wire itself is VERY durable, I have taken a blow torch to it for 2-3mins..... the plastic does melt but it will keep its continous glow. You can see in the pictures how sharp up apoint you can make it. Its also not that hard to wrap or move around, don't think it would impair movement very much, I think the padding built up around the thin suit is what is causing the resistance when moving.
I have worked with El wire myself since 2004 my 1st trip to Burning Man and it IS quite fragile depending on how it is used on the body.
I am a costume designer and I decided one day after returning from BM I was inspired to make a line of EL Wire costumes. I did and made corsets. One of the corset tops I made with El Wire has broke many times because of the way it was sitting on my body. If you bend that wire enough and if you are moving around alot, let's say dancing, then yes the wire in the mid section point can break and there goes your whole connection.
It's kinda like if you have a thin metal wire. It is durable with a few bends back and forth, but when you keep bending it over and over and over again it eventually will break. The El Wire is similar. I kept moving, dancing, the mid section of the wire were it was hitting like around my waist caused friction and the thin wires which are encased in the clear tubing of the El Wire, broke and I lost my light up connection. There is no way to fix that either.
I made another corset and just the tightness of it on my waist and me walking broke and my whole corset design was left in the dark.
Some of them broke near the solder point and some in the mid section of the wire. Either way point is, yes, El Wire is not as durable as you say. Even if you get a thicker gauge it is still capable of being very fragile. It can only take so much repeaded bending abuse.
The Tron Legacy costume application looks very streamlined and flat laying on the body, so it should work much better than what I went for and I am sure El Tape, which I have yet to try, would hold up even better.
Just my input from someone that has worked with this stuff many times.
Carboxyll, can you please tell me how you frosted that clear vinyl you used to difuse the El Wire? That is very cleaver and a great idea. I almost want to try that method out on my Quorra suit I will be making instead of going with the El Tape.... I just don't understand how to use the Cut and Shape your own.
Thank you!
~Annissë