Prop Makers starter kit

First of all if this is in the wrong place I apologise i didn't really know where to put it

So since i was about 5 I have been making costumes and props. admitidly out of old clothing and cardboard but hey you've got to start somewhere. So then i found out the adult version of dressing up is called cosplay and we have the worlds best source of it here on The RPF. So after lurking and coming up with some ideas for what i would like to do I hit a problem, I really have no idea what tools i need. Like i want to know what you would say is really important if you plan on making props and costumes. I hear everybody raving about the Dremel so i think that will be on my list and i have access to basic car and bicycle tools but i want to know what you think i need to get started. also any starter ideas for something I could build would be great because I really don't want to bite off more than i can chew for my first "Proper" project.

Kind Regards, The.

A Dremel is an absolute must, with reinforced cut-off wheels, and lots of sanding, grinding, and polishing drums.

You'll also want a good set of needle files.

Plenty of clamps.

Drill and bits.

Sandpaper in various grits.

The tools you need really varies on what you want to make, and what material(s) you want to make it out of. For example, I make a lot of stuff out of different kinds of foam, so blades/knives are vital for me. If you want to start with woodwork, a good jig saw and an electric sander is a good starting point aswell. Like cayman shen mentioned, a Dremel has a million and one uses for prop making and is a very good investment.

I can't think of a good starting project for you, since I don't know what you like and don't like but I would recommend picking something you enjoy (like a comic, video game, movie etc.) and choose a small prop you like the look of which isn't too complicated, but also not necessarily simple either as you might want a bit of a challenge to see what your capable of.

OH yeah, blades, like xActo knives come up all the time.

cayman shen said:

OH yeah, blades, like xActo knives come up all the time.

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Would a box cutter suffice?

The said:

Like i want to know what you would say is really important if you plan on making props and costumes.

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The search bar. Google. Youtube. Those are the best tools you can get and they're free, and they should always be used before spending a single penny on a Dremel, drill press, or a forge.

Whatever it is that you're going to make, study the hell out of it. Watch every video you can. Go to every website you can and learn about what it is that you're wanting to do. If you're making costumes, do you know how to stitch? Will a $30 Goodwill sewing machine do the job that you will need it for? How does it work? What are the parts? How do I fix a jam? All these things should be known before you spend that $30. Repeat that same scenario of questions for any item before you buy it.

You can still make some really cool things with cardboard! Adam Savage was looking for an intern and had the contestants make something from their house using not much more than cardboard and scotch tape.

So the question is - what is it you're looking to make?

Thurston James' Prop Makers Handbook: The Prop Builder's Molding & Casting Handbook: Thurston James: 9781558701281: Amazon.com: Books

You'll get a lot of answers about tools, so I'll skip over that.

Something I recently got that I really like is a silicone baker's mat. Very thin and flat, 17" x 24", picked up at a kitchen supply store.

Works great when casting most items (for large items it would be too small). In the past I always laid out aluminum foil to keep my worktop clean, but this is much nicer. Any resin spilled, simply peel off when cured. Allows you to focus more on what you're doing without having to worry about ruining your work area in the process.

IceTea1983 said:

Would a box cutter suffice?

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Sometimes. Not always. Probably to start.

Agreed, Thurston Jame's Propmakers Handbook. He also has book on mask making and one on molding and casting. He's coming at it from a theatre angle, but there are heaps of awesome in all his books.

A couple of my secret weapons are Minwax Wood Hardener and plumbers' epoxy putty. Wood Hardener (Menards, Home Depot, etc.) is a great liquid for turning MDF, cardboard and wood into something much harder, stronger, and probably somewhat water resistant. I use the epoxy putty for all sorts of things. Use it in the inside seem of a couple pieces of sheet plastic you're joining, and it's a nice and strong joint. It can be sort of sculpted (if you can sculpt thick putty in under 3 minutes before it starts to harden), and when it cures it's very hard, but sandable and Dremelable. I usually get mine at Menards, but Reel Fakes says the stuff from Walmart is much better. It might be Loctite brand... maybe.

Phase 1:
Box cutter
Dremel + bits (reinforced cutting discs and sanding drums)
Drill
Drill bits
Coping saw
Hammer
Screwdrivers
Wire cutters
Needlenose pliers
Respirator
Goggles/Face shield
Clamps
Vise
Caliper
Files
Combination square
Jigsaw
Paintbrushes

Phase 2:
Auto punch
More Dremel accessories (Flex shaft, wire brush)
More drill bits (rasp, wire brushes, step drill bits)
Locking pliers
Tap & Die kit
Drill press
Table saw
Soldering iron
Heat gun
Multimeter
Hole saw kit
Jeweler's saw
Metal snips
Mallet
Leather punch

Consumables:
Sandpaper
Wood glue
JB Weld
Super glue
Painters tape
Zip ties
Nails
Screws
Foam mats
Paint
Paint thinner
Gloves
Wood filler
Contact cement

IceTea1983 said:

Would a box cutter suffice?

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Well if you want to open all of the boxes that your new tools come shipped in, then yes!

TheDarkPope said:

The search bar. Google. Youtube. Those are the best tools you can get and they're free, and they should always be used before spending a single penny on a Dremel, drill press, or a forge.

Whatever it is that you're going to make, study the hell out of it. Watch every video you can. Go to every website you can and learn about what it is that you're wanting to do. If you're making costumes, do you know how to stitch? Will a $30 Goodwill sewing machine do the job that you will need it for? How does it work? What are the parts? How do I fix a jam? All these things should be known before you spend that $30. Repeat that same scenario of questions for any item before you buy it.

You can still make some really cool things with cardboard! Adam Savage was looking for an intern and had the contestants make something from their house using not much more than cardboard and scotch tape.

So the question is - what is it you're looking to make?

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^ I couldn't have said it better.

In fact, it's taken me over 10 years to finally accumulate the tools I need to pursue just about any prop project I want to make. Then again, I like to experiment with all kinds of materials. Just start small and work your way up.

May I add to this?

If you want to know how much equipment is necessary; take a stroll down memory lane to the days of Kindergarten or a similar venue or age. Back then, teachers would instigate projects while issuing nothing but paste, paper and a pair of scizzors which couldn't cut butter on a hot day, and the occasional dry maccaroni and glitter.

It's not the equipment which is the main concern in any undertaking; it is the mind using the available resources to achieve their goals. A determined and imaginative person can do nearly anything, given enough time. A French postman once built a small palace and his own mauseleum out of little more than pebbles and mortar. Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman built a sailboat out of little more than tape and slim metal rods.

While it is true that I have not posted any threads on projects, nor undertaken any significant projects of my own, I felt the need to rehash what has already been said.

I wish there was a sticky on this because someone asks the same question two or three times a year.

My advice: Buy nothing. Seriously. Figure out what you want to make and then buy the tools and supplies you need to make it. Otherwise you might be buying things you will never need or might go bad before you use it and just generally wastes space. I would not even buy a respirator until you start working on stuff because the filters for the type you should buy have a short life after you open their packaging. For example, in one of the lists above was "Foam mats". Ok, let's say you go out and buy a stack of those mats and then find out that the things you like to make do not use foam. What are you going to do with a stack of foam mats?

The only reason you should buy anything before you need it is if you are sure you are going to use it in the future and it is on sale.

For what to build. Hmm. Go build a fully posable model of the Strider from Half Life 2. Sorry, just trying to make a point that you have to be the one to decide what you make unless you have been doing this a while and someone is paying you to make what they want. Just try to think of something you are interested in and go for it. If it is not something you want then it is easy to get frustrated and give up. But you should probably start with something simple.

I got three takes, all of them completely different.

1) It's about the skills -- and the time -- not the tools. Up until the 19th century, metal work (up to and including firearms) was done with basically hand files. You can do an amazing amount with quite primitive tools. Even when you have other options; I use a variety of power tools to hog out basic shapes but the vast majority of fine shaping I'm down to sandpaper and a Japanese whittling knife. Bending paper and cardboard, carving foam, sculpting clay with your hands -- all of that will give you a lot of bang with almost no bucks.

2) Think on a per-project basis. I had a (theater) shop teacher in high school who planned entire productions around what new material or technique she'd introduce the class too. Look on each project as a "This time, I'm going to make a box mold" or "This one is mostly leather crafts" and get the tools you need (and maybe just a little better) for that project. Because you learn by doing, and it is very hard to know what tools will really suit your working style until you've played with the materials and techniques in a real-world, problem-oriented setting.

3) Get a package deal. Take classes. Get a TechShop membership. Attend a local Maker Faire. Volunteer at a local theater. Join a prop-making club. Basically, get into something that allows you to dip your toes into a whole bunch of different tools, materials, techniques, skills at one time, so you can gather more of a sense of what is out there and what might suit your interests best.

I hope this helps!

And because it is a subject that is often on my mind (I have a bunch of random blog posts about my own slowly growing tool collection)...

There's millions of tools. Some of them are incredibly specialized. There are times when ONLY the specialized tool will do the job. The M40 Grenades I've been making of late are a case in point; they are basically metal lathe or nothing. But there are far, far more times when the specialized tool just does the job faster and neater. I just did a wee bit of leather work -- straps for some Lewis Gun ammo drums -- and I could have owned a skiving tool, edge bevels, and a couple of other things. Instead I did it all with my whittling knife. Except for cutting the holes, and I could have done them with the knife if I had to.

That said, there are some tools that are just so durn flexible -- nearly generic -- that you will reach for them over and over again:

1) Goggles and dust mask. You will go through a lot of eye protection because it scratches, but they are cheap...even cheaper than a white stick. Think of them as consumables and keep buying new ones as they get scratched (or in the case of the dust mask, clogged).

2) X-acto knife (or the generic equivalent). They are flimsy and can be dangerous but at the appropriate scales you can do a heck of a lot with that little blade. I used to use them as my primary clay tool when I was making 1/6 scale figurines out of plasticine. (Well, okay...I did three or four, and they weren't very good. But the principle is still there!) Also treat as consumable; buy blades by the pack and swap them out the moment you find yourself forcing your cuts. You will save a lot of aggravation and possibly blood if you do this.

3) Hot glue gun. It isn't very strong, and it can burn you, but boy is it fast. You can also use it to build up surface detail (at least, on theatrical scales you can).

4) Rotary tool. Half of what you pay for on a Dremel is the nameplate. They are still underpowered and lack proper speed control. But...at that price level, you can be assured most of the bits you want will fit without having to invest in extra collets and so forth. Ignore many of the Dremel accessories. They are flimsy and inaccurate and if you need a circular saw or a plunge router you should get a circular saw or a plunge router. Or just make the cuts manually with a steady hand (and a good pair of goggles).

And after that, the materials matter. The kinds of projects matter.

Thanks for all the great advice. I feel a thousand times more confident now about starting. just a couple more questions though,
1) anybody that has worked with foam floor mat in terms of making costumes out of them, by shaping with heat; Is a Hair dryer a acceptable substitute for a heat gun?

2) Anybody that has worked with Silver foil; Is Aluminium Foil (Yes I am British ) a good replacement for Ducting tape if you prep your surface first or is the whole thing more hassle than it is worth?

The said:

Thanks for all the great advice. I feel a thousand times more confident now about starting. just a couple more questions though,
1) anybody that has worked with foam floor mat in terms of making costumes out of them, by shaping with heat; Is a Hair dryer a acceptable substitute for a heat gun?

2) Anybody that has worked with Silver foil; Is Aluminium Foil (Yes I am British ) a good replacement for Ducting tape if you prep your surface first or is the whole thing more hassle than it is worth?

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I've never had success using a hair dryer on foam floor mats, or any kind of foam for that matter. I don't quite understand your other question, what surface are you prepping? I've never heard anyone using duct tape or aluminium foil to prep anything. Maybe I missed something; If this is for foam, the only prep I have done to foam is sealing it for paint. If you could elaborate the question better, I might be able to answer it.

drjag said:

I've never had success using a hair dryer on foam floor mats, or any kind of foam for that matter. I don't quite understand your other question, what surface are you prepping? I've never heard anyone using duct tape or aluminium foil to prep anything. Maybe I missed something; If this is for foam, the only prep I have done to foam is sealing it for paint. If you could elaborate the question better, I might be able to answer it.

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I mean making an object look like metal by using this tape called ducting tape (http://www.fantronix.com/acatalog/at.jpg) It is sort of sticky aluminium foil and i wondered whether just gluing aluminium foil like you get out of your kitchen to something like plastic or wood (not foam) is near enough the same.

So are you saying that you need a heat gun (like a paint stripper) to shape and bend foam exercise mats and that the hairdryer just doesn't have enough heat to do it?