Vinyl Over Foam Tutorial

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

Ok this is a tutorial I made for those of you who want to use this method. Since I’ve had a couple of members ask me how to do it I wrote this.

Ok so here’s a shopping list for you:

1. Foam. http://www.esdproducts.biz/Packaging/Conductive_Foam/conductive_foam.html (It's the "LD50CN High Density Closed Cell Cross-linked Conductive Polyethylene") You do not have to use this foam, this tutorial is mainly to show the technique

2. Vinyl. Ok this is pretty much a personal preference thing you just need to find a type of pvc vinyl that you like, 2-way stretch, 4-way stretch, matte, gloss, ect. I suggest here (http://www.mjtrends.com/categories-PVC.html) for 2-way stretch PVC.

3. Break away blade knife. You can find these at most hardware stores.

4. Fabric scissors.

5. Weldwood Contact cement. Ah now for the most evil of the materials yet the most helpful. This should also be at most hardware stores. It’s the type that says “the original contact cement” and is in a big red can. Now this glue is VERY smelly and flammable so use it in a well ventilated area with caution!

6. Hot glue gun and glue sticks.

Ok now that that’s over with on to the tutorial. Lol

First draw out and cut the shape of the item you are making. In this case it’s just a square. Lol http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=689706

Then take out your vinyl (mine is the MJ Trends yellow) http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=689707 .

Next you should put the shape on the reverse side of the vinyl and cut out the basic area leaving about 2 inches on each side http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=689708 .

Trace out the shape on the back of the vinyl leaving and inch on each side http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=689709 .

Now time for the fun part *sarcasm* gluing the stuff together.

http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=689710 Ok so open up your Weldwood and take your spreading tool (I just use a scrap piece of 6mm foam) and stir it slowly for about 30 seconds. Then put some on the side of the foam that you want covered and in the tracing you did of the shape (keep in mind this stuff is EXTREAMLY MESSY, cover your work area!!!) http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=689711 now don’t put both sides together yet.

I highly suggest taping the edges down to your table so that the vinyl doesn’t go anywhere lol http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=689712 .

Leave both to dry for 20 min http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=689713 (go watch some anime or something). Now after those 20 min are up go out and make sure the vinyl is smooth (you don’t want any wrinkles, trust me on this :P) and push the side of the foam with the cement onto the vinyl http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=689714 .
Do it again but on the reverse side http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=689715 .

Go inside and cut off the excess fabric http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=689716 .

Now wait for about 40 min so that the glue can fully dry. After that cut the corners off http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=689717 .

Hot glue the tabs down http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=689718

and Voila! http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=689719 I guess (as mariksgrl said) you could use it as a deadly piece of cheese :P

I hope you all find this useful :)

[Rydain]

Great job! :) I've been interested in vinyl over foam, but I'm paranoid of doofing up the gluing process and having to start the piece over completely. My main worry is laminating items that are too steeply curved to be covered with a contiguous piece of vinyl. From what I've seen on Japanese mech builders' sites, you have to remove the fabric backing of the vinyl to get it to stretch further (I'm not sure how to do that - I think it involves nail polish remover - and I'd worry about tearing the resultant thin fabric), or you cut a piece of vinyl that has darts similar to those in your armor pattern (and those seem tricky to glue perfectly in place in one shot). Have you dealt with any such pieces yet?

Thanks for providing your foam source, too. 2A Volara has worked pretty well for me thus far, and it's cheap, but it isn't quite as godly as that super-dense awesome stuff. For one thing, you can't carve it. 6A Volara is reportedly super-dense and awesome (and it might be the same foam that you're using), but I hadn't been able to find any sources for it.

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

Thank you for commenting:).
Ah yes regarding the curved armor. use 4-way stretch vinyl and instead of letting it dry for 20 min let it dry for 5-10 (so it doesn't stick wit wrinkles >.<). It is possible to remove the backing with acetone but that's only for a certain material in Japan that has no stretch at all. I've tried with some normal vinyl but alas it didn't work:bigcry:

As for the foam, I love that stuff. The type that the Japanese cosplayers use might be a bit more dense but I talk to them on a frequent basis and they said it was very close :) the 6mm stuff can carve nicely the technique is kind of hard to perfect but once you do it's easy. 3mm on the other hand is pretty hard to carve but you can just cut it at an angle and it'll be fine :D

[Unknowbie]

Rydain, how do you think Volara is going to work compared to this new stuff? I ordered a sample of Volara from the same site you did, and ive been waiting to get a piece and see how it works, so far for all my stuff i have been using Camping Mat foam for all my projects, but would love to see what else is out there to be used.

Winged Sephiroth, very cool! thanks for the resource links, i will definatly be trying this out! When you did your tutorial, what thickness of foam did you use?

[kyandi-chan]

This is so very helpful, because I've been doing research, and you've answered some of my questions about where to get foam from, as well :D ^^

I was at the hardware store the other day and saw that they have a new non-flammable (less toxic?) version of the Weldwood contact cement...I have yet to try it, but maybe it works just the same?

[Rydain]

Rydain, how do you think Volara is going to work compared to this new stuff? I ordered a sample of Volara from the same site you did, and ive been waiting to get a piece and see how it works, so far for all my stuff i have been using Camping Mat foam for all my projects, but would love to see what else is out there to be used.I've used camping mat for the original version of my current armor project, and the 2A Volara I have is essentially the same thing. It's easy to cut and heat shape and paint with acrylics, but it's too sproingy and light to carve. I haven't tried laminating it with vinyl yet, but it seems to be pretty chemically resistant, so I doubt that Weldwood would dissolve it. It can be tightly taped temporarily with masking tape as long as you're reasonably careful about pulling the tape off when you're done, which really helped me glue darts together neatly without the help of contact cement. (I'm about to try leaving the front side taped and squidging in E-6000 from the back side, which should give me the neatest results possible.)

The one Volara annoyance I've noticed is that heat-shaped 2A Volara does tend to flatten out when gessoed because the "pull" of drying gesso overwhelms the curve in the material, and I've had gessoed pieces flatten in storage. The denser material might not have this problem.

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

I was at the hardware store the other day and saw that they have a new non-flammable (less toxic?) version of the Weldwood contact cement...I have yet to try it, but maybe it works just the same?


hmm I haven't tried it yet but if you want to go right ahead :D

When you did your tutorial, what thickness of foam did you use?

1/4" (6mm) :)

[Unknowbie]

Hmm was looking at the cost of that foam. Is it that much better than camping mat foam? What would be the pros and cons? Just asking from a cost perspective... that foam you are using is 32 dollars (not including shipping) for a 5'x3' square, yet camping mat foam (from army surplus ) is like 9 dollars for a 6' x 2' piece.

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

I edited my first post to answer your question.
No you do not have to use the foam I use. You can use whatever you want. I just posted a link to the stuff I use if you want to use it. :bigtu:

[Unknowbie]

LOL i know i dont have to use that foam as ive made everything so far out of camping mat foam.

That wasnt the point of my question to ask if i HAD to use that foam......

I was asking if anyone else such as Rydain or anyone else (such as yourself or other readers) had used the two types of materials and could compare/contrast the two and tell me if it is worth spending an extra 23 dollars to get this new type of foam.

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

Ah ok, sadly I don't really know the difference between this and volara. I know this has a nice density, can cut cleanly, the edge can be shaved, glues easily, heatforms, and has a smooth surface when the vinyl is pasted. That's pretty much everything I know about it lol

It is very expensive though. The supply I have now was a Christmas present XD

[Rydain]

I was asking if anyone else such as Rydain or anyone else (such as yourself or other readers) had used the two types of materials and could compare/contrast the two and tell me if it is worth spending an extra 23 dollars to get this new type of foam.As mentioned, if you will need to carve the foam, you'll have to go with the expensive stuff. For any other project, since 2A Volara is cheap ($3.59 per lineal 60" wide foot at foambymail.com (http://www.foambymail.com/Volara.html)) and useful (if you keep some around, you'll find something to do with it eventually - it's like craft foam in that regard), I would say try it or camping mat first and spring for the super-dense foam if you find that the cheaper stuff isn't working well. For instance, you may have trouble cutting out your pieces precisely. The expensive foam seems to be much easier to cut with a mat knife (which doesn't always work so well on 2A Volara). Volara cuts cleanly with good quality scissors, but it is difficult to cut out a tricky piece with scissors heavy enough to cut the material. (I learned the hard way that 1/8" Volara is not the best choice for detailed embellishments.)

I wish I could give you a comparison from personal experience, but this is all I can tell you until I buy some of the fancy foam for myself. :) I hope it will at least give you an idea.

[Unknowbie]

Thanks Rydain, camping mat foam sounds verry similar in its properties to volara. I requested a sample of Volara in the mail last week and when it comes in, i will give a comparision of the volara to the mat foam :) I have yet to find something i couldnt make out of the camping mat foam, though getting that cleaner cut with the EV45 stuff sounds nice :) I still havent decided if this is going to work better than using Ameythst Angel's method, because i want to give it a hard surface (seems like it would be more durable?)

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

Go with the LD50 it's denser and it's cheaper :) Ameythst Angel's method is definatly better if you want a hard surface:)

[Unknowbie]

I got a chunk of Volara in the mail today, and just playing around with it, it seems to be almost the same as camping mat foam, with just a little of the whole "bounce back to original shape when compressed" feature foam has. I have ordered samples of this new foam that Sephiroth suggests, so ill post a bit after i get the samples :)

The volara seems to be a tad cheaper than the camping mat foam, but with shipping its a lot less of a deal. Costs me $10 to ship 4 feet of it to my house.

[Rydain]

Yeah, the shipping cost of Volara is annoying. At least you can get free shipping if you don't mind buying $50 of one thickness of foam. It is a rather common insulation foam, so you might be able to find a local supplier of it if you're lucky.

I also wanted to mention that I tried the dart gluing technique that I mentioned upthread. It was fast and easy and it gave me very neat results. And on the subject of darts, have any of you tried smoothing them out with an iron as Mr. Goldy demonstrates on his site (http://gaogaygar.fc2web.com/EnglishIndex.htm)?

[fightstar]

So what thickness of foam should you get of the LD50 or the Volara? Both are heat forming so a heat gun will do and are able to be glued to vinyl. The Volara is cheaper, but does not cut as well as the LD50. Choices choices so many choices.

So here are my questions.
1) What thickness? 1/8 or 1/4?
2) Which is really better (ex. for something like shoulder, arm and shin armor) the LD50 or Volara?
3) Heat gun or blow dryer for heat forming?

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

1) What thickness? 1/8 or 1/4?

1/8 for smaller things (e.g. gauntlets) and 1/4 for larger pieces (e.g. breast plate)

2) Which is really better (ex. for something like shoulder, arm and shin armor) the LD50 or Volara?
I've never worked with volara but it seems to be like a dense craft foam but in general if you want something to hold up really stiff I suggest 1/4 LD50. 1/8 isn't as stiff as 1/4 at all.

3) Heat gun or blow dryer for heat forming?

blow dryer or "electric" stove outside. Heat guns will scorch the LD50 really quick.

[fightstar]

WingSephiroth - Thanks my friend for your input. Sounds like the Volara will be the economic choice for those desiring the 1/8 thickness. Not sure if you can heat for the Volara though? Your advice has been most helpful and once I pull some items together I will report back on my progress.

[fightstar]

***BUMP***

I know, I don't like to BUMP, but I have a some reasons. One being has anyone tried this yet? Two, any updates to this procedure? Three I am going to try this in March some time. I have been dieing to see how I do at this procedure. Thinking of some gauntlets like these here (http://proplady.livejournal.com/69041.html) (see the bottom of the page).

[Hugin]

I also have a question: can this method be used for something that's like a breastplate (ie somewhat complex curves)? Image for reference: http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/3613/valll8uq.jpg

I was curious because I stumbled on this page: http://www.ops.dti.ne.jp/~darkk/irai/irai.htm and I don't think they're using sheet metal and maybe it's this vinyl over foam method you're describing.

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

I know, I don't like to BUMP, but I have a some reasons. One being has anyone tried this yet? Two, any updates to this procedure? Three I am going to try this in March some time. I have been dieing to see how I do at this procedure. Thinking of some gauntlets like these here (see the bottom of the page).

Just use the tut I made, it's exactly the same as the Japanese guys maybe not the same brand of materials but it's still the same procedure :) if you're just talking about the raised detailing I can tell you how to do that but overall if you keep to the tut you should be fine :)

I also have a question: can this method be used for something that's like a breastplate (ie somewhat complex curves)? Image for reference: http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/3613/valll8uq.jpg

I was curious because I stumbled on this page: http://www.ops.dti.ne.jp/~darkk/irai/irai.htm and I don't think they're using sheet metal and maybe it's this vinyl over foam method you're describing.

yes it is possible to make that breastplate it will just take a lot of pattern tweaking to get the shape right but it is possible (be prepared to waste lots of paper) and yes that is a vinyl/foam modelling cosplayer in Japan who goes by Dark Knight. If you want more help with complex curves look at his armor log page. even if you can't read Japanese, a picture is worth a thousand words ;) http://page.freett.com/darkknight/ｂｌｄrepo.html That log has helped me out so much :)

hopefully I helped you all out. If you have more specifics feel free to PM me.:chatah:

[Rydain]

I also have a question: can this method be used for something that's like a breastplate (ie somewhat complex curves)? Image for reference: http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/3613/valll8uq.jpgIt depends on how easily the curves can be patterned out of flat material and assembled neatly. That breastplate can be made of foam, though it will be difficult. The basic shape of the breastplate is rather simple. Incorporating the chest bumps will involve some tricky patterning. I would pattern the breastplate sans bumps first, draft the bumps (shallow sphere cross-sections seem like the easiest approximation), and combine the two to make the final pattern.

I have made compound curved armor (http://images.cosplay.com/gallery.php?cat=22845&member=2053) from foam (though I painted it instead of laminating it with vinyl), and I wrote a basic overview of armor patterning (http://cosplay.rydain.org/index.php?itemid=9) that includes some material on compound curves. I'm nowhere near Dark Knight, but hopefully the article will be of some help. :)

[calen383]

Does any one have any pictures of this technique used in an actual costume? I'm curious. :)

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

yes, right here (http://images.cosplay.com/gallery.php?cat=63921&member=1) is a great example :bigtu:

[calen383]

...damn. What are the advantages of this over just foam or other techniques?

[Hugin]

Thanks for the tips guys :D

Would it possible to show me how to apply it over a curved/boob-shaped surface without wrinkling though?

Also, I guess 4 way stretch is the way to go for those types of curves. Where can I usually get this PVC not online?

[yamibakura03]

wow. this is making me want to use the leftover PVC i got to complEte my brother armour. just need to get foam and the glue. awesome tutorial.

[Beryl]

Would it possible to show me how to apply it over a curved/boob-shaped surface without wrinkling though?
As with cloth, the only way to achieve this is through darting. But in theory, it could be done, just not as one flat piece.

[FullMetalSam]

Well... if we are talking about the "vinyl-over-foam" technique... the I don't think the Freedom Gundam is made using that method. Yeah the cosplay is made in foam, but it really looks like the foam was painted over (like something you could find in this tutorial (http://entropyhouse.com/penwiper/costumes/helmsdeep.html)). By the way... don't get me wrong... I find the Freedom more than awesome, but the vinyl-over-foam method doesn't have the same "finish".

I might be mistaken about the freedom... but here (http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=947749) is my example of an armor made using the vinyl-over-foam technique. I used 2 way strech vinyl cause I didn't have that much curves to do.

Here are the advantages and desavantages I found to this technique compared to something like painting the foam (like the freedom).

Advantages
- Easier to do (did my armor using foamies, vinyl and hot glue... and that's it)
- Not as messy as having to paint
- I find the finish to be a little more "rugged" which may be more appropriate to Armor Cosplay.

Desadvantages
- Curves is also impossible to achieve with a "clean look" (you will need strechy material to acheive curves. Never worked with 4 way strech vinyl, but I doubt it strechy enough to get a clean look)

Going with the paint technique on curved armor is the way to go... cause you'll be able to "control" the finish of the armor through the gesso and paint afterward. With only fabric covering the foam, you have to use something similar to your armor pattern to cover the thing and it's not always easy to hide the "seams"

- Really long to do (if you go with "hot glue"... next time I do it, I would probably go with contact cement, which will be quicker).

Anyway... this only takes care of the "finishing" of the armor... the real hard part is to figure out the pattern. I think Rydain essay on armor patterning is really good. You have to break down the whole thing in geometrical pieces that you're going to be able to "put on paper". A lot of time should also be spent on getting the paper pattern to fit "perfectly". When you're working with the foam and covering it with vinyl, it's not the time to play around with your design (you usually end up messing up the whole thing and having to start over with that piece *talking from experience* :P)

[yamibakura03]

Ok what if i got PVC but not exactly the color i need. could there be a possible way to color it. like acrylic or somehting else.
and 2. what happens if i add it atop of plastic. you see, i got left over PVC and im short on plastic. so i can place the PVC atop of it using hot glue. would it stick good or need to get the cement stuff?
thanks ^^

[Dendrobium_Zero]

Well... if we are talking about the "vinyl-over-foam" technique... the I don't think the Freedom Gundam is made using that method. Yeah the cosplay is made in foam, but it really looks like the foam was painted over (like something you could find in this tutorial (http://entropyhouse.com/penwiper/costumes/helmsdeep.html)). By the way... don't get me wrong... I find the Freedom more than awesome, but the vinyl-over-foam method doesn't have the same "finish".


I believe that the Freedom Gundam was created using the vinyl over foam technique if you examine the photos below very closely.

http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=966693
If you take a close look at the wings in this photo you can see the tiny bumps /dents that catch light and would suggest the material beneath the finish is porous, hence foam.

http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=966694
The very end of the vents have tiny holes where there was no vinyl glued to the underlying material.

http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=966697
The very tiny edges on the bevels reveal that the material has been very precisely cut to match the foam. You'll also notice the slight lift of the white on the gun where he has overlapped the vinly over another piece.


http://images.cosplay.com/showphoto.php?photo=966699
More dents on the wings and if you zoom in under the the white piece that juts out over the gun muzzle, you can see a bit of the wrinkling of the vinyl.

Freedom is very well crafted but if you take a good look at it, you'll realize that its foam and not paint. The only areas that I can spot that might have paint would be the grey parts on the gun as they have some additional texture from what I can see in the photographs and is either some painted weathering or just the vinyl adhering to the texture of the foam.

It's really an ingenious method of costume production, but it requires a very high level of craftsmanship, planning and he's probably using an additional material under the foam to maintain its rigidity.

[fightstar]

**BUMP**

Because this is a good tutorial and I also wanted to know if anyone has tried this in a while. Got inspire by this post here.

http://forums.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t=117231

Gathering materials as we speak, but nothing diffinant yet.

[dolphintattoos]

Has anyone ever tried spray adheasive to attach the vinyl to the foam??...if so what were the pros and cons.

[Dahliasage]

Has anyone ever tried spray adheasive to attach the vinyl to the foam??...if so what were the pros and cons.

I also want to try this method, but I am not sure how to attach the pieces together. Should I try an inisible stitch or some kind of adhesive? Any advice is appreciated...

[Amerikaijin]

This technique would be good for making batty-demon wings, no?

It'd probably need a supportive skeleton before or after

[Pilot]

I was going to try this method for making a Transformers costume, and I was thinking about using spray glue too. I've used spray glue for many a project before (art/design/presentation related, not for costumes) and while the stuff is great, it doesn't hold up very well to the test of time. After a while whatever you glued down will start to peel off. It's also very picky about what kind of surfaces it will stick on. I did a site-specific sculpture installation a few years ago using beach balls covered in aluminum foil, and the foil started to peel away very quickly. Even with paper-on-paper, you have to be thorough with the application or else the stuff will peel away fast.

So for using it with this kind of project... I'd suggest using hot glue or cement along the edges, and using the spray glue on the rest of the surface just to keep it down.

-----

So yeah... as I said, I'm also really curious as to how this stuff turns out and the different kinds of foam I could use. Has anyone tried regular craft foam in two or three layers? Or rigid sheet plastic sandwiched between two layers of foam? I dropped out of my original project because of the sheer dollar amount... I want to be careful about monies in this one, especially since I'm planning to incorporate electronics in it. :\

[CreepyUncleLee]

would it work for complex foam cut into shapes like bicep and thigh muscles?the vinyl comes in orange right? it resembles scaley dinosaur skin so i figured it would be the best method for my wargreymon.

for example of what i'm doing its this guy from digimon

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n304/gyochi/Wargreymon/Wargreymon.jpg

any help or reassurance would be muchly appreciated.

[Lily-chan]

If anyone is thinking of using craft foam, be warned, large pieces without curves and such have a tendency to warp easily, even when several pieces are used, though overlap them like fiberglass mat and it works a bit better.

You can use fabric as well, not just vinal, I did fabric over craft foam for my Arcee and it worked okay. I didn't think to use a uniform layer of glue between the two layers though, that's genius.

Has anyone tried applying fiberglass to a variety of foams? I want to fiberglass the back of my foam armor but I don't know if it'll eat it alive.

[fightstar]

**BUMP**

Giving this thread a much needed bump. I am poking around the web looking for places to find foam other than what was mentioned. This is the best method to accomplish a few things I want to do. Lets hope I can do it.

:D

[Pilot]

Alright, I'm going to reply to this with the knew knowledge I've acquired from making Blaster.

DO NOT USE SPRAY ADHESIVE. No matter what strength, it won't end up sticking in the long run and you'll get creases/ripples and such in your vinyl. Also, don't use a glue gun either. The vinyl doesn't stick to it well, and it just melted the foam I used. HOWEVER, it does work great with fun foam, and if you don't mind burning your fingerprints off, then it can be used to create seamless shapes with that stuff. And one more glue not to use: the non-toxic weldwood stuff in the green can. It was utterly useless. So if anyone has any more suggestions on glues, PLEASE let me know.

As for the shapes of the vinyl, I'm a big supporter of the "panel" method: that is, making panels out of thinner foam or even cardstock to simplify a large area or a complex curve, and covering those pieces with vinyl. Also note that fun foam (both thicknesses, really) have considerable give to them, and can hug slightly complex curves if persuaded correctly. That's how I was able to cover Blaster's rather spherical helmet.

I think that's about it, actually. Cheers!

[Tazzy_]

DO NOT USE SPRAY ADHESIVE. No matter what strength, it won't end up sticking in the long run and you'll get creases/ripples and such in your vinyl.


I second the motion.
It held out for a few days, then sections of my armor started to wrinkle. Maybe I didn't use enough spray glue? I've heard of people having great results with spray adhesive, but it was not being very cooperative for me.



Also, i've got questions:
1.) How do you achieve the raised detail effect seen here: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/whoatiger/how2.jpg
It seems to be applied with a thinner foam (in blue on the bottom right) but how would one keep such a clean look? Would you simply lay over the piece of vinyl ontop?

2.) How one EARTH to you create such a smooth clean edge as seen here: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/whoatiger/Image1-1.png (the areas circled in yellow)
Clever, intelligent, careful, and awe-inspiring patterning? Or is there an easier way? ;D

3.) What is the best way to attach pieces together and to your costume?

[Pilot]

Also, i've got questions:
1.) How do you achieve the raised detail effect seen here: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/whoatiger/how2.jpg
It seems to be applied with a thinner foam (in blue on the bottom right) but how would one keep such a clean look? Would you simply lay over the piece of vinyl ontop?

2.) How one EARTH to you create such a smooth clean edge as seen here: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/whoatiger/Image1-1.png (the areas circled in yellow)
Clever, intelligent, careful, and awe-inspiring patterning? Or is there an easier way? ;D

3.) What is the best way to attach pieces together and to your costume?


1. Man... when you figure that out, let me know?
I think all I can say for that one is a 4-way stretch vinyl and some damn good glue.

2. I think just very careful cutting in all the right places can do that. ;)

3. Are they accents (more like armor pieces), or is it a full mecha suit?


PS- Are you sure that's vinyl? They look painted to me... or at least the blue chestpiece does.

[Tazzy_]

3. Are they accents (more like armor pieces), or is it a full mecha suit?


PS- Are you sure that's vinyl? They look painted to me... or at least the blue chestpiece does.
In regards to my question, it is, erm, both, haha. I think i've got it figured out now though ^_^

It is my educated guess that it is vinyl, I am not 100% sure however. These all came from this site: http://fete.cside.com/ferio/ *grovels at his feet*
He seems to use vinyl foam for his other projects, so I just assumed it would be the same for the examples I posted.

I think the blue piece is vinyl as well, if you take a peek at the lower left corner, you can see some puckering of the fabric.

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

Wow it's been a long time since I've made this thread lol
But finally some big news! News that answers some questions about the materials the Japanese cosplayers use.
First off, Foam!
After LOTS of searching and about 100,000 Google translations later I finally found BOTH types of foam the Japanese cosplayers use and have them in hand. Yes, they use 2 types of foam for their costumes (You all may know this but I was not aware :thumbsup:).
The first type is PH9 (The polyethylene foam) which is used for pieces that need a lot of strength (most of the armor and mech costumes are made out of this).
Second is Lion Board or Poly-A, This is a more delicate foam used for raised detailing, small pieces, or pieces that don't need a lot of strength (finger plates for example).

Now, I can firmly without a doubt say that Lion Board (or Poly-A, whichever you prefer to call it) is none other than EVA foam in America, or in other words Craft Foam. So if you want to use the exact stuff like they do, it is just craft foam, the same stuff that is the foundation for Amethyst Angel's amazing work :bigtu:

PH9 on the other hand is a bit of a different story it is like a perfect blend of the stuff that I posted awhile back (that you see pictured in the tutorial) and eva foam, it's about the same density as the stuff I posted, the stuff I use may be a little denser but not much to make a difference, but the big thing is how well it carves compared to the stuff I use, it takes a bit to get used to but once you get the hang of it looks really nice.
The major crux of the PH9 though is it's price, about 1900 Yen (about 20ish dollars) for a 4'x4' sheet + the shipping from Japan, which brought my order to about 40 bucks (yeah the shipping was as much as the product). So at this point you have to ask, is it worth it? Personally, I think so but that's because I LOVE this stuff lol.

Next, Vinyl!
Ok, I've also found a vendor for that special Japanese vinyl that you can peel the lining off the back with acetone and then cover the steep curved surfaces. Also, I learned that its technical name is Larissa :)
I haven't received my order yet but I will inform you of the results when I get it and let you know how it works.
Pics comparing the materials are coming soon :)

And now that I'm going through this phase again, I'll be on here a lot from now on. So, if anybody has any questions about these products feel free to ask or PM me. Lord knows I would have wanted someone to ask for a while about this stuff XD

Also, this isn't set in stone yet, but I'm thinking of doing a 2.0 of this tutorial when the weather gets better here and I can work outside. Going a bit more in depth of this process for a more complex piece rather than just an unusable square lol

[Tazzy_]

Thank you very much for the update WingedSephiroth!
How delightful, this Larissa vinyl sounds like quite the nifty material. Hope all goes well with your experimentation!

Your help in this wacky world of foam and vinyl is much appreciated, and I look forward to seeing your 2.0 tutorial.

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

Thanks for your reply ^_^
and update on the Larissa, it has just shipped. I'll post pics of both the foam and the fabric when the fabric shows up (and after I've tweaked with it some).

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

Update:

Ok, so let's start off with just posting my results with using Larissa thus far:

http://www.cosplay.com/gallery/147455/

This is my biggest experiment with the stuff. It's really quite amazing. How it works is that it's a thick, little to no-stretch fabric that you can glue on to flat pieces, or you can brush acetone on the back and peel the backing off (which is a thin fabric like gauze) and then it'll act more like a plastic film that you can heat and stretch over nearly every shape. Nearly is emphasized because there are some shapes that you just cannot do smoothly (the automail's fingertips are a good example) but you can glue the two edges of the dart together using CA glue (superglue) and an accelerating spray. And if you're using silver, a good way to cover up the blemish is to use a silver sharpie. It'll still be noticeable close up but from a view that you'll actually see it, it'll be fairly well hidden.

Also, for the 2.0 tutorial, I'm contemplating making it a video tutorial. Would you all like that or just the text and pics?

[Juego]

Update:

{snip}

That looks amazing so far. I'd love to get my hands on some of this stuff now!
My vote is for a photo/text tutorial. I get impatient watching vids. But really, anything would be great.

[Pilot]

Yeah, I like the text and photo tutorial. Easier to jump around and study than a video.

Lookin good!

[Kittiara]

Question: The foam you linked to is a 3.1 density.

Consider this site: http://www.closedcellfoams.com/polyethylene.html

Which of those densities would most closely approximate that of the foam you used? There is a jump between 2.2 and 4 lb. I had thought 4lb, but I'm unsure how big the difference is.

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

Depends on what you're making. I suggest the 2.2 personally, but that's just me. :)

If you all are still interested, I'm still very enthused on making a 2.0 of the tutorial :D Please post or PM me things you'd like to see on it. And since I'm up for even more of a challenge, post or PM me ideas on what the project that I demonstrate should be, I'd like to make something that might be more useful than just a square piece lol.

[FRONTLINE]

Have a few questions about this method (this envolves making armor):

1. Im making a movie and i want to make some kool looking armor, but can this vinyl over foam method allow the armor to take a hit and not be damaged?

2. when using weldwood contatct cement, is it still toxic after it has dried?

3. Are there other places that u can buy the foam and vinyl a little cheaper jw?

4. how stiff is the foam? does it stay the shape u put it in when u heat it?

Thanx

[Tazzy_]

Depends on what you're making. I suggest the 2.2 personally, but that's just me. :)

If you all are still interested, I'm still very enthused on making a 2.0 of the tutorial :D Please post or PM me things you'd like to see on it. And since I'm up for even more of a challenge, post or PM me ideas on what the project that I demonstrate should be, I'd like to make something that might be more useful than just a square piece lol.

Good lord of the ring! I wish I had been watching this thread more closely, I would have replied back to this sooner!

There are a few things I would just love to see in tutorial format, for I am having no luck fabricating these thigns myself ...

1.) Complex curves. Seriously, how is this done without overstretching the fabric and/or adding unsightly darts (and by doing so, degrading the point of the vinyl over foam technique!).
I'm talking about spherical shapes.

2.) Raised details. Such as this example (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/whoatiger/how2.jpg). Is that a thinner foam (the slender blue pieces) laid down ontop of the main foam? How does one preserve such a clean detail once the fabric is laid down?

3.) Clean edges, like the ones I have circled in yellow (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/whoatiger/Image1-1.png). Please tell me there is something more to it than just brilliant patterning. Because that scares me.

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

Have a few questions about this method (this envolves making armor):

1. Im making a movie and i want to make some kool looking armor, but can this vinyl over foam method allow the armor to take a hit and not be damaged?

Depends on what your hitting it with. I wouldn't suggest it either way, the illusion of having real armor will be gone if you hit it and it flexes and bends with each hit lol. Plus theres not much (actually, any) protection for the person inside. For really fast stunt work that won't be seen up close (e.g. running, rolling, falling, ect.), it's commonplace to have flexible armor, but for a hero set to be used (essentially) as actual armor, prolly not the best idea.

2. when using weldwood contatct cement, is it still toxic after it has dried?

I wouldn't eat it or anything lol but in all seriousness, it's fumes air out after a couple days if you leave it in a garage or someplace well ventilated and protected.

3. Are there other places that u can buy the foam and vinyl a little cheaper jw?

Since posting this tutorial, I've switched to a foam similar to Volara 2A which has been mentioned a couple times in this thread, quite cheaper. Vinyl, not so much, unfortunately it's an expensive material and there's really no way around that :\

4. how stiff is the foam? does it stay the shape u put it in when u heat it?

My Volara-ish foam holds it's shape pretty well after heating but if it gives you trouble, maybe attach a piece of metal wire to the backside of the piece and bend it to shape. I'd heat it too so that there won't be too much of a strain on the material (glue, thread, velcro, ect.) holding the wire in place.

Best of luck! :)

-------

tazzyorca, it's good to see there's still someone interested in this. I'm honestly suprised that this hasn't caught on yet, it's not that hard to do, not dangerous (if you're in a well ventilated area), produces clean and lightweight pieces that you don't have to paint. Well anyway, I digress lol. Thanks for you're imput on Ver 2.0 I'll be sure to include those techniques (all of which I have an answer for) ^^.

[ShiNo_Usagi]

Alright, the tutorial was very helpful but i have a question, do you have any tips on smoothly covering a round (half spherical) surface (aka, chest armor) with vinyl?

[Pilot]

Alright, the tutorial was very helpful but i have a question, do you have any tips on smoothly covering a round (half spherical) surface (aka, chest armor) with vinyl?

You're going to have to cut darts in the fabric... which requires very careful planning, measuring, cutting, and gluing.

Good luck with that. D:

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

All will be answered around January - February when the tutorial's major overhaul is introduced ^_^ just be patient until then and you will have more info than you'll ever want to know. But to answer your question quickly, in a nutshell you can use Larissa and heat form it but it's expensive and depending on the curve you may still have to cut darts (which in all honesty is not very hard to do, you just have to do it correctly to make it look clean lol). Second is 4-way stretch vinyl which I've heard works great but the surface is a little duller, last is 2-way stretch which you'd just have to cut darts into.
I'll go into much greater detail in the tutorial, but I hope that answers your question, if not feel free to shoot me a pm and I'll help you out. ^^

[ShiNo_Usagi]

All will be answered around January - February when the tutorial's major overhaul is introduced ^_^ just be patient until then and you will have more info than you'll ever want to know. But to answer your question quickly, in a nutshell you can use Larissa and heat form it but it's expensive and depending on the curve you may still have to cut darts (which in all honesty is not very hard to do, you just have to do it correctly to make it look clean lol). Second is 4-way stretch vinyl which I've heard works great but the surface is a little duller, last is 2-way stretch which you'd just have to cut darts into.
I'll go into much greater detail in the tutorial, but I hope that answers your question, if not feel free to shoot me a pm and I'll help you out. ^^
I'm going to be working with 4-way stretch vinyl, and if for some reason I have to cut darts, as you said, it's pretty easy to do, making it look clean is what I'm worried about n.n;
Looking forward to the new tutorials, maybe I'll get some more tips before I begin this costume =)

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

Hello all
I have a bit of news for the tutorial, it may be delayed until around end of Feb early-mid March due to the weather not being so great here (which is quite essential to the drying process). But rest assured it is coming ^_^ here's a preview of what will be in the finished tut.

I Patterning
1. Hand Patterning
1a Basics
1b Planar Shapes
1c Light Curves
1d Steep Curves & Complex Curves
2. “Figure” Patterning
3. Pepakura Patterning
4. Tweaking and Reshaping
5. Tips and Tricks
II Foam, Vinyl, and Adhesive
1. Foam Types and Properties
1a Volara 2A
1b Lion Board/Craft Foam/EVA/ Foamies
1c LD50CN
1d Compare and Contrast
2. Vinyl Types and Properties
2a Larissa
2b 2-Way Stretch PVC
2c 4-Way Stretch PVC
2d Matte Vinyl (Pleather)
2e Spandex
2f Automotive
2g Compare and Contrast
3. Adhesives
3a Forewarning
3b Rubber Cement
3c Gem-Tac
3d Compare and contrast
III Foam and Vinyl Cutting
1. Foam
1a Types of Knifes
1b Types of Cuts and Techniques
2. Vinyl
2a Correct Grain Line of Different Vinyl
IV Gluing Vinyl to Foam
1. Intro
2. Foam
2a Foam to Foam
aa Raised Detailing
ab Depth/Thickness Detailing
3. Larissa
4. 2-Way Stretch PVC
5. 4-Way Stretch PVC
6. Matte Vinyl (pleather)
7. Spandex
8. Automotive
V Attaching Parts Together
1. Solid (Non Removable) parts
2. Pieced Parts
2a Velcro (your new best friend)
2b Zippers
2c Snaps
2d Hot glue


Hopefully you all can see why this may take a bit longer than expected ^_^

Let me know what you all think.

[Tazzy_]

Thanks once again for your update KatsuyaTsubasa, I already appreciate your efforts in putting this tutorial together.

[Pilot]

Very, very excited about this! I'm really curious about where I can purchase some Larissa myself and play around with it, as my next costume is nothing BUT complex curves. Though if it's too expensive, I can always go with 4-way vinyl, or even some metallic spandex.

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

Just letting you all know I'm working very hard to get this done and the project I'm using as the examples for all the techniques inside is 80% done, all I need to do is paste up all the parts and assemble it and the tutorial iself is plinking along decently. Nearly finished with the first chapter (which is the hardest to write so all of the rest will be done quickly after).

Pilot, I read your tut on vinyl and foam and I have to ask about my "grave mistake" (I hope that wasn't a hostile jab towards me?). Does the glue on one side instead of both really make that big of a difference in the texture? I didn't notice the shine really going down all that much on all the pieces I've done in normal vinyl. I'm interested to try it but the main thing I worry about is that if there's enough tackiness for the glue to stick to something other than itself. So I'm worrying if there's going to be any longterm adhesion issues.
You don't run into this problem with Larissa as it's more of a fabric plastic when your done peeling it and is not really integrated to the actual fabric portion like normal vinyl.
Also I'll be including links in the new tut on where to get it. The main reason I'm reluctant to give people the link is that a few people have bitched me out for ordering from the site (which is japanese) after I told them that shipping will probably be as much as the vinyl itself if not more and then they had to pay for the stuff in full (as the site does not tell you shipping until you've ordered it. So I just don't want others coming to me saying things like "wtf man you shouldz has told me it wuld cost that much >: (" even after I did tell them it would >_> (almost a direct quote of an email I got ><). Not that you or anyone else who's still following this would do that but I'm just being careful.
But one note, the larissa can only stretch so much. 4-way vinyl and spandex are WAY stretchier, but larissa is just sturdier and it won't wrinkle when bent. So if you have a lot of really steep curves (like the shoulders on my Alphonse) You're going to HAVE to dart it, but larissa is a hell of a lot easier to dart than vinyl.

[Pilot]

Pilot, I read your tut on vinyl and foam and I have to ask about my "grave mistake" (I hope that wasn't a hostile jab towards me?). Does the glue on one side instead of both really make that big of a difference in the texture? I didn't notice the shine really going down all that much on all the pieces I've done in normal vinyl. I'm interested to try it but the main thing I worry about is that if there's enough tackiness for the glue to stick to something other than itself. So I'm worrying if there's going to be any longterm adhesion issues.

No, it wasn't meant as a hostile jab, and apologies if it seemed that way! I'd actually intended on mentioning it here, but I kept forgetting to post.

The phenomenon I'm talking about is something that I consistently ran into when letting the weldwood come into contact with the fabric for whatever reason... it's hard to describe, but if you would consider the unadulterated vinyl as being really smooth and slick, then the "texture" that results would be like... a brushed or sanded surface. And where the cleanly applied vinyl is soft to the touch, these areas are often harder. Maybe you're using a different vinyl? That's the only thing I can think of, because my friend has run into this same problem too. It's almost as if the glue soaks into the fabric and messes up the plastic film somehow.

And Larissa won't wrinkle when bent?? Holy cow, I wanna play with that stuff really bad now.

[KatsuyaTsubasa]

Ok ^_^ I assumed you weren't but I just wanted to make sure. But yeah I know what you're talking about now. It does kind of "soak" into the vinyl. However I've mainly used it on silver so I kinda liked the "dusty" texture it made, kinda more realistic (for some metals anyway). But I really am curious now, I'm gonna have to try your method now ^__^ also something I've just thought of. I've had some good experiences with Tamiya Laquer sprays on vinyl and I wonder if one can use their glossy clear coat to get that shine back, or even pearl coat to give non metallic colors that sheen. That'd be cool *_* lol but yeah the larissa doesn't wrinkle when the foam is bent, it's quite amazing. I can't wait to get this tut done and show this stuff to all of you.

[Pilot]

Yeah, I can imagine that having a texture would be a desirable effect for some people.

And hmm, interesting thought! I've played around with spray paints on vinyl in my spare time, and the fabric seems to take to paint really well. I'd imagine that there might be a slight different in shine between the vinyl and clear coat, so maybe be sure to make a nice, smooth transition, or cover the whole piece with it?

Though I might just be splitting hairs. :P