I'm kind of a beginner to cosplay and want to get into Armor

>>9150459
>start with
No no. Pick something easier.
You are going to fuck up your first time so do it with something that you don't have your heart set on. Save the big things for when you have more experience.

Anyway, look into EVA foam.

>>9150459

I don't have the worlds best experience, but here is what I have learned:

1: don't be afraid to start with someone to use as a base, and build on top of that. If you are making a helmet, you probably don't need to make something entirely from scratch. Find a real minimalist helmet that has a similar shape, and then turn that into the helmet you want it to be. Let someone else's work solve the 'how do I wear this on my meatbody' problem and that way you can focus entirely on making it look the way you want.

2: the first draft of everything is always in cardboard. Don't skip to the end, you will mess up with more precious materials.

3: have a plane for how the finish on your armor is going to look before you start. Certain types of finishes don't work with certain materials. If you want your armor to look like actual metal, that's difficult to do if the armor is entirely made of foam. Foil can have the right texture, but tiny imperfections in it can accumulate and last forever. Just have a plan.

4: For 'realistic' armor, actual metal may in fact be an option. 22 gauge sheet metal is about as thick as construction paper, and you can bend and shape it with your bare hands. All you need to work with it is some metal shears/a dremel, a couple of hammers, and some files to clean up the edges after. You can join that metal to basically anything with cheap metal epoxy, and once you have the tools for the job the actual metal sheets themselves are pretty cheap. I managed to work with this stuff in an apartment, you probably can too.
Just have realistic expectations of what you can do with actual metal. If you use too much metal, it WILL weight what you expect.

5: Expect the first time you use any new tool or material to result in something you think looks ugly. You can be pleasantly surprised, but don't pin all your hopes on your first try at anything. This is a learning experience.

>>9150485
Note about the actual metal though: a lot of conventions don't allow it.
It's fine to make this if you want, but don't plan on wearing it to a convention.

>>9150459
Flexible foams. The example you posted is foam covered in some kind of metallic fabric. Cheap, lightweight, minimal tools requirements, nonhazardous, won't leave bruises if you fit it improperly, has some give so you can pose better, and won't break if someone walks into you in a crowded hallway. I've made armor with fiberglass, sealed foam, fabric-covered foam, sintra, styrene, Wonderflex, cuirbolli leather, and steel, and I still think foam is probably the most suitable for convention wearing.

This guy's website has a lot of foam armor walkthroughs, scroll down for English http://www.gyakuyoga.com/ If you scroll aaall the way down to the "Various Knowledge" section, the "How to make paper pattern" article explains the most important skill in armor-making, which is figuring out how to develop flat patterns using darts.

>>9150463
^ This. If you're a beginner, start with something small. Armor making isn't cheap at all, and if you don't know what you're doing you're going to waste a lot of money. Start with a cosplay that has minimal armor, it's best get the hang of sewing and other cosplay basics before you tackle armor making. Set a goal to make something a little more difficult each time, but start small.

>>9150459
Never start with a full armor set. Eventhough I already previously made some cosplays with minor armor parts, the first full armor I made was overwhelming.
You might also want to look into pepakura designer, it helped me quite a bit as beginner

I would try making bracers first if I were you. Doing something with a lot of curve like a helmet is not a good idea. I suggest doing simple bracers or chest plate to get the feel of the materials, using the tools, and how you are going to finish/paint.

People are mentioning EVA foam, and it's what I suggest as well. EVA foam is craft foam/exercise mat foam. If you want to do a whole suit, I suggest picking a simpler design.

>>9150459
If you decide to start working with EVA foam, look up Evil Ted Smith on Youtube. Love the guy's work and can't recommend his shit enough. Just watch all of it.

>>9150538
It's not some metallic fabric, it is the fuckin expensive mirror vynil for covering cars, which stands like $300 per 20-30 m roll.

>>9150459
if you're doing a saint seiya cosplay and its your first, don't do a gold saint, it just seems really unnecessarily hard. go for the bronzes, maybe their second cloths as you don't have to make a helmet, just a headband/crown.
it would work with what this anon said>>9152752

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>>9150459
Papercraft armour. You can resin it to make it hard and apply body filler. Or you can resin it and make a silicon mold and do a slush cast.

Use Pepakura Viewer/Designer by Tamasoft.
Just google Pepakura, you'll find your way.

>>9150485
Not OP, but how do you dremel sheet metal in n apartment?

>>9154080

You put down newspaper to catch the worst of the dust and debris, and then you vacuum after.

I did in on my apartment patio for the most part, the only times I ever did it inside was for small touch-ups during rainy weather.

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Alright OP, this is my second day cosplay and first suit of armor. It's made of EVA Foam

Sometimes you've just gotta jump in headfirst and just do it. I really recommend checking out Evil Ted Smith on youtube, where he teaches the basics of EVA Foam. I managed to make this out of 6~ sheets of foam.

>>9154109
Saw you over the weekend at the Con, looked fantastic! Is the foam over a biker helmet or just foam shaped? Was thinking of doing a armor set for next year but no exp like the OP, so looking for any advice

Not op but I'm also interested in making armor, but I'm gonna start with some cardboard first. Is there any way to make it look good? As in, not looking like pieces of cardboard taped together?

>>9154954
You could try adding a layer of craft foam. It would smooth it out and cover any seams.

>>9154954
I'm not an armor maker but the cardboard is probably for patterning/templates.

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( I'm not sure if it's the good thread for asking this question ) for a cosplay I want to do metal elements, but not stuff like armor plate, some piece of metal like pic relate, but I dont think it's possible to do it with metal sheet. If anybody have an idea...

>>9160491
it's not, those need to be casted

>>9160506
thanks, there is no way to cast metal at home or it's possible ?

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>>9160698
goldsmithfag here
nah. that requires special equipment and is quite dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.
but you can get a metal sheet, saw, drill and rasp. (no steel! only soft metals and aluminium is another story)
if you put some patience and passion into it you will have great results.
pic related is the saw you need
silver sheets are not that expensive, though the thicker they are the more they cost of course.
.. and harder to drill through.
I use a hanging drill, but with the right bits it shall work with other drilling machines also.
since you just need to make holes to strain the sawblade through.
the sawblades need to have high tension and you will break a lot of them if this is your first time using them.
be caerful with small bits they can break easily while drilling but I suppose you know your work safety shit so I don't need to tell?
good luck and ask if there's something you need to know further

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>>9160491
i tried

>>9163915
>>9163938
Thank you really much anon, shit, you take time to explains that, that really kind! My father have a machine like that, and he know a place where they sell thin metal sheets . I'm not sure if I'm gonna do those specific decoration, but something in the same style, thank you really much anon, it's really help me because I really like the effect of true metal on cosplays.

How thick of Eva foam do you need? Because I'm about to make my first breast plate and haven't found a good solid answer.

>>9154109
That is actually impressive
I'm impressed.

>>9164123
you're welcome.
the metal in this picture >>9160491
seems to be bent, though.
thin alu sheets propably

So I'm making am NCR ranger cosplay and working on the chest plate since it's really simple. I heated up the foam to give it a nice curve on my chest so it's not flat, but it keeps uncurling. Not perfectly flat but definitely not as curved as I made it. Is this typical of Eva foam?

>>9174719
Are you letting it cool all the way before you put it down?

>>9174754
Yes I let it sit over night

>>9175522
That's not what anon was asking. What was being asked was, as you are curling it, are you having it hold that curled shape until it is cooled?
Also, it helps not to just curl it as needed, but over-curl it, and lightly kneed and stretch the foam while it is still hot.

>>9175741
Yes I had it curled very tightly with a strap holding it curled overnight.

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From personal experience, I can confidently tell you that paper mache is a great begginer's option.
Pic was one of my first works and you can't even tell it was made from cardboard and glue soaked newspapers at first (or even at second) glance.
Also, it's hella cheap compared to other methods and materials. That helmet alone was like $6 worth of glue, gesso and paint, since you can get cardboard and old newspapers for free if you know where to look or just asking nicely.
The only downside is that it's a lenghty procces, as you have to let it dry after each layer of paper (I usually apply 4), sand it, let dry each layer of gesso (also 4), sand again and polish.

>>9174686
is it possible to bent brass sheets or it's too
hard ?

>>9153049
Agreed. EVA foam is amazing. And very easy to form if you have a heat gun.

>>9179777
http://www.cabaret.co.uk/working-with-brass-part-2-bending-brass-dugs-tips-14/

>>9187534
thank you anon !

I've got a strange question : Did someone ever try to do some small metal piece ( like military badge and decoration ), but for making really light weight, using some of those powder for chrome nailart on plastic piece?

>>9153758
You can buy rolls of "metallic" stretch vinyl which you can use off taobao. I can't seem to find the right kind when I went shopping instore.