Seek to make cosplay props material

I believe this thing has been mentioned in many props tutorials ... Now it is a very common material. The biggest advantage of this thing is that it is convenient to shape. The first step in making props is to open the shape of the foundation. If the original shape is wrong, then the others, no matter how well done, will not be original. So now many manufacturers like to use this material.

Including armor (this is the most used), large weapons used on the stage, monster skin and so on.

EVA is a kind of sole material, that is, the foam sole (true oTL) of flip-flops usually worn, so it can be found in the shoe material market. The price is not expensive, but it is cheaper in materials. The thickness ranges from 3 mm to various thicknesses, and can be purchased directly as needed. However, because it is used for soles, the thicker EVA rarely has the same thickness, and there are inclined planes, that is, some parts are thick and some parts are thin. When you buy it, you should estimate your dosage and avoid going several times ... There are also various hardness, generally the thicker the harder, but ... it is not difficult. ...

It can be shaped after heating.

I usually use alcohol lamps (because the area is small ...), but it should be noted that the temperature of alcohol lamps is higher than that of ordinary lighters and candles, and EVA melts quickly, so it is necessary to control the time when heating. The same is true for other heaters, because the temperatures of various fires are different, so it is best to try some materials first and master the heating time. For those with large areas ... you can try the gas stove at home ... but ... it's safe ... remember.

It is best to cool quickly after heating, so that more accurate and beautiful shapes can be made. Therefore, if you have a refrigerator or an electric fan at home, you should make good use of it (by the way, if you use an electric fan, remember not to be too close to the alcohol lamp, and the alcohol lamp can't be blown ...)

EVA cannot be polished, but it can be painted. Because EVA has low density and large pores, it cannot be painted directly. The secret is to apply a layer of diluted latex evenly all the time, and then brush it smoothly after drying. Small armor can also be wrapped with a layer of cloth on the basis of EVA (leather, coated cloth, soft butyl and the like can be used, and this can also be done when making leather armor or non-metallic soft armor).

In addition, 502 glue is of little use to EVA. The use of 502 will also make EVA hard and the adhesion become obvious. It is best to use u glue. Of course, if you want to make an effect, you can apply a layer of latex on the interface first, and then dry it at 502, which will be more firm.

polyvinyl chloride

This is the most used material, although this industry doesn't seem to use it very much. ...

PVC is actually a kind of plastic, and the white water pipe you usually see is a kind of PVC. PVC also has various hardness, but unlike EVA, the hardness of PVC is not measured by thickness, because it is a mixed plastic, so it is measured by density. The harder the price, the more expensive it is. When you buy it, you can feel it by pinching boards with the same thickness and different prices. Of course, the thicker the plate with the same density, the harder it is. ...

Generally speaking, PVC is more expensive ... but hardness is also one of the hardest things in "things that can be cut by hand" So some people like to take it as the main body.

As mentioned earlier, PVC can be cut with a paper cutter, but it is only limited to the thickness below 3MM (including 3MM), and the board above 3MM can basically despise the utility knife. Therefore, if it is not hard enough, a distance will generally be stacked with 3MM boards, so it is no problem to make small-scale props; But this method is not feasible when using large things, so "skeleton" should be considered. It can be wires, wood, etc. There are special methods when necessary. We'll talk about it when we have a chance. If it's too much trouble, you can also consider taking it to the store for the master to cut. Stores that make light boxes and billboards often use PVC boards. Just take them with you. But because the boards used in this shop are all low-density, it's best to choose your own boards, draw shapes and take them to the shop. There are two kinds of cutting machines, one is to control the cutting according to the computer diagram, the shape will be quite accurate, but the price is definitely not cheap; The other is hand-pushed, which is a bit like the oldest hand-pushed cutting machine. It depends on the master's skill ... but ... it won't be cheap to cut it out anyway. You should work harder yourself. ...

PVC has special PVC glue, but 502 is enough (you need to buy 502 bottles in a box, about 4 yuan, 2 yuan is not reliable ...), you can also use U glue, but it dries slowly. (Simply put, PVC is a million "recipients". )

PVC can also be polished. Plates with a certain thickness can be polished into inclined planes, but the polished PVC will not be too smooth, so it needs to be coated with a layer of lime-milk mixture, and then painted after polishing. You can try to polish this yourself and understand it.

In fact, PVC can also be heated and molded like EVA. But the plasticity is not as strong as EVA, and a simple arc can still make a great shape. (You can refer to the headdress of Afghanistan)

wood

I don't need to say more about this ... widely used raw materials. The carving hardness is high. It can be said to be the most ideal material. But only if you can do carpentry.

If you use wood, you should know more about all kinds of wood. Chinese fir, white wood plywood, etc. Different woods have different characteristics. For example, cedar wood is light but low density, which is not suitable for carving or making shapes with large radians; Splint cannot be directly used as a bladed weapon, which is relatively heavy. Because what I heard from different carpenters seems different, you'd better learn from an old carpenter, so I won't talk about it here.

In fact, cork like Chinese fir is also a paper tiger that can be dealt with with with a paper cutter. As long as you are patient, a paper cutter, a piece of sandpaper and a simple woodcut carving knife can handle the carving of small parts (of course, you need a little manual foundation ... more carving can get you started)

It is made of wood directly, but there is no cover outside. When you need to paint directly on wood, you must polish it very smoothly, then paint it with varnish, and then paint it after drying. The effect will be better.

Simply put, wood is a material that tests strength and patience ... because sawing wood is really difficult, OTL.

It's best to reinforce the things stuck on EVA with UHU glue. Even if the advertising paper is sticky, glue should be added, otherwise there will be no tears after degumming.

And EVA is often used to make things into various shapes. You must do a good job of embryo, finalize the design and paste things.

Such a thing as a splint is not easy to make even an inclined plane like a blade. The density difference between the middle material and the two sides is much different, so it can't be polished very smoothly. If a certain thickness is needed, it is very heavy. If it's just a flat thing, it's nothing, but overall it's still not easy to use.

Wood is really expensive, but things with good materials can be made more finely.

About paint coloring

Speaking of painting, painting props is a convenient and economical way, but its biggest disadvantage is that, as LS said, air pollution is very serious and there are no effective preventive measures. You can only try to find a well-ventilated place and wear a mask, but you should still pay attention to the poisonous gas disturbing the people. I cooked at home, painted on the safety stairs, and my parents talked for a week? Hey?

There are many brands of spray paint, and different brands of the same color will have subtle differences, and poor quality spray paint is easier to decolorize. We have used two brands with good quality, Sega Bao and Li Baozi, and there is a big "B" on the bottle. Take No.35 gold as an example. These two brands are bright and metallic, while most other brands are dull, and of course there is special matte gold.

As for spraying, pay attention to the same as MH coloring. Watch the distance. Don't spray too thick. It is best to apply three coats of paint, the first two coats of color and the last coat of varnish for protection (we omit this step if matte effect is needed). It's best to dry in the shade for a day after each layer, or you may leave fingerprints?

Paint the blade in the scabbard. If the scabbard is tight, it's better to paint as much as possible, and the paint has a certain thickness, so it is easy to fall off by friction.

The smoother the material, the easier the paint will come off. Steel pipes are typical and will be rubbed off when touching hard objects. We haven't found any solution to this, so we can only be as careful as possible. =v=？

EVA's painting method is mentioned above, so I won't write much, and the rest can be painted with confidence.

What is better than painting is hand painting, which is the process of making wooden furniture. The process is complicated and highly technical. However, because the quality of the paint used is incomparable to that of spray painting, if there is a process, the effect will be much better than that of spray painting, and it is not easy to decolorize. We have no technology, no venue and no tools, so we only saw it and were amazed at the effect. Here is a brief mention.

Sometimes complementary colors are needed, but if the parts have been assembled, the parts that cannot be polluted should be blocked. If the area is small, it is recommended to draw by hand. After the upper layer is painted with acrylic color, it should not be too thick, otherwise it may crack. If a large area needs adhesive tape, paper tape is a good thing. Never use double-sided tape?

By the way, the treatment of colored objects

If you want to move something newly painted, it's usually for protection and to hide people's eyes and ears (hello? ) I'll find something to wrap it up. Our painful lesson shows that it is best not to use newspapers, especially things that need long-distance transportation, lack of drying time and smooth surface (such as steel pipes). I don't need to tell you what will happen. Therefore, in order not to destroy the painstaking efforts, it is best to wrap it in cloth.

About glue.

In general, we use 502, UHU, latex and hot melt adhesive.

I don't think it's necessary to say more about 502, so UHU, this thing is said to be glue for building models. I had no idea before I started making props. It's basically the kind of thing that can be used to blow bubbles like a small toothpaste when I was a child. It is almost omnipotent for soft materials, and it is much better than 502 for some parts that may be stressed, and it will become brittle after drying. It will not harden after drying like 502, because its packaging tube opening is relatively small and can be glued.

Latex, to be exact, is not used for sticking things, but as an admixture. Mix it with lime or paper clay just like we mend the soil by hand. Thinning can also be used as a coating to improve surface uniformity and hardness. After drying, it can be polished and drawn with fine sandpaper, which has a good effect. The quality of plastic cans in the decoration market is good, but there are too many.

Advantages and disadvantages of material characteristics and uses

polyvinyl chloride

Advantages: low price and simple processing (compared with FRP)

Disadvantages: affecting the action, rigid modeling, difficult to handle complex objects (compared with ordinary materials), and troublesome coloring.

Fiber reinforced plastics (FRP)

Advantages: the modeling can be done well (depending on the hand) and it is durable. If it is done well, it will basically not affect the stage action.

Disadvantages: it is difficult to process and the weight is a little heavy, but it should be within the acceptable range.

For example, in Monster Hunter, generally, the parts that need to be molded, such as shoulder armor and helmet, are made of FRP, and other parts are made of PVC.

About the ratio of FRP, PVC and cloth is 3:3:4.

We must never use wood as a large weapon. There is a simple reason. We play COS, not do manual labor. The children are very weak. What if someone falls down and hits someone before lifting it halfway?

Kt board

Advantages: simple processing and low cost.

Disadvantages: unused, easy to break.

Steel wire skeleton skin

Advantages: good molding and low cost.

Disadvantages: easy to deform and break.

Foamed polyethylene

It's slightly harder than a sponge, and the bathroom mat is made of it. It is widely used, but the surface is rough and it is difficult to attach paint, so it is usually treated by patch. The adhesive used is rubber adhesive (tank or tube), and G 10 has the best performance.

Foamed polyolefin board

A kind of foamed polyethylene. The texture is fine, but it is very practical and strong. Most COSER use this material to make shapes. This is a material with excellent impact resistance and heat resistance. It can be easily handled with a paper cutter or scissors. It's bright.

Application: From armor to props, it is widely used.

polyfoam

Generally used for swimming practice boards, it is harder than polyolefin boards and easier to process. The light surface texture is delicate and delicate.

Application: Hard and sturdy armor, weapons and props, etc.

Styrene board

The polystyrene foam is made into a plate. Hard and light, but thin, not suitable for making thick things.

Application: Thin weapons and swords and other props.

Styrene rod

The polystyrene foam is made into a rod. Light and soft, not suitable for making round things.

Uses: sticks and props such as cigarettes and clothes decoration.

Styrene foam (board)

It's easy to use and cheap. It can be processed with a paper cutter, but the surface is rough and fragile.

Applicability: If you don't mind roughness and durability, it has a wide range of applications.

Styrene foam (block)

In addition to cubes, there are shapes like barriers, and some colors like clay products.

Usage: It can be used not only for weapons props, but also for photographic background props.

Styrene foam (ball)

There are various sizes and light weight. In addition to spherical, there are egg-shaped and semi-circular, which are widely used.

Usage: It is most suitable for hair accessories, earrings and clothes decoration.

Larissa

A hard, shiny sheet with a lining. It looks like metal, so it can be used to make mechanical armor. Glue it to the formed foamed polyethylene with rubber adhesive. A plastic film with cloth is attached to the bottom. The release liner can be bonded to the curved surface and can be hot-worked.

Use: stick it on foamed polyolefin board to make armor and other items.

Water spray

It is water-soluble before drying and water-resistant after drying, and can be applied.

Application: Used for coating foamed styrene plastic.

Oily spray

Quick-drying, not easy to drip. Be careful, it will dissolve styrofoam and other things.

Uses: coating of iron products and wood products.

Wheat clay

Clay made of plastic resin can be made soft and simple by hot water, and can be reused after cooling.

Application: plastic parts and other shapes.

Lightweight paper clay

Ultra-light paper clay is easy to find and simple in shape. You can use painting tools to paint, which is the most suitable material for beginners, but its durability is low.

Usage: according to the painting, it can be used for weapons, props and other parts.

Glass fiber reinforced plastic hollow mold

Advantages: perfect plasticity, light weight, durability, disadvantages: more expensive, difficult to process, not recommended for beginners.

PS。 As for FRP, it seems that COS industry in Hangzhou has not appeared yet, because it is difficult to process, but there are many successful cases in Guangzhou. Most TB props of COS champion in Hangzhou Animation Festival this year are made of glass fiber reinforced plastic, and everyone can see the gorgeous degree, but this material is still under technical development. The main difficulty is that there are not many sculptors (the production process is to make the prop clay mold with the ratio of 1: 1 first, and then turn over the mold), so the materials are very cheap, and the biggest problem is that it is better to have a sculpture foundation by hand. People in the prop department need to make clay sculptures with oil sludge, and the shapes can be thrown into the store.

The coloring of materials is related to the audience's first impression. No matter how exquisite the shape, poor color and poor material of a prop are, it will greatly affect the credibility of the audience. It seems that the color of props has not received much attention in our community or the whole COS community, but it is actually a very important but often overlooked link.