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Road to Revan (My first costume!)


Kwalt04

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Hey there, everyone! 

 

So, been working on my Revan costume for a few months, even before I joined on here. (By that I mean, I've made my mask and have been gathering materials for a bit now.) During those few months, been lurking around these forums, researching, and hoping I can make as awesome of costumes as everyone else has. XD I've spent countless hours studying threads, staring at pictures, drawing concepts for my armor, and watching videos on how to use certain materials.  

 

For my build, I'm going with making my own armor bits, and using things I already own for the costume. I've got the mask done already, and have most of the main cloth bits, such as the shirt and hakama. I have the materials for the hard parts, but haven't had a chance to start making them yet. I'm going the worbla/foam sandwich route for my armor.

 

I still don't know what fabric to use for the cape/hood section yet. I've been through the thread on here about different fabrics that one could use, but I never really found a definitive answer. Being in Canada, and Ontario at that, weather is unpredictable, sometimes it hot as July in the winter, and snowing in the summer, and sometimes the seasons actually cooperate and act normal. XD

 

My questions here are: What is the most common fabric that everyone has used, that can be acquired for a decent price? I've read threads, old and new, I've looked at places online, but I haven't been to any fabric places in town yet to see what they have. Part of me wants to go with wool, but I don't know what kind of wool I should use, nor if I could afford doing it in that. This is all new territory for me. 

 

and secondly: Does the whole costume have to be made of the same fabric? This second question ties in with another question I have regarding hakama, which I will get to in a bit. 

 

My aunt is an Ontario Ghostbuster, and has connections to some folks who could make the cape/lett/hood for me, but I'd need to get in contact with them, and that would all amount to the cost for the whole thing.   

 

I got my turtleneck, even got it a bit larger than I'd need so the sleeves can be a bit baggier like they look in the reference pictures I've seen. Just gotta add the bead across the top, and I think I'll attach part of my balaclava to it, and add some velcro to the back, to keep it from popping up from beneath the collar.  

 

Here is the other thing that I have been wondering. So, I'm an ex-martial artist, I had to quit because I was attending college, and wanted to focus more on my studies there. However, before I left, I had started trying out Iaido, and even bought the uniform for it. Now I have a pair of Hakama that I'd never use, were it not for this costume. The hakama are the one part I don't have very much information on at all. Even the CRL doesn't touch too deep on the topic. 

 

These are the ones that I own: http://www.e-bogu.com/Top-Quality-Black-Tetron-Hakama-Size-All-p/tak-ken-hak-tqtet-black-all.htm

 

Now, I was wondering, what are everyone else's like? Do they have ties like the traditional hakama? Do the sides open up near the top? Are mine acceptable, or do I need to find something different? I was hoping to be able to use the ones I already have, but for the sake of the costume, if I have to get different one's, that so be it. If anyone needs elaboration, I can take pictures of them, and what I mean by the sides opening up and whatnot.  

 

So that's about it. I'm planning on getting a Liberator v3 from Ultrasabers in Red, and painting the emitter and pommel in some brass model masters paint, and have looked at boots online. I'm planning on making the large o ring out of worbla and foam as well, unless I can find a better way on doing it. Don't even know where to begin looking for an O ring that big. XD

 

This first post probably seems a little messy, as I build the armor, and show my progress, I'll be sure to make cleaner, more organized posts. 

 

Last thing: Here is my mask. 

 

This is what I started with:

5ae726b2-ba1f-4cc1-bc79-cd2910121fb2.jpg

 

and ended with this: 

11218480_10153567188517081_3899320309258

 

 

For my first mask, I wont lie, I'm quite proud of it. :P

 

But yeah, that's all for now. And I'll be sure to ask as many more questions as I can. This build is a real test of all my skill. I'm trying my very best to get a good costume done. 

 

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First off, nice mask!. Looks like you'll have a much better range of vision than what I have with the Wicked Armor one at least.

 

The hakima I have doesn't have ties or anything, the waist band at the top is a solid loop to thread a belt through it. I just use a normal leather belt in it to hold it up.

 

Also, if you haven't thought about it yet for the armor rings that hang off the bottom (not the primary ring), I picked up a bunch of solid nickle plated rings:

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lehigh-200-lb-x-3-16-in-x-1-1-2-in-Nickel-Plated-Welded-Steel-Rings-2-Pack-7065S-12/100121681

 

Used some black leather strips we picked up from Michaels arts and crafts (they sell bags of leather scraps for cheap) to make the strips to hold them.   All told I spent around 13.00 - 14.00 to update those 12 rings on the front/back armor and they look really good.

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Thanks guys!

 

I'll definitely check out my Home Depot and Michaels for those parts.

 

I might try and see if I can add a waistband to my hakama, but I was thinking, if I can manage to hide the ties, I might be able tot away with them as they are now. I'd probably be able to hide them under the midsection piece.

 

The mask comes from a prop maker in BC called Obsidian Props. I ordered it from him off etsy. The mask itself was really nice to work with, sanded well, and painted very nicely. I might need to adjust some padding around the nose to block my breath from fogging the lens, but it's quite comfortable, and a pretty good weight to wear.

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YAY moar Revans!!! :D

 

Lovin' the mask! In WI our seasons are not acting normal either ): I feel your pain.

 

FABRIC CHOICE: I wish I could remember what fabric I had used for my Revan but damn it was gorgeous! And also super expensive haha If memory serves me right, it was mostly cotton based and was a two-way stretch (so NOT spandex lol). I was shameless in the store and unfolded bolts of fabric to see how they hung and naturally flowed. Personally, I'd think wool would be too thick, too heavy looking and warm - TOO warm. 

 

FABRIC USAGE: Personally, I went for the same fabric for my cloak and hakama (which means I had bought out this specific fabric within a certain mile radius of my home ... oops). The real importance, if you're using different fabrics, is to have them be the same black - not all blacks are the same! Some black fabrics are made with blue in it and others red (to give the different shades of black ... it's weird I know). So just make sure to eyeball the fabric real good if using different ones. Also, if using different fabrics, keep in mind to try and match how both fabrics flow/wear while moving, the thickness of the fabric, and visible threads (are the threads woven farther apart? if so, they are easier to see vs tightly woven fabric threads which are harder to see -- trust me, in certain conditions it's really easy to see visible threads!). This is me being super OCD and picky - don't take me too seriously. lmao

 

HAKAMA: As long as they look and wear like a hakama you're good to go. The top half does NOT need to be traditional (i.e. have the belts or backboard). It's the bottom half, or the legs, that will matter. You can have the top be 100% traditional, spandex, whatever you want (I used a combo of ties and velcro to still give me usage of the open sides - which you also don't need). Your hakama pants are perfectly fine - just keep in mind to match that black with the black of your cloak and shirt :) I'm really OCD about matching blacks - could you tell?? haha

 

My Revan was also 100% built from scratch - including going the route you are with Worbla armor pieces (also also like that O ring!). If you have any questions on the Worbla let me know! I've been working with it for two years now. Good luck! :D

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Awesome! Thanks for all the tips, I'll be sure to keep an eye on my fabrics. I wonder what kind of looks I'd get, wearing the hakama to the fabric store to compare colour and thread. XD

 

I do have a couple questions on the worbla, if you'd be so kind.

 

Firstly, did you do full on sandwich for your armor, or just enough to leave a border on the back?

What thickness foam did you use?

What did you use to get the raised textures on the armor? I picked up some mesh tubing that is kinda like a Chinese finger trap sorta stuff. It stretches to a nice thickness, and I hot glue it onto the foam in the proper shapes before laying the worbla.

 

And lastly, how far did you seal the armor? Does it still have some texture, or did you make it completely smooth?

 

I've watched a few videos on the stuff, and different ways people finish it. I noticed that after 2-4 layers of whatever glue people use, it looks kinda like a hammered metal look, which I quite liked. Though I should probably double check the CRL to see if I could have a little texture. That's a few more questions than I thought I'd ask, Thanks though, and you've helped me out even more than just here with your thread on the midsection tutorial. I had no clue how I was gonna attempt that, and now I've got a full on tutorial to do it. WHOO! XD

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Wearing the hakamas to a fabric store? EMBRACE THE WEIRD!

 

Yassss Worbla questions: 

 

~ I did the full-on sandwich method so, yes, both the inside and outside are covered in Worbla (no partial inside coverage) - you spend a little more money with the full-on method but, personally, I think it holds up and servives a little better and if you're going to put all the work into your outfit why not make it the best it can be? :) 

~ I usually use 3mm foam (I get mine at Hobby Lobby). 

~ For the raised textures, I used even moar Worbla! Worbla sticks to itself (so no glue necessary and the natural bond is super, super strong). All I did was roll up Worbla 'snakes' much like one would do when rolling up Play-Doh or clay snakes :) It was pretty fast and easy!

~ Sealing my armor ... well, up close you can tell it has a bit of small denting (just from working with the Worbla) but I left it there because I thought it looked cool (passed my 501st app so I guess it's all good!). So, yes, it has texture but it's light enough texture that it's still smooth at the same time. I used wood glue (3-4 coats / brand name Titebond II) on my armor. On my mask I had used Gesso. Both have their pros and cons which I can lay out for you if you'd like (w/o writing a novel in this current post lol). 

 

I'm glad you found my Revan mid-section tutorial!! :D I made it because, when I was looking to make this, I had NOOOO idea either. Seriously, it was like the one Revan thing that wasn't readily out there to learn about. It was stoopid lol 

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I don't do Revan, but I love WORBLA.

 

So, I did NOT do the sandwich method, because I couldn't get it to work without looking terrible. I went with thicker foam 5mm which gave me the shape I wanted. For raised areas, I used thin craft foam and glued it on top of the thicker foam. Then I covered all of it with the WORBLA.

 

I think which method you use really depends on what you are doing and how much money you have. I'm not the only person I know who had difficulties getting the sandwich method to work if you're doing a large area with a lot of complex curves.

 

But I will say that mine hold up just fine without the extra layer in the back.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Wearing the hakamas to a fabric store? EMBRACE THE WEIRD!

 

Yassss Worbla questions: 

 

~ I did the full-on sandwich method so, yes, both the inside and outside are covered in Worbla (no partial inside coverage) - you spend a little more money with the full-on method but, personally, I think it holds up and servives a little better and if you're going to put all the work into your outfit why not make it the best it can be? :) 

~ I usually use 3mm foam (I get mine at Hobby Lobby). 

~ For the raised textures, I used even moar Worbla! Worbla sticks to itself (so no glue necessary and the natural bond is super, super strong). All I did was roll up Worbla 'snakes' much like one would do when rolling up Play-Doh or clay snakes :) It was pretty fast and easy!

~ Sealing my armor ... well, up close you can tell it has a bit of small denting (just from working with the Worbla) but I left it there because I thought it looked cool (passed my 501st app so I guess it's all good!). So, yes, it has texture but it's light enough texture that it's still smooth at the same time. I used wood glue (3-4 coats / brand name Titebond II) on my armor. On my mask I had used Gesso. Both have their pros and cons which I can lay out for you if you'd like (w/o writing a novel in this current post lol). 

 

I'm glad you found my Revan mid-section tutorial!! :D I made it because, when I was looking to make this, I had NOOOO idea either. Seriously, it was like the one Revan thing that wasn't readily out there to learn about. It was stoopid lol

 

 

 

I never even thought of rolling the worbla up and putting it on top for the details. (Kicking myself for derp moment of the moment) That seems so much easier than everything I've thought of so far. I've done as much research as I can on the material; read blog posts, and prop threads, I've watched countless videos on making things and apply finishing layers. By the end of this build, I'll be an expert on the stuff as well. XD But yeah, I've seen both gesso and wood glue used, I've even seen regular white glue used. Just takes lots of layers, so I'm already prepared for that. As for sandwiching, I agree completely, I'd rather have the durability, even if it has a little more cost. Though, worbla doesn't seem too too expensive to me, for what you get. I got a large sheet, which are 60$ and after tax and shipping, it came to 67$. Not too bad at all, really, when you can use the whole sheet, with almost no scrap and waste whatsoever. Perhaps that's just a movies way on seeing things though.

 

Also, going out to the shop as soon as I can, so I'll keep in mind the thickness. I've got several places and items recommended to me already, just from this thread, so it sounds about time to do some recon on these items.

 

 

I don't do Revan, but I love WORBLA.

So, I did NOT do the sandwich method, because I couldn't get it to work without looking terrible. I went with thicker foam 5mm which gave me the shape I wanted. For raised areas, I used thin craft foam and glued it on top of the thicker foam. Then I covered all of it with the WORBLA.

I think which method you use really depends on what you are doing and how much money you have. I'm not the only person I know who had difficulties getting the sandwich method to work if you're doing a large area with a lot of complex curves.

But I will say that mine hold up just fine without the extra layer in the back.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thankfully, Revans armor doesn't have too many curves to it, it's mostly details on the front. The chest piece seems to be a pretty standard shape, when it comes to chest pieces. How were you trying your sandwiching? I'm planning on having the visible side overlap into the back, then putting on a back sheet to seal it on. I guess that might not be sandwiching, more like making a wrap, or a burrito. XD an awesome Star Wars burrito.

 

What costume were you trying to build with the worbla?

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Thankfully, Revans armor doesn't have too many curves to it, it's mostly details on the front. The chest piece seems to be a pretty standard shape, when it comes to chest pieces. How were you trying your sandwiching? I'm planning on having the visible side overlap into the back, then putting on a back sheet to seal it on. I guess that might not be sandwiching, more like making a wrap, or a burrito. XD an awesome Star Wars burrito.

 

What costume were you trying to build with the worbla?

I've done several now, Mara Jade's knee pads and shin guards, Bracers for other things. Mara's back piece. Shoulder pads.

 

I tried the sandwich method on Mara's shin guards. The difficulty is that it buckled a lot. The inside looks like a mess and the front is a disaster. I'm not the only person who's had these issues when you're doing full-calf shin guards.

 

Be careful when you put on the back on. You have to heat up both parts of WORBLA or it won't stick together and what happened when I tried was it would lose its shape with both sides heated. If you don't have thick foam that keeps the shape, you need to be able to put it on something to get the riot shape while it's hot, and that should not be your own body unless you want to risk burns!

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Those are good points, I'll keep that in mind when I go to try it, thanks for the tips!

 

Just got back from the shops, got some leather, a nice roll of craft foam, and some wood glue. Canadian Home Depot, or at least, the one in my city doesn't carry the steel rings, I'll look at other places, maybe one of the other hardware stores here might have them, and if not, I'll just order them online, when I order the buckles.

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I've never had a problem with using worbla for large or complicated areas :) maybe I'm just weird ): of course there's more than one right way to do something and everyone has their own experiences to draw from! At the end of the day, one just has to sit down and experiment to find which method works best for them :)

 

I should also note that why I personally don't like using the partial worbla coverage is that I've seen the exposed foam start to warp and get a little funky being exposed to the skin when you sweat during troops (not after one of course but after a handful).

Edited by NightShine
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That's one thing I've heard, body sweat is foam and glues absolute worst enemy. No matter the medium used. :P

 

I much appreciate all the advice I'm getting though, this is great insight from people who have used the material and from multiple methods. I've got some idea now what could happen when I go to make my armour, so thank you both, and everyone for the help. :)

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You are most welcome! Yes, it's always more beneficial when you have multiple people commenting :) good luck on your endeavors! Make sure to post progress shots!! :D

Edited by NightShine
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I should also note that why I personally don't like using the partial worbla coverage is that I've seen the exposed foam start to warp and get a little funky being exposed to the skin when you sweat during troops (not after one of course but after a handful).

Lucky you! I just could not get it to work. I think I've sorted that issue on the foam by going with a higher grade foam than the traditional EVA. I used durafoam and so far (12+ troops later) there's no sign of any issues.

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Wow nice!! I'll have to let some of my friends know about durafoam (never heard of this!) for future costumes (hard to take apart older ones ): sad sad). 

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Lucky you! I just could not get it to work. I think I've sorted that issue on the foam by going with a higher grade foam than the traditional EVA. I used durafoam and so far (12+ troops later) there's no sign of any issues.

 

I've never heard of the stuff either, so I did a quick google search. Do you mean the insulation foam, or is it something different? I've seen someone on YouTube to amazing things with insulation foam, you can get some really nice detail with it, and it holds up REALLY well.

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I've never heard of the stuff either, so I did a quick google search. Do you mean the insulation foam, or is it something different? I've seen someone on YouTube to amazing things with insulation foam, you can get some really nice detail with it, and it holds up REALLY well.

No, it's super dense foam, not like insulation foam at all. It moves and is mold able like Eva foam, but it's so dense you can paint it without having to prime it if you want. I still covered it in WORBLA and primed it with gesso, cause I knew foam only wouldn't get approved.

 

http://www.monmouthrubber.com/durafoam-closed-cell-sponge-rubber-plastic-foam/

Edited by eliste
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That's an interesting product. Must be relatively new, don't see too many people mention it.

My local WORBLA stockist brought it in last year. I love it. I can get it thicker than craft foam but thinner than most local Eva foam. It's great to work with.

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Wearing the hakamas to a fabric store? EMBRACE THE WEIRD!

 

Yassss Worbla questions: 

 

~ I did the full-on sandwich method so, yes, both the inside and outside are covered in Worbla (no partial inside coverage) - you spend a little more money with the full-on method but, personally, I think it holds up and servives a little better and if you're going to put all the work into your outfit why not make it the best it can be? :)

~ I usually use 3mm foam (I get mine at Hobby Lobby). 

~ For the raised textures, I used even moar Worbla! Worbla sticks to itself (so no glue necessary and the natural bond is super, super strong). All I did was roll up Worbla 'snakes' much like one would do when rolling up Play-Doh or clay snakes :) It was pretty fast and easy!

~ Sealing my armor ... well, up close you can tell it has a bit of small denting (just from working with the Worbla) but I left it there because I thought it looked cool (passed my 501st app so I guess it's all good!). So, yes, it has texture but it's light enough texture that it's still smooth at the same time. I used wood glue (3-4 coats / brand name Titebond II) on my armor. On my mask I had used Gesso. Both have their pros and cons which I can lay out for you if you'd like (w/o writing a novel in this current post lol). 

 

 

Okay I am a totally noob with worbla so I am going to have questions for you.  As far as the dents go I could not imagine a character who battled the jedi, sith, and the mandalorians not being terribly dented.

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Hey there, folks. Been a while since I made a post or any progress on the costume. I'm gonna get more work done soon. However, I have acquired some minor pieces for the costume: my lightsaber, and my boots. 

 

I got my lightsaber from Ultrasabers. I got the Liberator V3 and got the Archon Pommel to go with it. I painted the emitter and pommel brass. 

RCSBtqo.jpg?2

 

I got the blade colour in red, but I did a little twist with it. Since I'm only wielding one saber, I made the saber flash purple as a nod to the second saber (I thought it was clever, at least :P)

Ki0tHXZ.jpg?1

La1xcCQ.jpg?1

 

As for my boots, I'm hoping they will work. My Aunt and Uncle got me a pair of Anakin Boots for my birthday. They are black, with no visible laces, and have a fairly low heel, so I'm hoping they will be fine. I'll double check with the GMO, but I'm hoping they will work. 

 

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So yeah, little update for now, big stuff to come as soon as I can get to work on it. Have a great day, folks!

 

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Ooooh your hilt looks so nice!! Jelly! Also, I think your boots would be ok. I know you're not supposed to have designs on the boots but in reality you only see the top part of the foot (hakama hides most of boot).

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