Research questions...

[Guest Sakara]

Foam is getting more and more popular for use in costuming.. Craft foam for thin armours and EVA floor matting for chunkier armour. Done well it can look just like the real thing.

 

With craft foam armour, the trick is the seal the foam before painting. Modge Podge or many thin layers of PVA glue make a nice smooth base then plastidip paint, which is a flexible paint, so it wont crack and fall off it the foam does bend in any way. You can then rub on top RubNBuff to give a metal finish. Seal with a clear flexible top coat if desired.

 

Whats great about this for armour is its lack of weight. For Talons bust armour, the less weight on that flimsy costume part, the better!

[Guest Aysel]

Whats great about this for armour is its lack of weight. For Talons bust armour, the less weight on that flimsy costume part, the better!

 

this is what I was thinking when I ran across that tutorial, that and it's foam (which is soft) next to the girls

[Guest Sakara]

i wouldnt use it as the base of the bikini top..that id stick with leather or leatherette. but the 'metal' parts i think it could work well with. The foam could also be attached using velcro so that you could remove it to clean the bikini parts.

Foam is light but it also keeps heat in.

[Guest Aysel]

this stuff does come in 1/8in, 1/2in and 3/4in (at least I can get that here in the states) so it can work for "fake" leather, although I'd still back the parts that actually touch the skin with something that will be comfortable next to your skin, as your right Sakara, it would get quite sweaty. this discussion is making want to build things........>.

[Guest mdb]

I'd second the suggestion to only use it for the metal parts.

 

I've used foam and I get to see it a lot in my role as judge for cosplay contests and it does not hold up over time if any stress is placed on it.

 

As it is a foam there is very little tear strength, so you need to use it for pieces that are backed and support it. From what I can see all of the metal parts on Talon allow for this

 

I personally love my heat gun and sheet plastic I have used it successfully to make my own sith armour. I've also been able to cut and mallet curves into aluminium which is a nice light metal and allows for battle damage quite easily

 

Fibreglassing over forms is pretty fun.

 

But you can also use wonderflex if you are after a non-toxic material. It does require a bit of work to smooth the surface.

 

Oh and another material that has massive potential is aquaplast- it's a thermo formed plastic used to make splints etc. You cut to shape, boil and wrap around a form. And I do mean wrap, it is very soft when boiled. Got nice flex to it too.

It's just very expensive to buy by the sheet.

http://www.clubwarehouse.com.au/A96240/ ... 5mm/pd.php

That said it is much easier to use than any other material so the cost offsets the work involved with other solid plastics (and it may be ideal for extreme spherical kinds of shapes).

[kathgruben]

This is an excellent discussion Ladies, as I'm reading this with my Shae Vizla thinking cap on