Cosplay Notes

Misc internet knowledge (possibly untested)

Superglue can be kicked with water, especially in fine spritz mist
Baking soda + superglue can be used to build up areas / cracks as a filler powder that hardens

youtube suggestion: Smooth-on Onyx seems to work for paper nicely
forum suggestion: smooth-coating foam called Shell Shock by Smooth On
forum suggestion: try urethane casting resin instead - smooth-on 320 or 321
Smoothcast 65D vs 321: 65D kicks faster, is thicker and more pliable for bending angle failures

Completely alternative suggestion is wood glue over fabric, since true fiberglass is overkill

Neither polyester, vinylester, nor epoxy fiberglassing resins will eat through EVA foam. Polyester resin eats through polystyrene foam
Apparently polyester resin doesn't fully cure on EVA and is fairly nasty to work with
Some resins ^^^^ don't really like to harden EVA foam, though, since the foam itself is flexible under that shell - ideally you'd use some substrate like paper or fiberglass mat or papier mache or something, and resin that.
Could you maybe use tape or something as a stick-on layer?
forum: "probably have a better success using some laminating epoxy. EpoxAmite as a Smooth-On brand. But if you want to be more cost effective, go back to using Pep and 3/4 oz. fiberglass mat."
forum: "seal the foam with pva glue which i just used elmers spray on adhesive" to fill the foam pores
There's a difference between waxed and unwaxed resin - the first finishes hard and the latter tacky for further lay-up layers. Obviously, using the second for a finish coat won't ever "dry" for painting

PLA plastic is cheapest, biodegradable and can be oven-tempered for strength. $20-25 a kilo
Nylon is strongest, but you can't print it without a big heat box / new hot-end? More for 'real' parts.
Shapeways everything else, other than the US -> CAD shipping ($11+)

5mm EVA dense foam, comes in sheets 24" x 60" or so, also other thicknesses. ~$10 a sheet
Kwik Seal (DAP) is a tile caulk from home depot, used for sealing seams and smoothing. ~$3 tube
Dap Weldwood Contact Cement for gluing pieces together (glue both sides, wait 10 minutes to dry somewhat, then press together for ultra strong bond)
Gummi Dip is a smoother / better Plastidip - not sure if we can even get it here, seems european
Pepakura program for making / getting cut out patterns as templates -> Cricut to cut templates?
If you buy that full-page sticker label sheet from staples, maybe you don't even need to glue it down
You can make Xacto cuts + heat gun for contrasty detail lines like scales or panel gaps

Experimental idea: Cricut papercraft, glue tabs, use epoxy or some sort of resin to harden???
Take that base frame and fiberglass the positive?
Could 3D print parts for corners or whatever to hold angles and provide rigidity to empreg paper?

Use for actual vinyls and paper stencils for painting
You can cut greentape on the mat to make a stickable temporary stencil instead of using vinyl or transfer paper, if that's cheaper / easier
pen tool for writing numbers and marking mating faces??
Scoring tool for bends in papercraft?

Not super cheap, ~$20 a rattlecan
Use more for thickness and smoothing than painting
Limited colours, but can spraypaint over top
It creates a semi-removable vinyl layer that peels off with varying effort depending on your coats
Tape around emblem on car such that you're spraying both the emblem and onto the car paint
Spray MORE than you think, especially to the outside of the emblem, such that it can connect to itself and peel up as one layer - if it's just dotted overspray, it's a pain
Works best when the can is room temperature, works best when sprayed in warmer air.
Cold plastidip 'chunks' which makes the spray surface rough and also gunks the rattlecan nozzle
Lasted about 4-5 years on the Mini
You can respray over peeling bits, but the thickness difference will be visible
For the most part, removability isn't the benefit I assumed it was - just commit and use spraypaint

Last updated 5 years ago