The Next Set Of Write Ups Is Finished! This Time We Move On To Looking At What Our Props Are Commonly

Props 101: The Introduction - Basic Materials

So now that you know what it takes to be a prop builder and know the necessary tool from here, we can move onto WHAT to build your props out of. Remember: this is not an exhaustive list. There are ...

The next set of write ups is finished! This time we move on to looking at what our props are commonly made of.

Check out Props 101: The Basic Materials

@dryadknight

Free Stuff From Harbor Freight

I would guess that most propmakers already know this, but just in case someone hasn’t discovered this gold mine, here’s a tip: If you have a Harbor Freight in your area, sign up for their mailing list, either in-store (for paper ads) or online. Every few weeks they send out an ad (also available online) that includes a coupon for something free (measuring tape, LED flashlight, screwdriver set, etc.) with any purchase, as well as a single-item coupon. There’s no minimum purchase to get the free item.

Harbor Freight is a discount tool store, so the quality of what they carry is generally lower than what you’d find at a store that caters to contractors (Lowes/Home Depot). While you might not find the best high-end tools there, it’s a great place to get smaller propmaking tools like heat guns, power sanders, or hand saws. Their prices on replacement supplies like sanding sheets and saw blades also tend to be substantially lower. I outfitted my entire workshop over a period of weeks by collecting HF coupons and buying everything I needed at a 20% discount (and got several free flashlights and measuring tapes, as well – now I have enough for house, workshop and garage).

And I just received a mailer today that advertises a huge sale starting this week, so it’s a good time to shop!

@dryadknight

Cata: For anyone looking for a place that supplies EVA foam, TNT Cosplay Supply is a site with a good range of EVA foam sizes (and styrene)! 

The second picture shows their sample pack (the blue piece is not a sample, just a divider). As you can see, I got a square of 8mm, 6mm, 4mm, and 2mm. 

From squishing the foam between my fingers, 2mm and 4mm feel similar to craft foam you get in most hobby stores. 6mm feels a bit denser than the craft store counterpart, there’s no 8mm equivalent.  It’s not as dense as SoleTech EVA , though that foam is used in shoes. The surface is very smooth on both sides.

My initial impressions are good. At some point I want to do some sealing and heat-forming tests, but I imagine it’ll work the same as the foam you can get at craft stores. I really like the selection of thicknesses and the size of the sheets is  great too. I’ll definitely be ordering from them on my next project.

You can get a free sample pack at the following link:

http://www.tntcosplaysupply.com/contact-us.html

Shout out to @coregeeknet for the heads up!

Edit: They now carry 10mm sheets.  $15.95 for a 24"x 60" sheet.

Your new favorite cosplay tool: the hot knife

Let’s take a few minutes to talk about our new favorite tool for finishing fabric edges…. the hot knife!  For those who are unfamiliar with this product, a hot knife is similar in size to a soldering iron with changeable tips.  Once plugged in, the tips will heat up so that you can use the hot end to cut or heat various materials.  Hot knives are pretty cheap too - the below set will run you $22 on Amazon.com.

Many cosplayers already use hot knives to cut foam and other prop materials, but you can use a hot knife on fabric too!  So long as your fabric is made from unnatural material such as polyester, a hot knife will melt and slag the raw end of your fabric, turning it into a hard, plastic-like line.  However natural fabrics like cotton will not melt and slag - instead these will simply burn away if you try to light them on fire or use a hot knife.  To test your fiber and perform a burn test, follow these steps.

But why would I ever want to melt my fabric??

There’s a few reasons!

Edge finishing.  Is your fabric edge an odd shape, or something that can’t easily be rolled or serged?  Slagging or cutting with the hot knife prevents your fabric from fraying, and allows you to create whatever shape your design calls for.

Distressing.  We used the heck out of the hot knife for our Sakizou costumes, since it required so many raw and distressed edges.  Holes and rips can look a little strange if your fabric is the kind that frays easily - what looks great now may not look so hot in a day or two when threads are beginning to unravel.  Sealing the edges of your fabric with a hot knife guarantees that the edge will not fray, no matter how much you wear your costume.  We used the following methods while creating our Sakizou cosplays:

Slagging while cutting - on satin, I first traced out my distressed pattern while using chalk.  I then chose one of the tips that came to a point, and “cut” along that pattern with the hot knife.  The heat from the knife burned through the satin and sealed the edge in one go.  A heavy piece of cardboard should be placed under your work so that you do not accidentally cut or burn your table.  This method is great for weightier fabrics or ones that will not roll under the knife.

Slagging after cutting - on chiffon, the above steps were difficult to do since the fabric was so prone to sliding.  Instead I first cut the basic shape I wanted with scissors.  I then used a flat tip and ran the hot knife along all edges of the fabric to seal.  Be careful of the heat setting and how long you stay in one place while using this method, as light fabric can melt easily.

Some general hot knife tips:

Don’t over-heat your knife.  Test first to determine which temperature is best for your fabric; something too hot can melt away your fabric more than you intended.

Don’t leave your hot knife unattended or around animals/children.  It’s really hot!

As always, make sure you use your hot knife in a well-ventilated area since you are in essence melting plastic, and different polyesters can give off fumes.

Inuyasha wig is separated out after two hours of hard work! Not sure if it helped or not, but I was wearing nitrile gloves while working with it cause of a cut on my finger and it seemed to cooperate more! So, note to self, wear gloves! Lol Next step, tease, tease, tease!