Welcome to Gaia! ::

Hiya!

This is a "just in general" question, I suppose. As I have said, I'm cosplaying as Nero for the next convention up here in the "upper 49th". The costume is a-ok, just.... not the sword.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h202/Christawitch/redqueen.jpg That is what I'm aiming at making, if I'm able. What would you say would be the best material to make it from? I've heard that foam board would be good and easy to carry around, but I'd like to hear from people who've done this before. smile Oh, and this is my first time making a prop, BTW.

Thank you so much for your time. smile

i personally prefer working with wood as it is more durable, but i guess it all depends on the resources you have. i know my friend made the sword for sephiroth out of wood, and im in the planning stage of making yazoo's gun too. the detailing of the sword might be a bit tricky though, so im thinking maybe make that out of some sculpey and super glue it onto the base (undetailed part) of the sword, and paint it all together. i think it would work, i dunno i just saw the sword and it looked like a similar situation as my prop dilemma.

Aha! Now the ball is really in iZanami's court xD Swordmaking is my cosplay specialty razz

From personal experience, 1/2" insulation foam aKa "pink foam" has been a reliable core material for swordmaking. Its inexpensive, easy to find, and easy to shape however way you want. It can usually be found in the lumber section of lowes or home depot (though in lowes its typically blue.) in either 1/2" or 2" thickness. For around 10 dollars this nets you a nice 3' by 10' sheet which when it comes down to it, is ALOT of material to work with.

I recommend drawing out a pattern on either posterboard (the cardboard sheets you can find just about anywhere) or foamboard (that foldable boards that we have all used at least once for science fairs or whatnot.)

Once you've gotten your core weapon made (be careful with it, it may be a sturdy material but dont go swinging it around like a real sword yet cause it will break. This is a personal experience opinion cause my current sword project just BROKE cause of my stupidity), I recommend purchasing either .020 thickness styrene sheets or Wonderflex and using them to cover your weapon.

Styrene is cheaper at 6 dollars a sheet from US Plastics, but wonderflex can be easier to work with as its heat activated and is self bonding, whereas styrene merely covers wherever you apply it and requires adhesives.

Some people may recommend using bondo or other epoxy as a covering material, however I advise against this as I have experiennced nothing but trouble from them, the surfaces end up rough and doesnt give a smooth finish and its extremely heavy to carry a weapon coated in this stuff.

Thank you so much for the help, everyone! biggrin I'll do as you all suggested, and try and make this thing. Again, thanks. ^.^

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g3/PPGD_fan/PPGZ Characters/Miyako - Bubbles/Bubbles.jpg
http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww21/sailormoonrockz/PPGZ/ppg-rolling-bubbles.jpg
http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm268/Buttercup_The_ppg/ppgz_tv0053-1.jpg
http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm268/Buttercup_The_ppg/ppgz_tv0171.jpg

That thing she's holding please. I've been pondering for the longest time what to do for this bubble wand. Should I make two pieces and attach them somehow? or try to make one whole piece. (sorry for multiple pics. I tried to find good ones but it's really hard.)

I definitely would not recommend wood for such a large sword. It'll be too heavy and your arm will get sore.

Insulation foam would be great for it because it is easy to shape and very lightweight. You can get it at Home Depot or Lowes and it comes in these huge pink or blue slabs. You can draw the basic shape on with marker and cut it out easily with a knife. After that, you can sand it to add details. If you mess up or gouge it, don't worry, just slap on a little wood putty in the hole, let that dry, and sand it. Since you'll be painting over it, you'll never notice the spot.
Now, when you have it sanded to the shape you want, apply Gesso (it's the stuff painters put on a canvas). It's white paint-like stuff and comes in various sized containers at AC Moore and probably Michael's and some other places. Coat the prop in it, let it dry, and sand it. Repeat this process at least 2 more times. This'll give you a nice smooth surface texture. After that you can paint it with whatever you want.

IMPORTANT!!! If you need to glue on a piece that broke off, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU USE! Many glues will melt the foam. I recommend using Gorilla Glue. Just make sure you weight it down, since the glue expands as it dries.

Hope that's helpful!!

Righteo. I am vey worn, and have cuts all over my hands, and I am not a happy Renix.
Know why?
I spent all day working on my sitar for my Demyx cosplay, and I didn't like how it turned out after hours of work. *Sighs*
So now, I need some HALP.

I looked at the tutorial on Cosplay.com - but I am NOT making that. I'm from Australia, and it'd probably cost me $170 or so, plus I haven't the faintest idea where I'd get the time or materials to make that prop. Plussss, it's 25 pounds. Awh, HELL NUH.

Does anyone have anysuggestions as to how I can make my damn sitar, and where I could get the materials? It would rock my world.