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Materials/Tools

Here's a list of all the materials and tools I've used or are still using. All the names of the materials/tools have links to where you can get them yourselves but research and look around, you may find a better price or a better product than what I use.

Tools


Heat gun - Used for heat forming materials I use such as rubber, plastics, and foam board. (sometimes used to reheat glue if i mess up. not fun)

Xacto knife/blades - A simple Xacto knife and blades set used for cutting craft foam sheets/paper with precision. Good for detailing and that sort of thing. Actually got it at acmoore with a 50% off coupon

Hot knife - I'm sure there are better hot knives out there than the one I use but this one works just fine for what I need. Most also come with different tips for different uses. Used for cutting thin and thick foam, pvc foam board too. Also for detailing and such

Different grits of sandpaper and belt sander - I use single sheets of different grits of sandpaper for general sanding on the materials I use. I'll rarely use the belt sander for most stuff that I do, mostly because its for those really tough, clogs the sandpaper, type of materiel such as fiberglass, wood, or insulation foam board.

Dremel (and different bits) -Mostly used for smoothing down edges of the material I use and sometimes for detailing on tougher materials like foam core, plastics and paperclay.

Hot glue gun -Used for gluing most materials together such as foam mats, foam core and plastics. The hot glue gun I use is old so I'd look around and see what would suit you best for your project(s). Link provided for an example of a decent glue gun.

Putty spreaders - Used to spread bondo and spot putty on whatever project I'm working on. They're easy to find at your local stores like walmart, target, hardware stores, car shops, etc.

Clay tool set (part 1_part 2) - The set I use is old and cheap but works just fine, mostly because the molds I make are simple and don't require a lot of working.

Other general tools such as pens, pencils, scissors, newsprint paper (for templates), rulers, erasers etc etc



Materials

 

Paperclay -I use it for making molds and detailing certain pieces of a costume if need be. Easy to work with, air drys on its own (drying time depends on how thick the clay is), can be baked to speed up drying time and once dry can be sanded down. Pretty durable too. But I wouldn't go making giant pieces of a costume out of this stuff, still cracks like regular clay.

L200 foam - Basically the same thing as EVA foam just made specifically for special fx artists to use for costuming. It doesn't have a pattern on it and can be heated easily for shaping. It costs a bit more than EVA foam but not so much that its totally out of your price range.

Insulation foam board - I learned about this material from doin' a little research online and found out its great for making props, helmets, etc. You can do more research on this material simply by searching 'insulation foam board cosplay' in google. Theres too much info on it for me to put here. phew!

Gym foam mats/EVA foam - I suggest doing some research on prices and where to get this before jumping in because a lot of people seem to have trouble finding it in hardware/general stores. saves a trip or two. or five. This is really big in the cosplay community right now because its readily available (to most people), cheap, and easy to work with. A good place to start with this is The HeroesWorkshop. A great channel for learning how to work with this stuff.

PVC foam board (Brand names Sintra and Celtic) - I'm just starting to work with this material so its a bit new to me but so far it can be heated easily without being too hot to handle, it keep its shape easily, its really durable, and can be detailed with ease. Junkers and foayasha are amazing at this stuff so check em out to to learn more about it.

Spot putty - It has the consistency of acrylic paint and is actually used for scratches and dents on cars but
is great for filling in cracks, scratches, mistakes and holes on whatever material your using. You can find this stuff at your local hardware store and car shops. You use a putty spreader to fill in whatever you need to fill in than sand down the excess for a nice seamless finish. I wouldn't recommend this for areas that flex a lot as it drys hard and doesn't bend at all.
Bondo - Similar to the consistency of spot putty it's used to make molds, helmets, armour, etc. You can find it at your local hardware stores, car shops, walmart, target. 

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