Any Full Metal Alchemist?

[hellangel]

I'm using thermoplastic. I'm a theatre person, as in I work both onstage and backstage, and I found out about thermoplastic when I had to make masks. I LOVE thermoplastic! It's like this plastic stuff, only, when you heat it, it gets very flexible and floppy. Then, when it dries, it stays hard in whatever form you put it in. Then you can always undo whatever you made by heating it again. It's self-adhesive (meaning if you heat two pieces and put them together, they'll stick when they dry), and you can paint/glue/whatever on them.
I'm using this to form the automail, then paint and put resin on it. Or something like that.

Oops. I usually never tell my secrets 'till I'm done... :wink:

[Saitou]

Thermoplastic, eh?  I'll have to look into that!  Thanks ^__^  Some friends of mine were actually thinking vacuum-molding.  (to be honest, they won't stop talking about it and it's getting a bit tiring now XD)  I'm not sure how well vacuum-molding would work though.

[hellangel]

yeah, that'll work, too. it's hard to find thermoplastic now because they stopped selling it in stores, I think- it used to be sold like fabric by the yard....

[Saitou]

Well, darn... Wonder if it's available to order online...

[hellangel]

yeah, it is.

[Saitou]

awesome  :D  *goes look it up*

[hellangel]

i've already had:

http://www.art.csulb.edu:16080/StudioTalk/archives/original/fyi.html
http://www.dazian.com/cgi-bin/page.pl?action=show_style&style_id=337
http://www.artstuf.com/THERMOPLASTICS.html
http://www.runlite.com/varaform/index.html
http://spike.pnta.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=POS&Category_Code=PS
http://mainstage.com/default.asp?id=42

it's kind of expensive...

[Saitou]

damn, you're good!  *saves links* thanks!

[hellangel]

welcome. I always do my character/materials research ^__^

[Saitou]

We've never had to do anything like armor before ^__^  The most extreme thing I've made was probably my 6ft spatula for Ukyo...  and our Ed's biggest project was probably Hikaru's (Angelic Layer) headband thing complete with the dangly bulb ends...  we were going to put LEDs in them so they light up XD

[hellangel]

I've never made armor before, either, I've just been figuring out how to for a while. While plexi-glass may be a wonderful thing, I'd like to see what else I can use before I mess with that ^^"

[Saitou]

My only regret is they hardly have any pictures of the stuff on those web sites...  but it doesn't sound that hard to use.  

I don't think I'd even bother with plexi-glass...  Thought about making Clover wings with it once, but the designs didn't pan out.

[hellangel]

for automail designs:
http://home.earthlink.net/~hagaren_pictures1/id4.html

good fiberglass tuturials:
http://www.paper-wings.org/tutorials/index.html

[Saitou]

Boy, you really are prepared O_o  I can't wait to see what you end up with!

[hellangel]

it's kind of sad, but that's what I surf the net for...^^"

[Saitou]

Not sad at all  :D   You were very helpful, I appreciate it.  w00t for cosplaying obsession!

[hellangel]

lol ^__^ feel free to IM/email/PM me anytime  :)

[Saitou]

Alright, thanks!

[hellangel]

wow, this thread has become "popular"

is anyone going to be Hughes? my little brother wants a picture of a Hughes cosplayer with Alicia/picture of Alicia. how cute.

[Saitou]

Don't know a Hughes, but met a good one at Anime Expo.  Here you go:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/Wiccat/pics/IMAG0029.jpg