I finished all of the sewing a month ago, and the helmet was finished at the start of the month.... I'm running out of pieces to make for this suit!😅 One of the few things left on the to-do list are Daredevil's various hardware/armour plates.
In this update, therefore, I'll be tackling the armour pieces that sit on the sides and the tops of the shoulders!
In this update, therefore, I'll be tackling the armour pieces that sit on the sides and the tops of the shoulders!
I spent a lot of time thinking about how I was going to recreate these parts of the suit. I originally thought about using thermoplastics (Worbla, for example) that I could cut the pieces out of and heat form, but I wanted something slightly more flexible so that it wouldn't affect my freedom of movement in the suit. I then thought of using silicone rubber: it's cheaper than Worbla, flexible and comes in a "red oxide" colour that's an almost perfect match for the hard armour on the suit. Unfortunately, the entire world is on lockdown at the moment so it's pretty much impossible to have new materials delivered.
Therefore, in the interests of getting this suit finished anytime soon, I decided to use craft foam (because that's pretty much the only material I have access to) with the promise that I could always upgrade my cosplay in the future. First step: templates!
I had already sketched out the basic shapes of the armour when drawing my patterns for the fabric costume, so I just needed to add the details.
Next, I transferred my templates onto 2mm craft foam (1 layer for the top pieces and 2 for the thicker side armour) and cut them out, etching the details with a hobby knife. I then cut the appropriate holes in each piece for the hexagon nuts to be added (which I thankfully ordered way back at the beginning of this build so no need to wait for delivery times!)
Therefore, in the interests of getting this suit finished anytime soon, I decided to use craft foam (because that's pretty much the only material I have access to) with the promise that I could always upgrade my cosplay in the future. First step: templates!
I had already sketched out the basic shapes of the armour when drawing my patterns for the fabric costume, so I just needed to add the details.
Next, I transferred my templates onto 2mm craft foam (1 layer for the top pieces and 2 for the thicker side armour) and cut them out, etching the details with a hobby knife. I then cut the appropriate holes in each piece for the hexagon nuts to be added (which I thankfully ordered way back at the beginning of this build so no need to wait for delivery times!)
To attach the armour pieces, I used hot glue - primitive, I know, but it will be much easier to remove when I come to upgrade the suit!
Next, in preparation for painting the armour, I sealed the foam with my heat gun. I had to be very careful and take my time with this stage, because too much heat at once would melt the hot glue and cause the armour to start peeling off. I had bought some "Bordeaux red" gloss acrylic paint for another project but it turned out to be more pink than the darker red I was hoping for so it never got used. After mixing it with a little cherry red and gloss black however (just like I did for the helmet), it was a perfect match for the fabric on the rest of the suit!
Finally, I hot glued the M6-sized hexagon nuts into place.
Next, in preparation for painting the armour, I sealed the foam with my heat gun. I had to be very careful and take my time with this stage, because too much heat at once would melt the hot glue and cause the armour to start peeling off. I had bought some "Bordeaux red" gloss acrylic paint for another project but it turned out to be more pink than the darker red I was hoping for so it never got used. After mixing it with a little cherry red and gloss black however (just like I did for the helmet), it was a perfect match for the fabric on the rest of the suit!
Finally, I hot glued the M6-sized hexagon nuts into place.
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