DP Thomas Helmet [Part 2 - Filling, sanding, etc...]

Now, to continue where we left off...

We don't have Bondo in the UK but Isopon is basically the exact same as far as I know. It's a right pain to sand, so after the first pass I decided to start using Polyfilla (which is water-soluble, fine if it gets on your skin and has no fumes).

After sanding, then after priming...

I then cut out the visor and earholes so I could improve their shapes and warp the overall shape of the helmet a bit.

The bottom half didn't quite line up with the top and the visor opening wasn't completely even, so I drilled holes and pulled the helmet into shape with string and bent some old rulers with heat to sort of clamp the top and bottom visor bits.

To make it keep that shape, I gave the inside a couple more coats of fiberglass. The 'sideburns' between the visor and ears got even more... they're over 1cm thick.
I wanted to figure out the size of the inner visor at this point, so I made a template and cut it out from PETG. I punched the LED guides through too and got some of the holes drilled, but doing it by hand (even with a drill press) is really inaccurate. I think I might get it laser cut if not done with a laser-guided drill press.

A lot of filling and sanding was done, and will be done... This is it so far. Because of school I haven't had much time to work on any of my personal projects.

DP Thomas Helmet [Part 1 - Papercraft, Resin and Fibreglass]

Before I knew it, I was falling into robot hell... Those shiny buckets are way too cool not to make.
I decided to go for the papercraft+fiberglass+resin+bondo method a lot of people use for cosplay helmets.

I started exactly a year ago (complete coincidence) with a papercraft base, pattern courtesy of Dung0Beetle. I'd done a lot of papercraft when I was younger, so I had the experience but was rather out of practice ;o;

I cut some cardboard pieces to correct and reinforce the shape during the resin coat.

I decided to use polyester resin since it was the most available, but it also meant the fumes were far from healthy... Since this was being done during the stormy mess that Scotland is during winter, I had to do it in the loft and keep the roof hatch open overnight.

After curing...

 I put it on my desk lamp to take some photos and accidentally got some very artful shots by illuminating the inside 'o'

Fiberglass time. It must have around 4 layers I think... a few extra around some more fragile parts. 

This post is getting pretty long, I'll continue it in another.

Megalovania vs Harder Better Faster Stronger (Undertale|Daft Punk)

Ayy. Hadn't seen anyone else do this, so I went ahead and did it. The number of plays and notes it already has is overwhelming... and motivating. ;o;
I might as well see if any other Undertale tracks go nicely with Daft Punk ones. Death by Glamour definitely needs a mix.

Ezio cosplay progress - Robes and glove

(All of these Ezio progress posts are retrospective. I started work on this after summer in 2013 and it's been a slow process ever since.)

Ezio's robes are detailed, layered and all manner of other difficult and time-consuming things. I studied them for a long time, figuring out what goes on what layer and how it would all be worn in the end. Again, I used Mueldex's patterns as a base and modified them as I saw fit.

I mocked them up at first with old bedsheets and scrap fabric, altering them along the way to make them as accurate as possible. Once I'd decided that they looked good, I traced them onto thick fabric and tried them on.

  I'm still in the process of refining, hemming and sewing them together. The hood is something that needs a lot of work too... it's really hard to get the shape right and is something that every AC cosplayer knows the pain of (′︿‵｡)


The glove on Ezio's right hand was something I was considering buying, but I couldn't find anything fitting or reasonably priced. So I made my own.

I got an old leather glove, undid the stitching and used the pieces as a pattern. Just to make sure it would fit, and to practice how I would sew it, I made a mockup of it with some spare interfacing.

I only had just enough nice leather to fit all the pieces on, so I had to be careful...

I marked out the holes with a white gel pen and punched them with a seam ripper and a hole piercing thing.

Progress shots...

By now, the only thing left to sew is the outer edge that runs along the pinky.Then I've got to get more leather and make the big cuff.

Ezio cosplay progress - Pauldron

(All of these Ezio progress posts are retrospective. I started work on this after summer in 2013 and it's been a slow process ever since.)

The pauldron pattern was also modified from one of Mueldex's. I decided to go with the design seen in AC2's official art, since the in-game default one was pretty plain.

In-game model

Official art

I used official art, screenshots, the XNALara model, the statue and Fevereon's build as reference for the general shape and engraved patterns. I drew the details on paper and cleaned them up in PS. I only drew one half of the top pattern; it was symmetrical at first but I warped it so it would fit the shape of the pauldron when it was layed out. I then traced it onto some thicker tracing paper and layed it on top of the top pauldron layer, using a ball point roller to engrave it into the leather.

I did as much as I could with ball points and a DS stylus... I used water to soften the leather so the tooling would stay there. However, as the water dried I could see how much I'd actually done to the leather. You can see in the bottom right picture how different it looks when it's wet.

This was the most I could do using pure elbow grease.

I then got my rotary tool and passed over all the patterns plenty of times with a range of bits so they were visibly deep. I also engraved the lines which would split the pauldron into sections.

I made a quick paper pattern for the padding and cut the pieces out of thick piles of scrap fabric, loosely stitching them so they wouldn't fall apart.

 I actually didn't end up using the two end pieces since they made the pauldron too thick to sew and would get in the way of rivets. 
Here are the sections half sewn and the edges still open... I sewed the middle line first and carefully repositioned and clamped the layers each time I had to sew a new line so the layers would line up as nicely as possible.

No more progress photos after this, but I sewed the edges together, dyed the whole thing lightly, dyed the patterns darker so they'd stand out more, passed over it with leather finish, added the rivets and ring things and it was done!
Here it is with the cape too, which is fake suede and red fabric.