first halo costume i have some questions

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fla12

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i am currently designing and sketching a design for my first halo costume but i had some questions.
1. what is a good way to bond eva foam or other foams, ive generally only combined parts with interlocking parts and light hot glue
2. where do i get a visor for a helmet and how would one put it into a helmet
3. is what is a good material for the armor, i figured eva foam would be good but i dont know if its different with a full thing
 
Welcome to the 405th fla12 ! To answer questions one and three, foam is still a good material choice for a whole suit of armour - it's lightweight and soft making it comfortable to wear. Many people here make foam armour. Other popular methods also include 3D printing and pepakura. A great method of adhesion is contact cement - just make sure you've got a respirator and ventilation. Super glue is nifty for small pieces too.

For your second question, it'll come down to the visor. Some people on Etsy sell visors for Halo helmets. Otherwise, you might be looking to get it vacuuformed and coated in a one-way reflective coating. I've not done one yet so it's not my area of specialty.
 
Welcome to the 405th fla12 ! To answer questions one and three, foam is still a good material choice for a whole suit of armour - it's lightweight and soft making it comfortable to wear. Many people here make foam armour. Other popular methods also include 3D printing and pepakura. A great method of adhesion is contact cement - just make sure you've got a respirator and ventilation. Super glue is nifty for small pieces too.

For your second question, it'll come down to the visor. Some people on Etsy sell visors for Halo helmets. Otherwise, you might be looking to get it vacuuformed and coated in a one-way reflective coating. I've not done one yet so it's not my area of specialty.
thank you i will keep that in mind
 
Hey fla12, my ODST suit was made entirely from EVA foam, and it was my first ever cosplay project. Of all the materials for armor making, I'd say it's the most beginner friendly.

Contact cement is definitely the way to go. I made mine with hot glue, which is quicker and easier. But you have to be careful with temperature. With hot glue, leaving your armor in a hot car is a no no, even leaving it sitting in the sun on a hot day can result in some popped seams.

So go with contact cement, and you won't have that problem.
 
100% glueing the foam together use contact cement, hot glue is a pain to use for that as I found you don't get as nice of seams and have to do more filling.
Visors if you can't vacuum form one to the size I have used motor cycle visors and used a bandsaw to cut it to shape I need and then can use hot glue or an epoxy glue to glue it in place.
Foam is a good material to use, depends on where you live but as an Aussie I just go into an outdoor store or bunnings and buy the floor interlocking foam mats.
 
i am currently designing and sketching a design for my first halo costume but i had some questions.
1. what is a good way to bond eva foam or other foams, ive generally only combined parts with interlocking parts and light hot glue
2. where do i get a visor for a helmet and how would one put it into a helmet
3. is what is a good material for the armor, i figured eva foam would be good but i dont know if its different with a full thing
Welcome to the 405th and the hobby! All these questions have a bit of a nuanced response and it depends on preference of the builder so here's generally my preferred methods.
  1. I have less patience for letting adhesives sit and prep so I avoid contact cement usually and focus more on bonding edges with a CA glue and then backfilling the seam on the inside of the armour with a high temperature hot glue.
  2. Unless you get an off the shelf helmet that has a matching visor or a helmet that has a visor that's a single curve then you're going to need to form, dye and chrome one for a good effect. This is the process that I use most frequently. Complex Form Visors Done Cheap
  3. Hoo boy, this is a doozey of a question. Yes, EVA is a good choice. Is it the best choice though? Not always. EVA has good flexibility but lacks rigidity which can limit your choices on some approaches later when it comes to finishing the costume. Hybrid materials and using the strengths and limiting the weaknesses in key parts is the approach to go for. Think foam for areas of motion and pinch points. Printed and cast pieces for things that are multiples, high detail or need to keep their shape.
 
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