Help on what to practice with

[Jayster]

I bought myself some 8mm foam and am looking for something to practice making before I get into building my Mark VI + Bruteshot, 8mm is too thick for armor from what I've read so I made a bit of a mistake there, but this is what I have to work with. Originally I planned to make an energy sword to practice circular handle stuff, angle cutting, and working with large/longer areas (the blade), but the pepakura file I found is for papercraft, not foam and its handle is split into many pieces rather than one that loops in a circle. Are there any other good weapons to practice with to get the hang of cosplay-making?

 

[PlanetAlexander]

I think 8mm works for armour, it just depends on which part of the armour. If you want a simple Halo prop to test your foamsmithing skills with, perhaps try for a Magnum pistol. Small in size, with a few beveled parts, and details too.

 

[TurboCharizard]

I use 10mm-12mm on armour parts all the time too PlanetAlexander

A great practice piece if you're looking at starting armour is something easy like knees or boots and work your way towards something that's more difficult and considered a "centerpiece". Doing it this way still gets you progress towards a finished suit while also practicing the methods of armour construction which are a bit different than for props (different considerations for weight, flexibility, reinforcement and construction).

 

[indigoD0g]

Experiment with a few techniques, build up that foundation! A lot of different armor parts use the same techniques to get the effect you want, so try out a few methods on some practice foam pieces. I recommend trying the following:

• Beveled edges
• V cuts
• Straight lines
• Cuts holding the blade at various angles
• Curved cuts
• Scoring foam
• Cutting out circles / rectangles

Once you get these down (I'm sure I'm missing some), try applying them to the props others have mentioned. Work on small pieces at a time, and if you mess up, that's ok! It's always great to learn by figuring out what doesn't work.