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props panel [east]
caboosewashere
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Registered User new member
did anyone write down the site that has the slideshow from the props panel? accidentally deleted it from my phone.
caboosewashere on
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If anyone is headed to RTX, I'm looking into running a panel on prop making there, so I'd love to know what sort of questions and expectations people have and what you'd all be interested in since it should be a similar audience composition
From Pixels to Props
Bill Doran - Seattle, WA
props.punishedpixels.com
Zander Brandt
Zprops.blogspot.com
Harrison Krix
Volpinprops.blogspot.com
Matt Munson
mattmunson.blogspot.com
Overview
Safety
Starting a Project
Supplies
Tools
Outsourcing
Painting and Finishing
Q&A
Mold making - Needs its own seperate panel. In depth subject that would run 2 hours +
*Safety first
3 things to get - Respirator + Filters ($30 and $15); Gloves; Safety goggles
Cheaper than new lungs!
Starting a Project
*Pick a project
Beginner to Expert level (Link to Batman)
Pick something in your experience level.
Finish something small and get encouraged!
(Or go crazy and make a full suit, but be dedicated)
Easy projects:
Mod/paint a cheap toy (Nerf)
or
Buy a pre-made replica prop kit to assemble and paint
What can you make with the tools you already have:
Will you need to buy new tools?
Budget time and cost; Set a limit
Double your time budget
Collect reference materials - Google image search
Consider contacting the game creators for reference
*Bioware, Robot Entertainment have both helped out before
Sources for reference:
In-engine model viewer
3rd party model rippers
Artbooks
Concept Art webpages
Make 2d Vector blueprints
-Inkscape = Free program
Corel, Adobe Illustrator
Use Kinkos for printing large scale black/white drawings
Relatively cheap!
Use as physical reference
If you are experienced with 3d modelling software - CNC Machines are a possibility
Pepakura/Papercraft
Cheap place to start
aka rapid prototyping for people with less CNC and more origami skills
Supplies
Mix it up - use different materials
Don't get stuck on one material
Different materials are better for different applications, pick the one that works best
MDF/Styrene EVERYWHERE
Acrylic - Great for laser cutting, hard to drill.
PVC Sheet "Sintra" - Don't have to seal. Dense, PVC foam
Cut into panels, attach w/ fiberglass/epoxy
Heat and bend
PVC (Pipe) or electrical conduits
Styrene - Can get at Garage sale signs in a pinch, otherwise order online; score with razors and snap
Vacuumforming - Requires table construction, whole different panl
Model railways/hobby stores sell little plastic things you can use for detailing to save time (ex: details on Volpin's armor
MDF - Carve with scroll saw and dremel; Tough to seal and get nice finish; Cheap and easy to work with; Toxic - use respirator - formaldehyde gas =/= fun
Hardwoods- have to fight grain
EVA "Craft Foam" - heat formed - razor, dremel, sandpaper, heat gun - Cheap
Polystyrene foam - coat in bondo to seal - Polyester resin will dissolve? (These notes might be wrong...I thought Bondo was pretty much polyester resin) Use urethane resin to seal
Expanding foam - Not great to work with, just used to block out big void areas
Florist's foam - Brittle, easy to dent - Bondo doesn't dissolve it - cheap filler
Apoxie Sculpt - refined bondo
Bondo. BONDO EVERYWHERE.
-Pick up in your local auto parts store
Polyester Resin (aka fiberglass resin) - Needs fiberglas cloth or mat underneath it for strength.
-also all at your local auto parts store
-Fiberglass cloth gets everywhere!
-Layer cloth in alternating directions for greatest strength
-Can also chop up and sprinkle cloth bits in
-Can also use Resin/Bondo mixture (aka 'Rondo') for slush casting, etc.
Found items - tiny human skulls, googly eyes / furniture tacks (rivets), make your own christmas ornaments (Balls!)
"Please help me find a tiny human skull for my grenade launcher"
Tools
Time Vs Precision - Cost/benefit
"Fast, cheap, or good. Pick two."
Hand tools to laser electronic fancy doohickeys; same purpose, different precision and speed
Dremel Tool - Most necessary tool
Can use third party
Blades - Exacto and box knife
Coping Saw -> Scroll Saw - > table -> band
Drill and assorted Bits - drill is expensive
Files - cheap and durable
Rulers and T-Square with straight edge - Buy a quality T-square, cheap ones may be warped
-Dialed Caliber to measure inside/outside (analog good enough for hand work)
Design software (aka illustrator, etc. See above notes)
Putty and Fillers - Evercoat, Bondo (EVERYWHERE)
Gloves, sticks, and bands - 2000 count popsicle sticks, rubber bands, latex gloves. Also great for building popsicle cabins.
Adhesives - Epoxy, ?Barge?,
Thistothat.com
Knowledge of how adhesives work together ; "Bondo squish" - using a softer, not super adhesive thing to form a tight little seal and sand down to shape
Sandpaper - Will get worn down and you'll have to replace it. Seriously.
Build new tools with existing ones
=====
Outsourcing - Double check scale/sizes before ordering
Laser cut parts - Ponoko (used by Volpin); Shapeways; Pololu
Do design work in illustrator
3d Printing - Very expensive
Shapeways
i.materialise.com
Example
Blindsquirrelprops.blogspot.com - Mike Iverson
Full helmet = ~$450
Needs precise 3d modelling
**Not meant for wear - use for prototyping and mold
PCB Printing - Build circuit boards
BatchPCB.com
Other resources - not covered in class:
Chroming
Vinyl Decals
CNC milling/Lathe work
Water-jet cut metal
Welding
Pre-build electronics
====
Painting and Finishing
General Practice
Prime it first
Base coats - Lighter colors go on first, then darker, then metallics (tape will take off sparkle)
Decals
Weathering
Weathering coat should not be the same as your base coats (e.g. enamal and acrylic)
Less is more - a little bit of dirt and silver lines can go fine. Going overboard may look odd.
Acrylic, Enamal, Lacquer, Acrylic-Enamal
Certain paints will lift up other paints. - Test everything first for reactions
Filler:
Aluminum powder - Flammable, used in molds
Gloss black paint, sprinkle aluminum, polish
Dust iron filing powder
Vinegar, lemon, hydrogen peroxide and spray on metal. Spray on small children you don't like.
Have respiration in your house
Build a nice rack for painting without having to flip items around.
Texturing - Hammered metal texture paints; patio furniture texture; all ready pre-made in spray cans
Drybrushing - rough bristle brush w/ silver paint to accent edges
Antiquing - Paint a part glossy, go over with a darker color, and use sandpaper - looks like bronze
gold, airbrushed brown, then sanded down to bring out gold
Decals - Printed, vinyl mask (aka stencil mask), vinyl, water slide
Paper towels = Cover with loose coat w/ acrylic paint and wipe off with wet paper towel
Alternative: Spray super close with primer then wipe with rag before it dries, achieves same effect. - One good wipe in one direction
Check out gametavern's youtube channel for an example
Mustard Method - paint over the mustard
Or other food choice
Relish not recommended, no matter what panelists think
Shawn Thorsson - protagonist4hire.blogspot.lcom
Yay, shawn!
Ryan Palser kronosprops.blogspot.com
Driveway and Rocks - Dremel, etc. - Intentional damage looks better, make it perfect then damage it vs trying to pass imperfections as intentional
(Though you can do the latter in pinch, just need to be careful though. See weathering advice)
Pick a good clear cote - Lacquer, Acrylic lacquer, Enamal,
PDF of class
tiny.cc/propmakingguide
=
Questions:
Tips for making realistic body parts/prostehetics - Make a body cast/mold - Sculpt w/ chavant NSP - Mold - Cast in silicone/Urethane or get prefab
Smooth-on
Circuit board design - Check forums, 2 weeks of reading before designing
Prepackaged kits
1 BR apartment in NY city - what to use as space - Get a dropcloth and a box fan for your window - Safety is the main limitations - use non-toxic materials
KANUY cosplay - works out of 1 room apartment
Working w/ metals - Is it viable?
Is it possible to heat a silver base, paint, and sand
Use high grit one sand paper - something that will only wear down a light layer
Super fine steel wool
Learning to weld/grind metal bits - Aluminum - Needs function - Look can be faked very well with plastic - Unless it has to look AND function like metal, just fake it with paint
Helmet - What kind of materials do you use a visor - vacuum forming or cutting motorcycle helmets
Vac form machine - $100 homemade one (toaster oven, drawer railes, MDF, etc.) Don't burn down your house
Check out
Tinting- use chroming material (check Sean's blog)
One wayed mirror acrylic or PET plastic
Instructables.com - tutorials on vacuum forming machine
*Sean Shaw used a reflective chrome spray paint to give it a one way mirrored effect
*405th.com also had a tutorial using airbrush kit and metalic paint....need to look it up again sometim
mustard can stain the paint underneath it - 99% isopropyl alcohol will lift stains off paint, will eventually lift paint in larger amounts - use conditioner, toothpaste, etc.
Marketing information - What is important to know about being competitive in the market - Answer: use what you are most comfortable and can finish in a timely fashion ; Don't start with a new unknown material ; Use what you are experienced with - Deadlines are important; Get good with what you're good at.
Panel idea:
Throw a project out and explain how you would approach it
Example: Catherine Jones Gods/Queens fashions
Excel spreadsheets for estimates - Figure out time/cost for pricing
Answer - Resources in the Boston area for prop makers, Reynolds Adfvanced Materials, etc.
Panel idea:
List local resources
Question: What are the turtle spikey looking bits? - Mold making - Keys for molding
-Plastipaste, fiberglass, etc. Mother mold
Moldmaking question - smooth-on, what type should I use? Choosing the correct plastic - what are recommended products?
TAP Plastics?
Google Matt Munson's youtube channel for - Arkham city grapple gun buil - 1/part and 2/part molds. -
Dragon Skin, Smoothcast
?Oomoo?
Reynolds advanced Materials - Smooth on distributor, ask them what to use, ask tech support. Learn to mold an Oreo cookie!!!!
Hope that helped!
Here's where it leads (warning: PDF)
http://punishedpixels.com/props/files/2012-04-04_PropMakingGuide_V1.pdf
I skimped a little bit on the notes for the keys for a mold. (The turtle things asked about during the panel)
When you mold an object, you cover it in a coat of silicone rubber. This rubber is very pliable and won't hold a shape, but it is excellent for picking up details. To get it to hold a shape, you put 'registration keys' in the mold - protrusions that can be locked onto an outer 'mother mold' that's made of a sturdier material such as fiberglass or plastipaste.
You can find detailed tutorials on how to create molds on Smooth-on's website and in various places on the interwebs.
@caboosewashere Figured it was, with the username.