NamelessThirteenth Posted April 8, 2017 Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 Before I begin, this is not a promise, or even a guarantee. Do not chase me up on it or be disappointed if I don't do it in the near future. I am not a cosplayer, but I like owning items from movies or anime (like my Dominator from Psycho-Pass). Even more, I like making them myself. So I was greatly disappointed when I surfed the web and found that no cosplayer had posted the way they made a Shardblade for their cosplays. And so I decided to plan out how to make Shardblades out of foam. Here is the problem: I don't have the tools. Cutting styrofoam isn't very neat with a knife (ragged edges and all) and I need a hot wire slicer. These are not the most easy to find tools, especially when you're a fifteen year old student in Australia, and so I've stooped to make my own slicer. I am going to follow TKOR - find him on youtube - and make his Styro-Slicer. To make it, I have to invest a large amount of money in buying wood etc. and I am not very psyched. But I might. Eventually, and after months of saving up. So, do you think I should do it, and shell out on a Styro-Slicer? Tell me, and if enough people think it is a good idea I will try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calderis he/him Posted April 8, 2017 Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 I think if you need other people to convince you to spend a sum of money on something frivolous, you already know it's a bad idea. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NamelessThirteenth Posted April 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 I feel real bad now, like I took advantage of everyone and wasted their time. sorry everyone. Thanks Calderis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calderis he/him Posted April 8, 2017 Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 3 minutes ago, NamelessThirteenth said: I feel real bad now, like I took advantage of everyone and wasted their time. sorry everyone. Thanks Calderis Wasn't trying to make you feel bad. Just saying that you probably already know the answer. Everyone is guilty of trying to talk themselves into something they want even when they know better. Everyone. Don't feel bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NamelessThirteenth Posted April 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 Iknow man, I know. Thats okay. I wasn't accusing you or anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NamelessThirteenth Posted April 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2017 Hey can I change my display name in any way? It looks bad in my opinion coz the H is on the second line Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pagerunner he/him Posted April 9, 2017 Report Share Posted April 9, 2017 Have you tried heating a knife the old-fashioned way and making repeated short cuts? It wouldn't be as quick or easy as an actual hot-wire-cutter, but it might still be able to give you a clean edge. Just make sure you have a way to insulate the handle so as not to burn yourself, and obviously sufficient ventilation. In a similar vein, a wood-burning tool might also be able to get the job done, as long as your styrofoam isn't too thick. I've only used a hot wire cutter once, and it was a while ago, but it wasn't really cutting the styrofoam, it was just straight-up melting it. What's the biggest expense towards building your own? I don't expect it would be the wood itself; you're just making a frame to hold a wire straight, scrap wood should work fine if you know anyone else at all who's doing any sort of woodworking. I'd expect it to be the heating element on the wire itself that will cause you problems; what's the price range you're looking at for those materials? If you find a cheap appliance with a thin heating element (like a toaster), you might be able to dissasemble it, straighten out the heating elements, and use that for the functional part of your cutter. It all depends on how haphazard you're allowed to be. (Disclaimer, I'm not much of a tinkerer, so I'm just throwing stuff out here. I can't vouch that disassembling and reassembling a toaster would be safe. If you start down this road, please do some more research on the subject.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farnsworth Posted April 9, 2017 Report Share Posted April 9, 2017 I don't know what you guys are talking about. This idea sounds awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistform Posted April 9, 2017 Report Share Posted April 9, 2017 (edited) As someone who has done cosplays, I would recommend using insulation foam instead of styrofoam as it can be sanded. It is also sturdy as I have made Sango's giant boomerang (from Inuyasha). Insulation foam can be cut with an exacto knife (scoring then snapping is best if you want a straight edge, but cutting and sanding is fine). One thing to note is that hotglue will melt it, so don't use it (unless it is the night before a con and you don't care ) . If you want to make Shardplate, I would recommend Worbla (it is a mix of plasticy stuff and sawdust) but it is much more expensive (but makes great armour). Edited April 9, 2017 by Mistform glue advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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