Cosplay: Full Metal Alchemist, Edward Elric's automail

Materials:     LD45 2mm plastazote foam

                      Hot glue

                      PVA glue
                      Plastidip Aerosol Spray

                      Silver Spray paint

Time taken:  One week

A bit light on pictures, this one, but that's mainly because I cranked it out in a fervour with no thoughts to documenting the process. Not too much of a problem as the process was relatively simple, but it might have given some insight for next time.

Anyway.

I decided to go with the Automail arm as a mean's to test and get to grips with the LD45 Plastazote foam since I'd already made an arm before ( in cardboard and Jesmonite, if you must know. An interesting combination with interesting results ) and with the wealth of tutorials out there to help it seemed like a safe bet that I'd be able to at least produce something.

The process was a relatively simple one, pulled mainly from the previously linked Amethyst Angel guide but with a spot of visual assistance from the Featherlight take. By creating paper templates first from newspaper, then cardstock, I was able to come up with the templates to make the parts to fit me personally.

Once I'd made these templates, the next stage was to use the templates to cut the individual pieces from foam which were then stuck together.with seam lines placed either in areas facing the body ( such as on the bicep ) or in places that would be later covered by larger pieces (such as the grill on the forearm). For more of an idea about how it was done, I'd suggest reading up on the Amethyst Angel tutorial. The main variation between my version and hers is that mine was finished by coating the foam in layers of PVA, before moving on to give it multiple coats of spray applied Plastidip and finishing it with coats of silver spray paint.

On the whole, I'd say the process is a relatively simple one, the biggest annoyances were in the labour intensive parts (mainly the fingers) or in the actual manipulaton of the materials ( the shoulder covering pieces, despite extended periods of being held into shape only hold a vague version of the curve I'd like them to.

On the whole, for a second attempt with new materials, I'd say it's not bad, it probably looks better in these pictures then it does in real life, but I'm beginning to realise that good photography is part of the art of good prop and costume production. Besides, I'm about to undo all my good work in your minds eye as we look at what we've learned from making it.

First up: Pores

Now this is probably one of my biggest gripes with regards to plastazote foam. Due to it's nature as a foam it is an incredibly porous material and as such it'll drink paint up like there's no tomorrow. Unprimed plastazote is next to impossible to paint without destroying your paint reserves. The piece pictured above ( in fact, the whole set ) was given multiple coatings of PVA glue, plastidip and paint and as you can see, up close the pores are still visible. I applied the PVA with a brush, but I've been told that a better technique is to actually work the PVA in with your fingers, a much more labour intensive task and considering how long the brush application took, I think if I'm to use Plastazote again an alternative coating method may need investigating.

It all comes undone where it all comes together.

Secondly, as I'm sure you can see I made an absolute hash on the joins between layers. This isn't too much of a crisis since when the arm is being worn no one will be able to see these joins unless they're getting way too up in your grill but it's still not very nice at all. fortunately the top grill-piece overhangs the edges to hde them, but a solution isn't obvious.

One idea may be cutting another piece of foam to lay over the mutliple layers, but the extra 'bulk' that would add could become problematic and take away from the design. I can't imagine any sort of tape would serve well either without being as equally conspicuous.

The dangers of an overenthusiastic glue-gun

Now, this is more of a problem on my side, than anything else and hopefully one that can be overcome by practice and technique. The large gash you can see in the centre there is where I peeled away a large wad of hot glue that had settled on the foam. Hot glue is great for joining foam, but the downside it that it's next to impossible to remove when applied accidentally.

As well as that, if you look at the edge between the covering plate and the main body off the arm you can see lots of nasty bits of glue poking out. This is the result of using to much glue to stick pieces down so it leaks out along the edges. As I mentioned it's impossible to remove without damaging the foam and seems far too rubbery in nature to be remove cleanly by sanding.

Plastidip excess

Another problem encountered here caused by a mix of overenthusiam and a lack of familiarity with the materials is that plasti-dip, much like regular spray paint, needs to be applied in many, extremely thin coats fot the best effect. it also pools in valley joins and will run, causing these marks.

And finally we have this. I'm not entirely sure what caused this but I've got the suspicion that it came about by using too much spray paint in one coat, causing the excess to run or spraying a foam piece that was still moist from the previous stages.

So, in summary, what have we learned?

1. Thin plastazote foam is surprisingly difficult to cut with a craft knife and I don't know what I insist on doing so, scissors seem to produce a better curve, but once you got a rought edge the only option is to keep cutting it down as sanding thin Plastazote isn't a realistic option
2. Thin coats of both paint and plastidip given more than sufficient time to dry. Avoid causing excess to run resulting in either pocks, trickle marks or discolouration
3. Easy on the glue, ensure a thin, even spread.
4. Plastazote does not care how many times you coat it. Either I should go for more coatings of plastidip, find another material to work with or find a more effective method of coating it.
5. Patience. Patience.

All in all, it's not a terrible piece, it'd be more than passable at a convention and as my first time I'm not to hung up about its flaws, it could definately be better, but there's definately worse.