Make: Props and Costume Armor : Create Realistic Science Fiction and Fantasy Weapons, Armor, and Accessories

Have you been trying to think of a way to conquer your local comic convention through cosplay? Do you gaze with envious eyes upon the fan-made suits of armored awesomeness strolling around every year on Halloween? Do you have a spot on your wall, bookshelf, or desk that desperately needs to be filled with a screen-accurate replica of your favorite science-fiction or fantasy weapon? If so, look no further. We've got just the book for you!

In this book, master prop maker Shawn Thorsson uses his unique blend of humor and insight to turn years of painful experience into detailed explanations. He'll show you many of the tools, methods, and processes that you can use to create professional-looking science fiction and fantasy props and armor. The ultimate collision of creative imagination and practical maker skills, making props and costume armor involves sculpting, molding, casting, 3D printing, CNC fabrication, painting, and countless other techniques and technologies.

In this book, you'll learn:

Basic fabrication methods using inexpensive, commonly-available tools and materials

Simple, low-cost methods to make foam armor out of easy-to-find foam mats

How to use the popular Pepakura software to build 3D models with paper

Multiple molding and casting techniques

How to build a "vacuforming" machine to make armor from plastic sheet stock

Painting and weathering techniques that will bring your props to life

Just enough safety advice to keep you from losing body parts along the way

Whether you're just a beginner or a seasoned builder with countless projects behind you, this book is sure to be an invaluable addition to your workshop library.

Shawn Thorsson is the founder of Thorsson & Associates Workshop. A lifelong tinkerer, he learned at a very young age that the best way to have the coolest toys is often to make them yourself. A hopeless Halloween addict and fan of all things science fiction and fantasy, Shawn's hobby of building prop and costume pieces for his own collection has long since gotten out of control. He now spends his days immersed in his workshop for countless hours turning whatever he can find into pure, concentrated awesome. Shawn and his props and armor have become a major attraction at the annual Bay Area Maker Faire. Today, his workshop regularly produces props, costumes, and set pieces for films, convention appearances, and collectors.