WIP Mjolnir Mk VI Armor (First build!)

[Archerish]

I'm working on a full set of Mjolnir Mk VI armor for an upcoming expo in August (hopefully it's not cancelled!)
This is my first time working with foam, I've never done prop-making before so I'm a complete newbie.

I've just finished gluing the pieces together for the forearms of my armor! Some of the angles were really tricky but I think I did an okay job.
(Sorry for awful picture quality)

I've also finished the shins, which aren't a lot neater than the forearms, lol (I still have yet to add some details to these)

I'm about to start working on the thigh pieces next. I'm using foam mats and hot glue to stick the pieces together.
The only thing I'm not entirely sure about it is what I'm going to use to fill in the seams, but I'll figure that out when I get to it. Any advice is welcome

 

[Bariox416]

It looks great! Keep up the good work. To fill the seams you could use bondo maybe? I'm kinda new too but I used it for my old foam projects. But maybe there's something better than that.

 

[Archerish]

It looks great! Keep up the good work. To fill the seams you could use bondo maybe? I'm kinda new too but I used it for my old foam projects. But maybe there's something better than that.

Thanks! Bondo's a good idea, although I've heard that it cracks pretty easily so I'm trying to find something more flexible. I'm thinking about using Caulk Kwik Seal, although It's not sandable like Bondo is.

 

[he4thbar]

Thanks! Bondo's a good idea, although I've heard that it cracks pretty easily so I'm trying to find something more flexible. I'm thinking about using Caulk Kwik Seal, although It's not sandable like Bondo is.

kwik seal is king. i vouch for it.

 

[CMYKey]

kwik seal is king. i vouch for it.

+1. It's cheap, and it'll last you a long time because you don't need to use much. To get the best result, you'll wanna sand your seams a bit first so that the two pieces are as flush as possible. It will also shrink a bit after drying, so doing a couple applications is a good idea. This is a great video to watch to see how it works and how to apply it effectively. Note that it dries clear, which kinda threw me off when I first used it, because it looked like the seam was still there. But once you prime/paint, it'll be gone. You can even just run your finger over it and feel that it's smooth.

 

[xXDashIVXx]

I would not use bondo on a seam such as this one because the foam may flex and either crack the bondo, show through, fall out, or damage the final paint job on top of it. Bondo is too stiff to work for foam, but sometimes you can make it work. I like woodland scenics foam putty for areas that wont flex. Kwick seal works great, but is sometimes hard to work with and isnt sanded very well. Foam clay works great for deep gaps, but doesnt work great when spread thin.

 

[Archerish]

Here are some more WIP photos:

<-- Thigh piece finally finished!

<-- WIP pieces + finished pieces

I'd say I'm getting better with making cleaner pieces, but some of the seams definitely need fixing. Still need to sand down some edges with a dremel, too.
I'll be building the right thigh piece next, wish me luck!

 

[Sean Anwalt]

Luck is for those who hope they can win by accident! Take skill, my friend.

...But also good luck. (I'm not a monster.)

 

[Nob1e Actua1]

When it comes to a sealant I highly recommend either plasidip or mod podge

 

[he4thbar]

When it comes to a sealant I highly recommend either plasidip or mod podge

or leak seal, more expensive, but it is sandable.

 

[Archerish]

When it comes to a sealant I highly recommend either plasidip or mod podge

I'm probably going to go with plastidip, it seems like the most popular and I can find it pretty easily online. I'm just wondering, how easily does it peel off? Also, do you need to prime the foam with anything before you spray it with plastidip?

 

[FloodHunter]

I'm probably going to go with plastidip, it seems like the most popular and I can find it pretty easily online. I'm just wondering, how easily does it peel off? Also, do you need to prime the foam with anything before you spray it with plastidip?

You should heat seal foam with heat gun before and if you don't intentionally start scraping it off with nails you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[xXDashIVXx]

I'm probably going to go with plastidip, it seems like the most popular and I can find it pretty easily online. I'm just wondering, how easily does it peel off? Also, do you need to prime the foam with anything before you spray it with plastidip?

Before using plasti dip, hit the foam with a heat gun. this will smooth the foam out, seal the pores, and make the foam less absorbent towards the paint. You do not need to apply anything onto the foam before the plasti dip, as plasti dip is basically a sealant and primer. As for how easy it peels, I think it is very difficult. You shouldn't have to worry about it coming off, but if your can is defective and you want to remove it, it won't be easy. It is similar to a rubber cutting, so you would have to take a knife and cut through it, and attempt to slowly peel it off the foam. I had this happen to me once, and it did such a good job at staying on that it actually tore chunks out of the foam. Just pass it off as battledamage

 

[GarrisonHoard]

Your foam work for a first time looks really good! did you bevel your edges? as far as sealing seams I remember everybody saying just more hot glue but that method is probably really old.

Can anybody expand on the kwik seal caulk?

 

[xXDashIVXx]

Your foam work for a first time looks really good! did you bevel your edges? as far as sealing seams I remember everybody saying just more hot glue but that method is probably really old.

Can anybody expand on the kwik seal caulk?

Everyone has their own methods and preferences of dealing with seams. I am not a huge fan of quickseal, but it works and I know alot of people that love it. Basically you apply a small amount to the seam and use water and your finger/putty knife to cover the seam as best you can and let it dry. It remains flexible and that should be all you need to do. I like woodland scenics foam putty for smaller gaps that may need sanding, but this stuff doesn't work well in areas that will flex, and foam clay for large gaps. However, foam clay doesn't work well when spread super thin

 

[GarrisonHoard]

Everyone has their own methods and preferences of dealing with seams. I am not a huge fan of quickseal, but it works and I know alot of people that love it. Basically you apply a small amount to the seam and use water and your finger/putty knife to cover the seam as best you can and let it dry. It remains flexible and that should be all you need to do. I like woodland scenics foam putty for smaller gaps that may need sanding, but this stuff doesn't work well in areas that will flex, and foam clay for large gaps. However, foam clay doesn't work well when spread super thin

So basically its the same method for sealing gaps between tile and sink back splashes?

 

[CMYKey]

Your foam work for a first time looks really good! did you bevel your edges? as far as sealing seams I remember everybody saying just more hot glue but that method is probably really old.

Can anybody expand on the kwik seal caulk?

I like to refer to this video for getting the most out of kwik seal. You'll get the best result if you sand your seams a bit before applying so that they're as flush as possible. I think it works pretty good for seams and smaller gaps, but not so much for holes or bigger blemishes.

 

[Archerish]

Your foam work for a first time looks really good! did you bevel your edges? as far as sealing seams I remember everybody saying just more hot glue but that method is probably really old.

Can anybody expand on the kwik seal caulk?

Thanks! I haven't beveled the outside edges yet, but I'm planning on doing it later on. Still working on putting the pieces together at the moment

 

[Archerish]

I like to refer to this video for getting the most out of kwik seal. You'll get the best result if you sand your seams a bit before applying so that they're as flush as possible. I think it works pretty good for seams and smaller gaps, but not so much for holes or bigger blemishes.

Seems like Kwik Seal is the way to go, and I'll see if foam putty works for larger gaps.

 

[TurboCharizard]

Seems like Kwik Seal is the way to go, and I'll see if foam putty works for larger gaps.

Foam Putty is good for small gaps (anything less than 5mm) and for larger gaps you'll want something a bit more substantial like Foam Clay. Another option is pull the old TurboCharizard cheap route and use some of your foam scraps from building, cut an appropriate sized wedge, press it into the gap and once the glue is set sand everything smooth.