Saber Forum

I've been intrigued by Worbla for a while, and after hearing how easy it was to work with, I thought "Well, I can do easy things!" and after viewing online tutorials and Star Wars armour, decided to make gauntlets for a Star Wars costume I was making for an upcoming Convention. I've never made any armour before, nor worked with thermoplastics, so it was fun to try something new.

I based them on the 'Valiant Jedi' armour set from the SWTOR online game:
(http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r668/Ebonstar7/First%20armour%20build%20-%20gauntlet/Screenshot_2014-04-03_15_10_19_044212_zpsafedf0d7.jpg?t=1399001292)

(http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r668/Ebonstar7/First%20armour%20build%20-%20gauntlet/Screenshot_2014-04-03_15_10_06_935247_zps2512b29f.jpg?t=1399001381)

I made a template of my arm out of masking tape and Seran wrap, and sandwiched a layer of regular craft foam between two layers of Worbla. Once the details were on, I Spackled & sanded the piece, then painted and weathered them with acrylic paint. I then used shoe glue to adhere them to VERY cheap black gloves, since the glue is designed for objects that will need to flex. Here are some progress shots, as well as me wearing the finished product:
(http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r668/Ebonstar7/First%20armour%20build%20-%20gauntlet/a765e61e-66a2-4a13-93cc-2306897dd201_zpsf47214bc.jpg?t=1399001299)
The basic gauntlet shape

(http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r668/Ebonstar7/First%20armour%20build%20-%20gauntlet/IMG_20140408_221351_zps2ba3d089.jpg?t=1399001299)
Adding the details

(http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r668/Ebonstar7/First%20armour%20build%20-%20gauntlet/IMG_20140501_194811_zps00211ea9.jpg?t=1399003256)
Action shot!

(http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r668/Ebonstar7/First%20armour%20build%20-%20gauntlet/IMG_20140501_195908_zpsba7b2c8b.jpg?t=1399003248)
An attempt at weathering

(http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r668/Ebonstar7/First%20armour%20build%20-%20gauntlet/IMG_20140501_195750_zpsf3827b3c.jpg)
Killing the carpet - a very important step

(http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r668/Ebonstar7/First%20armour%20build%20-%20gauntlet/IMG_20140501_201342_zpse679a34c.jpg)
Gauntlets!

(http://i1361.photobucket.com/albums/r668/Ebonstar7/First%20armour%20build%20-%20gauntlet/IMG_20140501_201331_zps63de65d7.jpg)

All in all, I'm quite happy with how they turned out, although I'd like them to look more machined - the finish isn't as smooth, and the edges not as precise as I'd like. I figure that'll come with practice - everything has a learning curve right? :)

Very nice ... You just introduced me to that stuff worbla.

Have you considered dying he gloves or adding any accents to those - maybe a knuckle guard of some sort

Very nice! have a point!

I agree, some kind of accent on the gloves would probably finish them off nicely :)

great build, a point to you. I just might forget about replacing the dump tank on my vacuum molder and work with that stuff.

Thanks :) That knuckle guard is a great idea! Alternatively, I could make the accent piece that's on the hand portion of the Valiant Jedi gauntlets.... I'll have to think about that :D

I think I'll replace the gloves soon as well, when I find some nicer ones.

Thanks! By the way, your Jedi Robe? Super awesome... and, if you're still thinking about making shoulder armour for it, it might be worth considering Worbla - it'd be quite light weight and would form the shape quite easily. It might be difficult to get, though - but it's a great product!

thankyou, I am very pleased with the way it came out :) I've actually got the shoulder armour made I just never got it finished off :) not actually much left to do, I've just gotta adjust them a little.

yeah, that's the problem- products like that are quite expensive/ hard to get here. If I could get hold of some cheap enough id be prepared to give it a go though.

Nice. To me the gloves work for some reason.

Your gauntlets look awesome! Awesome job, especially considering it was your first ever attempt. Point!!

Wow, absolutely amazing work, ESPECIALLY for a first time build.  Point!

(And - YAY - more ladies in here!  I feel like I have found a treasure when I discover another fellow chickadee in these forums.)

(ps there's a gals only thread for us chicks in the off topic section if you are interested)

Wow. Those look awesome!

Ooh, thanks for the heads up!  I will have to go look for that.  Point!

Thanks! I don't know much about vacuum forming, but the results are amazing - although I have to admit that the process, and equipment required, seems daunting. In contrast, I like how you only need a heat gun for Worbla - although its nubbly texture is a definite down-side. I saw a couple troopers with vacuum-formed armour a couple weeks ago, and they looked like they just walked off the set of one of the movies - it was fantastic :)

Thanks! I was going for the general look of Stormtrooper armour, with the black fabric underneath the armour pieces.

LOL!!  :D ( "Carpet must DIE!" )

An attractive girl wearing Star wars themed Gauntlets?!?! There's something very Uber about that! Nice job!  ;D Point +1

Lol, the carpet had it coming :)

Amazing job I would love to be able to do something like this did you use any tutorials. That's a point from me  :)

Exelent work I love the weathering job you did. Keep it up I'll stay on the look out for any of your future projects.

These look really good! Nice job! :)

OH....
MY....
GOD.....

Those as freaking AWESOME!!!

I am in awe. Nice job. Point well earned.

Nicely done. I have the armour set you based those off on one of my TOR characters. :)

I think you can totally do it!!! The 'try something easy first' approach worked for me. I started off small - I have a twi'lek costume which could use an upgrade to a better head-dress, and considered using Worbla for it, but ultimately decided to pick something less complicated for my first foray into using Worbla/making armour.

I found these tutorials the most helpful, but simply searching 'worbla armour' in Youtube will most likely be just as helpful to you:
http://www.youtube.com/user/IXIserenityIXI (http://www.youtube.com/user/IXIserenityIXI) This is the channel of a person in the UK who has a great set of videos, starting from the basic properties of Worbla, and also includes pattern making and shots of her making more complicated things. She also showed you what NOT to do - she deliberately burned a piece of Worbla so you can tell what that looks like without doing it yourself. I found that very helpful :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNFfwxgKsKg#ws (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNFfwxgKsKg#ws) This shows how to make a simple pauldron using the 'sandwich' method. I found this helpful to actually see a project from start to finish, although admittedly it doesn't include the pattern making or painting stages, so it's not EXACTLY start to finish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7gMIAIBSGY#ws (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7gMIAIBSGY#ws)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5_8ySWIqEI# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5_8ySWIqEI#) These two are also interesting, as the person gives basic info about the material, and takes you through the process of making something using a different method from the other links - she uses molds. She also shows how to finish off the product; I haven't yet found another video that shows this step. HOWEVER, when I tried the spackle/sanding myself, I was completely unprepared for
a) the amount of dust produced
b) the harm you do your throat and lungs when you breath the dust in (it isn't permanent or anything - I was fine after a day or so).
If you're going the spackle/sanding route, I recommend doing it where the dust won't be a problem, and wearing a mask.

And finally, this is the channel of Kamui, who is AMAZING and has won costuming awards all over the world (I believe):
http://www.youtube.com/user/Mogrymillian (http://www.youtube.com/user/Mogrymillian)

Let me know if you decide to try it out, or if I can be any help :D

Thanks! I was sort of making it up as I go along, and turning unintentional divots and things into blaster marks etc.

Thanks for the help I have subscribed to those channels and hopefully will try something in the near future. That's another point from me  ;)

No problem!!! Please be sure to post anything you end up making, I'd love to see it!

First off, amazing work for being a novice and thanks for introducing me to this wonder material, you mention quoted above that Worbla leaves a bumpy surface, can you sand it smooth? Can you provide some links to tutorials on how to use it and links to where to get it? Thanks! Have a bunch of points!

Thanks!

To make it smooth, you can cover the finished piece with a thin layer of spackle, then sand it smooth. I've had difficulty with this method, probably because I haven't done a lot of sanding before; I'm on the look-out for another way to get that smooth finish, but haven't found one yet.

If you scroll up to the post I made yesterday at 5:22, you'll see a list of links to tutorials on Youtube. This one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5_8ySWIqEI# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5_8ySWIqEI#) covers the spackle/sanding process, but be sure to allow for all the dust created by the sanding!

Let me know if there's anything you'd like to know that isn't covered there - I've just started using the material myself, but would be happy to help you out if I can :D

I purchased the Worbla from Dani's Cosplay Supplies (www.cosplaysupplies.com (http://www.cosplaysupplies.com)), but depending on where you live, there might be a better place for you to purchase.

You should also check out alternatives to Worbla - one of its main benefits, being pliable at relatively low temperatures, can also backfire on you; I've heard that a finished piece can start losing its shape if it's been out in the hot sun for a while. That said, I haven't had that problem myself.

You can also look into Sintra (I haven't used it so this is just from research I did, and not from first hand experience). By all accounts, it's a similar product but is smooth, unable to make complex curves, and requires a higher temperature to become activated. Because of this, it's more durable and resistant to hot/humid weather. It's also available in different thicknesses.

I decided that because Worbla was comparatively easy to use, I'd experiment with Worbla first, and am quite happy with it so far. It also seems more forgiving than Sintra, but since I haven't worked with Sintra myself, I can't tell you for sure if that's true or not.

There are other products as well, Wonderflex for one; if you're interested in that, I'd suggest checking youtube for info/tutorials. My basic understanding about that is it's like Worbla, but has a fabric layer in the middle of it.

Anyway, hope this helps, and please upload pics of what you make!

Worlba is one of the most versatile, amazing materials ever. I use it in the cosplay art class that I teach at my school.

With worbla, I'll coat it in bondo or DAP then sand it after. Then prime it, then repaint.

Have you thought about putting parts on the backs of the fingers?

Awesome, thanks for the alternates to spackle - I'll try them out!!!

Does your class have a website where I can see past works? I'd find that very helpful :)

Yes, that'd finish it off well. Thanks!

it's an art class in a middle school so no website alas. It's new this year. Looooots of worlba, i'll see if i can get some pics for you of student work.

Middle school - wow, I'd have loved a class like that when I was in school :)

Thanks!!! I'm totally looking forward to it!

Here is some work by the kiddos.

(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e71/whitmers/WP_20140512_08_28_06_Pro_zps14f22c7d.jpg)

They look awesome, that's fantastic!!!

They did wonderful jobs!!!


Thanks for posting :)

Pure awsomness especially when you can get the kids invalved in making there own costumes with amazing materials like worbla.

Great work! One of the reasons I love this forum is all the fantastic ideas people have. Now I have a new material to play with :). And awesome effort for first try.

They all look so great! Nice job to you all.