In the early days of COSPLAY, everyone made their own props. The first reason is that there is no one to do it, and the second reason is that I feel very loving. For most props, they can be customized, and mass production can be purchased directly from the spot. In fact, I personally prefer to make my own props. Not to mention the level of self-control, but I will cherish the props I have spent a lot of energy on, and will not easily change hands or throw them away. After all, they are my own treasures. Of course, I'm not saying you can't use it second-hand. Second-hand is also a mode of resource reuse. However, the props have not yet reached their own hands, and they have not been photographed on stage, and they have already been pre-sold and used. Personally, I don't like this kind of thing.
There are many materials that first appeared in the production of props, and the most popular ones should be cardboard and wood. Getting up early to make props is actually linked to hand-made when I was a child. We cut paper, then fold paper, and then use the earliest ordinary glue or transparent glue as the earliest props, and use watercolor and other basic pigments, such as watercolor pens, such as poster colors, painting, and so on. If you add a pipe to make a fixed structure, and it is 2 meters or something, it is really brilliant now.
Later, with the development of comics, the modeling difficulty of props began to increase, and it was not enough to just remove a few pieces of cardboard, and three-dimensional effects began to appear. So everyone thought of the omnipotent master: carpentry.
Woodworking technology should be regarded as a relatively mature technology in the overall prop technology, not limited to COS field, but introduced from other mature technologies. Woodworking furniture production is stable for a long time. However, the woodworking path has some defects: 1, which requires certain operating tools, not ordinary art knives, and so on. 2. Need some technical training. Mature carpenters generally have many years of experience before they can continue carving after machine cutting. 3. It is difficult to grasp the quality grade of wood. Generally, the wood which is cheap and light in weight and convenient to be used as a weapon is usually soft, and pine is commonly used, but it is brittle and easy to break, especially at a fixed stress point. A 1 m weapon made of relatively strong wood usually weighs several kilograms, which is not only difficult to transport, but also difficult for COSER in general and girls in particular. 4. It takes a long time to find a mature carpenter to understand animation patterns, and then make props and use machine tools. And then hand-carved, the price is relatively high. Therefore, in the field of COS props production, woodworking props are not widely used.
However, there are better ways to make woodworking props. Woodworkers can usually find them in the surrounding furniture and building materials markets. If the shape is simple and no special props are needed, you can go to a carpenter to cut the white with a machine, and then come back to color and add details. This is a very good choice for the initial COSER. Because it is not only cheap, but also very beneficial to grasp and distinguish the structure of props. Of course, this is more suitable for making weapons with simple shapes, such as small daggers, knives, swords and so on. Friendly reminder, it's best to draw your own exploded view of weapons, so it's not easy to make mistakes. And it is best not to do it across regions, because the waste rate of wood in the mailing process is high.
Secondly, talk about the FRP props that are often used for high-end customization in props customization. First of all, there is a misunderstanding here. People often think that FRP and resin props are two different things. But specifically, it is half right and half wrong.
Baidu explained two kinds:
Glass fiber reinforced plastic (FRP), also known as GRP, is a fiber reinforced plastic, which generally refers to the matrix of glass fiber reinforced unsaturated polyester, epoxy resin and phenolic resin. Reinforced plastics with glass fiber or its products as reinforcing materials are called glass fiber reinforced plastics or glass fiber reinforced plastics. Because of the different types of resins used, they are called polyester FRP, epoxy FRP and phenolic FRP. Light and hard, non-conductive, high mechanical strength, less recycling and corrosion resistance. It can replace steel to make machine parts and automobile and ship shells.
resin
Definition of scientific and technological terms
Chinese name:
resin
English name:
resin
Definition:
(1) Synthetic solid medium. Generally, polystyrene is used as matrix, which can be used as cation exchanger after being modified with sulfonic acid group or carboxyl group; When it has primary amine or quaternary amine group, it can be used as anion exchanger. (2) A natural solid or semi-solid amorphous water-insoluble substance, usually a plant exudate, such as turpentine.
Simply put, resin is a very, very big category. And glass fiber reinforced plastic is just some resin and glass fiber to increase the strength of the store.
However, the essence of the two is technically not much different from that of ordinary COSER.
Let's talk about the characteristics of this material: 1, beautiful appearance and high reduction. As far as the overall effect is concerned, it is the best among several commonly used materials at present. 2. It is difficult to start, and you need to have certain professional sculpture ability. It is best to have systematic training and be equipped with certain mechanical equipment. 3. The cost is high. In the process of mold turnover, except the price of resin itself is higher than other materials, gypsum used in mold can not be reused, which is a great waste. Silicone mold, the cost is very high. Moulds made of metal or other materials can only be made in large factories. 4. The pollution is serious. First of all, they are all chemical raw materials, which are harmful to the human body itself. Secondly, it will produce a lot of odor and dust in the production process, which is harmful to human body if inhaled. Moreover, due to the working environment, special studios are generally needed, otherwise it will definitely cause great damage to accommodation and endanger health. 5, the price of individual customization is very high, but the price of mass production will be very cheap. For example, the very popular Final Fantasy Zero Outline Badge and so on. 6. After adding glass fiber, the strength is high, and the external force it can bear is relatively large, which is convenient for storage and transportation.
PVC board It is also considered to be a more popular prop material in the market at present. PVC is actually a vinyl polymer, and its material is an amorphous material. In practical use, stabilizers, lubricants, processing AIDS, pigments, impact agents and other additives are often added to PVC materials. Non-flammable, high strength and weather resistance.
Chemical and excellent geometric stability. PVC has strong resistance to oxidants, reductants and strong acids. However, it can be corroded by concentrated oxidizing acids such as concentrated sulfuric acid and concentrated nitric acid, and is not suitable for contact with aromatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated hydrocarbons. In addition, the word human vs computer in the game is abbreviated as PVC, and PVC humanoid is often abbreviated as PVC.
The PVC plates we usually see are usually large white plates with various thicknesses, which often appear in advertising companies and are often used as raw materials for advertising design and graphic production. Generally, both sides are smooth and can be directly colored, which is an ideal material for making props. We usually see PVC plates, some of which are solid, some of which are hard on both sides, and there is generally a layer of soft material similar to foam in the middle. This material is not corrosion-resistant, but it can greatly reduce the weight of PVC material.
The smooth surface of PVC is corrosion-resistant and can be bonded with corrosive glue such as 502. It can be thermoplastic and form a certain curved surface. After reaching a certain thickness, a certain strength can be guaranteed ~ Generally speaking, the thicker the thickness, the higher the strength.
The advantages of PVC are: 1, compared with resin wood and so on. , much cheaper. It is a relatively low-priced material. 2. Within a certain thickness range, shapes and patterns can be cut with a common art knife, which is convenient to operate. 3, chemical products, you can use 502 and other common glue for bonding modeling, tools are more common. 4. In the production process, a large number of mechanized tools or electric machinery are not completely needed, and it can be operated in a small range without producing a lot of garbage. 5, the taste is relatively small, the irritation is small, and the harm to the human body is small. However, there are some disadvantages: 1, the hardness is relatively high, although it can be cut, it is laborious and requires a certain degree of proficiency and strength, which makes it slightly difficult for girls to operate, especially for thick plates. 2. Compared with EVA, the price is much higher. 3. The plate is large, difficult to transport, unable to be folded and extruded, thick and heavy, thin and brittle. Personal operation is difficult. 4. If there is a foam layer in the middle, you need to pay attention to problems such as glue coating and take protective measures in advance, otherwise it will be easily corroded.
The PVC I'm talking about here is just a common one, but the structural classification of this material itself is also very complicated, so I won't go into details one by one. At the same time, similar materials such as ABS can also be classified.
Finally, I want to talk about EVA, our most common and widely used material at present.
Chemical Chinese name: ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer chemical English name: ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer English abbreviation: EVA technical specification code: 13 14CasNo. : 24937-78-8 molecular formula: (C2H4)x.(C4H6O2)y molecular weight: 20000.
trait
Water resistance: closed-cell structure, no water absorption, moisture resistance and good water resistance.
Corrosion resistance: resistant to chemicals such as seawater, grease, acid and alkali, antibacterial, nontoxic, tasteless and pollution-free.
Machinability: no joint, easy to hot press, cut, glue, bond and other processing.
Anti-vibration: high elasticity and tension resistance, high toughness, good shock resistance and cushioning performance.
Heat insulation: excellent heat insulation, heat preservation, cold resistance and low temperature performance, and can resist cold and exposure.
Sound insulation: closed hole, good sound insulation effect.
Most people choose to buy EVA in the market, usually the hardware and building materials market or the shoe material market. Because the EVA needed for props is actually an industrial raw material. However, although this kind of raw material is widely used, we usually can't buy it in many cities. What is more common is the state of some basic semi-finished products. Therefore, when COSER needs to buy, it is usually the principle of proximity, and what can be bought is what it looks like. Taobao began to develop in the later period, resulting in a large number of online shopping. So everyone started buying through Taobao.
In the market, because the main supply demand is not aimed at COSER, the quality of EVA is uneven and cannot be completely unified. Usually this batch is particularly soft, and the next batch is particularly hard. Some are white, some are yellow and some are black. Everyone has also honed out, adapted to all kinds, and will conduct inventory on a small scale. Do whatever you buy, one is helpless, and the other is not understanding the essential difference.
Among them, I went to the south and ran to the north, visited Jiangnan and went to the west, and got a little understanding of EVA in various places. Basically, black is hard, and white is rare, especially soft and thin. Mainly grayish yellow, the heavier the gray, the more obvious the gap pit above, and the more men fill it. Size is not uniform, ranging from 2 square meters to 2 square meters. 5 square meters each, and some are sold by square meters. The price, size, hardness, specifications and quality are not uniform throughout the country. In other words, there is no unity in the COS circle.
The color of EVA is actually mainly caused by additives in post-production. Can be made into various colors. COS generally uses black and white. Usually, the feeling of black is hard and the feeling of white is soft. This is because carbon is added to black in the production process under the same hardness. This is not obvious before 60 degree EVA. Almost black and white EVA have the same hardness under the same conditions. As for EVA above 60 degrees, it is white in time, not particularly white. Because of the high hardness, recycled materials will be added in the production process, resulting in an increase in impurity content!
Is EVA bought by the roll or by the piece? EVA is divided into coil and sheet, which is the reason for the different specifications. Relatively speaking, under the same area, the utilization rate of coiled material is higher. However, the processing of coil is not suitable for all EVA. EVA below 60 degrees can be made into coiled material because of its low hardness. 60 degrees and above, because of its high hardness, especially after it is thick, it can't be rolled up at all and can only be made into sheets. Because you can't get past the machine!
Just mentioned a concept, the word degree. What we are talking about here is hardness, not density. This is a basic measure in EVA production. In general, the hardness of EVA is between 20 and 80. I mean, normally. The softest EVA will be as soft as cloth and as hard as brick, close to the hardness of PVC. For example, the sponge paper made by children is the EVA with the lowest hardness. The middle layer is the bottom of the slippers we usually wear. A little harder, just some platform shoes.
Because hardness produces a fixed standard, it produces a relative price standard of EVA under the same area and thickness. Therefore, in the case of the same area and thickness, EVA is basically priced by its own hardness standard. The lower the degree, the cheaper the price, and the higher the degree, the more expensive it is. So you don't have to compare the 38-degree material with the 70-degree material of the same 1 square meter EVA, which can be tens of dollars worse ~ so don't be sold by black-hearted businessmen with low-degree materials as high-degree materials!
EVA itself is a foaming product. Therefore, it has a foaming level. For the test of surface smoothness caused by foaming, pore size in average area and raw material content, EVA is divided into quality grades. Generally, it is rarely seen in the market, and it is smooth and almost void-free, and it is Grade A. In the market, occasionally, you will see a small pit around 1-2 mm, which is Grade B. As for what is often seen in the market, it is Grade C. And there are all kinds of big holes or uneven thickness above 1 cm on a board, so don't ask me what grade it is. Maybe, maybe, defective. None of the quality inspectors paid their salaries that day. Because of the gap, this is a physical situation. The bigger the gap, the faster the glue is absorbed, so relatively speaking, if 502 is also coated, the adhesion of material C is the best, and material A takes a few more seconds. This is because the surface gap is small, the absorbed glue is small, and there is no way to completely contact with the air to volatilize. So there is a trick, the glue is poured just right, and a thin layer is the fastest, but if it is poured too much, it won't stick.
The size of EVA, generally the length and width of EVA are fixed, but there is no fixed standard in each factory. Usually, in order to distinguish different kinds of EVA, factories will dig pools of different sizes, so the sizes are not uniform. This is to facilitate identification and storage management. Under the same circumstances, the usable area of large EVA will be higher, but it will also cause problems such as transportation and storage difficulties, which need to be considered comprehensively. But for people who make props, this effect seems to be small.
As for the thickness of EVA, it is also determined by the thickness of the EVA foaming pool itself. Usually the thickness will reach about 45 cm. Therefore, the thickness above 10 mm in the general market can also be customized in the factory. Sliced by machine. But the minimum is generally not less than 1, 5 mm. Although there is indeed a unit of 1 mm, it is usually about 1.5 mm because of the error and precision of machine cutting. As for COS props, anything from 2 mm to 10 mm can also be satisfied.
Here are some EVA related to props.
Usually armor props are made. If the shape is simple but needs thickness support, please choose about 5 mm at 60.
If you make a pattern, you can choose a softer one, about 45 degrees and 3 mm, which is convenient to use.
When making some weapon blades, it is suggested to use a bevel of 60-70 degrees above 5 mm, which is convenient for cutting the bevel and does not go out of shape.
It is recommended to use 38-45 materials to make some accessories armor on clothes, because if the hardness is too high, the weight will be a little heavy, it will hang on clothes and be deformed.
Make some small accessories, such as earphone hairpins. It is also recommended to use EVA with low degree, but try to choose material A, which is light and does not burden scalp and cervical vertebrae, and on the other hand, it has good coloring effect.
For the parts with high requirements for surface smoothness and coloring, it is recommended to use grade A EVA, which not only greatly reduces the time required for joint filling, but also is almost one-third of that of grade B and one-tenth of that of grade C ... and the surface coloring effect is also very good ~
At the same time, if you choose EVA with higher hardness, such as 70, it will be more difficult to make a curved surface, because of its own hardness problem, it will lead to difficult deformation and easy rebound, so you need to do heat treatment plasticity first!
Some friends who often polish the EVA surface with material C use propylene to fill the joint, because it dries faster and thicker, but it is easy to dry and crack, and the cost is higher. White latex can be used for the treatment of material B and material A, and PS should not be environmentally friendly. Try to choose white, sticky and thick ones. Experiments show that material A can brush white latex once, and material B needs 2-3 times. But if you brush it for more than 3 times, the difference between material A and material B is not obvious.
In short, all kinds of props have their own advantages and disadvantages. For Kenzo, EVA is recommended. For hair clips, it is recommended to use commonly used manual materials such as tin foil and plastic.
Hope to adopt ~ have fun ~