Armor Material

Scarecrow

New Hunter
Hello everyone.
Im new to this whole costuming thing and have some questions about my Boba Fett armor.

First-what is the best material to use for my armor?
Second-what is the cheapest material to use for my armor?
Third-how do I construct my helmet?

If you can answer any of the above please do so.

Thank You,
Scarecrow
 
I'm new here, but I have spent a lot of time reading through FAQs and posts, which I highly recommend.

The "best material" question is something a lot of the old timers here have probably seen a lot. It's similar to the "what is the best car" question. It depends on your budget and what you want to do. It also depends on what you are trying to build (ie, helmets vs gauntlets vs backpacks). The most common materials on a budget are Foamboard (aka, Sintra), which is available online or at local signage shops. It is basically just a thin plastic sheet. You want to use 3mm or 6mm, depending on what you are wanting to build. 3mm appears to be the most common. (You wont find it at Lowes or Home Depot).

Some people have had success with sheet plastic from a trashcan. I have never seen this, but my guess is that this would not be very rigid and I am concerned about the paint flaking off over time. For more money, you can buy pieces and parts from dealers who use vac-formed plastic or fiberglass. If you want to go all out, you can use aluminum sheets, but this is more difficult to do and you have to dull the edges or you will cut yourself or others.

Here is a link to a technique for bending the Sintra: (You can also put it in an oven)
http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/f32/foam-board-bending-technique-38132/

You might be able to get Sintra scraps from a sign shop for free if you ask.

Construction is relatively straight forward. Several members have created templates and posted them in stickys within the forums. There is a massive collection made by a man named Wizard of Flight (WoF). You download the PDFs and scale the print job based on your height/ body type. There are helmet templates available too.

For me, I am starting off with the templates cut into some white posterboard so I can then tweak the templates a little bit. My goal is to build a set of custom Mando armor that specifically fits me and the "look" I am interested in. Once I nail down the techniques, I intend to build a proper Boba and Jango Fett costume. Using the white posterboard to begin with is a cheap way to tweak the templates and work out any issues before I commit to the Sintra.

A lot of people are specifically interested in "Movie accurate" armor. For me, it's the Mandalorian culture from the novels that I always found interesting, which is why I am starting off with a custom set. As my skills grow, I will then move towards something that is movie accurate.

Check out the Stickys and FAQ. It will save you a lot of time... then just start wading through the forum posts and read what appeals to you. My guess is that people approach this as you would building a house... they go in distinct phases. There is no "Step by Step" guide for the entire procedure from beginning to end that I have found yet, but there are a LOT of Step by Steps for individual pieces (Helmet, gauntlets, armor, packs, etc).

Take pics of your build as you move through it. Good luck!
 
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