trash can vs sintra

So I've been pouring over the old threads and I am torn on this issue. Having never seen either set of armor in person I am having a hard time judging which is better. I am looking to do my armor as cheaply as possible and fabricate as much as I can within reason.

I watched an armor tutorial a fellow Denter made (was it Seeker I think?) and it was a great tutorial but I don't have a master to use to shape the armor and it seems like the trash can armor looks just fine.

What are the cons of trash can armor compared to sintra? I imagine that in the end sintra produces better armor but I can't really see a difference in the photos on the forum here.

Thanks for the help!
-Dan
 
Trash cans can't have their shape changed for the most part. They are also less likely to take glue, therefore making snaps near impossible. Sintra is a foamcore, so like PVC it is very easy to shape, very easy to work with, and is probably also cheaper than a trash can.

Sintra is also millions of times easier to cut, it holds glue and paint very well, plus it is extremely durable.
 
Aside from the glue and paint issues (for argument's sake)...

The trash can armor seems to already have the correct curves in the plastic. I'm not sure how to shape sintra. I don't have a mold/master like I saw in the tutorial video. I understand the concept of heating it up...but then what? The trash can seems to already have that part figured out, no?
 
Trash can has "basic shape," but I have never seen a suit of trash can armour to have good shape.

Sintra has an extremely low melting point, so you can form sintra extremely easily in boiling water. It also cools very quickly, so just heat it up, shape it, and let it cool.
 
What I do, is I put my vest on, and take the piece of sintra and shape it over my chest. however, you can just shape it by hand.
 
Buy the trash can and the sintra. Use the trash can to get the curves you wanted, then return the trash can. Tada, best of both! lol
 
Yep heat and use your own body to form. I use a kerosene space heater to heat sintra use. Only takes a couple minutes, just set it on top of the cage for a little bit, then its ready to form.
 
Sintra all the way!

You can easily heat it in the oven at about 80 degrees centigrade and shape it by hand after about 5-10 minutes.

Use a heatgun to finetune and make dents.

Easy as pie!
 
I've been thinking about the whole shaping Sintra, and I have an idea. I'm going to go to my local Wallyworld and get a trashcan and transfer the schematics for the armor pieces on to it. I'm going to then get 1 or 3mm Sintra and get the pieces cut out. I'll then heat the pieces and press them onto the trashcan so I can shape them; the trashcan will be the mold. Has anyone else tried this?
 
I've been thinking about the whole shaping Sintra, and I have an idea. I'm going to go to my local Wallyworld and get a trashcan and transfer the schematics for the armor pieces on to it. I'm going to then get 1 or 3mm Sintra and get the pieces cut out. I'll then heat the pieces and press them onto the trashcan so I can shape them; the trashcan will be the mold. Has anyone else tried this?

Little slow on the draw Terrek ;)

See below...from a few posts up the thread:

Buy the trash can and the sintra. Use the trash can to get the curves you wanted, then return the trash can. Tada, best of both! lol
 
Where do you get sintra from? Or where is a "good/reliable" place to get it from?

I've been debating the same here to make my fiance' a female Fett costume and want to do it cheap since she could care less about quality and all that good stuff.

Sintra is sounding better (I was just going to use a trash can, done it before for extras in a movie for a Fett scene) now for sure especially if it's cheaper.

I already have all the templates and a heat gun...
 
Check out the phone book for Plastic Suppliers. Sintra is a foamcore though, so they won't know what you're talking about if you call it a plastic.
 
the generic name for sintra (sintra's a name brand like kleenex) is pvcx foamboard. you can usually get it in 1mm, 3mm and 6mmm or thicker thicknesses. i think for boba plates, 3mm would be perfect. i use 6mm on mine, it's a little more work to get it shaped and cut but it's doeable and it's a much heavier looking plate of armor. but, i thnk it would be much to thick for a screen accurate boba.

i recently built 2 sets of armor for my children with trashcans. its really not that hard to work with and i found it easier to cut then even 3mm sintra. with sintra i've always used cuttinf wheels on a rotary tool. with trashcan, you can cut it with scissors. i use a heat gun to shape either type. 3mm sintra is the easiest and fastest to heat and shape, 6mm is a bear and trashcan can heat to the point it burns you before it becomes as pliable as sintra. however, if you heat the front and back of the trashcan for about 10 seconds each with a heat gun, you can mold it easily, it just takes a little more man power than the sintra does. bu since the curves are subtle, you can do it without making bend creases pretty easily.

i would think putting te dents in the sintra would be much easier than the trashcan. as for costs... you need roughly a 4'x8' sheet of sintra to do a full set of armor, maybe slightly less with a boba armor. a 4'x8' usually runs $30.00 give or take a couple bucks. 1 large white plastic trashcan for $10.00 would do the job for a boba set. but, i would think the extra money on the sintra would be a wise investment for building an accurate set.

generally, it's easier to get the sintra from a sign shop than a plastic retailer/wholesaler as it's primary use is for making signs not for what most plastics would be needed for. if you can't find a local source, san diego plastics (you can google for there exact web addess) has sintra sheets in a variety of colors. in the 3mm, it runs about $35.00 for a 4'x8' sheet. they do ship however, i don't know what the costs would be. you can also find sintra on ebay from time to time. it's usually precut into 2'x2' sheets and its sold per sheet. by the time you figure 4' x 8' worth of 2x2 squares, it's usually abot $40.00. shipping is generally fairly low through those sellers that ive seen.

good luck! cant wait to see what you do.
 
This thread is more than 15 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.
Back
Top