Buff, NY Working with Worbla

How Kamui Cosplay attaches d rings!!

The white material is Wonderflex. I recently acquired a small sheet. I look forward to trying this!

 

I used this method for attaching D rings on my revan.

Wonderflex and worbla are almost the same exact material except for wonderflex has an inlayed mesh into the plastic. For is great for the purpose of attaching D rings and the like for that extra bit of durability with the added mesh. It can be done with just worbla but it can be pulled through, which one of my D rings did. With some doubling up the worbla will work just fine.

Now I want to play with my worbla!

 

I have this crazy notion to create something new!!!! And not Star Wars. Hmmmm.....

 

Wonder Woman!

 

Shhhhhhhh........!!!!!!!!!!!

lol!

 

Worbla is amazing. In under an hour, I created a very basic "Book of the Dead" prop for James' costume.

Then tonight, I worked on a little something for myself... And it is turning out beautifully!

 

That looks great! Just made Riley's peregrine falcon mask with worbla. How did I live without this stuff?!

 

Some Worbla FAQ from Kmaui Cosplay's website. This might be helpful for 1st time users.

 

Where did you get the Worbla and how much does it cost. I'm thinking about a Mandaloian/Boba Fett costume.

 

supplier websites listed on page 2- there are 2 suppliers I have used- prices vary

 

Here is a nice, quick tutorial for a mask. []http://katanapen.wordpress.com/2013/10/30/worbla-halloween-mask/]

 

Question - Would the D-rings as shown above work and be acceptable? or would velcro be better you think? I did a test sample of velcro today and it sticks well to the worbla.
I just would need to figure out how to attach it to the flack vest, and that would be less forgiving I feel, but allow more options.
Just curious if anyone feels one method may be superior to the other or not.

 

I am using d rings in my current project and feel they are the most secure. AJ 's Boba armor attaches to the vest using snaps which are effective as well. Some people do not like Velcro but if attached correctly, it can be very effective. It depends on your personal preference I would say. I'm not sure how well you could get Velcro to attach to the Worbla. It would seem to me it would pull of after time. Snaps and stings can be "built in" using either the Worbla itself or even Wonderflex.

PLEASE NOTE: velcro doe snot stick very well on painted surfaces. It may adhere but will come right off when pulled.

 

After seeing your work close up I am quite impressed...

 

Thanks, Gil!! I plan on starting a Wonder Woman build thread to show how it was all done. I will finish this costume and it will be amazing!!!

 

A great step by step using WORBLA LINK

 

Awesome LOKI crown using WORBLA!!! LINK -

 

I used Velcro to attach my hand haired to my gloves. It works and it stays together but its not the best. I used hot glue and if it is pulled hard the Velcro will come off. The reason being I was trying to melt it all together. Maybe an epoxy would work better? I dunno. Trial and error there.

 

About ready to dig in and get my worbla on LOL

 

What will you be working on specifically? Will you be working on it at the workshop Sunday ?

 

Thank goodness for good weather!!! I delayed sanding until I could get outside!

 

Have I mentioned to you how much I love working with WORBLA? I tried some different priming techniques with my MANDO armor. I used WOOD GLUE as recommended by several blogs. My pros/coms comments, based on my experience, are as follows:

PROS for WOOD GLUE as a WORBLA primer:
Wood glue is thicker than GESSO, requires fewer coats (can use 2, maybe 3 depending on the look), it dries to a smooth finish if applied carefully and requires minimal sanding. It was great to use as a filler for seams and joints as it, again, is thicker than GESSO. MOST Wood glue is sand able. Wood glue is also considerably cheaper than GESSO.

CONS for WOOD GLUE as a WORBLA primer:
Because it is so much thicker than GESSO, you have to be careful to avoid paint lines and drips. It is easy to apply too thick and, although it looks fine at first, will run and drip. There is a considerable amount of "shrinkage" when it dries so multiple layers are required if using to fill seams and joints.
And my BIGGEST CON for using wood glue is, that it is not forging with movement and will crack. Worbla is a forgiving material and will move and bend a little depending on the form, shape, and attachment of the piece. Wood glue on worbla will chip RIGHT OFF at the area of bending/movement. For example, my knee darts for my MANDO costume was primed with Wood Glue. The piece was formed with curves to fit around my knee somewhat, requires the piece to stretch as I put it on. As I went to attach them to my leg, the wood glue cracked on both sides where the bending occurred. I know have battle damage to that site. The same thing happened to my chest plate.

PROS for GESSO as a WORBLA primer:
It is thin and can be applied easily and quickly, it dries quickly, and can be sanded to a smooth, shiny finish. Gesso is forgiving and will not chip with movement. Although it requires multiple layers, they can be applied quite quickly.


CONS for GESSO as a WORBLA primer:
It is more expensive than WOOD GLUE although it goes a long way. It requires multiple layers, for a smooth shiny finish for Sensei's armor, I applied around 15 coats. Once all of the layers are on, it requires a fair amount of sanding. I have done all my sanding by hand which I prefer so there is more control.

I used wood glue then gesso for my Mando armor, only gesso for wonder woman (about 10 layers) and Sensei's Mando armor (about 15 or so).
I will now only use GESSO for priming. the flaking and chipping, and time it takes to apply, just will not work for me. I know a lot of COSPLAYERs use Wood glue, overall I think it depends on the project. If you have a piece that will not "give" at all (move or bend), the wood glue would be great. i like my armor to be a little more forgiving.

I hope this helps!

 

Yup! It's official. Wood glue for priming Worbla is inadequate. I found a huge chip in my armor. I will be priming with GESSO from now on.

 

Call it "battle damage". Looks authentic.

 

Heat gun on sale @ harbor freight for $12.99 1500 watts ...multiple heat settings