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RoxyRoo — Shoulder Armor Tutorial
Published: 2009-05-05 01:00:48 +0000 UTC; Views: 136836; Favourites: 2294; Downloads: 0
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Description
EDIT: This tutorial will be featured in 2 Cosplay magazines! 
4th Issue of the Indonesian cosplay magazine called CozMagz www.cozmagz.webs.com/about.htm… Portuguese cosplay e-zine, Cosplayer issuu.com/cosplayer/docs/cospl… MiscCostume Blog: www.miccostumes.com/blog/how-t… Isn't that awesome??? zomg, I'm so excited!!!
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**EDIT: a constant question I get is, "How well does this stuff hold up? Won't it crack or break?" I think this is a rather silly question. Of course clay can crack or break. It's not metal.
Has mine broken yet? No. I made sure to take care of it by securing it to my jacket and packing it well when traveling. Treat it as you would any prop: With care.
As said above, this tutorial can be used for other armor and characters too, not just for Lightning. I'm sure other materials can be used as well, like real clay (if you have access to a real furnace) or paper clay, which air-dries. I chose Scupley cuz I knew how well it held detail, which was important for this prop.
I'll be adding fiber glass on the inside (if I can get ahold of it) to strengthen it so it doesn't break.
Materials:
...1/2 box of white sculpey = $6
...Tin foil = free
...Wire = free
...scotch tape = free
Time: 14hrs (so far)
Finished Pauldron
:thumb251246655: :thumb261611292:
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People who've used my tutorial. 
's armor: catnip23.deviantart.com/art/Li…
's armor: themiddlechild.deviantart.com/…
's armor: fav.me/d2u7rm7
's armor: barista89.deviantart.com/art/L…
's Amano amor: img.photobucket.com/albums/v31…
's armor: fav.me/d3elyo8
's armor: tae-kia.deviantart.com/art/Lin…
's armor: beyondfantasycosplay.deviantar…
Related content
Comments: 420
I would do that in foam instead. EVA foam can be shaped to make a basic curve, you can add the details like the ridges and knobs with craft foam. Plus it's lightweight and can be painted to look convincingly like metal.
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It looks like a cool material, but in the places I go I suspect they don't have it and I usually don't buy through internet because I have to wait for too long and I'm not sure about the provenience.
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I wish you luck achieving this piece of costumery, then. LUCK!
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This could end up being a technique I use for making my Zelda armor, thank you for putting up this tutorial!
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Thank you so much for this tutorial! I am definitely going to need it!
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Thats pretty darn sweet! I gotta ask one question though: did you leave the clay on the base after it was done cooking or did you remove it and wear it that way?
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I removed it, then I painted it, added straps, lights, and then yes, I wore it later on when I debuted the cosplay.
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how sturdy is the scupley??? Can you use it for making swords or would you recommend something else?
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hahaha. XD No. It would be the worst thing ever for a sword. Use wood. Wooden swords have been around for ages, and for good reason. Because it works the best. Trust me.
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This might be a stupid question, but I've never used clay like this before so : How well does the mold do in the oven? The tinfoil I'm sure is no problem, but won't the scotch tape burn? Or the wire for that matter. Again, sorry if it's a completely stupid question, I just don't want to burn my house down ;w;
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The scotch tape did not burn when I did it, but i have no idea if that was a rare case or not. It's safer to just not touch it after you pull it out until it's fully cooled down. Keep an eye on it and don't leave the oven until it's done.
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Hello there! First of all, this is amazing. Thank you for sharing this! Second of all, would you mind if I shared this tutorial with my college anime club's newsletter? I have a lot of members who are interested in learning more about making armor for their cosplays. Your Deviantart name and a link to this page will be posted alongside your tutorial. The club is called Mu Epsilon Kappa and I would appreciate it very much if you would let me share this. If not, that's fine! I got to learn something cool either way. ^^
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I don't see why not. It's been posted on plenty of other sites, with or with out my permission. But you get my permission, because you are nice enough to ask.
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I hope whoever is doing that is at least giving you credit. :< Thank you so much for letting me share this! I'm sure that they'll love it.
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Howdy! I love your tutorial! Too few underestimate the effectiveness of good ol' tin foil and tape for a solid base that forms to the necessary fit.
On a side note, however, I actually have a tip you may wish to try that will increase the strength as well as integrity of the armor itself for additional durability. Instead of using only sculpey for the top covering above your tape (which was an AWESOME idea when I read that. Definitely a face-palm moment for sheer genius) try using Bondo grade fiberglass and resin. It is INCREDIBLY strong, light-weight, and if you use the resin on the outer surface, it can be sanded and spot-puttied smooth to a brilliant finish. Plus, the fiber plastic finish allows for higher quality paint to be applied better, like auto paint!
I hope you find it helpful. I was doing something similar until I experimented with Bondo, which became my primary source for detail. I hope to get a tutorial up soon, but yours is fantastic! I sent a few friends here to check it out. Keep up the great work!
Your friendly neighborhood cosplayer,
Mark
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Please make a tutorial for this, man. Clay is just not gonna cut it for my armor making, as I plan on wearing it often and adventuring in it.
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I actually am working on something now, seeing that there aren't many out there for the various methods that are currently in existence. I hope to have it posted soon, but I'll send you a message in advance when I do.
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Bondo is a great material for armor making. Many of my friends use it regularly, especially for making helmets. However, I have no patience for it. lol. Thank you for checking my tutorial out and for your input!
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Oh, my God. This tutorial is a godsend. Thank you SO much.
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Mwhahahaha I shall use this tutorial for my OC cosplay.YAY!
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I am so glad I found your tutorial. I've probably commented on it before but I'm too lazy to look 
[link]
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I took a look, was impressed, and shared it on my own facebook page. You did fantasticly. Will you seal it with gesso or wood glue?
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Wow, thank you so much!! I am so glad you like it! I've put a couple layers of gesso on so far and I'm thinking I might switch to wood glue. I haven't tried that method yet so I'm excited to give it a whirl. Thank you for taking a look and thanks again for your awesome tutorial. It's the most helpful and accurate one I could find ^o^
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Wood glue takes longer to dry, but on my own trial runs, it works really well.
No problem! it was my pleasure.
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Not clay, Sculpey. It's a polymer type clay.
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boo, i don't think they sell that here.
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Hey, how'd you make the yellow light things on the shoulder?
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Bought them. They're called El Wire. It's the same kind of stuff they used in Tron: Legacy.
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What would be the best way to attach it?
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Poke holes through the armor and attach it with straps to your costume.
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Doesn't the tape melt in the oven? and then stick to the pauldron?
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Nope. Mind didn't, anyways.
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ok, thanks! 
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Believe it or not, I used posterboard and hot glue.
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Hrmmm ok. I'm totally going to use your tutorial by the way. Thank you for everything!
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