#katsucosplaycollaborative

Okay, I meant to post this yesterday, but whatever. Alright, for me I really didn't need more than one reference photo for my axe and none for my knives, but I have a very mechanical and visual mind, So depending on the person you may need more or less help on creating your pattern.

Materials: Foam core, Quick-dry tacky glue, paint, Modge podge.

Tools: Exacto knife or a scroll saw (if you have access to a scroll saw I highly suggest using this, I've worked heavily with foamcore since I was nine, building scale robots. The scroll saw cut the cutting time in more than in half, and I was still cutting for an hour), Sand paper or belt sander (There are pros and cons to both, belt sanders are a lot quicker, but lack what sanding by hand has in precision.) (if sanding by hand have a fine grit and a course grit on hand, The fine grit really just makes a better surface for painting) 1: Create an easy to follow pattern on paper and cut it out. Depending on the prop this will obviously vary. At this stage, decide on how many part your prop is going to be in and how easy it will be to cut out. For instance, my axe is actually in two parts, the head and the handle, I made the place that was closer to the handle in the area I cut out in the head for the handle slightly smaller so that it wouldn't fall out. In this case it is most definitely easier to take away foam core than to add it so leave a little extra room in your pattern if you're unsure. This is also the stage that you'll have to figure out how thick you want your prop to be and figure out how many layers you'll need.

2: Cut out pattern and trace it onto foam core. Plot out almost if not ALL your pieces on the foam core. I had a limited supply on hand and couldn't go to the store to get more, so I had to maximize my use of material. 

3: Cut out all the pieces, making sure to separate all the parts you'll use from the trash. 

4: Use rather thick amounts of tacky glue between the layers when you glue them together, it's better to have stuff squish out and wipe it up than not have enough and have the bond break. Don't clamp the foam core layers you really don't need it and it damages the weapon. Wait about 30 min, I waited about 45 to be safe.

5: Sand down where ever is needed, if you have to make an angle like the one on my axe head, use a hacksaw. I really can't help a lot on this step, it's more instinct and the shape of the prop that decides how you sand the thing. Foam core is kind of like wood when it comes to sanding, don't sand up and down the stacked layers, sand along the layers. The foam core has paper encasing the foam and it's not very pretty when the paper gets ripped up. I mean, yeah you can, but avoid it as much as possible.

6: Use a fine grit sanding block or paper all over the prop. You want the surface to be gently roughed up, it make it easier to paint. Painting the smooth outer layer of the stuff doesn't work very well. I made this mistake with the knives and I got the paint on eventually, but it really didn't want to take.

7: Paint your prop however it is supposed to be painted. I weathered mine so it looked authentic, I used a mixture of brushes and dry-brushing-type methods. Do whatever think is right for this.

8: Modge-podge the heck out of it. My props were fine with some visible brush strokes but if you don't want them you can make it really thick on the prop and then hang it up and let it drip off. To me this seems like a waste, It'll work on really small props, like my companion cube necklace (I might post picture of this with my portal costuming post), which was smaller than my hand and only an eighth of an inch thick. I had the thought that a sponge brush might leave less noticeable strokes, but didn't have one to test. If I get a chance to test I'll update, let me know if you figure out how to leave less strokes on the prop.

9: Let your props dry moving them every once and a while to ensure nothing sticks to anything, when it's tacky it'll peel off the paint. Let them dry until they're relatively stiff. One ply layer of the stuff will be firmer than when it started.

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