Prop help - what material should I use?

[Linkara]

Hello! First post and hopefully someone can provide some assistance with the prop-making problem I'm having.

I'm trying to construct my own version of the old Power Rangers Green Ranger Dragon Dagger. The toy version is fine, but, well, it looks like a toy. I decided to make it my own little BFX project since I'm sure there are cosplayers who would love to be able to have their own, but realistic ones made by professional prop-makers go upwards of $80 and the original toys are hard to find, usually expensive, and may not necessarily be in the best shape.

Now I've been able to find fairly cheap subsitutes for most of the components, the best of which being the cheap PVC tubes for the handle and blade pole... the problem I have is the blade itself.

Originally I was thinking I'd have a cardboard base and then wrap modeling clay around the edges, similar to the plastic/rubber mix in the toy... but it's not working out. I'm not used to working with modeling clay and frankly it's far TOO maleable once it's out of the packaging - trying to shape a solid piece out of it for this went nowhere because I can't keep it smooth and I'll need to eventually fit it around the blade pole to at least determine the minor curves and crevices at the end. I tried the cardboard idea again, but I couldn't keep it consistent across the cardboard and it still didn't look smooth.

So my question is what should I be using to try to create the blade? To give a better idea of what I'm doing, I've attached an image of the current state of the prop as well as the toy dragon dagger that it will hopefully eventually look like. Also, my apologies for the poor lighting and picture quality.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s102/Linkara/PIC_0019.jpg

[srinimadhavan]

How about foamcore or simply using cardboard? it's cheap, light and is probably thin enough. Problem would be keeping it intact if you take it somewhere in a bag with heaps of other things.

Cardboard is you Friend.

[Linkara]

How about foamcore or simply using cardboard? it's cheap, light and is probably thin enough. Problem would be keeping it intact if you take it somewhere in a bag with heaps of other things.

Cardboard is you Friend.
I've considered the straight cardboard angle, but the problem is, as I said, the shape of the pole. It's not clear in the picture, but it comes to a kind of a point with a frosting dispenser cap at the end that's attached to a copper connector that's bulges out and goes back in again. Not to say it's impossible, but it would take some rather precise cutting in the cardboard to make it fit.

[uhrisuh]

I would use Polystyrene. At my school in our props class we use the kind that is blue. But I think that it comes in pink as well. You and carve sand and burn the hell out of this material. I've seen several guns and weapons made out of this stuff look amazing.

If you can't find the thickness you need. You can glue sheets of it together and then shape your item.

You can check out the props section here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/decphotos/). To see some of the things you can do with it.

[Linkara]

I would use Polystyrene. At my school in our props class we use the kind that is blue. But I think that it comes in pink as well. You and carve sand and burn the hell out of this material. I've seen several guns and weapons made out of this stuff look amazing.

If you can't find the thickness you need. You can glue sheets of it together and then shape your item.

You can check out the props section here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/decphotos/). To see some of the things you can do with it.
Impressive props. Where do you get blue or pink polystyrene and how easy is it to work with, especially for an amateur?

[uhrisuh]

You can get the pink stuff at hardware stores like Lowes. It's pretty easy to work with .. but a bit more than you need so you can practice. It usually comes in large sheets so one sheet would probably do it. It's like Styrofoam but not as messy.

[Linkara]

You can get the pink stuff at hardware stores like Lowes. It's pretty easy to work with .. but a bit more than you need so you can practice. It usually comes in large sheets so one sheet would probably do it. It's like Styrofoam but not as messy.
What do you usually use to cut it?

And sorry for the amount of questions I'm throwing at you - inexperience speaking once again. ^_~

[uhrisuh]

a serrated knife.. really anything sharp. Once you pick some of this stuff up you'll know what will work and what wont. Be sure when you are at the hardware store to pick up several different grit sizes of sand paper.

[Linkara]

a serrated knife.. really anything sharp. Once you pick some of this stuff up you'll know what will work and what wont. Be sure when you are at the hardware store to pick up several different grit sizes of sand paper.
So after I've got a rough (or at least fairly accurate) shape, I'll need to sand it to smooth it?

[uhrisuh]

So after I've got a rough (or at least fairly accurate) shape, I'll need to sand it to smooth it?

Yep.

[Linkara]

Yep.
Alrighty, I'll be picking up some tomorrow (along with a larger PVC cutter - sadly the larger pieces for the coin center are a bit too big for my current one). Is it as hard as regular styrofoam or a bit more malleable?

[uhrisuh]

It's pretty strong. You'll see when you buy some. Also when you are done with the whole project all sanded and smooth, coat it with several layers of wood glue and then you can paint it.

[Linkara]

It's pretty strong. You'll see when you buy some. Also when you are done with the whole project all sanded and smooth, coat it with several layers of wood glue and then you can paint it.
Why wood glue? Does the stuff have the same problem regular styrofoam has with spray paint (a tendency to dissolve)?

[uhrisuh]

wood glue helps seal it, strengthen it and give it a nice smooth finish. And yes spray paint is bad on foam.

[Linkara]

wood glue helps seal it, strengthen it and give it a nice smooth finish. And yes spray paint is bad on foam.
Well, I just got back from both Lowe's and Home Depot... I've got to tell you, I'm not too terribly impressed. :(

I frankly don't know how someone could get some of the intricate props shown in those example pics unless someone was already an expert at working with the stuff... and anything rounded with it completely baffles me, since the stuff seems pretty rigid and looks more prone to snapping like styrofoam instead of bending.

Now, admittedly, some of this is just impressions based on looking at it since I didn't buy any, but that was kind of another problem - they didn't sell it in small enough sheets. If they had some the size of posterboard, that'd be great and I'd be willing to buy some to take a closer look and give it a shot, but most of the sheets available were longer than the full length of my car. O.o And the smaller ones that MIGHT have worked were sadly bundled in packs that were a bit more than I wanted to spend on something I wanted to play around with first. Plus there weren't very many sheets that were that thin... most were either as thick or thicker than the PVC tube they're going to be attached to.

If I'm getting any of this wrong or I was looking in the wrong section, please let me know. ^^;

Alternatively, I was looking into some cosplay websites and for both costume and prop making they were actually recommending something called WonderFlex - essentially a plastic that will become softer and easier to manipulate when heated but when it cools goes rigid. Is there anything like that that you're aware of that'd work well (since WonderFlex has to be ordered online and I'd prefer to actually see the sizes in a store before I ordered any)?

[Linkara]

Sooo, after consulting with another prop maker, it seems that I was looking at insulation styrene, which is of course different. ^^; However, the problem there remains that the kind of styrene used for prop construction isn't apparently sold in hardware stores (at least not in Minnesota), but I shall continue to look into the styrene solution, so once again thanks! ^_^

[dangerstudios]

try finding the kind of polystyrene tahts used in disposable plastic cups.
i used polystyrene when making a prop from this tut:
http://amethyst-angel.com/armormaking_shuriken.html