Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Finish the Costume
Once you've figured out part locations and cable lengths and tested your script, you're
ready for the real work—carving up your hard work. Unless you're already particularly
adept at foam cutting, we suggest doing this a few times with scraps before you go
slicing up your hard work on the real thing. You have a few aims in this shape that are
probably a bit different from the sculpting you did on the rest of your armor:
• You probably want to cut a round hole smaller than the square screen, since even
the worst shot from a Stormtrooper doesn't blast a square hole.
• The visible side of the hole should be as flush with the screen as possible.
• The back side should then be sturdy enough to support the screen and its fragile
cable.
To accomplish this, lay the screen on the back side of the foam and outline it with a
marker. You want an accurate outline to ensure a snug fit.
First cut the round hole, cutting all the way through the foam. Then carefully make
cuts following the outline shape going nearly all the way through but not piercing the
front of the foam. (This is why you practice on scraps.)
Working from the hole out to those edges, slice parallel to the foam, cutting out a
rectangle for the screen to sit in, as shown in
Figure 3-11
. It doesn't have to be perfectly
smooth. The goal is just to get it as close to the surface of the foam as possible.
Figure 3-11.
Hole to set screen into foam, viewed from back side
