Advice for a first timer

[u/Delightfullytasty]

I tried to wing it with my own pattern in the upper right. Obviously a fail so I bought a pattern and used all suggested materials (5mm, contact cement, heat gun). The shoulder and hip patterns were easy enough but I had a lot of trouble with this one and felt some areas couldve used angled cuts when they didnt. Anyway the thing is together but the seams are starting to come apart a bit in the circled area and it doesnt hug my leg as well as the pattern shows so I have to walk funny even after using a heat gun to curve the pieces before and after gluing. I can only shape it so far before the seams start popping

[u/wastelandGLAM]

Kwik Seal to fill any gaps -- works as  a filler and an adhesive (to an  extent).

How are the legs attached to you? Do you have any sort of strapping system? And are the knees on some sort of pivot hinge, or are they static?

[u/Delightfullytasty → u/wastelandGLAM]

Velcro straps at the thigh and ankle, knees are static

[u/LankySandwich → u/Delightfullytasty]

I believe in Kamui's original example, the thigh and shin pieces are separate (as in, they are not glued together.) I think the mistake you made is making them all 1 solid piece. It should instead be a thigh piece, a shin piece, and then maybe a 3rd separate piece for the knees, or attach the knees to the shin piece. You need to be able to bend your knees so it makes sense that you wouldn't attach multiple pieces together at the knees. Thats why its buckling when you try to move/walk.

[u/Delightfullytasty → u/LankySandwich]

Omg this makes way more sense. There were glueing instructions on the shoulder pattern I bought, but this one was just a picture of the pieces

[u/peanutbutterwife → u/Delightfullytasty]

Another good rule of thumb for work like this is to see how many pieces a real set of armor would be in. Metal is less forgiving, so I use drawings of historical armor as attachment reference.

There's at least 3 distinct areas that are covered and 2 joints. You're doing great!

[u/RaspberryPears]

I will probably be a person that is compeltely against Kwik seal. I know a lot of people who use it and get good results but I don't like that it sands completely differently than EVA and it shrinks when it dries. I use Prop Monkey's Gap Filla. It is amazing! It is a little more on the expensive side ($25 a jar) but to me its so worth it. Its very light weight, malleable, and sandable.

Every since I started using Prop Monkey's EVA foam products, my EVA foam game has been elevated.

Im adding a video of the Majora's Mask I made out of EVA foam. On the outside you cannot find any of the seams, but when you reverse it, you can see where all the seams are. I would like to mention that I also had the same issue of where some of the seams were popping on the outside.

https://reddit.com/link/phdvxhk/video/d954hbtcn3wh1/player

[u/riontach]

If the seams are popping before the contact cement completely cures, you can use tape to hold the pieces tightly together until the glue has cured. If they're still popping even after it has cured completely and you've shaped them as much as you can, you can use some wire and hot glue inside the piece to help curve it more and reduce the strain on the seam.

[u/Practical_Alfalfa_72]

A lot of good advice here. I would add this one too:

There is the trick where you turn it inside out so the curved tension is pressing it together until it is dried. This is a common technique for helmets knees and shoulders and elbows.

And another one where you glue half or a third of it at a time. Starting at the end with the lowest tension moving to the end with the highest . The progressive gluing helps relieve the tension. It can be a little tricky to keep the pieces apart and make sure there is no gaps in the glue. I find a few toothpicks and or scrap pieces are handy to hold it apart, force glue in tight spaces and hold it apart until it dries or a second set of hands, just ask my wife ;)

[u/SharkyRivethead]

Just make sure you don't take an arrow to the kneecap or it's going to end your adventuring days.

[u/No_Tomato_2106]

And here I am on like my 5th attempt at making some basic ass boots and can't even get anything to cut straight or bend right. Your "beginner" attempt is a level of foam smithing I'll never achieve

[u/bucketofh]

To make the curve tighter, you can glue a few strips on the inside while curved with tape. That inner piece will have a smaller diameter than the outer piece and as long as the glue holds it will force the entire thing to stay curved.