Runboard.com
Слава Україні!

runboard.com       Register for a free global account (learn about it) | Log in: (), globally (lost password?)

Page:  1  2 

 
Sidekickboy Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

BOTB Member

Registered: 02-2006
Posts: 23
Reply | Quote
Latexing a Satin Cape


Hey Bros.

I want to try my hand at making my own satin/latex cape. Can anyone tell me, approximately, how much latex do you need? And if there is somewhere in Canada that I can get it? I'm just outside Toronto in Whitby. If this doesn't really pan out, I'll have to go for pleather.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Kev

Last edited by Deadly Lemur, 6/10/2006, 10:04 pm
2/26/2006, 2:38 pm Link to this post Send Email to Sidekickboy   Send PM to Sidekickboy
 
PatrickJ Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Caped Crusader

Registered: 01-2005
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 5879
Reply | Quote
Re: Satin/Latex Cape


2 coats of latex on each side is all you should need. An 8-panel cape will take about a gallon to do. Be sure that after you do each side you rub it down with some silicone oil or automobile wet-shine(not between coats of latex though, just when your done with each side-if you do it between coats the second coat of latex will not stick). This will keep down the problem of the cape sticking to itself when it drapes.

I dont live in Canada so I couldn't tell you where to get it.

Here's my satin-latex cape that I made(I personally love it):

Image

Image

Have fun!

Last edited by PatrickJ, 2/26/2006, 5:10 pm


---
Patrick
http://www.facebook.com/patrick.price1


2/26/2006, 5:05 pm Link to this post Send Email to PatrickJ   Send PM to PatrickJ
 
Sidekickboy Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

BOTB Member

Registered: 02-2006
Posts: 23
Reply | Quote
Re: Satin/Latex Cape


Hey Bro

Thanks for the info. One gallon fits into the starter budget a lot easier than 5. I read someplace else on here that you could just use baby powder on it after you are done with the 2 coats to keep it from sticking. Is that just as good or do your suggestions work better?

Thanks again for the help. You're cape looks awesome!
2/26/2006, 5:32 pm Link to this post Send Email to Sidekickboy   Send PM to Sidekickboy
 
PatrickJ Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Caped Crusader

Registered: 01-2005
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 5879
Reply | Quote
Re: Satin/Latex Cape


I havent used baby powder on mine, and I hear you'd need to wash that stuff off afterwards. You dont need to wash the silicone oil or tire shine off however, and I doubt it would be possible to anyway. The wet shine or silicone oil both give a nice, jet black look to the rubber and protect it too(since that's what wet shine is for anyway).

I personally used Black Magic wet shine on my cape and loved the results. One thing to remember is, spray it on a cloth first and then wipe it on to the cape. If you let any of the wet shine stand on the cape without wiping it in, you'll get some ultra-violet looking spots on the cape that will be difficult to wipe away.

Personally I would recommend the silicone oil or wet shine route. Even after washing the baby powder off you'd get a powdery look to the rubber, and I think a jet black, almost wet look is much more suitable for batman.

Last edited by PatrickJ, 2/26/2006, 5:42 pm


---
Patrick
http://www.facebook.com/patrick.price1


2/26/2006, 5:41 pm Link to this post Send Email to PatrickJ   Send PM to PatrickJ
 
PatrickJ Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Caped Crusader

Registered: 01-2005
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 5879
Reply | Quote
Re: Satin/Latex Cape


Another thing to keep in mind:

Don't put the wet shine or silicone oil on the cape at the points where it will attach to the cowl(or to any part of the costume I mean). That stuff makes it almost impossible to stick anything on to the cape, including self-adhesive velcro or even superglue.

I learned that the hard way. :p

---
Patrick
http://www.facebook.com/patrick.price1


2/26/2006, 5:46 pm Link to this post Send Email to PatrickJ   Send PM to PatrickJ
 
Sidekickboy Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

BOTB Member

Registered: 02-2006
Posts: 23
Reply | Quote
Re: Satin/Latex Cape


Cool, so Black Magic it is! Just have to find that local source for latex first. If worse comes to worse, I'll just have to wait for it to warm up and then order it from monstermakers.

This does mean that I now need to think beyond the cape to how I want to attach it. How did you go about attaching yours? What's the easiest way? I know, this is going to have a lot to do with suit style...

Thanks again, I really appreciate all the advice your providing.

Kev
2/26/2006, 6:26 pm Link to this post Send Email to Sidekickboy   Send PM to Sidekickboy
 
PatrickJ Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Caped Crusader

Registered: 01-2005
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 5879
Reply | Quote
Re: Satin/Latex Cape


Well, I tried industrial strength velcro, which wouldn't stick to the cape because of the black magic... I also tried supergluing snaps to it, which didn't work because of the black magic. I finally scrubbed the attachment area with acetone and used Bondini to permanently attach it to the cowl. No problems at all anymore. Of course, that sucker's permanently attached now, but thats fine. Besides its a much cleaner looking attachment than with the velcro or the snaps because you wont have loose areas that drape and fold underneath the edges of the cowl.

Some other tips from my experience:

-When you roll the latex on, use a paint roller with a paint roller pan, and not a brush, it'll be a more even job with no brush strokes(cheap chip brushes can come in handy for seams and trouble spots though).

-Spread the cape out completely open on the floor or ground so you can do an entire coat at once. Also, spreading it completely open on the floor helped when attaching the cowl, because I could stand the cowl up on it, trace out the edges of the scallops of the cowl onto the cape, and know where to glue.

-I used water-based black ink(pen ink, you can get it in bottles at any craft store) to color my latex. I used a couple entire bottles(the small bottles) of the ink... just dumped them in to the latex wholesale, and mixed thoroughly. You'll never get the latex in its liquid form completely black no matter how much ink you mix in, because latex in its liquid form will naturally be opaque white. However it naturally dries clear, which in this case will leave just the black behind, which makes it jet black. So keep mixing ink in until it gets dark grey. It'll dry black. :)

-No hemming is needed around the edges of the cape. The latex will keep the material from unraveling. Did you sew up the cape yourself? Or are you using a morris cape or otherwise licensed cape? Because if you're sewing the panels of the cape together yourself, which I did, I used a simple running stitch. It might seem flimsy at first, but when the latex soaks in completely, the seem becomes just as rip-proof as the rest of the cape. So in that case take extra care to make sure the latex soaks into all the seams between the panels.

-Do this project outside where its well ventilated(trust me when I say that wet mask latex smells like a cat litter box that hasn't been cleaned in 2 months - the ammonia smell is VERY overpowering and can be downright dangerous).

-Do this project on a tarp or visqueen (secured to the ground somehow). You dont want the latex that soaks through to the other side picking up loose dirt or seeds or leaves. :p

-Don't worry if you get any latex on your hands(unless you're allergic to it, which makes this a dangerous project for you in the first place... lol). You can just rub it off. Unless it gets latched onto hairs... :p

No problem man, just spreadin' the know-how. :wink Be sure to show us pics when you're done. :)

Last edited by PatrickJ, 2/26/2006, 7:03 pm


---
Patrick
http://www.facebook.com/patrick.price1


2/26/2006, 6:56 pm Link to this post Send Email to PatrickJ   Send PM to PatrickJ
 
Sidekickboy Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

BOTB Member

Registered: 02-2006
Posts: 23
Reply | Quote
Re: Satin/Latex Cape


Well, I definitely have to say that every question I could think of (and many that I never would have thought of) have been answered.

I haven't made the cape yet, but I do plan on doing it myself. It looks like I'll be waiting for it to warm up outside first (so the latex can be shipped to me with out being ruined and also so I can work in the garage).

Thanks for letting me know just how bad this will smell, I had planned on doing it in the basement, but this really sounds like an outside job.

I'll post it for sure! Maybe by then I'll also have some other parts picked up for the suit!

Kev
2/26/2006, 7:34 pm Link to this post Send Email to Sidekickboy   Send PM to Sidekickboy
 
Brin Londo Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Keeper of the Cave


Registered: 02-2004
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 9351
Reply | Quote
Re: Satin/Latex Cape


Man,
I don't think anyone could add any more info than has already been told.
Great job Patrick! :up
-Brin

---
You don't choose the Bat, the Bat chooses you.
2/27/2006, 12:50 am Link to this post Send PM to Brin Londo
 
PatrickJ Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Caped Crusader

Registered: 01-2005
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 5879
Reply | Quote
Re: Satin/Latex Cape


Thanks guys. :up I do my best.

Also, don't worry if your cape ends up having a few tiny imperfections in your first cape. As Brin pointed out, the tiny imperfections in a cape add character to it. On mine, I accidentally sewed one of the seams on the wrong side of the cape... oh well. :p Its not that noticeable after the latexing hehe

---
Patrick
http://www.facebook.com/patrick.price1


2/27/2006, 2:00 am Link to this post Send Email to PatrickJ   Send PM to PatrickJ
 


Add a reply

Page:  1  2 





You are not logged in (login)