What glue to use to create Cosplay?

To create good Cosplay you need the right costume. It must replicate in the best possible way the character we dress up as. Beginners usually buy ready-made outfits or create them from ready-made clothes available in stores. More experienced people, sew the entire costumes themselves. For this, Eva foam is most often used, which is the most popular material for creating costumes and props. How to make cosplay from scratch with Eva foam? What glue to use?

What is Cosplay?

When discussing what products are available to create a costume, it is worth starting with what Cosplay itself is. It is primarily a hobby that involves creating an outfit and dressing up as a fictional character. The word Cosplay comes from English - costume and play. The name originated in 1984 in Japan and was invented by Noboyuki Takahashi. Cosplayers draw inspiration from their favorite comic books, TV series, movies and video games. Since the 1990s, it has been thriving and growing in popularity. Costumes created by cosplayers have a wide variety of themes. In addition, they can be formed from different materials. Many rally participants choose to make their own creations, which are made based on descriptions and illustrations.

What costumes are made of?

Cosplayers who begin their adventure often use ready-made materials. We can often find costumes of specific characters on the Internet. However, if you want a unique, original outfit that no one has, it is worth trying to create it yourself. The choice of materials and fabrics also depends on the character you want to recreate. First of all, it is worth paying attention to ensure that the fabric is comfortable and convenient to use. In addition, a very important aspect is the strength of the material. Conventions usually last many hours, sometimes several days, so it would be good if the outfit could withstand the movements and hours of performances. Among the available fabrics, the following are considered to meet the above characteristics m.in wool, knit, jacquard, viscose with a touch of lycra, polyester, thick linen and silk. Eva foam is the most commonly used material for making costumes.

Eva foam is a plastic and has a lot of uses. Retains its properties at different temperatures. Withstands temperatures from - 40 °C to 75 °C. This makes it suitable for outdoor use as well. It is extremely flexible and soft, and can be dyed, providing further possibilities when creating Cosplay costumes. Thanks to its flexibility, it can be easily molded, and this allows you to get any shape you want. It will work well for the production of costumes of experienced people and those who are just beginning their adventure in Cosplay. It is one of the most popular materials used in the production of costumes and props.

What are the types of adhesives?

Adhesives can be divided according to their application and those that have specific properties. An adhesive is a substance that, when inserted between two surfaces, permanently connects them. They are classified as surface-active materials, just like paints, varnishes and detergents. They can come in liquid, stick, powder, beads. The main component of all adhesives is a synthetic or natural polymer. Adhesives can be divided into:

• adhesives based on polymer resins - they do not penetrate deeply into the glued material, but the hardened adhesive layer becomes very mechanically resistant. They are used to glue stronger materials, such as metal or glass.
• Solvent adhesives - penetrate deeply into the glued materials and cause them to partially dissolve. These types of adhesives are used for plastics.
• Mixed adhesives - a mixture of resin and solvent, deeply penetrates the material.

In addition, adhesives can be one-component - characterized by high sensitivity to moisture, and two-component - one component is a hardener that initiates the setting and crystallization process. We also divide them into natural and synthetic. Natural ones are of plant and animal origin, while synthetic ones are of most technical importance.

Butaprene contact adhesive

Is a trade name for a solvent adhesive in which the main ingredient is chloroprene rubber. It is mainly used in joining leather, rubber, felt and artificial and natural fabrics. Gives durable, waterproof and flexible results. This is one of the most common choices among cosplayers. Allows you to bond the foam permanently, and the joint remains flexible. Simply apply the glue to the edges of the two pieces, wait a few minutes for the solvent to evaporate and glue together. The parts to be joined will join together immediately so you need to carefully apply the glued parts. With it, we can stick the foam to many other materials.

Cyanoacrylate

These are solvent-free adhesives and are almost always transparent. They can be used for bonding steel, aluminum, plastics, leather and wood. Cyanoacrylate is the glue commonly known as droplet glue. Connects permanently and quickly, but not immediately. This will help improve the bonding of components. Creates the most durable connections. Glues foam more firmly than contact adhesives. Mostly used to join small parts or to glue the edges of foam. To speed up the bonding process you can use activator spray, thanks to which the glue sets in a short moment.

Hot glue

Hot glue will prove itself in all kinds of handicrafts. Will work well for gluing plastic, ceramics, polystyrene foam, cardboard, glass or wood. Thanks to the fact that the glue is applied by a gun, hard-to-reach parts can be glued together. It will also allow precise gluing of small parts without getting your hands dirty.

Wikol

Often used by artists, do-it-yourselfers and handicrafters. It is referred to as carpenter's glue and is used for gluing wood and small plastic parts. The wood glue used in Cosplay must be flexible, as it is usually used as a primer before painting the foam or is applied in multiple layers to increase the rigidity of the foam. Inadequate adhesives crack very easily when fully cured which is not desirable on finished parts.

Boll super spray adhesive

An excellent choice for joining larger components. The application of this adhesive is simple and does not require the use of brushes. Very quickly bonds plastic, metal, glass, film, fabric, wood, paper, leather, polystyrene, rubber and many other materials. It works very well in gluing foam sheets, and after drying, the joint remains durable and flexible.