cassandra

EVA foam & 3D printing

In 2017 I made Cassandra to accompany Elinacosplay 's Sophitia for fun and so we could bring them WCS for the alumni trip. But I didn't have the time to make her weapons. So when she and Maija asked if I'd like to wear it again for Desucon I thought it was time to make them finally.

Photo taken by Shinjicosplay

I wanted to make them fast and easy, so I decided to use EVA foam for the shield. Because I was lazy, I didn't even make a pattern... just drew by hand, which might not be the best way if you want a good result, but it turned well enough for me for this quick project.

pretty good for freehanding

Tried out foam clay for the decorations

I used your basic floormatfoam for the base, denser cosplayfoam for the pattern, craftfoam for the edges and then tested foam clay for the little decoration scribbles. I really liked foam clay as a material, I'm definitely looking forward to using it in other projects. It very convenient but also a bit tricky to work with, when it gets to that stage where it will simply stick to itself from the lightest touch. But being able to smooth it and later sand it is a really good feature. Because the shield is dome shaped and I like to think conveniently, I made the underside like a lid. Made from PVC board, it attaches with velcro and I can use the shield as a handbag when wearing the costume. When I pack I can fit half of the costume inside the shield : D

I decided to 3D sculpt and print the sword, because I was too lazy to sculpt the form from other materials. I knew it would need surface treatment in any case, so I printed it in low resolution to save time and just to have the basic shape.

I printed it in 7 pieces (to fit the parts on the printer) and welded them together. I was planning on filling it to make it more sturdy, since the prints are hollow, but it's actually quite sturdy as it is. Covered it in filler, sanded, filled some more, sanded again, and then used a few layers of spray filler to finish it.