Cosplay Stitch and Seam

Why do you cosplay? Is it for the craftsmanship skills, the fandom, or even a little bit for the attention? First, let's take a look at what cosplay is. I like to think of it as "the creation of the impossible with the cheaply available." I found that quote on a pin one day, back when Facebook had that "Flair" app. The quote made perfect sense and unfortunately I have no idea who coined the phrase. A lot of cosplay is associated with Japanese anime, manga, and video games. Character designs from those categories often defy gravity or any sense of logic. They should be simply impossible to make!


When I started crafting for costumes I learned a great deal about budgeting my time and money. This is where the "cheaply available" part comes in. Worbla, wonderflex, and real leather are amazing materials to work with but they also have a steep price. As a beginner, and doing part-time school and work, I had to figure out how to make things without the fancy …

Two weeks ago we interviewed the prop maker, Zach, or Quantum Entanglement Props. This week he is here to tell us about building props and how he made the ever popular M8 Avenger of Mass Effect! - VF


Making the M8 Avenger
First you’re going to need to know what you want to build. Should be easy to choose, there’s only an infinite number of possibilities out there for you! Mass Effect weapons are still a very popular commission for my shop, so I’ll be using the M8 Avenger from Mass Effect here. This particular build included a moving trigger and LED lighting. 


Template/Blueprint

If you can’t find an actual blueprint of the prop you want to make, a side view of the weapon works nearly as well. Scaling it to the size that you want may take a few tries but it’s well worth the time. Above I have used the side view of the N7 Hurricane to make my trim templates. They’re all marked on the MDF board and the pieces are cut out one at a time. 


Once the pieces are all cut out, you have a pretty good i…

The thing I love most about cosplay are the props. Creating a replica from a video game or anime can be really difficult but incredibly fun at the same time. Zach, creator of Quantum Entanglement Props, started making props about two years ago. His most popular props have been mostly from the Mass Effect universe, but Zach has been branching out into other guns from series like Firefly and Warhammer 40K. What drew me to Zach's work was his incredible attention to detail and the methods he uses to create his props. As a woodcrafter myself, I really enjoy seeing his use of MDF board and plastics like styrene, sintra, and PVC to make a really legit looking gun. Zach is also an engineer and his designs really show off his knowledge of how things are put together. He really pulls off art and engineering in his work!

Places you can find Quantum Entanglement Props
Facebook
Etsy Store

Interview with Zach
How long have you been cosplaying and making props? I've been making props for about t…