
Yeah I’m a cosplayer and a sports fan. It’s weird. They’re really cousin hobbies. Both dressing up in appreciation and support of some pop culture “team”—usually that we had nothing to do with creating.

Huh, I guess I’ve somehow avoided those jerks
My experience is a very inclusive atmosphere. Everyone I’ve met is interested in talking about the source material, or construction techniques, or just wanting to express their love for the character. Yeah sure, Iron Man looks more “real” if the guy looks like RDJ, but Sexy Iron Man gets just as much of my admiration if the metallic finish is great and the LEDs are poppin

The cosplayers?
I’m here, but I think I’m the only one to have posted in the last 4 months. I just make a couple cosplays per year as a hobby, so I don’t really have much to post. And asking for cosplay help seems pointless. Here I could wait a week for one response, whereas on instagram I’ll get 5 different ways to fix my issue in an hour
reddit had some decent cosplay discussion, but as far as i can tell, most of the community is just on instagram (and some youtube)

Hi-Fi Rush was hands down my favorite game of last year. Such a beautiful and joyful game! I even made a cosplay of Chai

social media that focuses on displaying your personal image is a scourge on humanity
I get what you’re saying, but I think that’s kinda reductive. When I see a picture on Facebook of my uncle on his dirt bike all smiles after winning a race, I think that’s a positive and fruitful use of social media.
And personally, I like sharing a picture of a cosplay I made, hopefully to help someone else who might be on a similar creative path. Or at least to discuss creative processes.
I guess this is my actkually moment, but I think your assessment is off.

Me and my knee-high Miata are hyped!

I’ve made a few costumes, and worn them them to a few cons. Looks like she could unbutton the shirt, undo the belt buckle and pants, and basically take the whole thing off down to the upper thighs. Like you would a jumpsuit with a front zipper.
Hopefully she at least has a hotel room nearby, because doing that in a public restroom could get harrowing lol

Yeah I like making costumes. It’s creative, hands-on, it gets me away from a screen (3D modeling aside), and it still intersects with my nerdy interests like video games or sci-fi and fantasy worlds.
And as a bonus, I get to wear it to nerdy costume parties when it’s done!

Oh this was at DragonCon 2023!
Edit: Oh dang never mind, I see dtjaaaam’s 2017 watermark. Well this costume was at 2023 also haha

Good to know, thanks!

Looks great! How’d you make the sign and post? Always looking for ways to make things big but strong enough and light weight

Tried a couple glues with test PLA rings and scrap PVC.
Just for context, each of the 3D printed PLA pieces has a “ring” or two that’s just barely big enough to fit on the PVC pipe. They’re tight enough that they stay in place on the PVC as long as I don’t swing/shake the guitar too much. But for sure the insides of the PLA rings aren’t perfectly smooth, which I’m sure isn’t helping the glues.
For all of these, I’m only applying the glue to the pipe in the final location of the PLA ring. Can’t put the glue directly on the ring, because I need to slide the ring up/down the PVC to get it into place.
Barge contact cement doesn’t seem to “catch”. I didn’t let it dry too much (like I do with EVA foam) because I need at least a couple seconds of adjustability while sliding the PLA into its spot and into the right orientation.
Super glue (cyanoacrylate), in a small amount in a small area, seemed to work. But the working time is just a couple seconds, which scares the hell out of me with these PLA parts that took at least a dozen hours each (print, filler, sand, primer, hand paint). With the small amount, I was able to crack the bond with a little muscle. More glue would probably hold well enough, but then I think I’d have even less working time.
Hot glue is promising. A little more working time than CA glue, and it seems to slowly bond. Once it’s set, it takes a lot of muscle to move the piece, but even then it’s still snug (unlike CA).
Gonna try different amounts and patterns of hot glue, but I think that’ll be my winner. Plus unlike with the Barge, it’ll be nice to be able to glue it all indoors in the air conditioning 🥵


Huge thanks to Tango Gameworks for adding in a photo mode. Without that, I’m sure the modeling and painting would’ve taken much longer and ended up less accurate

Chai’s guitar from Hi-Fi Rush


All done painting the 3D printed components that go on the PVC frame!
Now I just need to glue the components on the PVC—does anyone have a recommendation for a adhesive to stick PLA to PVC? Something less-than-permanent would be ideal, in case I ever need to repair it.
And after the gluing, I’ve got a couple foam panels to put on it, and various wires and greebles. DragonCon here I come!