Demon Wing Suit
I set out to make a costume with wings, because I had started a set 9f wings about 7 years ago and never finished them. I decided I wanted to do a gargoyle and had bought the mask from rubies, when I stumbled upon this instructable for the gargoyle costume
https://www.instructables.com/id/Goliath-Reimagined-Gargoyle-Costume/
Which was what I was looking for and hey, we already had the same mask!
Speaking of masks, get a good dust mask that filters particles and aerosols. This is a must!
There are lots of fumes and dusts that you do not need to be breathing. Don't let your hobbies harm you!
https://www.instructables.com/id/Goliath-Reimagined-Gargoyle-Costume/
Which was what I was looking for and hey, we already had the same mask!
Speaking of masks, get a good dust mask that filters particles and aerosols. This is a must!
There are lots of fumes and dusts that you do not need to be breathing. Don't let your hobbies harm you!
Supplies
Tons of nuts and bolts
Football pads
Aluminum tubing and flats
Black morph suit
EVA foam
Great stuff expanding foam sealant
Co2 bike pump
Pnuematic tubing
Pnuematic cylinder
4 Pullies
Steel cable
Some 2x4
Some bungee cord
Sharp razor knife
Scissors
Fabrics of your choosing
Contact cement
Spray glue
Lots of spray paints
Eye bolts
Sculpy (optional)
More as I go through this but I'll update later
Football pads
Aluminum tubing and flats
Black morph suit
EVA foam
Great stuff expanding foam sealant
Co2 bike pump
Pnuematic tubing
Pnuematic cylinder
4 Pullies
Steel cable
Some 2x4
Some bungee cord
Sharp razor knife
Scissors
Fabrics of your choosing
Contact cement
Spray glue
Lots of spray paints
Eye bolts
Sculpy (optional)
More as I go through this but I'll update later
Wings
Wings were built on football pads as a platform.
The pads needed to be upgraded and reinforced for functionality and for aesthetic. There were nylon strips that attached the two halves of the pads together but I was able to drill the rivets out and replace it with a piece of 1/8 aluminum bar, which the wing frame was then attached to with 1/4 bolts. Go ahead and plan on getting the nylon no slip bolts for this project, as the loc-tite thread sealant gets old and crusty and inevitably fails after time.
The wing frame is aluminum tubing and flats, with 1/2 pvc pipe for the added length. This is a balance of sturdy for the weight and trying to keep things light.
The pulleys at the top of the wings are from a garage door repair kit from ace hardware. These are beefy enough to support the weight of the pull and have ball bearings for a smooth stroke.
The lower pulleys were expensive but are also steel and have ball bearings and worked way better than the original nylon washline pulleys I was using.
The pneumatic cylinder that drives the wings was ordered from amazon. They usually come with a y-yolk clevis pin that threads on the shaft and is perfect for pushing the cable. I lost mine and had to improvise an eye bolt and threaded coupler.
I also salvaged an old tent and used the poles to make the ribs of the wings and help fill out the "skin" when they opened. I assembled the poles to the desired lengths and glued eye bolts into the shafts which were assembled into the upper joint of the wing.
Skinning the wings was done by laying the wings flat on the ground on top of a large piece of craft paper and opening them. Then trace the wings and use the paper as a template for cutting the fabric. You will need to do this 2x per wing for the front and back. I used a nylon fabric for the back of the wing and a faux leather stretch pants fabric for the front. I limited the size of my wings by making a smaller skin because I was going to be wearing them in a small crowded place.
Once you have the pieces cut out, sew them together leaving area where the wings will "attach" un sewn. **important tip. Make sure you sew these inside out from what you want the final piece to look like.
After my skins were sewn I slipped them over the frame via the opening I left and guided the ribs into their correct sockets.
I then used sticky velcro to take up any slack and make the skin sit tight on the frame.
The pads needed to be upgraded and reinforced for functionality and for aesthetic. There were nylon strips that attached the two halves of the pads together but I was able to drill the rivets out and replace it with a piece of 1/8 aluminum bar, which the wing frame was then attached to with 1/4 bolts. Go ahead and plan on getting the nylon no slip bolts for this project, as the loc-tite thread sealant gets old and crusty and inevitably fails after time.
The wing frame is aluminum tubing and flats, with 1/2 pvc pipe for the added length. This is a balance of sturdy for the weight and trying to keep things light.
The pulleys at the top of the wings are from a garage door repair kit from ace hardware. These are beefy enough to support the weight of the pull and have ball bearings for a smooth stroke.
The lower pulleys were expensive but are also steel and have ball bearings and worked way better than the original nylon washline pulleys I was using.
The pneumatic cylinder that drives the wings was ordered from amazon. They usually come with a y-yolk clevis pin that threads on the shaft and is perfect for pushing the cable. I lost mine and had to improvise an eye bolt and threaded coupler.
I also salvaged an old tent and used the poles to make the ribs of the wings and help fill out the "skin" when they opened. I assembled the poles to the desired lengths and glued eye bolts into the shafts which were assembled into the upper joint of the wing.
Skinning the wings was done by laying the wings flat on the ground on top of a large piece of craft paper and opening them. Then trace the wings and use the paper as a template for cutting the fabric. You will need to do this 2x per wing for the front and back. I used a nylon fabric for the back of the wing and a faux leather stretch pants fabric for the front. I limited the size of my wings by making a smaller skin because I was going to be wearing them in a small crowded place.
Once you have the pieces cut out, sew them together leaving area where the wings will "attach" un sewn. **important tip. Make sure you sew these inside out from what you want the final piece to look like.
After my skins were sewn I slipped them over the frame via the opening I left and guided the ribs into their correct sockets.
I then used sticky velcro to take up any slack and make the skin sit tight on the frame.
Have Fun
I set out to make the gargoyle costume for a local trunk or treat event, it ended up being canceled. Hey , stuff happens, I revised the costume into a demon and wore it to a Halloween party at my bar. Be flexible!
There were times throughout this build where nothing was going right and I wanted to stop. Just take a step away from the whole thing and let your thoughts re organize into a solution.
Video of wings in action
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4YW-5HHyeI/?igshid=11hdjd33bqbqb
There were times throughout this build where nothing was going right and I wanted to stop. Just take a step away from the whole thing and let your thoughts re organize into a solution.
Video of wings in action
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4YW-5HHyeI/?igshid=11hdjd33bqbqb
Suit
The suit was a premade muscle suit ( you can and should make your own but I was out of my element and out of time). The premade suit was under the morph suit which I then cut and carved some EVA foam onto for a stronger look when you take the wings off. The EVA foam was attached to the morph suit using contact cement. I then used black matte puff paint (for fabric) to fill into the gap between suit and foam.
Feet
The feet were made with 2x4 and attached it to a flat piece of 1/4 I then had a 4" piece 90°in the bottom and 45° at the top.
I used T-brackets and attached them where my ankle would be. I used a piece of metal shelving measured to about an inch below my knee (2x per foot) and then cut a 6 inch pvc coupler as the knee brace. I padded it with eva foam.
I then drilled an old pair of shoes to the top of the 2x4 and placed an eye bolt behind the heel.
Bungee cord was run through the eye and I made loops at the end to attach to the knee brace.
I used drawer knobs on each side of both knee braces and put the bungee loops on each one.
This allows the "foot" to mimic natural walking and reset after each step.
I used great stuff expanding foam to cover the 2x4 and "draw" the toes. Make sure you put down paper or else your foot will be stuck to the floor and you will destroy it getting it off.
After the foam was set I used saw knife to shape the foot how I wanted it. I then glued 4 scrap pieces of eva foam together and carved 6 claws using a dremel.
Eva foam was used as the front part of the leg cover and left over wing fabric was used on the back. I used small zip ties to secure the foam in place and everything was painted black. Walking was difficult at first,as you need to lean forward while walking (like you are walking on a roof or up a steep hill) but you can rest on the heel and stand straight if you need to.
I then made a staff to go with the costume just to help with balance.
I used T-brackets and attached them where my ankle would be. I used a piece of metal shelving measured to about an inch below my knee (2x per foot) and then cut a 6 inch pvc coupler as the knee brace. I padded it with eva foam.
I then drilled an old pair of shoes to the top of the 2x4 and placed an eye bolt behind the heel.
Bungee cord was run through the eye and I made loops at the end to attach to the knee brace.
I used drawer knobs on each side of both knee braces and put the bungee loops on each one.
This allows the "foot" to mimic natural walking and reset after each step.
I used great stuff expanding foam to cover the 2x4 and "draw" the toes. Make sure you put down paper or else your foot will be stuck to the floor and you will destroy it getting it off.
After the foam was set I used saw knife to shape the foot how I wanted it. I then glued 4 scrap pieces of eva foam together and carved 6 claws using a dremel.
Eva foam was used as the front part of the leg cover and left over wing fabric was used on the back. I used small zip ties to secure the foam in place and everything was painted black. Walking was difficult at first,as you need to lean forward while walking (like you are walking on a roof or up a steep hill) but you can rest on the heel and stand straight if you need to.
I then made a staff to go with the costume just to help with balance.