The Tools and Materials I use in Prop making.

I will start this by saying these are the tools I use and have spent time collecting, You can start prop making with tools and materials as simple as; a craft knife, hot glue gun and some EVA foam, so don’t think because you haven’t got these tools it should hold you back in anyway. Start with what you have.

Considering how obsessed I am with tools the first two sections will include some tools which are a luxury and not a necessity as well as some tools which are made for something entirely different which I utilise in what I do.

 Tools I use in Prop Making.

Power Tools:

- The first and most important power tool you should be looking at is a Dremel kit, these multitools are easily the most used power tools in my daily work, from sanding over corners, carving and help in finishing, these multitools are an absolute necessity when prop making. I would personally recommend the Dremel 3000 which is a workhorse of a multitool and a favourite of many, as well as a new addition to my workshop the Dremel 8220 which is a cordless model and a godsend for working quick without being tethered to a electrical socket. I would recommend a kit that includes a flexible shaft attachment as these are perfect for more precise work.

-  A heat gun. You will use these constantly when prop and costume making, from heat forming EVA foam and plastic, to sealing up foam, these are absolute necessity and will be used on a daily basis.

- A Belt and disc sander pops up on many prop makers tool list but if I’m honest I don’t use mine enough to call it a necessity. Most sanding and shaping can be done with a Dremel and sand paper, a belt and disc sander is only needed for heavy sanding.

-  A Cordless Combi Drill is a necessity in the shop and will be used regularly you can get away with a combi drill or a twin pack drill set. Cordless drills are a lot cheaper than they used to be and there are plenty of brands to choose from.

- Bandsaw or Scroll Saw, now a bandsaw and scroll saw is recommended by every prop maker around, but it’s actually more of a luxury, you’re doing nothing that can’t be done with a good old craft knife. But they will speed the process up substantially, I’ve used a bandsaw in the workshop since basically the start and they are great, but probably more heavy duty than a prop maker needs. I’ve recently added a Dremel Moto-Saw to my collection which is in essence a scroll saw and fret saw combo, and I couldn’t recommend it enough, more and more is my bandsaw being left in the corner as this little Moto-Saw is doing everything I need for prop making.

-  I do utilize an Air Brush for painting my props and costumes but this is by no means essential, a paint brush and pallet will do the job perfectly well.

 Hand tools:

 - Snap off knife/cutter. I’ve constantly got these on the workbench with me every day, I prefer snap off blades to something like a fixed blade utility knife, as snap off blades can be easier sharpened, and trust me if your working with EVA foam a lot your going to dull blades fast. They also allow a greater flexibility for cutting curves, if you extend the blade out to its max it gives you really good flexibility for cutting sweeping curves. It’s nice to have a knife that’s versatile.

- Craft knife/scalpel. These are the knives people commonly associate with crafting in general and will always have a permanent place in my workshop, a craft knife allows for easier cutting of the more intricate pieces of your prop or costume where as other knives would struggle.

-  A knife sharpener. Cutting materials like EVA foam, Foamex or even paper will dull blades fast, so rather than constantly buying replacement blades save yourself a bit of money and get a knife sharpener.

-  Hot glue gun, now everyone knows the uses of a hot glue gun so I’m not going to list them all here, but a hot glue is an invaluable tool when prop making, so this should be on your necessity list.

-  Metal ruler. This is obvious but a metal rule is essential for measuring, marking and you should make sure you have a metal rule as you won’t cut through it with your knife. 

-  Tape measure, you will constantly use this so always best to have one in the tool box, or a few if you’re like me and lose them all over the workshop.

-  A good set of screwdriver’s. Everyone has a go to brand with screw drivers, mine is Wera as I’ve used them for years and not broke one yet, I would also recommend a set of insulated screwdriver’s if your planning to do any work that involves electricity, always best to be safe.  

- Hammer. Let’s face it your not going to use them a lot in prop making unless you’ve messed a project up and want to wreck it, but there will be a time when you need one so always best to have a good claw hammer and a pin hammer for more precise stuff.

-  A set of files. There will be a point every week when working on props and costumes that you will need a file.

There are other hand tools that I utilize when making props and costumes, but these are what I would consider necessity and will be more than enough to get you started in prop making.

Materials:

- First and most important material in Prop Making is EVA foam. You will not find a more versatile and easy to use material than EVA foam. I use specifically different thicknesses of Polyprops CF100 foam, as this is premium quality foam versatile enough for almost every project. I can’t recommend the guys at Polprops enough as they are always happy to answer enquiries and are more than helpful. I will have a link to their website at the end.

- Second is your glue. A good Contact adhesive is needed when working with EVA foam, which again I get from Polyprops and you will also need a good quality, quick drying superglue as there is always a need to quickly fix something in place.

-Another material I use a lot in the shop is Foamex which in the U.S is known as Sintra. I use this to add support or even just to create armour of a harder exterior. I do use foamex all the time when making Mandalorian armour, so if that’s what your looking for make sure you give foamex a look. I get my foamex form a place called Cutplastic here in the UK, another great supplier which I will link below.

That basically covers all the materials and tools I use in my workshop creating all my Props and Costumes. Remember I have spent time collecting all these tools and by no means do you need all of this to start, so start with what you have and get making.

Safety Notice:

All tools, equipment and materials recommended in this post have specific safety recommendations provided by the manufacturer, these should be followed for safe use of all materials and equipment.

Here are the links to some of the stores I use all the time:

• PolyProps materials: https://www.poly-props.com

• Dremel Multitools: https://www.dremeleurope.com/gb/en/products/tools/?start=0&System=Multi-Tool+System

• Dremel Moto-Saw: https://www.dremeleurope.com/gb/en/dremel®moto-saw-6132-ocs-c/?start=0&System=Benchtop+Tool+System

• Cutplastics for Faomex/Sintra: https://www.cutplasticsheeting.co.uk/pvc-foamex-board/

Hopefully you found this blog post of some use, good luck with your future costume and prop making.