How to Make a Light Ironman Chest
Marvel Comic's popular "Iron Man" character, star of comics, books, movies and video games, is one costume choice for fans young and old. The do-it-yourself approach to building Tony Stark's famed Mach IV super armor may be daunting, but the ARC technology---the little glowing circle in the center of Iron Man's breastplate---can be made from some household items with little fuss. The result will be sure to please even the finickiest of fans.
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Things You'll Need
- Form-fitting athletic T-shirt
- Fabric marker
- Push light
- T-shirt
- Scissors
- Spirit gum
Instructions
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Don the form-fitting T-shirt. This shirt should be about a size smaller than you normally wear because you need this base layer to be tight. Due the highly stretchable nature of the fabric used in these shirts, you should still be able to move somewhat comfortably while wearing it.
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Hold the push light over center of your chest and trace the outline of the light onto the shirt using a fabric marker. Set aside, remove the shirt and put on a regular T-shirt. Trace the outline of the light onto the shirt before taking it off. Cut the circles out of each shirt using sharp fabric scissors, which will help in making the cuts even and reduce fraying.
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Place batteries in the push light if need be. Swab generous amounts of spirit gum over the backside of the push light and place it firmly against your bare chest. Spirit gum is a form of liquid latex that bonds well with skin but not so great with fabrics. Hold it for a few seconds to allow the gum to settle. If you have a hairy chest, you'll need to shave down to the skin before using the spirit gum to ensure you attain a tight seal.
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Put the tighter shirt back on. You may need help holding the light in place while you maneuver yourself into the shirt, so have someone else help you if can't do it by yourself. If you glued the light to the shirt, its weight would make the light wobble and shift and not look so realistic. With spirit gum, the person can achieve a better seal. The tighter shirt adds additional stability to the hold the light in place, and the other T-shirt helps conceal the base of the light and gives the appearance that the light is inset in your chest, just like Tony Stark.
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References
- "How to Create Spectacular Halloween Costumes"; Louann Mattes Brown & Jason D. Nemeth; 2011
- Costume SuperCenter.com
