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Explanation/Portal Project; for my past month's absence
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Topic Started: Aug 9 2012, 12:59 AM (311 Views)
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Kita
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Aug 9 2012, 12:59 AM
Post #1
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Fire is Catching
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Alrighty. I figured I owed everyone an explanation for my nosedive in activity recently.
So about a month ago, my dad was browsing the internet on his ipod and said, out of the blue, 'Portal Gun Instructable!' (click for link)I looked it up on my laptop late that night and fell in love with it. I made the decision right then and there to build myself an Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. I was up for hours going over the instructions, wondering how I was going to do it. For big projects like this I have a tendency to make my dad do all of the hard parts, and I was sure it would take forever to make.
And then I had one of those late-night moments of clarity. I had the money to buy the supplies.We had all of the tools. I didn't need anyone to do it for me--no, I'm a teenager. I can do this. It was a pretty freeing moment, too--as dramatic as it sounds. I decided that I was going to BUILD that gun.
I also found out that there was an anime/gaming/movie/sci-fi/fantasy/everything convention about three and a half weeks away. So I set a deadline for myself--it had to be done by August 3rd.
I spent every day of those three and a half weeks working on my costume (because if I was going to go to this convention, I was going to go as Chell, the protagonist.click for image of Chell)) Not only did I have to make the gun (the most work, by far) but I also taught myself how to read a pattern and sewed the orange pants. I found an awesome pattern (based on the game model) for the jumpsuit on someone's dA page, and followed it to just make the top.
I'm proud of my sewing, but I'm even more proud of my Long Fall Boots. In the game, they absorb the impact when you fall. There's no heel to the shoe. Instead, it's replaced with a heel spring--have a look: These only took me about 4 or 5 days to work, while working on the other two things. I'll post up a picture of them later.
I found a cheap pair of black high heels, and hacked off the heel. (Did you know? High heels have little metal staples and bars in them, making them quite difficult to cut off with a hacksaw) Then, I bought sheets of white and black craft foam and created a pattern for the pieces of the boot. The back of the boot is made from a cut-out piece of cardstock cut the right shape, and then covered with vertical strips of cardboard, and then covered in white foam. They attach to the actual shoe via a lot of velcro. Seriously. Velcro holds those shoes together. I could go into more detail on the construction in general, but basically the heel replacement is a metal wreath hanger bent into shape and then metal riveted to the back.
The only drawback was walking on my tip toes for three days straight, since there was no heel support whatsoever haha. I have some strong calf muscles now, on the bright side.
I finished the portal gun on the day of the con. I got help with the wiring from my dad--that was the only part I needed help on, since getting a gun to switch colors is slightly difficult. We worked all morning and finished that afternoon, and I debuted my outfit that afternoon/evening!
It was so completely worth it, though. So many people flipped out when then saw me, and asked to take pictures, and just stared and admired my portal gun/outfit. Their eyes would get all big, and I would flip the color switch, and their eyes would get even wider. One guy started jumping up and down when he saw me hehe. Seriously, though, the ecstatic reactions I got made it totally worth it.
(Here's a quick video of the portal gun in action that some guy took. videooo)
Oh! And I entered in the Costume Contest they had on Saturday, and won SECOND PLACE! I really wasn't expecting it at all, since so many people entered. I'll post up a group shot here soon.
So yeah. That's why I haven't been around recently. Just being a complete and utterly happy geek.
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 uli-buse le lizwe lzwe lethu Kitara ; Jasiri ; Tembo ; Raziel ; Riza ; Mira ; Alyeska ; Safia ;Tashee ; Kashee ;[/align]
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Skips
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Aug 9 2012, 01:53 AM
Post #2
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- Ceramic Artist - Writing Enthusiat - Inept Drawer - TLK Fan
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So, you're pretty much my official unofficial hero of the month just for that. Like, wow. That is amazing. And the dedication to your project is very admirable. Plus it's a totally awesome outfit and portal gun. Congratulations on how it all went! Seriously, that is awesome!
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Rogue: MWANAFUNZI Majabalian: ASIMA Nekuran: EL DORADO
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Embyr_Somm
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Aug 14 2012, 07:39 PM
Post #3
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Agent, not a Gent
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That's really incredible and, from the looks of it, all that work was totally worth it. Congrats on placing too! That's fantastic!
Are you going to become an avid cosplayer now? A whole bunch more opportunities open up when you can actually sew and understand the patterns, so again kudos to you for that. *nod* You don't only have to use it for that of course. But Halloween is on its way, too! Oh the possibilities! XD
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4 - Adult creatures 3 - Baby critters 2 - Adolescents
and an 'Embyr' in a pear tree >D
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