I have tryed to build one of the most difficult costumes existing. Since I hadn't found any manufacturer for this costume, I decided to build one myself. I soon found out that it is impossible to build a general costume because it has to be adjusted to your own body. A 1.80 m person would never fit into a 1.70 m costume. I never finished this costume but sold it to someone else who wanted to finish it and use it in a fanfilm. I still want to share my experiences here. It is impossible to make a Step-by-Step-procedure. Whoever wants to build such a costume needs to improvise a lot. You also need a good workshop.
Build your own C-3PO!
Whoever dares to build this costume himself might find some advices here. I gave up the project and sold the parts to a fanfilm-project.
Preparation and tools
First try to collect as many pictures of C-3PO as possible. They are helpful for details. You will always need to have a look at them. Speaking of tools, you need a drill, powersaw, various knifes, scissors, ruler, paintbrushes, handsaw, and many more. I went to a print-shop to get old aluminium printing-plates. These are not very stabil, but helpful for smaller details.
1. The arms used to be tubes
Since translation for this procedure is too difficult for me, have a look at the pictures. The materials used are mainly plastic-sheets of 2 mm, Plastic tubes, wooden strips, golden foil and aluminium-profiles. As I mentioned before, you need to improvise a lot to get a nice result.
2. Hands: If you can hold a glass with them, you are good.
As basis, I used cheap gloves and glued metal-tubes of 15 x 22 mm to the fingertips which I closed with small wooden pieces. Use some old wires for decoration. The backside of the hand was cut out of 2 mm aluminium and decorated with wooden-strips before covering with golden foil. You may use thinner material for the fingers (roll the material, glue it on the glove and cover it with foil).
3. Sexy shorts
Now this will be fun. Go out and buy some meshwires and build yourself a pair of pants you fit in. This is the basis. Once it fits, cover the surface with fiberglas. Sand it down until you get a nice smooth surface and cover all uneveness with surfacer. sand it down and so on. You may sculpture the details in front also with this material and sand out the lines. The details on the reare were half round wooden strips that I cutted into short pieces and glued them on the body. After applying surfacer and sanding it down, the details look pretty real. Later, cover everything either with golden paint or golden foil.
4. Shoes: uncomfortable, tight and you cannot even walk with them
Easy!!! Just take an old pair of shoos you don't need any more. Then fill them with newspapers and cover them all over with fiberglass. Then sand them down and apply some surfacer. The details were built in the same way as the shorts (above). Then cut the rear part away from the shoes (or you may not be able to wear them any more) and attach some golden fabric with some elastic rubber.
5. The head: What I was most afraid of.
The basic was made out of wiremesh which i covered with fiberglass and surfacer. After many hours of of sanding, I achieved almos a realistic form of the head. The eyes were cut out of plastic and you may even build in some lights with a battery.
6. Legs
I was planning to use a set of Stormtrooper-legs and modify them.
7. Upper body
Just like the lower body, I used wiremesh and formed the complete body. It has to be built in one piece and gut into a front and rear part later. Use some woodenstrips in the area whee it will be cut later as reinforcements. Applying the same modeling-technics discribed above you may be able to form a nice detailed upper body. Remove the wireframe afterwards or you might get hurt wearing the costume.
8. Shoulders
The shoulders are built in the same tecnic as the other parts make sure they attach nicely to the body and the upper arms fit in..
9. Stomache: some wires and lether
Make yourself a 30-40 cm wide belt that can be closed in the back with a zipper or velcro. Use many old cables in different colors for details.
Never ever wear this costume alone!!! Or you will end up like me one day unable to get out of the costume alone.
