SPCC - Cosplay First Aid Kit?

By **jpwise**. 31/03/10, 12:05 am

OK, this is an idea I've raised a few times, and re-raised it with Static the other day after ChCh geddon.

Essentially every con there are the inevitable mishaps and breakages that occur, usually at the most in-opportune of times.

I'm intending on raising it as a SPCC initiative at the next meeting on Thursday night, but if i have time would like to put one together anyway.

The intention is to most likely do something along these lines.
SPCC members - free 'reasonable' usage - donate if your usage is excessive.
Non SPCC members - $2 gold coin usage - likewise as long as it's not excessive usage.

What I have in mind for inclusion is essentially all low cost, high need items.
Bobby pins - black, maybe other colours.
Safety pins - silver, ideally some gold aswell, ideally various sizes.
Insulation/Electrical Tape - multiple colours - ideally one of those 6 packs - diff colours type.
Small Hot Glue Gun & Spare Glue Sticks.
Hollywood/double sided skin safe tape - for those slightly 'too' revealing seams that won't stay in place.
Small amount of common thread colours & needle(s).
Small sharp scissors
Lunchbox or similar small container with handle - to put it all in.
SPCC logo plastered on the outside. Very Happy

Opinions?

Also if anyone wants to build their own feel free to, this thread is intended to be a guide on the 'basics' required for a kit. If anyone else can think of other items that are 1) small, 2) cheap, and 3) frequently needed in case of cosplay emergency - please post them.

By Mandie_Chan. 31/03/10, 12:10 am

^I think that is a brilliant idea!
especially the hot glue gun

Would you have a needle and thread? (In case someone rips part of their costume)

The only problem I can think of would be if you can't find the person who is holding onto it ^_^;

By **jpwise**. 31/03/10, 12:14 am

Oops, knew there was one i was missing. :p

Yes, the thought was to get one of those cheap sewing repair kits with the handful of colours and needles included. Probably with some extra black & white thread since they're amoung the more heavily used aswell.

Edited into list now.

Although LOL - could always put an announce on the PA at geddon for it - "could the person with the cosplay first aid kit please come to the information desk, we have a cosplay emergency". lol. ;)

By Mandie_Chan. 31/03/10, 12:24 am

You can get little packs of thread with needles from the $2 shop with quite a range of colours~

Lol that would be funny~ (think they would let you use it though?)

By **jpwise**. 31/03/10, 12:27 am

Yeah, i'm thinking mostly $2 shop type items to stock it with - whatever the cheapest we can get is.

Um.. not sure. You could always page a specific person though if you knew they had it. Or odds are 'someone' will have their cellphone so they could be txt'd/call'd.

Anyone else have more ideas for items that should be included, or is that about it? insulation tape i'm still a bit soso on, but it does make a good 'quick fix' for alot of props that start to fall apart.

**Guest** Guest

Scissors! The Godsend that is sharp cutting implements! Very Happy

By **Rowan**. 31/03/10, 04:47 am

Maybe craft glue as well as hot glue? For when there isn't a plug socket available easily.

By **jpwise**. 31/03/10, 05:17 am

Craft glue? - or do you just mean regular glue?

I've just got back from a lunch break and heres the tally so far.
Safety Pin + Needle set - 149 piece set - $2.50
Sewing Accessory Kit - 69 piece set - threads + needles + tiny scissors - $2.50
Insulation tape - 4 colours (10 rolls total) - $2
Bobby Pins - 200 piece set - $2
Hot Glue Sticks - small - 27 sticks - $2

Total so far - $11. Razz

Now it's just down to the glue gun itself, a container, printed logo, and maybe the glue Rowan mentioned.

By **JVCA**. 31/03/10, 05:31 am

Spirit Gum? It's kinda pricey ($13.50 plus $7 shipping from minifies https://www.minifies.co.nz/product_description.php?b64=false&prod=2001.&code=2001#top - or there's 120ml which is better value but MASSIVE. Depends how long you plan on running the kit I guess - https://www.minifies.co.nz/product_description.php?b64=false&prod=MM168.&code=MM168#top ) but a little goes a very long way. Very Happy

It's also far more effective than fashion tape, and easier to apply (as Sylvie and I learnt at the chch contest, hahah).

How big a container do you want, JP? I should be able to get one from $3 Japan (...for $3.40, lol) if you'd like/can't find one for cheap in your area?

By **jpwise**. 31/03/10, 05:39 am

i'm pretty open on container. i'd ideally like something with a handle, and preferably longer/wider rather than deeper (easier to slip into a bag). I'll probably go with something along the lines of a lunchbox or something similar, but will have a nosey next time i'm out again. What I got today was just what I could find in less than 10 mins at the $2 shop in J'Ville. Razz

My back of mind idea is that the 'basic' kit should cost less than $20 to put together, and cover the most common requirements. The hot glue gun will be a bit darer, also i have spotted some cheap ones on Trademe, and Static does have one, so may see if she wants to part with it.

PS: Will try to find out more about spirit gum, i haven't really heard much about it before. Also the link you gave me has a rather interesting error: "An Illogical Scenario Occured. count from both queries is 0 : product Is : "

By Mandie_Chan. 31/03/10, 05:41 am

JP I have seen cheap small hot glue guns for $5-6 at the Wharehouse. And for 12 sticks its $3-4 from memory.
Hope that helps~

By **jpwise**. 31/03/10, 05:55 am

Hey Mandie, thanks for the Warehouse bit - will stop by to check what they've got. The Trademe one I was saw ~$5 aswell, so that was about the price i was thinking.

Also: "Hot Glue Sticks - small - 27 sticks - $2" - Razz

already got the sticks. $2 shop in Johnsonville mall is cheap as for them. :)

By Mandie_Chan. 31/03/10, 06:16 am

^Seriously they are that cheap? O.O
~~I might have to ask if you could post some down my way~~

By **JVCA**. 31/03/10, 06:29 am

Eurgh, I hate the minifies website. If you go to minifies.co.nz, then Special Effects -> Adhesives, the product codes I was linking were 2001 and MM168. C:

I'll take a nosey round $3 Japan tomorrow if I remember. :3

By Mischa. 31/03/10, 07:18 am

Jp I have a tiny Vial of Spirit gum you're welcome to - I'll bring it on Thursday. (I'm allergic so I can't use it )

The Minifies website is TERRIBLE it crashed on me halfway through a transaction.

This might come under firstaid firstaid, but It would be good to have some stuff for blisters and if you wanted to get really fancy some plain black jandals incase someone breaks a heel.

By neimhaille. 31/03/10, 07:50 am

Just as thought, it might be wiser to invest in some better quality thread- when you are in a rush you can pull the thread more than you mean and that thread is made from crappy short lengths anyway (come to my lunch thing on Saturday I'll talk fibres ;) ) You will probably wind in a tangled knotted frayed mess. *Not speaking from experience at all).

A few spools in black, white, grey, pale brown maybe a red should be able to be used for almost any colour costume. Actually if people are donating they could donate a bobbin full of good thread. A bobbin holds a lot and a pack of about 16 can be got from dollar stores.

I'd recommend Uhu glue and glue sticks, and for those really frustrating breaks some quick fix Araldite (you can get those single use blister packs too). These three work fast and cover fabric, paper and plastic.

Dollar store scissors are fine, as with needles safety pins hair pins, and can be resharpened in a knife sharpener if need be. Get some with metal going into the handle so they are less likely to break.

Sorry, I know these are a little pricer but they do work. And it's hard enough to deal with an emergency and have another one crop up.

In other words for non contest issues I will have all of the above with me plus strapping tape, Pros Aide and stuff to get rid of it all ;)

And ummm.. awesome initiative ;)

By **jpwise**. 31/03/10, 09:56 am

Hrm,.. ok. from a quick search the first ones i saw looked like really plain glues, but the wiki entry suggests some stronger ones.
I've used Gorilla Glue a few times in the workshop and seems to work 'really' well for basic small stuff.

If I'm not tied up I'll definitely come along and talk on the threads side. It is cheap thread, so I don't know how well it will last, but in case of emergency, it's better than nothing.

Right now my aim is to put together a basic kit that can address most common problems. Apart from being stressed I'm hoping most malfunctions would have occured well before someone was about to go on stage (since by then they'll have been wearing them for a few hours and what's likely to go wrong - probably has by then).

I'd like to include basic glue glue aswell if i can since it's really handy for quick small things, but I'm not a fan of tubes since they tend to dry and block the nozzle. More liquid types with the brush in the handle etc i think are more flexible.

Also yeah, quite likely will need to upgrade the scissors at some point (unless someone wants to donate a spare pair?:), the included ones are only little ~2-3" long ones, but once again, better than nothing to get it started.

"Ideally" I'd like to take it with me to each of the con's I'm at, which right now should be all the Geddons + Dunedin. So hopefully it will continue and be tweaked with usage.

Mischa - yup, would be keen to throw that in if you're happy to part with it. Is it the water soluble one, or one you need to dissolve? I don't know much about spirit gums, but the ones JVCA linked earlier looked to be water soluble types.

Although just on the donating thought, would anyone be keen to donate smaller useful items to the kit? As neimhaille said, cheap bobbins with reasonable quality thread could be a good idea and are small enough to readily store + refill when needed.
(or if you have some slightly damaged bobbins, or the wrong type for your machine, etc, filling them up with thread and donating them could be a better use than binning them Razz

)

By **JVCA**. 31/03/10, 11:43 am

The two specific ones I was referring to aren't water soluble, but I find it's no worse than ripping off a band-aid. I do actually HAVE the water soluble variety as well, but I've never managed to get it to work for me - it just doesn't seem to go tacky. :/ (...so if you want that one to add to the kit... Razz

)

I have one random metal bobbin that doesn't fit either of my machines, so I can donate that one. C: Any particular colour you want me to fill it with?

By RainbowMoonDust. 31/03/10, 11:49 am

This is a pretty good idea! Very Happy

Maybe add elastic to that list in case somebody's snaps? :think:

My only concern is where to find you guys if I'm ever in any need of costume repairs, how would people know where to find you guys in a cosplay emergency? Some people may have one or both of your mobile numbers but not everyone will and it can be hard to spot people (Even those you know and are looking for) in a crowd. :think:

Also, maybe one idea would be that people would have to fix their costumes then and there so that they don't wander of with (And possible lose) an item that others might need (Like say, the scissors for example). This will (Hopefully) prevent people from forgetting to return the item they are borrowing, getting sidetracked, losing it etc. :think:

I dunno if this is helpful or not, I'm just sharing my own concerns, something to think about at any rate. nodnod

By **JVCA**. 31/03/10, 11:59 am

Maybe there needs to be a brick cellphone in the kit so that a means of contact is always with the kit, regardless of who holds it? Razz

(I'm not sure if I'm serious or not. I think I'm joking...)

By **jpwise**. 31/03/10, 12:16 pm

i think the contact side 'should' be ok, enough people know enough people 'SOMEONE' will know how to get in touch with us.

Although LOL at emergency cosplay repair phone. :) Would feel like i'm working for AA or something. :) hehe.

On the contact numbers side tho I'm happy for people to note down my number - 021 70 33 57. Most people have it already and since i'm involved with setting up the SPCC it's definitely listed in a few places.

By Father Nightroad. 31/03/10, 12:49 pm

Hows some small off cuts of the fabric you used to make the costume? Maybe for those really big rips or where the fabric rubs too thin

By **jpwise**. 31/03/10, 10:33 pm

Father Nightroad wrote:: Hows some small off cuts of the fabric you used to make the costume? Maybe for those really big rips or where the fabric rubs too thin

If someones making one for themselves personally, then it would definitely be a good idea to include. I'm thinking more as an emergency kit for anyone who "doesn't" have stuff already.

By Father Nightroad. 01/04/10, 03:39 pm

Hmmmmmmm......... what about a set of buttons or those dome things that you press together and they hold the cloth together. Maybe a zip?

By **Rowan**. 02/04/10, 02:04 am

I mentioned craft glue cos there's a really good type I ALWAYS get from spotlight (although for like $8) - I think it's a fabric glue. It's really strong and a bit flexible, and great for glueing little things that fall off. And sets pretty fast. I'll bring some with me on Sun~

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