How many other cosplayers here have the problem of barely having space to make a cosplay. I mean you live in an apartment where you don't have a balcony, backyard or can get on the roof.
How do you deal with it?
Do you often just commission instead of making stuff? Only work on things that don't require stuff that would leak fumes? Or just plain limit your cosplay choices?
I usually make do by driving to a relative's house for the weekend, though I have been known to Bondo things in my apartment. I wouldn't recommend it.
I usually use every single surface I have, like the little floor space, my bed and desk. Which means that everything I have is covered in paint and stains.
I just suck it up when dealing with fumes, maybe going for a walk or turning the fan on.
>>8710958
I lived in a smaller apartment for about a year and a half. It did limit my choices for what I could make. While I did have a balcony, anytime I would go to spray paint something out there people would post to the tower Facebook page bitching about fumes (I don't really blame them though). There are places you can go to that you can rent a spot to paint stuff and use their equipment but that gets a little pricey after awhile. Sewing small things like uniforms, dresses, and tunics were no issue. I think you would be able to make simple things with a decent small setup. It was a pain trying to store wigs and stuff and keep the costumes some place out of the way. I may have to move back somewhere with limited space again so I hope some others have some insight on good storage and stuff like that.
Protip: Find a hackerspace and become a member
I joined my local one after /diy/ told me about them and it's amazing. At mine, you get members storage, lots of hardware to use (including a laser cutter and 3D printer) and a good sized community to help you with things.
Here's a whole list of them: https://wiki.hackerspaces.org/List_of_Hacker_Spaces
>>8711048
Also, they're not just restricted to hardware things, you can totally just go along and use the space to sew. Mine has a sewing machine so I do a fair bit of sewing there. They have big tables which are great for cutting fabric on when no-one else is in.
>>8711048
I live in the SF bay area, and just started researching for one of these. They're expensive around here (as everything is) at $150/month, but they offer workshops on cool stuff like arduino, 3d printing, leather working, etc. It seems like a cosplayer's paradise so I might try it out next year...
>>8711048
As someone who is a member at one (but not for cosplay purposes), I feel the average cosplayer would spend more on the membership in a year than they would on cosplay materials. It is a definite resource for the more serious ones, I think.
>>8712435
>$150/month
Jesus christ, seems a bit crazy. Mine is only $15/mo.
>>8712441
Yeah true, but that all depends on how much it costs. It's a lot more ideal if you're into propmaking and really REALLY need the space.
>>8712435
hello fellow norcal anon....you talking about techshop? i really would love to join, but seriously fuck that crazy high membership fee, especially since i'm an hour from the closest one in san jose. and if you're a member you only get a teeny bit off the class prices....almost worth it to take the classes, then just buy a 1 month pass and use the crap out of the place for a month, then drop the membership. i know at the SJ location you can buy a daypass, but i forget how much it was.
>>8712591
I'm in San Mateo, only 20 mins away from San Jose. I'm thinking about going to a few non-member workshops (I agree, that discount is not great) to tour the place and see if it's worth it.
>>8712705
you can actually go get a free tour (my bf and i did this maybe 18 months ago), where they walk you through the whole space and let you see what's there for use. they tell you about memberships, etc.
did some searching just now and found one in santa cruz that's a little more affordable and includes the SBU classes in the membership fee, which is a big bonus to me. they have less equipment and just opened in june, but i really only want the laser cutter and the 3d printing access at the moment.
