In this video, I'm going to show you how to make my latest wearable Iron Man Mark IV arc
reactor.
And I'll even show you the exact two-tone shirt I used to complete my costume.
This arc reactor was a hit at a Marvel party I was at!
And it was a major conversation starter as I mingled around.
I did a Google search for an arc reactor template and you can do this with whatever design you
want but I scaled it to 4 and three-quarters inches by 4 and three-quarters inches and
that's because this will be mounted on a disc.
I'm going to use a piece of transparency paper or plastic sheet to make a master template.
Just tape this plastic sheet over the printed template.
Now I'll use a utility knife and cut out the parts I want the light to shine through.
With this part, it helps to have a straight edge to get the cuts really straight.
I'm just doing it freehand here so you can see it better.
Also be sure to have a scrap board or something underneath so you won't damage your table.
Luckily this template wasn't too difficult to cut.
It's all straight lines which is nice.
I'm pretty sure you'll be happy with the final result when we're done.
Again once all the plastic has been cut out this is going to a master template so I can
make more arc reactors if I want.
For the next step I'll use automotive vinyl wrap and a clear CD or DVD disc found at the
bottom of all spindles.
Now I'll measure three square pieces of vinyl that are exactly the same diameter of the
disc.
I needed to stack three pieces of vinyl back to back so no light is shown through the opaque
parts.
You could probably use other materials but the vinyl was inexpensive and easy to work
with.
When the vinyl is stuck to the disc, just mold the edges a bit so you can see the shape
of the entire disc.
Now position the plastic cutout onto the middle of the disc and tape it together.
Now here's how I use the plastic template.
It's a guide to cutting the vinyl.
And it still helps to use some kind of straight-edge to get perfect cuts.
And because there's three layers of vinyl you'll need some extra pressure to cut through
them.
Again I'm just cutting freehand so you can see what I'm doing.
As I cut the vinyl, I can carefully find an edge and peel off the pieces I've cut.
Don't be in a hurry on this part because this is going to be visible on the finished on
the arc reactor.
When it's all cut out carefully remove the plastic template.
Now trim off the extra vinyl on the edges of the disc.
Here's what the front of the arc reactor will look like.
At this point it's time to add the lights.
The only lights small enough I could find are these LED string lights and they're sometimes
called fairy lights.
I'm using a string that has 40 bulbs and they're not very expensive.
But the great thing is that tiny and bright.
And on the cord to the battery pack you might have to splice it and add a little bit more
wire to it for it to be able to reach into your pocket so you can slip it into your pocked
while you're out wearing your arc reactor.
Start with the bulb closest to the battery pack and stick it to the bottom of the arc
reactor.
I'm just using Scotch Tape just to make this easy.
And using tape works well but I suggest using the clear tape vs the invisible tape that
you see in the video.
As you attach the LEDs, just make sure they all hide behind the vinyl so they're not visible.
All we want is to see the glow in the final product.
Just be sure to evenly cover the whole area of the disc.
Now I'll take another disc with a white surface and drill two holes in the top as shown.
This is where I'm going to tie on a string on one of the holes because this is going
to be worn like a necklace.
On the other hole, wrap a long rubber band around it.
The rubber band helps keep the necklace short while being stretchable as I put it over my
head to wear the arc reactor.
The string is then tied to the rubber band.
Now it's time to assemble the main pieces!
Place the white side of the disc onto the LEDs.
If you don't have a white disc, you can stick a white piece of paper on to any CD or DVD
in this step.
Then use some electrical tape and stick the two discs together.
Place a few pieces of tape around so they stay in place.
The final step is to put electrical tape around the edge of the arc reactor so no light spills
out of the sides.
And here's what the final assembly looks like.
It's definitely not pretty but remember this will be worn under a shirt so I'm only concerned
with what the light looks like.
And you can see how thin this arc reactor is.
When I'm wearing it with the power off, no one knows that I have it under my shirt.
And speaking of shirts.
I bought two of these dual tone shirts that are roughly like what you see Tony Stark wearing
in the movies.
The great thing is that these had free returns on Amazon so I bought two styles not knowing
which one I was going to use.
When I was ready to go out partying, I ended up using the darker shirt but there are even
more styles available depending on what you like.
I'm about 5' 6" and 160 pounds and I chose the medium size shirt.
And I gotta tell you that this simple costume was a major hit at the party I was at.
I've listed all the materials including the shirts in the description if you want to do
this DIY project.
I'd love to hear if this arc reactor becomes a conversation starter for you at the next
event!
Please give me a thumbs up if you enjoyed this tutorial and be sure to hit the subscribe
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Thanks for watching!