Halloween Costume help

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I am not sure this is where I need to post, however here goes.I would like to make a metal frame (similar to lampshade frame) large and strong enough for a person to fit in.  What type of metal would I use and how would I go about welding it together?  Eventually the frame will be covered with fabric so any welded joints would not have to look professionally done.Thank you for any help you can give me.bonnie
Reply:Well this is a first.. 1/4" Stainless rod would work..1/4" Aluminum would be lighter.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Making a frame large enough and strong enough for a person to fit in is easy.The question is what does the frame have to support or hold up?  That will more determine how strong the frame has to be.Some framework to hold up some gossamer fairy wings would be much lighter and wispier than a frame that has to fend off a charging rhino.
Reply:Top of frame would rest on shoulders and the frame length would be to mid-thigh and since I am only 5'2" it wouldn't be too long or wide.I want to make a frame similar to the lampshade used for the leg lamp in the movie A Christmas Story.Can this be a DIY project for me?  I know nothing about welding, however I know the frame's shape would need to be welded together somehow.PVC pipe from last year's Chinese Take-Out box costume just won't cut it for this idea.Thank you.bonnie
Reply:First off what type of welder do yo have..   2nd just roll two pieces of rod in the shape of the top and bottom of the lamp shade to size., then I would add at least four straight pieces to join them all together.  The fasted and easiest way would to spot weld with a Mig Welder.  But that leads us back to the 1st part.
Reply:If you don't have a welder go buy a Mapp Trigger lighting torch made by Bernzomatic, get enough aluminum to make your frame, I might recommend using aluminum water line tubing the soft walled 1/4" variety for the top and bottom since it's easy to bend and usually is sold in a round coil package. Simply braze everything together with brazing rods and it'll be fast and easy.
Reply:If you don't have a welder or access to a welder (the person -and- the machine), then welding wouldn't be the right process you should use.You can probably drill and rivet or bolt the frame together.  I'd go for aluminum for the weight savings and ease of working with it (minor bending, cutting, drilling, filing, etc) with hand tools compared to steel, but not the soft hollow aluminum tubing.  That stuff will bend all over the place if you try to make a person-sized lampshade.
Reply:what about conduit?
Reply:Are all of these suggestions things I can research at a home improvement store?Thank you everyone.bonnie
Reply:Hi Bonnie,Yes, you can most likely find some suitable (no pun intended) aluminum or steel pieces at a home improvement store.  You'll pay more than you would at a steel yard.  As in one piece about 3-4 ft long at the home improvement store will cost about what a 20 ft piece would cost at the steel/metal yard.  And that's for new metal.  If the steel yard has an ''offcut' or 'scrap' section and if you can find suitable pieces there, you can often get it for 1/2 or 1/3 the price from that pile.  YMMV.And you should be able to get a small rivet tool and some suitable rivets and drill bits and files, etc at the home improvement store as well.You can often get a welder (machine) there too.  But that is definitely more money than a rivet tool or some small bolts/screws.
Reply:Thank you.bonnie