A while ago I made two assault rifles. One 3D printed, one foam. I'm currently working on a video to compare the two building methods. I won't be able to work on it for some time because of school, but in the mean time, I'll post the last part of the script here so you can still get the information:
Now I would like to take some time and compare the two guns and share the props and cons of building and using the guns. Firstly, let's talk about the accuracy of the props. Naturally, the 3D printed gun is very accurate to the game model in terms of details, the overall shape, and overall look. Machines don't mind taking the extra time to obsess over details, so even if you're a novice to making props, you'll be able to get great results right away. The foam prop on the other hand suffers from sloppy details, warped components, and a lower attention to detail in general. Now, these may not be very noticeable at all to the average passer-by at a convention, but for the keep-eyed they are definitely a draw back.
In terms of the skill level involved in building, the 3D printing method involved a lot of repetitive, simple steps like sanding. Though, using the 3D printer itself requires a decent amount of knowledge. The foam gun relies on you being attentive to all of the details of the prop and to be skillful with crafting tools. Making a props from foam is a lot more involved. Sanding a 3D printed prop takes less time than creating something out of foam as well.
3D printing has a higher initial investment cost. A printer itself can cost hundreds of dollars and requires a lot of time to set up and maintain. You'll still need knives, pliers, and sandpaper on top of that. Creating things out of foam require a lot less initial investment. You only need a knife, some glue, a way to sand the foam, and probably a heat gun. And glue and paint for both methods, of course.
Foam has a lower cost than 3D printing filament. If you're considering making a suit of armour for example, a typical range for 3D printing filament is $__ to $__, where making a suit from foam usually ranges from $__ to $__.
Foam crafting grants you a lot more flexibility in terms of being able to modify your project. Take for example adding the magnets. For the foam gun, it was as simple as cutting out a square for them to sit in, and covering over the magnets with foam. I had to add a details piece of foam here to cover over one of the magnets here because the magnet wouldn't fit in the gun otherwise, but I was able to do this easily because of the nature of making something by hand out of foam. For the 3D printer prop however, it was much more difficult to cut in to the prop and add the magnets. I ended up snapping the 3D printed gun when I cut into it, and one of the magnets couldn't fit all the way in the gun, so the magnet is partially exposed on the side of the gun. There really wasn't an easy way to cover over this without modifying the file and reprinting it. This is especially important to note when making armour because armour must fit properly. See my shin pieces for my armour, I needed to make them taller to fit me but not wider. I was able to add 5cm to the middle of them without any trouble. If they had been 3D printed, I would have had to reprint the entire piece. This is a big advantage to foam crafting.
Lastly let's talk about durability, and using these props at conventions. I brought each of these props to separate conventions to test them out. The 3D printed AR went to comic con in Toronto, and the foam AR went to C2E2 in Chicago. The magnets held great on both props, and people loved both of the guns as well! Multiple folks assumed my 3D printed AR was a repainted nerf gun, and many folks assumed my foam AR was 3D printed until they got to hold it. They both looked great in photos too!
In Toronto, half way through the day, my 3D printed AR fell off my back and hit the ground. This caused it to break apart in to four pieces. I had to retire the gun for the day after that. Unfortunately, the strength of the 3D print was just not able to take a fall like that. In Chicago on the other hand, I dropped the gun multiple times (sometimes on accident, sometimes on purpose) and the gun stayed intact the whole weekend! It was super nice to be able to have a prop that I could trust the general public with, allow to fall on the ground, and just be able to walk around care-free with. This is the main advantage to foam- it doesn't crack like a rigid 3D print does. Foam armour is also much more flexible than 3D printed armour, and foam props are much less susceptible to breaking. It's by no means invincible of course, but being light and soft gives it a huge advantage.
In Summary:
3D printing Pros: faster, less involved, highly detailed
3D Printing Cons: Expensive, harder to modify project, britle
Foam Pros: Durable, flexibility in creating, light, cheaper
Foam Cons: Highly involved, slower, less detailed
Hopefully this gives you some context of which building method you'd like to go with! Of course, feel free to keep asking questions and I'll do my best to get back to you.
