Foam Armoring

[chwbcc1]

I was looking for some EVA foam and I found this link:
http://foamrubbercity.com/eva_foam.htm

Has anyone used this site yet?

1/2" 40x80 sheets for $55.00
1/4" 40x80 sheets for $27.50
$82.50 + S&H

This seems like a pretty good deal for two thicknesses.

I have talked to some guys from the 405th and they suggested using PVC or aluminum sheets on the interior for stability. In other word line the piece with a garage sale sign to hold the shapes. Then they suggest just using the foam for to create the details.

I am definatly going to try this for halloween...

 

[BenStreeper]

Hey Ben... I'm still wondering--did you ever cut miter lines to help attach the pieces together better?
I only ask because you skipped over the cutting process in your vid and no one had a definite answer when I asked before... Unless I missed it?

Thanks!

I did not, just straight glue

 

[Remraf]

Hey Ben... I'm still wondering--did you ever cut miter lines to help attach the pieces together better?
I only ask because you skipped over the cutting process in your vid and no one had a definite answer when I asked before... Unless I missed it?

Thanks!

I have started my armor with this process, and where two pieces come together at an angle I cut it out of the foam with an angle from the start. Just hold the knife about 45 degrees off of the foam instead of perpendicular to it.

 

[BenStreeper]

Fyi: this method can also be used for helmets

May I present my Foam Daft Punk Helmet version 2
This is based off of .... I want to say torso boys daft punk helmet pep???

 

[Minkyboi]

oh my god i need to do that for halloween

 

[Tau ceti]

Ben, I just wanted to say thanks for all the stuff and info you've put in this thread, and all of your videos. They have been the single greatest help for me. I've really appreciated them. Also, great to the shop! If I ever get down to Texas, It'll be on my agenda for a visit! Please keep the updates, (and shop videos!) coming!

 

[FrostyTheSnowMan]

Fyi: this method can also be used for helmets

May I present my Foam Daft Punk Helmet version 2
This is based off of .... I want to say torso boys daft punk helmet pep???

wow that is so sweet. how do u get such clean lines? u cant get anything near that clean.

 

[Swift]

You, Mr Streeper, are the epitomy of Awesomesauce.

 

[5N0WM4N]

siickkkk and heh skypin with lee I see...

 

[BenStreeper]

wow that is so sweet. how do u get such clean lines? u cant get anything near that clean.

I just use a sharp knife

 

[soul products]

i may have missed it but howd the rest of the thigh come out? i mean the sealants and all that

 

[Zat German]

I received my order of Foam Coat and Bounce from Hot Wire Foam Factory(HWFF) today. I also purchased the Intro DVD for tips on using them.

Foam Coat is a dry powder that you mix 3 parts Foam Coat with 1 part water. You can also mix it with more or less water, depending how thick you want it. On the DVD they use a thicker mix to fill in a hole and then thin the mix with a little more to coat it on their object. Then they go back to a thick mix and trowel it on to a flat piece of foam. In the thicker mix, it is a lot like grout. Thinner, more like a paste. It is supposed to dry into a hard, sandable surface.

Bounce is a foam sealer and additive to Foam Coat to make it flexible. It smells a lot like Elmer's Glue but it comes out of the bottle thinner. I wonder if it is a mix of white glue and liquid latex, like Rosco's Flexbond. The Iron Man builders over at the Replica Prop Forum are using Flexbond for their sealer before painting and Flexbond is supposed to be 1 part white glue, 1 part latex. HWFF also compares some their products to Rosco's. On the DVD, they said the best mix of strength, flexibility and detail is a 4 parts Bounce to 1 part Foam Coat.

In the picture below, I have made 4 different tests on a piece of one of the Harbor Freight mat's smooth sides. From left to right they are: Just Bounce, 4 parts Bounce : 1 part Foam Coat, 1 part Bounce : 1 part Foam Coat and 3 parts Foam Coat : 1 part water.

The Bounce applied just like my Elmer's Glue test and seems to dry similarly. Like I said above, it is a thinner mix than Elmer's Glue but it does seem to be drying thicker for the same amount. The first coat Elmer's seemed to suck right into the foam, Bounce did not. The 4:1 mix applied similarly but you can see it is thicker than just the Bounce. It also seemed to fill the tiny pores of the EVA foam better. The 1:1 mix of Bounce and Foam Coat was, of course, even thicker and applied much more like a paste. Last but not least, the per-instructions mix of Foam Coat was paste-like as well. I used a foam brush to try to get it on a little smoother and on the bottom half, I applied a much thicker coat along with dabbing some raised lines so I can test the sanding when it is dry.

It takes 24 hours for Bounce/Foam Coat to dry completely, so I will post again tomorrow evening with the results and some flexibility tests.

 

[FrostyTheSnowMan]

thats looking promising i think. i hope it turns out well with the flexibility and sanding. if it turns out well i will have to invest in some.

 

[Ronster]

Ben,

What's the best was to cover the seams between two foam pieces?

 

[RoxyRoo]

Anyone wanna bet this is what Legacy FX did? XD

I know in the cosplay community, when they work with craft foam they seal it with three things: Acrylic paints, which is expensive in the long run, Elmer's glue w/water, which is time consuming, or Modge Podge. I've never heard of this stuff you're using before, but I bet it's similar to the Elmer's glue method like you guessed.

 

[tmccarty23]

Wow, this method looks better each time I see it. I may missed it, but Ben, what thickness are the Harbor Freight mats?

 

[Zat German]

Wow, this method looks better each time I see it. I may missed it, but Ben, what thickness are the Harbor Freight mats?

Harbor Freight mats are 1/2" thick. However, if you sand off the textured side, they are about 3/8".

 

[bevbor]

Great work, Ben!

Anyone wanna bet this is what Legacy FX did? XD

I bet you wrong
I think they made molds with some 3d router, filled it in with some liquid foaming material, and let it expand and cure there

 

[Zat German]

Foam Coat and Bounce Results

The results are definitely interesting!

Bend Tests
All tests were conducted on the smooth side of a Harbor Freight EVA foam mat.

Mix: Just Bounce
Result: As you can see, no lifting or change, very flexible. Surface is very smooth and shiny. Coating is completely transparent. Larger voids in the surface obviously absorbed more and left pin holes. A second coat would probably fill these.

Mix: Recommended "Ideal" 4 parts Bounce, 1 part Foam Coat
Result: Very flexible, again no visible distress to the coating. Surface is rougher because of Foam Coat also more matte. Foam Coat leaves streaks, not sure if I did not mix it enough or just the way it works. Coating is not quite transparent, a beige to white film over the foam depending on concentration of Foam Coat. Pin holes were left as well.

Mix: 1 part Bounce, 1 part Foam Coat
Result: Still just as flexible as the others. Surface is actually a little smoother than the ideal mix and matte. Mix is more consistent but 100% opaque.

Mix: 3 parts Foam Coat, 1 part water mixed per instructions.
Result: Egg shell like surface and extremely fragile. As soon as I flexed the foam a little bit, I heard it cracking. You can see what extreme bends do. The Foam Coat without Bounce does not adhere to this foam either. I can pick it off like dry paint on a paint can lid.

Twist Tests

The twist tests had the most interesting result for me. Just like Plasti-Dip, when it gets twisted or the foam gets compressed along the edge(think karate chop the narrow edge) wrinkles result. It appears that the more Foam Coat added to the mix, the larger the wrinkles get but also the fewer.

Mix: Just Bounce
Result: Many, very small wrinkles.

Mix: Recommended "Ideal" 4 parts Bounce, 1 part Foam Coat
Result: Wrinkles are larger than just Bounce and not as numerous.

Mix: 1 part Bounce, 1 part Foam Coat
Result: Very few wrinkles but much larger.

I did not bother with the Foam Coat alone mix as it would have just caused a mess with chips flying everywhere.

I also tried putting the foam on my desk and just jabbing it hard with my finger nail. The more Foam Coat, the less visible a mark was left. A thicker coating of thinner mixes of Foam Coat may result in the same thing. All tests are just a single coat.

So, it looks like treating Foam Coat as a strengthening agent for Bounce is the best way to apply these products to EVA foam. If you want really strong armor that can take some abuse, use a 1 to 1 mix of Foam Coat and Bounce. Compression wrinkles will be visible from farther away, the more Foam Coat you use. The "ideal" mix on areas like the seat of the cod piece or places that compress when you are sitting would probably work better to avoid visible wrinkles at a distance even with a very glossy paint job.

 

[Tau ceti]

That's useful, thanks!