"Help!" for: Foam

[Molag Bal]

This question may have been asked already.... If so plz don't stone me
Is there a good TUT for foam crafting floating around here on the 405th?
I googled it and ran across a tut from squidoo but they left out large areas of instruction.(although they had a quite nice materials list)
I want to read up on foam crafting for parts of my armor that will be more flexible than others like the torso. whereas I elected to go the pep/resin/bondo route for the stationary parts like the helmet.

 

[Molag Bal]

soooo......I guess no one knows of one? Or did i ask a stupid question no one wants to answer???

 

[DBmike]

soooo......I guess no one knows of one? Or did i ask a stupid question no one wants to answer???

There are tons of tutorials on youtube including my own, links are in my signature.

 

[Molag Bal]

There are tons of tutorials on youtube including my own, links are in my signature.

Thanks man I really appreciate your help!

 

[BlueFreeze128]

Hi! I didn't know where to ask because I'm curious but what's the advantage of using foam? I've been seeing a lot of foam builds lately for mostly suits and I wanted to know if it was easier to use or if it's less of a hassle to work with.

 

[Xarmymustang]

Hi! I didn't know where to ask because I'm curious but what's the advantage of using foam? I've been seeing a lot of foam builds lately for mostly suits and I wanted to know if it was easier to use or if it's less of a hassle to work with.

its much easier and faster to use and flexibility wise too. using templates to cut out the shapes and hot glue them together with beveled edges to get the correct angles. but with foam the detail isnt as great but there are a few who have mastered it such as drack and lil tyrant with their spartan builds

 

[Zaff]

Working with foam also has the advantage of not having to deal with potentially hazardous materials, such as fiberglass and resins, which can cause anything from skin irritation to major breathing problems, or worse, if not handled properly and with the appropriate safety equipment. Generally with foam the most "risky" aspect of it comes from the hot glue gun's tip, which could cause a small burn if you're not careful with it, but that's a very minor risk compared to what could happen from the misuse of fiberglass and resin.

The lack of detail Xarmymustang mentioned can be compensated for by using the thinner sheets of craft foam to build up detail and a rotory tool (such as a Dremel, preferable with variable speed control) with a carving or engraving bit to add grooves, undercuts, and to shape the contours and edges.

 

[Kinggoobero]

How does the paint hold up as your pieces rub together? Is there a specific process to prevent any unwanted wear you took? I suppose my fear with a foam build is that after painted that when too much pressure is applied intentionally or unintentionally in high friction areas(or anywhere really) it would crack and flake off.

 

[Zaff]

How does the paint hold up as your pieces rub together? Is there a specific process to prevent any unwanted wear you took? I suppose my fear with a foam build is that after painted that when too much pressure is applied intentionally or unintentionally in high friction areas(or anywhere really) it would crack and flake off.

Could borrow a trick from the automotive paint playbook and gradually coat the finished piece with several (relatively thin) layers of clear top coat (typically available in flat, gloss, and semi-gloss to accomodate the style you're trying for). The added layers will serve as a protective coating to keep the color from being worn off too quickly. There are two approaches to preventing details (such as logos, painted on vents, etc.) from being obscured. The first is to lightly sand with a very fine grit (above 400) in between each coat. The downside here is you have to give the piece a very thorough cleaning between sanding one layer and applying the next, otherwise you'll trap the dust and will have to sand it all back down again to clear it out, which runs the risk of sanding too deep and digging into the color itself. The other method is to simply spray a layer, let it dry, spray another, let it dry, and repeat this several times (5-7 layers at least) and then start sanding it (again using very fine grit). With both methods it's probably best to wet sand, either using sandpaper designed to hold together when wet, or with a fine grit sanding sponge.

For added clarity/shine get a bit of automotive buffing/rubbing compound and use either a microfiber terry cloth (often found in the automotive department with the cleaning supplies) or a rotory buffer attached to a variable-speed tool. You'll want a low speed setting and remember to always keep the buffer moving. If you leave it on one spot it'll wear right through to the paint. Also be very, very careful around corners and edges, as those are also easy to wear down. So between the two, buffing by hand is probably the better option than buffing with a power tool. Just work in small circles, one section at a time, applying gentle, even pressure. Just be mindful not to let the cloth dry out while you're working, as the dried compound on the fibers can cause scratches.

I've also seen clear plasti-dip, which could be layered on and possibly buffed to similar clarity in the same manner, but I don't have the means to test/verify that theory just yet.

 

[Zoram]

I'm having issues figuring out how and if I need to do angled cuts on foam for the various parts of the foam. I'm using the foam template modified halo 4 spartan pep files and putting the printed out template on the foam directly and then cutting. Then I realized I wasn't sure when and where and how to angle. Looking at the pep file doesn't really give me any clues. Or is it safe to just cut them straight and then do angled cuts later on the cut out parts when I find I need it? I'm not entirely sure. Its kind of one of those small details I'm not sure of even with the tuts I have found and people I've asked(unless its a detail I've just forgotten).

edit: Never mind, I looked again at things and found the part about this issue and I'm set to go. Sorry for being annoying.

 

[elusch99]

So I'm scaling a MKVI foam file, and have run into issues. So I used 2 different scaling methods, the one with a bunch of calculating an conversion, which got me to 26.461, and just entering my hight in inches. Well, 26.461 is tiny, and 77 inches is too big. Or is it?! I gues what I'm asking is, is either method correct?

I've had this question myself, I'm not sure if it's right but from what I understand the scale is different for each piece and doesn't actually have anything to do with the height. I use the first method you mentioned, with the formula, and it seems to work fine. You might want to test print a page with a large piece that you can use to check and see if it's working.

 

[dishabille]

has anyone attempted to use the expanded or bubble styrofoam bought in hobby shops to do a build and then tried to fiberglass over the top? if so have you found a process to accomplish this without deforming the foam underneath. I ask because this is exactly what im doing currently. I have a mask completely sculpted out of "bubble" styrofoam and need a way to make the outside rigid in case it gets dropped or i want to use it as a paintball mask. i saw a video posted that starred XRobots om youtube but he had a different foam from what im using. Any ideas if it would be the same or any other way to achieve the same effect?



the yellow is gorilla glue which worked really well keeping it all in place.

 

[Jun13]

where can i get eva foam for cheap

 

[Hollowknight]

where can i get eva foam for cheap

Harbor Freight.

 

[elusch99]

where can i get eva foam for cheap

depends on how much you want. Amazon carries a good brand, called We Sell Mats and I'm using it for my build. Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/We-Sell-Mats-...8&qid=1374357068&sr=8-2&keywords=we+sell+mats
it has a good pattern, is bendable but not too thin, and doesn't smell awful.

 

[Zaff]

Dishabille, I would strongly advise against using fiberglass or resin. It will melt it down to soup very quickly. And this kind of foam will not stand up against paintballs, either. Even if you could safely encase the outside, the inside would get ground to much against your skull just from the impact to the outside. If you want to still have a helmet out of this (throwing a project away can get very discouraging) I think your best bet might be to use plasti-dip to seal and build up the outside into a smooth shell (you'll need several coats, a lot of sanding, probably several more coats and even more sanding to get it smooth), and even then it will still be very much a costume piece. The search for cost-efficient, light weight and impact-endurable armor goes on, but the concept is still very much a long stretch that has not yet been able to meet those three key requirements. Styrofoam is light weight and cheap, but it breaks, crushes, and crumbles very easily and there really is no method to harden it.

 

[dishabille]

@zaff thanks for responding i thought Id have to wait a while to hear anything.

i think im gonna keep it as a show piece only in that case. I watched xRobots how to plasti-dip but the styrofoam I have is different in every way to his. I tried following his methods but the glue I bought sucks pretty hard and wont cure, even at 100% concentration. id like to have a hard outter shell on it but I also want to be able tosand it and paint it. any idea where I could pick up some plasti-dip? i dont think we have many hobby shops around other than the big name craft stores. would something like a spray bed liner work?

 

[Zaff]

Sounds like more than likely they were using EVA foam, which is often called "foam rubber" or "craft foam." It's much more durable and workable (not to mention more flexible) than Styrofoam. Most people around here use the foam floor mats found in hardware and department stores. I've found them at my local Walmart for about $15 for 16 square feet (four 2'x2' squares).

Other than the big name stores probably the best bet would be ebay or some other online vendor. Another possible alternative would be flex-seal. The bedliner might work, but those typically have an inherent texture to them that could be a real pain in the neck to smooth out. I hate to say you've done all this work so far for nothing, but you kinda have. It can still be done, but it's only going to get me complex and quite possibly more expensive going forward than just starting over with a different approach.

 

[dishabille]

@zaff

okay thanks for the input. i stuck with the styrofoam because it was cheap and i could cut it pretty easy. im trying to find a way to make the surface a little more solid using a more rigid glue and then doing the plasti-dip approach. hopefully itll work out and if not ill just keep searching bc im not gonna have time to do anything once school ends and i hit the real world. if it does work ill make to post pics and some detail into how i did it(mostly trial and error so far).

 

[Harding29]

Wow I've learned so much from this thread! I've never tried working with foam since I'm a pep guy lol but I've been looking at some members foam builds and they look fantastic! So I may give foam a chance and I think I'm going to attempt to make a holdout blaster pistol for my scout trooper build I'm working on from reference pics. I think I know everything I need to up until the plasti dip. From what I take you just spray on a few layers, sand it with a high grit paper, and they paint it? Please let me know it that's pretty much how it works. Also can you use any type of paint after the plasti dip? (Ex. Auto spray paint) thanks 405th!