fiber glass vs foam?
- Thread starter iliya467
- Start date
Judge Spartan
Sr Member
It just depends on personnal preference and if you've got the space to do fiberglass. I myself like fiberglass, vacforming and foam, but I have a shop that I am able to do this in. Each have dangers but can be minimized with the proper equipment and ventilation. Best of luck to whichever path you choose.
widescreen
Well-Known Member
Personally - Fibreglass - as you get more detail & a better finish.
But it depends on your timescale, detail reuired as well as other options.
But it depends on your timescale, detail reuired as well as other options.
Kolin86
Active Member
This is a good list of pros and cons:
Foam:
Pro:
Cheap
Easy
Fast
light
Cons:
Not as detailed
Wears quickly
prone to breakage
Fiberglass:
Highly Detailed
produces movie quality results
easy to make molds and casts from
Paints easily
Cons:
More expensive
Much longer to make
toxic fumes
heavier
Depends on what you want to do with it. Do you want an amazing suit that you can have for a lifetime, in the next 2 years. Or do you want an alright suit in 4 months that doesn't survive very many uses.
Foam:
Pro:
Cheap
Easy
Fast
light
Cons:
Not as detailed
Wears quickly
prone to breakage
Fiberglass:
Highly Detailed
produces movie quality results
easy to make molds and casts from
Paints easily
Cons:
More expensive
Much longer to make
toxic fumes
heavier
Depends on what you want to do with it. Do you want an amazing suit that you can have for a lifetime, in the next 2 years. Or do you want an alright suit in 4 months that doesn't survive very many uses.
Hamsterstyle
Well-Known Member
Foam is cheap and easy for a beginner. Resin and Fiberglass is highly toxic, stinks, and is much much harder to work with.
If you want something perfect use fiberglass/resin/bondo, but it's going to take you 10 times longer to build, and a lot of people fail to finish their projects because of it.
Foam builds are much easier. Especially for first time builders.
If you want something perfect use fiberglass/resin/bondo, but it's going to take you 10 times longer to build, and a lot of people fail to finish their projects because of it.
Foam builds are much easier. Especially for first time builders.
Tigerblood
Well-Known Member
Fiberglass is more cost-effective than foam. I personally consider using foam for armors as half-ass (no offense to foam builders, but that's my opinion). Plus learning to work with fiberglass is more beneficial 'cause you can use this skill for a variety of purposes.
And everything is easier with 30% MEK-P for your resin so I highly recommend using this.
And everything is easier with 30% MEK-P for your resin so I highly recommend using this.
Tonyfatumvw
Member
I prefer foam pretty much for the reason these guy gave it much easier to work with and lighter and I found out that with bondo and fiber glass it could crack on you so I've been working more with foam lately
Tigerblood
Well-Known Member
MEK-P is the catalyst, hardener for the resin. It's easier 'cause the resin will have a longer pot life so you won't be wasting it. The one that comes with the Bondo brand resin or resins that you can get from hardware stores are 50%. Fiberglass supply stores sells these and it's like $8 for a 20 oz. bottle.
EyeofSauron
Master Member
thats just wrong
how is fibreglass cheaper than foam?
i can get a full suit of armor out of foam inside the 100 bucks radius, a full fibreglassed suit will cost at least 5 times as much.
fibreglassing is not a skill that can be used for various purposes, you can use it effectively in boat and car building but thats about it.
i did both, and it boils down to the question: what result do you want
Fiber glass suits are heavy, but have a lot of detail.
Foam suits are light, but hot(which fiberglass suits also are), also you get what you invest. Its good enough, but in most cases, you cant build it movie accurate.
so, if you want something for your own, 100 % movie accurate, and very durable, go with fiber glass
if you want a halloween costume, that you will only use a few times, and are happy with a look close to the movie, go with foam
The fiberglass method actually isn't really used as often outside the 'amateur' costuming community.
Most effects studios aren't working with pepakura, they sculpt the pieces from clay or use rapid prototyping and 3D printers and such devices to produce the various pieces, then they mold the final costume.
Then again foam isn't their preferred material either
Although with the proper tools and skills, foam costumes can look very good as well...
Most effects studios aren't working with pepakura, they sculpt the pieces from clay or use rapid prototyping and 3D printers and such devices to produce the various pieces, then they mold the final costume.
Then again foam isn't their preferred material either
Although with the proper tools and skills, foam costumes can look very good as well...
Riceball
Master Member
I'm reading that foam isn't that sturdy in the long run but what if the foam has been resin coated, wouldn't that make it about as strong as fiberglass? What about coating a foam piece with fiberglass or something foam friendly? Would that make the piece fiberglass strong and a bit heavier than just foam or would it not be worth the effort?
EyeofSauron
Master Member
well if you coat something with resin and fiberglass, would it have the weight of resin and fiberglass? you answer that yourself
just resin gives you basic strength, but fiberglass gives you additional strength
both combined give you a good strength. if you need to compare it to something, its like when you are building with steel concrete.
Concrete alone has a high pressure tolerance, but tension, it doesnt take well. it goes the other way around with steel. combine these two, and you can build mile high skyscrapers.
the thing is, if you "coat" foam, the inside will still be foam. as long as the surface of the resin is thick enough, and strong, you wont have a problem. but if you press on it hard enough, it will still compress, as there is foam underneath.
also, sturdyness is relative.
if you treat something like foam good, you are likely to have it forever. on the other hand if you treat a resin/fiberglass piece bad, it will break too.
so it comes down to your usage, if you do a lot of action and stunts with suits, they will eventually break, the thing with foam is, if you paint it, and bend it, the paint will stay bent, so you will see imperfections. you cant bend the fiberglass pieces, or they will break.
you choose, whichever you want, and which you feel comfortable with, because noone can tell you what to choose
just resin gives you basic strength, but fiberglass gives you additional strength
both combined give you a good strength. if you need to compare it to something, its like when you are building with steel concrete.
Concrete alone has a high pressure tolerance, but tension, it doesnt take well. it goes the other way around with steel. combine these two, and you can build mile high skyscrapers.
the thing is, if you "coat" foam, the inside will still be foam. as long as the surface of the resin is thick enough, and strong, you wont have a problem. but if you press on it hard enough, it will still compress, as there is foam underneath.
also, sturdyness is relative.
if you treat something like foam good, you are likely to have it forever. on the other hand if you treat a resin/fiberglass piece bad, it will break too.
so it comes down to your usage, if you do a lot of action and stunts with suits, they will eventually break, the thing with foam is, if you paint it, and bend it, the paint will stay bent, so you will see imperfections. you cant bend the fiberglass pieces, or they will break.
you choose, whichever you want, and which you feel comfortable with, because noone can tell you what to choose
P4r4dox86
Well-Known Member
In terms of coating foam for longevity/strength, XRobots has a method here for plastic coating:
http://www.therpf.com/f24/how-plastic-coat-foam-costume-pieces-146539/
And others have had good results using a method derived from XRobots with Rondo:
http://www.therpf.com/f24/foam-ironman-mark-vii-coated-rondo-small-149883/
http://www.therpf.com/f24/how-plastic-coat-foam-costume-pieces-146539/
And others have had good results using a method derived from XRobots with Rondo:
http://www.therpf.com/f24/foam-ironman-mark-vii-coated-rondo-small-149883/
For a first build, my alternative for fiberglass and resin was cheesecloth and glue. if you apply the cheesecloth with glue onto foam the way you would with fiberglass and resin, you can get a pretty good result. Seal the outside with a few layers of glue as well, I just did as many as it took to get a smooth surface, then prime, and paint. It ends up with nice hard pieces that feel like plastic but are very light.
