My reason for going with cardboard is I want a hard suit. I will be fiberglassing my pieces. I know that hundreds of people have done foam suits, but I just feel like fiberglass will last longer and have less chance of the paint cracking.
JFcustom's FOAM files
- Thread starter JFcustom
- Start date
My reason for going with cardboard is I want a hard suit. I will be fiberglassing my pieces. I know that hundreds of people have done foam suits, but I just feel like fiberglass will last longer and have less chance of the paint cracking.
Bandiet
Well-Known Member
I agree with you... I built a foam MK6 for my son some time ago and the suit needed constant repairs. I'm curently building a full sized MK4 with cardboard/fibreglass and although it's a ton of work, the end result is more rewarding. And I'll have less headaches once it's done.
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after searching everywhere for this piece with no luck. I was finally able to hunt it down and after a long process of extracting it, ladies and gentlemen i present to you the holy grail of batman cowls
The Dark Knight Returns cowl
and here is the obj file in case anyone wants to make a foam/pepakura unfoald of it
http://www.4shared.com/file/c2YiuMdBce/darkknightreturnscowl.html?
The Dark Knight Returns cowl
and here is the obj file in case anyone wants to make a foam/pepakura unfoald of it
http://www.4shared.com/file/c2YiuMdBce/darkknightreturnscowl.html?
Just finished extracting the new 52 cowls for you guys
and here is the link to the obj file
http://www.4shared.com/file/AwBVt9Nkce/bat52.html?
and here is the link to the obj file
http://www.4shared.com/file/AwBVt9Nkce/bat52.html?
yishles
New Member
paint shouldn't crack if you seal good, and just fyi, you can resin foam
Foam will always crack eventually. It's a flexible product. It also requires more repair than I'm interested in. And the majority of people who have tried to resin foam have not had good results. Why would I go buy foam when cardboard is free and more rigid?
The majority? Properly resined foam is extremely durable (Xrobot's explanations to do it properly are pretty straightforward, on here and on youtube). Foam also allows multidirectional folds, so complex curves can be made in single pieces that cardboard would crease and break down from.
Anyways, obviously whatever works best for you and your setup is what you should go with. I used hardened foam over hardened cardboard because paying $50 for foam was a better choice for me than spending hours and hours bondoing and sanding cardboard surfaces to get the same finish.
Cheers
As I said earlier in the thread, I am by no means an expert and I don't work with foam, but I have been lurking here for 7 years and I read over and over again guys complaining about bad results when using resin. As far as Xrobot, isn't he the guy who uses PVA glue? And now he's transitioned into 3d printing a lot of his parts.
Regardless, I'm not trying to argue with anyone. Cardboard is what I'm going to use, except probably for the abs. I've got the feet built, 1 of the shins, and the chest and back and I've done some preliminary builds on the hands and helmet that I will probably redo (I didn't use JFC's files for these and I'm not happy with the results). I'm also not constrained in my build to a certain mark design because I'm doing something a little custom, so if my curves area little off it's fine as long as I can get symmetry between the paired pieces (legs, arms, feet, hands).
PattyCro89
New Member
Wish I had the know how on how to unfold -.- would kill for pep files of these cowls haha (King's files that is)
X uses a lot of different methods to create pieces, and also documents them very well. I use him as an example because he explains in detail how to harden foam with resin (on his web page and on youtube), taking a lot of questions and guesswork out of it for someone who has never tried it. I used his method, and it worked fine for me.
No arguments here on what methods or direction you choose to go. I guess I was commenting more on the blanket statement that 'the majority of people who have tried to resin foam have not had good results'. I've seen the opposite, and also have had positive experiences with resin hardening myself. So anyways, for people reading who have never tried it, it's a very viable option. Good luck on your build!
The tabs aren't needed for foam templates, you can turn them off in Pepakura Designer by unchecking the option under 2D MENU>SHOW FLAPS. It can also be helpful to check the show edge ID box under this menu as well; you can use the numbers on the templates as guides to mark the foam when gluing together long adjacent edges (especially curves).
A few mm of Smooth-On's Shell shock as a final layer will make anything pretty damn rigid, and it sticks to resin like nothing else. I never worked with foam until I made my brothers marine helmet and had to make a lobe plate for it. I just used a couple of randome pieces lying around and followed X's tute. Worked a treat for me :thumbsup
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DarthWad3r
Active Member
Looking for foam unfolds of these -
http://www.4shared.com/rar/AMuc0_3Yce/GOW3_FR_CARMINE_ARMOR.html
http://www.4shared.com/rar/OBDX3TJtba/GOW3_FR_CARMINE_LEG.html
http://www.4shared.com/rar/AMuc0_3Yce/GOW3_FR_CARMINE_ARMOR.html
http://www.4shared.com/rar/OBDX3TJtba/GOW3_FR_CARMINE_LEG.html
Gareee
Well-Known Member
Question for people who have tried them both... can krylon fusion be used for skinning as well as spray tool dip, or should I stil with tool dip?
Reason I ask is fusion has 25% more packaged, and is half the price of tool dip, plus fusion locally stocked has more color selection than tool dip. I've used fusion for plastic before, but never for foam, but I thought I recalled someone mentioning using it somewhere with good luck.
The foam will be painted with water based acrylics after the fusion skinning.
Reason I ask is fusion has 25% more packaged, and is half the price of tool dip, plus fusion locally stocked has more color selection than tool dip. I've used fusion for plastic before, but never for foam, but I thought I recalled someone mentioning using it somewhere with good luck.
The foam will be painted with water based acrylics after the fusion skinning.
RaDDersMaDDness
Active Member
You might want to say what they specifically are, possibly with pics too. I know that someone could decipher what they are somewhat from the name of the link, but without a description or pics you're asking people to download files from 4shared just to see what you're looking for an unfold for.
Fusion will not fill imperfections as well as plastidip, and is not as resilient to flexing. Fusion is a much more rigid finish than plastidip, especially when several coats are applied, but it'll also absorb into the starting foam surface a lot more than plastidip, requiring more coats. This is just me, but I would spray a couple of coats of Plastidip, and then come through with the Krylon if that's what you want to use. Some people use the colored Plastidip first as well in a similar color to the final finish; makes covering the undercoats easier.
This must be from a bit ago, not sure what this discussion was about. If it's for Arkham Batman files, some were put up by me and a couple of other guys in another thread on here. You'll have to search the RPF for it, probably just 'Arkham Batman pep files' will find it.
Gareee
Well-Known Member
I'm not so concerned about filling imperfections, but am concerned about wrinkling and cracking over time. I'm not doing a superhero armor build, I'm working on dragon armor, which will look more organic, so imperfections are actually welcome and fine.
From your comments, I think I'll stick with plastidip. I won't need the flexibility for much of the build, but we all know that anything is going to take a beating getting worn. and I'd like this looking good as long as possible, since I'll be hanging around with friends with leather armor, and that stuff lasts forever.
BTW, in case anyone is interested, I also just purchased an interesting effect thing form my dragon's nostrils.. its a pretty clever assembly of a momentary switch, a minipump, the business part of an e cig. You fill it with a 50/50 mix of glycerine and fog juice, and you have a safe way to add steam effects to costumes! It runs off a 8 aa battery pack, and includes a super strobe to light the smoke at night. 9The same guy is doing the Ghostbusters proton pack overheating venting kit, and he converted his parts to accommodate my build. One fill should last for 100+ shots, and they can last 10 seconds long or more.
Here's his youtube video he posted for me showing the assembly working before purchase:
http://fbcdn-video-a.akamaihd.net/h..._=1407950879_b64a9fef363757c8ec1ebf9ba57978be
They guy's communication was excellent, and he shipped it the day after I confirmed everything was right and ordered it. Not sure if he is on RPF, but hes Jimfin on GBfans.
From your comments, I think I'll stick with plastidip. I won't need the flexibility for much of the build, but we all know that anything is going to take a beating getting worn. and I'd like this looking good as long as possible, since I'll be hanging around with friends with leather armor, and that stuff lasts forever.
BTW, in case anyone is interested, I also just purchased an interesting effect thing form my dragon's nostrils.. its a pretty clever assembly of a momentary switch, a minipump, the business part of an e cig. You fill it with a 50/50 mix of glycerine and fog juice, and you have a safe way to add steam effects to costumes! It runs off a 8 aa battery pack, and includes a super strobe to light the smoke at night. 9The same guy is doing the Ghostbusters proton pack overheating venting kit, and he converted his parts to accommodate my build. One fill should last for 100+ shots, and they can last 10 seconds long or more.
Here's his youtube video he posted for me showing the assembly working before purchase:
http://fbcdn-video-a.akamaihd.net/h..._=1407950879_b64a9fef363757c8ec1ebf9ba57978be
They guy's communication was excellent, and he shipped it the day after I confirmed everything was right and ordered it. Not sure if he is on RPF, but hes Jimfin on GBfans.
DarthWad3r
Active Member
Gears of War 3 Recruit Clay Carmine armor from the Fenix Rising DLC.
