Flexible PVA glue and paint for EVA foam?

red4

red4

Sr Member
I'm grooming a potential client who wants me to build him some pieces of a Big Daddy (from Bioshock 2) costume out of EVA foam. The pieces need to retain most of the EVA's flexibility once it's primed and painted. I've been learning about PVA glue, and how most people use it to seal the porousness of the foam. But there are at least 2 distinct common types: school glue, which retains some level of flexibility, but is extremely weak; and carpenter's glue, which cures as hard as plastic.

What do you guys recommend I use? And which paints will cure to a flexible consistency?
 
School glue is what I use and is very flexible.

Paint however will be a problem. It stays more flexible while curing in the first 48 hours, but no combination of 'base coats' will make it any more flexible. I would say your best bet is to look for latex paints.
 
I'm going to have to agree with Dynofiend. I do quite a bit with EVA foam and have yet to find a paint that can withstand all the flexibility that the EVA has. I've had decent luck with FW acrylic inks and Liquitex (what I use when painting latex). I also started using Plastidip as a primer before any paint goes on. Too much flex is going to cause chips/cracks no matter what you use, especially if it's bonded well to the foam.

Brian
 
I use Mod Podge (probably the same as PVA glue) and acrylic paint over my EVA foam which seems to hold up pretty well to the flexibility of EVA foam. I have not see any tearing yet, but it does cause some wrinkling if the piece is bent outward causing the paint to compress.
 
Nice. I have a huge jar of Mod Podge that I bought a few years ago before realizing it wasn't the product I needed. I might put it to use.

I've had some decent results with Liquitex paint. I painted a shirt with it a few years ago, and have also used it to paint flexible plastic tubes.
 
I've only made four copies of the same item with EVA. Like you I had been looking for something to keep flexibility. Mod Podge is a very good start, which it what I had used, too. I also mixed my choice of color acrylic paint with it. the only thing was I had to mix enough of the stuff to cover all the work I had been doing to ensure the color would remain consistant, since I didn't believe I would ever be able to match it again. After three years, it still holding and is still flexible.
 
BAK55 said:
I've only made four copies of the same item with EVA. Like you I had been looking for something to keep flexibility. Mod Podge is a very good start, which it what I had used, too. I also mixed my choice of color acrylic paint with it. the only thing was I had to mix enough of the stuff to cover all the work I had been doing to ensure the color would remain consistant, since I didn't believe I would ever be able to match it again. After three years, it still holding and is still flexible.
Click to expand...

What type of Mod Podge did you use? I did a search for it but there seems to be a 101 different types under that brand.
 
I made my Davy Jones claw and leg from EVA foam, and simply painted it it over with liquid latex .
The base colour was acrylic paint mixed with the latex, and the tinting was airbrushed acrylic.
I coated it with liquitex gloss for protection.
It's been stuffed in a case , over to Florida and the Bahamas and back with no real damage evident.
It did take several coats of latex though.
Hope this helps
 
mattycsi said:
What type of Mod Podge did you use? I did a search for it but there seems to be a 101 different types under that brand.
Click to expand...

The type I had used was Mod Podge Matte by Plaid Enterprises. It dries clear, so acrylic paint, that can be aquired at a craft store, really is the thing to add color to it.
 
What kind of acrylic paint do you use? Most acrylics paints I've worked with are almost completely inflexible. They crack with the slightest bend.
 
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