Etching on Foam War Machine HELP!

[JaySee1983]

The Good: Sci Fi Con is coming up in my area. Gonna make War Machine out of foam.

The Bad: I do not know how to make a clean etch out of foam. I am afraid of cutting to deep with a dremel or not having clean enough lines with a soldering tip.

The Ugly: I don't want the Ugly!! Hopefully the costume will come out with clean etching.

Help a brother out and leave some helpful tips.

Thank ya.


Reference photo below

 

[MorbidCharlie]

In the example above, freehand the shape onto some paper and draw it onto the finished piece, then you have a few options:
1 - Trace around the shape with a pencil/pen a few times LIGHTLY to make an impression in the foam. You'll have the detail, but it won't be recessed.
2 - Trace the shape then lightly trace (so you don't cut through the foam) with a blade and hit it with a heat gun. The foam will pull away from the cut and you'll have the detail with cut-in lines.
3 - Cut the shape from the foam, but don't remove it. Just push it "back" into the foam and then use your adhesive of choice to secure it.

 

[laellee]

I vote #3 whole heartedly. Cut out a template for one of the three detail areas (all three should be the same), put it in place, and trace around with your pen. Repeat for the other two. When you got to cut the shapes out with your razor, use a brand new blade so it won't snag the foam, and use both hands to control the force and speed you cut the shapes out. After you've cut around each one, push it halfway in, and then run a bead of glue around the backside of the cuts. :thumbsup I use that trick constantly, and the fit is so tight that the backside glue is all you need.

 

[Chrizwald]

I used a soldering gun tip to do some detail lines on war machine. Mixed results. You really need to be slow and careful

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

 

[ironmaided]

Here's a little demo of how I put details on my suit, well atleast a similar shape on the warmachine thigh. . .although not a tutorial video, hope it helps.

*sorry for the low quality video*

 

[JaySee1983]

In the example above, freehand the shape onto some paper and draw it onto the finished piece, then you have a few options:
1 - Trace around the shape with a pencil/pen a few times LIGHTLY to make an impression in the foam. You'll have the detail, but it won't be recessed.
2 - Trace the shape then lightly trace (so you don't cut through the foam) with a blade and hit it with a heat gun. The foam will pull away from the cut and you'll have the detail with cut-in lines.
3 - Cut the shape from the foam, but don't remove it. Just push it "back" into the foam and then use your adhesive of choice to secure it.

Thank you Morbid Charlie. That gives me a lot of options

- - - Updated - - -

Here's a little demo of how I put details on my suit, well atleast a similar shape on the warmachine thigh. . .although not a tutorial video, hope it helps.

*sorry for the low quality video*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gVZveDWYnY

Thanks for posting the video. Visuals always help!

 

[ironmaided]

no problem man :thumbsup glad to help

 

[CVWcreations]

You could possibly try cutting those rectangle pieces out with a scalpel, then placing larger pieces at the back so you have that 'depth'. I'm probably no sense here, but it would work a treat.

 

[DRG]

You could possibly try cutting those rectangle pieces out with a scalpel, then placing larger pieces at the back so you have that 'depth'. I'm probably no sense here, but it would work a treat.

Yeah, I've done something similar to this in my previous build, although it's sort of the reverse of the idea. Basically I had my base piece and I added layers of thinner foam (2mm) on top of the piece to add depth and detail.