Foam questions?

[Harmonic_Distortion]

Anyone here ever deal with EPS foam? 1lb 3lb 5lb?

Basically I've got 2 questions:

1. How well do the varying weights take detail. Obviously the denser the better, but 1 lb foam gives good detail right?

2. How hard is a quarter inch of 1lbs EPS foam to flex? Imagine you've got, let's say, an arm and torso that are all one piece of EPS, and you hollow it out to wear...will you be able to rotate, twist and move the arm decently?

Thanks.

 

[clonesix]

1) EPS (Expanded Poly Styrene, better know as ice-chest-foam) will not take detail well and there are better materials suited for detail work- http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/subcategory/129/

2) It will flex very well in a simple curve, and minimal in a compound curve.

The usefulness of EPS depends on the needs of final object.

 

[Harmonic_Distortion]

1) EPS (Expanded Poly Styrene, better know as ice-chest-foam) will not take detail well and there are better materials suited for detail work- http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/subcategory/129/

2) It will flex very well in a simple curve, and minimal in a compound curve.

The usefulness of EPS depends on the needs of final object.

The problem is the amount of foam needed is quite big - 8ft by 6 ft by 4 feet - so the cost needs to be as low as possible. I know that 3lbs EPS will take detail approximately as well as balsa foam (so I've been told) but I was wondering about 1 lb foam.

Minimal in a compound curve - good to know. So say, for instance, you've got your real arm sleeved in an arm of EPS even at 1/4 inch thickness, its probably not going to twist much? Definitely good to know.

 

[JtotheP]

If you have access or ability to hardcoat the foam after sculpting and before you hollow it out, it will take flexing better. A lot of arcitectual facades for homes (i.e. columns) are hard coated foam. Find a source that supplies/manufactures/sprays hardcoat foam and ask if they can spray your piece.

 

[Harmonic_Distortion]

If you have access or ability to hardcoat the foam after sculpting and before you hollow it out, it will take flexing better. A lot of arcitectual facades for homes (i.e. columns) are hard coated foam. Find a source that supplies/manufactures/sprays hardcoat foam and ask if they can spray your piece.

Interesting. Basically it's a person-sized piece of laser-cut foam which I was planning on hollowing out and using for a costume.

So the hard coating could make it where it was flexible even though it's hard-coated? After it's sculpted and before it's hollowed out.

Any product names for this hard coat?

Now I'm wondering if this will bend at all (fingers - shoulder - elbow)

Ive heard of people pulling foam from mattresses...what kind of foam is that?

Thanks!

 

[JtotheP]

Interesting. Basically it's a person-sized piece of laser-cut foam which I was planning on hollowing out and using for a costume.

So the hard coating could make it where it was flexible even though it's hard-coated? After it's sculpted and before it's hollowed out.

Any product names for this hard coat?

Now I'm wondering if this will bend at all (fingers - shoulder - elbow)

Ive heard of people pulling foam from mattresses...what kind of foam is that?

Thanks!

The hard coat can go on at any different thickness, the thinner the more flexible. 1/16 to 1/8 would be perfect. The hard coat is a two part urethane that needs to be sprayed through a high pressure pump and gun system. Futura is a brand name off the top of my head.

 

[Harmonic_Distortion]

Much appreciated. I'll do some due-dilligence on that.

 

[Gungrave]

Can i use foam to cover the $300 hole in my wallet? I bet you know the Answer huh Harmonic_Distortion....???

 

[EricHart]

Ive heard of people pulling foam from mattresses...what kind of foam is that?

Thanks!

Mattress foam is usually polyurethane foam, aka Polyfoam, aka flexible urethane foam, aka foam plastic, aka foam rubber... well, it's known by a lot of names. It comes in various densities, sizes and shapes. It's what many puppet makers make Muppet-style puppets out of.

You can also buy two-part compounds to cast items out of polyurethane foam.

The really flexible kinds like found in mattresses don't really let you work in much detail, but they can always be coated with something flexible, such as latex, or proprietary products like Sculpt-or-Coat or FlexCoat.