Foam sculpting with a hot wire... Need recommendations

[wackychimp]

I feel like hot wire foam sculpting might be something I can tackle. Can anyone recommend a set or pieces that I should get to start with? I'm not sure which tools I'd need.

Also, what can you seal/finish the foam with?

Thanks!

 

[Trooper_trent]

This place has a lot of info and materials for everything you need.

Hotwire Foam Factory

 

[feek61]

I have never done it before I read Steve's great "Half-Scale Enterprise" tread. It's really very easy. I used the same thing Steve recommended which was West Systems 105 resin with 2oz. glass cloth. As I said have never used this technique before but it was fairly user friendly. Give it a try. I am making an HL-10 lifting body which as a multitude of different curved surfaces. Here it is (unfinished):

 

[wackychimp]

This is great! Good company? Quality tools?

What do people use to seal the foam with so that you can paint it without worrying about the paint eating away at the foam? Apart from props, I'm also looking at making some Halloween yard decorations and wondered if there was anything that would make the styro more rigid once it's been sculpted. Don't want any trick or treaters breakin my stuff!

 

[wackychimp]

Also, Can you sand foam to get a shape smoother or do you have to just bend your hot wire into your "final shape"?

 

[CGClone]

Ive used Evercoat Epoxy resign to coat foam swords. Polyester resin, the typical stuff you find in most fiberglass kits (the real nasty smelling stuff) will eat foam away viciously.

Ureshell is another great product, its dries quickly, but not super quick. A small batch will be cured in about 5-7 mins, so its enough time to lay the product on:
Ureshell Polyurethane Foam Hard Coat | Recycling | Demand Products

People have used bondo, but it will eat away sometimes and I prefer epoxy resin.

 

[CGClone]

Also, you can sand your foam, yes. Depending on what foam you are using is going to dictate just how well that will work.

 

[exoray]

Hot wire is nice for quick and dirty carving of the overall shape...

But, a lot of the finer details can be done with nothing more then misc normal serrated kitchen knives, x-acto knives, files, rasp and common sand paper...

Stanely makes several 'pocket' rasp that work quite well to shape foam...

As for sealing it there have been several previous threads try a search for 'foam sealer' lots of options depending on what you end goal is...

 

[twinbuilder]

If your in the uk try Flints.co.uk nice hot wire tools.

:O)

 

[Jet Beetle]

I have never done it before I read Steve's great "Half-Scale Enterprise" tread. It's really very easy. I used the same thing Steve recommended which was West Systems 105 resin with 2oz. glass cloth. As I said have never used this technique before but it was fairly user friendly. Give it a try. I am making an HL-10 lifting body which as a multitude of different curved surfaces. Here it is (unfinished):

Are you making this??

 

[twinbuilder]

If your in the uk try Flints.co.uk nice hot wire tools.

:O)