Forestmoonstudio
Sr Member
Where can I purchase huge blocks of styrofoam in the U.S.?
Something like 4'x4'x8'
I want to do some large scale carving.
Something like 4'x4'x8'
I want to do some large scale carving.
Huge styrofoam blocks?
- Thread starter Forestmoonstudio
- Start date
hobbitbreath
New Member
Pretty much any hardware store, mind you'd have to stack a few sheets together so the seem-lines could be a problem.
Hazelrah
Well-Known Member
I haven't looked at google yet, but I am not sure if that is something readily available or not. If not what about using multiple sheets of 4'x8' home insulation sheets glued together to reach the desired thickness?
http://univfoam.com/pricing-calculators/eps-pricing
Found this site but they want about $800 for a block the size you are looking for, and that is only for expanded polystyrene...without shipping.
Hope this helps.
http://univfoam.com/pricing-calculators/eps-pricing
Found this site but they want about $800 for a block the size you are looking for, and that is only for expanded polystyrene...without shipping.
Hope this helps.
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TheRealFennShysa
Well-Known Member
You might want to contact the guy who built Foamhenge - he's in Virginia, and obviously had access to HUGE styrofoam blocks...
BTW, I have no idea who the kid is - just a photo I found through Google...
steveclaus
New Member
I've been looking for the same thing for about a year now. $800 per block (not including shipping) is outta my price range though. I keep thinking of that old show Monster House - they'd get that crap delivered by the truckload and just go to town on them. Was thinking of starting with an Easter Island head for myself. Please keep us updated on here if you have any luck - I'll do the same.
exoray
Master Member
You need to find a local manufacture as you will get charged balloon rate shipping and it will slaughter you... Yellow page searches for sculpting, plastic and foam suppliers in your area... Don't be shy about asking around, like maybe a call to the local community college art department...
Short of that house foam and great stuff from your local hardware store... It works wonderful for an on the cheap build up, and with some selective layering you can actually knock out a lot of the initial shape...
Or if you want a DIY solid block knock together a plywood mold and line it with thin painters plastic sheeting and get yourself several gallons of 2 foam, mix pour and watch your creation come to life...
Short of that house foam and great stuff from your local hardware store... It works wonderful for an on the cheap build up, and with some selective layering you can actually knock out a lot of the initial shape...
Or if you want a DIY solid block knock together a plywood mold and line it with thin painters plastic sheeting and get yourself several gallons of 2 foam, mix pour and watch your creation come to life...
Ozymandius
Sr Member
If you're looking to do it on the cheap, then you can forget about solid foam blocks. $800 per block is the norm.
Hazelrah
Well-Known Member
What about doing a combination? make a mold as Exoray suggested, but use a few of the thick pink foam sheets to take up some space so you don't have to use as much 2-part foam? kind of like a giant multi-layer eva foam ice cream sandwich
rollerboi
Sr Member
"hobbitbreath" said:
Yes and no. There's another thread aroud here where a guy did some large scale foam sculpting, including a mos eisley landspeeder, with layered foam.
The results looked fantastic, don't worry about te layer lines if u bond them together real good and San the final project good with a surface coat of something, you should be great.
The pink/blue foam costs about $20-25/sheet at your local hardware store. It's not a cheap medium, not the bigger you go.
What are you building? What if you made a chickenwire frame covered with papier mâché and a hard shell sealant instead?
dropshipbob
Master Member
I got a few from my professor for a senior project for a sculpting class when I was in college. I don't remember where he got them, but they were free.
But forget trying to sculpt anything out of them, as they make a horrible mess. I gave up on that as a medium and went with something else.
But forget trying to sculpt anything out of them, as they make a horrible mess. I gave up on that as a medium and went with something else.
Although I havn't seen them used lately, you might try a boat dock manufacturer/dealer/installer in your area. They used to use them as floats, but I think they're mostly rotomolded floats now.
Good luck, let us know if you find it because I've wondered this myself.
Good luck, let us know if you find it because I've wondered this myself.
I just went through the same search myself in my area. Finally got a couple slabs of extruded foam -- the crunchy stuff -- from the crafts sections at my local Ace hardware and pieced that together.
It was not a happy experience.
I came out of theater, and I got used to having access to great big chunks of white bead foam. In my mind, you start with a great big lump and you carve it down.
But next project, I'm going with pink foam, and will pre-cut and laminate UP. I've seen what a couple of people here have been doing with that, especially combined with CAD and printed templates, and I'm eager to try that instead of continuing the fruitless search for giant chunks of pristine foam.
It was not a happy experience.
I came out of theater, and I got used to having access to great big chunks of white bead foam. In my mind, you start with a great big lump and you carve it down.
But next project, I'm going with pink foam, and will pre-cut and laminate UP. I've seen what a couple of people here have been doing with that, especially combined with CAD and printed templates, and I'm eager to try that instead of continuing the fruitless search for giant chunks of pristine foam.
exoray
Master Member
So, it's still relevant to the topic at hand, it's not like some year and a half for sale thread or something that expires... Although truthfully I have actually scored some great deals on long expired sales threads that never sold, so even they are not a waste...
No need to start another thread about the same thing, that just wasteful... In fact it's constantly suggested by many that someone took the time to search before starting a new thread, and it's the reason that this forum in not auto purged after a year or so like it used to be...
My original advise hold true, on this subject...
This was done by my brother many years ago now, it's on pubic display in a retail store still to this day and has held up fine... It's 'pink' insulation foam layered up, carved and spray coated with epoxy resin... I'm also in the middle of doing a '50s style car shell for a wagon for my daughters to participate in the annual community parade in a few weeks, using a wood frame covered in a layer of 'pink' foam...
MFP 2020
Sr Member
Yeah, what do people have against old posts, anyway?
That's gorgeous! What's funny is that I just got the urge to add a moai and a tiki to my back yard, and my first instinct was to carve them myself. (Of course, if I actually want to have them, I'd be better off just buying them.)
That's gorgeous! What's funny is that I just got the urge to add a moai and a tiki to my back yard, and my first instinct was to carve them myself. (Of course, if I actually want to have them, I'd be better off just buying them.)
You can buy from Styrofoam Blocks | Expanded Polystyrene | Polyurethane Foam Blocks from Universal Foam Products and also get quick quote using free online Foam calculator at EPS Pricing Calculator | Universal Foam Products and also you can buy online from http://www.buyfoamblocks.com/
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The Manager
New Member
There are some at The Point at Walden. They were purchased for a dock repair but were not used. Lake Conroe - Montgomery, TX
Are these still out at there? If so I can come this weekend..
