Learning how to use Foamies!

Robiwon

Master Member
Gone but not forgotten.
So the Fiancee and I were at Hobbylobby today picking up some flowers and stuff for our wedding next month. I noticed that all the craft stuff was 30% off. I thought "Foamies"! Sure enough all things Foamie were on sale. Since I am planning my Predator build I thought I better get some practice in. I grabbed 8 sheets of 2mm and 8 sheets of 3mm black Foamies at 89 cents and 30% off! I also grabbed a pack of Foamie markers, Foamie glue, and a bucket of Foamie geometric shapes. All on sale.

I want to do a P1 style suit. I have my mask, Bio and hand/feet supplier picked out already. I'm going to do a split MR I skin. I'm doing the armor, obviously, out of Foamies.

I grabbed some poster board and sketched out a loose design based on the P1 thigh armor. this is not going to be the final piece, I just wanted to see what I could do with the stuff. This is only a test!
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Then I grabbed a sheet of black Foamie and my marker.

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I layed my cut out patterns and traced then.
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After a little hot glue action and a diluted white glue bath, this is what I came up with. Not bad for my first ever experience with Foamies I think.
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Tomorrow, after the glue has dried I will shoot them with some silver paint and weather them.
So far this was a lot of fun doing. I cant wait to actually start the build in October!

Oh, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to answers questions from a newbie!
 
!!!FOAMIES!!!

You see alot of good things come from them. Especially in 'the Lair'. Looks pretty sharp by the way.
 
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Real nice work, seeing stuff like this makes me really want to try my hand at some foam - looks extremely versatile
 
Awesome job with the foamies and congrats on the wedding! I love hobby lobby lol I just recently join HL and just scuplted my bio mask today I didnt know how to do armor and everyone was saying "foamies" lol I had no idea til I looked more.
 
thank you very much for seeing this on the boards and then going out and trying it for yourself.
I love it when people research and then go try it for themselves. And your product came out great!
i betting it wasn't that hard either.
I'm glad you had fun doing it. nothing is more satisfactory then trying something new and different and finding out that you can do a great job of it.

KUDOS
 
Thanks for the comments. Research is the best advice I can give any newcomer to this hobby, or any hobby for that matter. I don't know how many countless hours I have spent reading. I start with the last page and then move forward thru each section. I have to say that there has been a lot of innovation over the last 5 or 6 years!

I did search for Sintra at HobbyLobby but all they had was the regular paper backed foam core board. I'll have to order some and try that out as well. The Foamies handle great with a sharp pair of scissors. Heating the Foamies up over the stove also gives them a leather texture somewhat. Coated in glue smooths this out, but I can see it being used for leather type belts and straps for the suit as well. I'm also going to try and add more texture while a piece is still warm and see what I come up with. Advice- Be careful working with heat! The Foamies get hot and soft very quick, quicker than I thought. USE CAUTION!

I'll have to wait untill I get the Mr I suit before I can do full size armor bits though. But, since Foamies are so cheap, I'm going to go ahead and do the chest armor today. I'll try some cut outs and battle damage and see what I can accomplish.

More latter today.
 
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Great start mate, I would suggest investing in a heat gun if you are gonna use foamies. Using your stove will be an expensive way to do it. If you're interested in trying the Sintra, any decent sign makers could point you in the right direction. I'd recommend it as it's easy to shape but rock solid and a lot more forgiving when getting pulled and stretched as a costume.

Goodluck.
 
Thanks for the comments. Belfast, I do have a heat gun. I bought one last year for a 2 1/2 foot Star Destroyer model I am working on. It has large flat resin panels that warped. Heat gun is great for that too.

I added some geometric shapes to the thigh piece and had to paint it all black again. The shapes were pinks and yellows and I knew the silver would not cover them. Once it's dry, I'll spray it silver and then post some finished pics.

There's actually a large sign store down the road about 5 minutes. I'll stop in there next week and see what they can hook me up with.

Edit- Here are some shots with a silver coat. I used Duplicolor metalic Silver, a GM color. I'll weather it tomorrow. Enjoy the pics.

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Here are some new pics with some shading added. I shot the Foamie with Duplicolor GM Silver and then darkened the edges and at the bottom of each plate with Tamiya Gunmetal spray paint. It was hard to pick up the effect with the camera, hence the different locations. It looks quite nice in person. I love this stuff. The paint I have used is lacquer and does not seem to effect the Foamie at all after a coat of white glue.

Again, enjoy the pics.

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HaHa, yeah I know. I'm obsessing over this piece. O.K. working on drawings for my version of P1 style chest armor.
 
You see alot of good things come from them. Especially in 'the Lair'. Looks pretty sharp by the way. (y)


Foamies are wonderful stuff. With enough foamies and glue, I think it's possible to build absolutely ANYTHING.

I've always wanted to do a full-size X-Wing fighter.
 
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