Material Questions

[Longshot114]

New here, but a long time lurker. I decided to take the plunge and try out a predator suit for next years Halloween. I got time.

Ok before I start ordering a butt load of material I need help. (Believe me i've tried to search but perhaps the questions are too simple and thus no one asks them. I usually search before posting, saves me and other peoples time from reposting.)

What the heck are the differences between Foamies, ABS, Sintra, etc??! for armor making.

I've heard Sintra called PVC foam. But what i see is that its actually PVC sheet. So does it have a foam core or is it an actual plastic sheet? The stuff seems really expensive but easy to work with.

Foamies - the heck is this? Every time someone says foam I get more confused. Is this just sheets of foam you get at a hobby place or something else?

Construction Foam - again, what the heck is construction foam. Is it like foamies but thicker??

If I get sintra what is a good thickness to work with. The stuff ranges from 19mm to 1mm. Websites say 6-9mm is good to work with.

You all mention sintra is used to make signs. Are you buying the signs from stores getting them from construction sites. Am I missing something. I don't think this stuff grows on trees.

I know these questions seem really dumb, but I honestly can't tell from forum discussions what exactly is what.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Badgerhunter27]

Foamies are exactly what you said they are thin sheets up foam, that you can purchase at a craftstore and they are very cheap. This is what I am going to be using for my armor. And as for construction foam, this is just foam insulation for houses usually pink, but it is very hard so it is very easy to carve shapes out of. I used construction foam for the base of my gauntlets and covered them in foamies to give it a smoother look. I have never used sintra but from what I have seen and heard it is thin sheets of plastic proble made from pvc but I know there is someone here that knows.