Paint EVA foam

[WescleyAzevedo]

Hi,guys.
Well i'm from Brazil and a newcomer in this forum.....and........this is it XD.
So let me get to the point XD.
Did someone knows how to give EVA foam an metalic effect?
I thought about using rub'n buff but i do not know if it will adhere to the surface
I'm thinking about making the divine armor of pegasus from Saint Seiya - The Lost Canvas and the only problem is now find a way to give this effect to start making the armor.
If any of you know some better material and flexible enough not to make me walk and move like a robot and could teach me.....that would help a lot =)
I drew this little scheme to help me in the process......the next step is make a 3D model of the pieces.
This is my first thread and hope I can learn a lot in this forum.

See ya =)

 

[GBRyker61]

It's my understanding that paint will not adhere to EVA foam. The first thing you want to do is cover the foam in Plasti Dip. This will give the foam a surface on which to paint. Some people who make the NCR Ranger Veteran Armor from EVA foam recommend this is the best option. I'll post some photos later today.

 

[LORDXBLACKWOOD]

the paint will stick to the eva, but it is very porous it needs to be sealed either with plasti dip or a watered down pva (white) glue mix to seal it off first. Check out some of steath's and graphic jordans threads for thier foam builds.

 

[Random490]

Here's a very good tutorial by a member of this board TUTORIAL - Painting Foam Costumes - Part 4 of "Using PEPAKURA for FOAM Costume Building" - YouTube

 

[Roadkiller]

Prior to painting EVA foam, I recommend using a two part process to seal it.

First, run your heat gun over the area until it changes colour/texture. You'll know it when you see it, no need to burn it :lol This cuts down on the foam's ability to absorb paint deeply into it.

Then 'paint' the piece with a mixture of acrylic latex caulk mixed with water. You'll need to experiment with the mixture a bit to get a ratio you are happy with. Acrylic latex caulk is flexible, paintable, and inexpensively available at your local hardware store. I've found 300ml tubes of "Alex" brand here in Canada for $2, which goes a long way in this application.

This provides a smooth flexible surface.
Note: The acrylic caulk, used uncut with water but spread thinly so that it can cure all the way through, is also great to fill seams and cracks in EVA foam work.

Once the foam is sealed, I apply a base coat, normally a 'hammered' metal paint to give it an interesting metallic texture. Then colour(s) and a black wash. Finally for a 'metalic' look, spray with a clear gloss until you have the sheen you want.

The Master Chief (except the helmet and sword) is foam:

 

[GBRyker61]

Here's the pictures I was going to upload yesterday. The first one is a can of spray-on plasti-dip, which I picked up at my local Home Depot(it was in the aisle with the spray paint). I would recommend this instead of the brush-on stuff because it's more convenient to deal with. I would also recommend that the spray-on stuff be used in a well ventilated area, like outside your house. One of the good things about the spray-on stuff is you just have to allow four hours of drying time. The second and third photos are of a piece of EVA foam before and after the Plasti-Dip is applied. The last photo shows the shoulder and kneepad armor for my Armored Vault suit after I had sprayed on the plasti dip and spray paint.

 

[Kurtis876]

Prior to painting EVA foam, I recommend using a two part process to seal it.

First, run your heat gun over the area until it changes colour/texture. You'll know it when you see it, no need to burn it :lol This cuts down on the foam's ability to absorb paint deeply into it.

Then 'paint' the piece with a mixture of acrylic latex caulk mixed with water. You'll need to experiment with the mixture a bit to get a ratio you are happy with. Acrylic latex caulk is flexible, paintable, and inexpensively available at your local hardware store. I've found 300ml tubes of "Alex" brand here in Canada for $2, which goes a long way in this application.

This provides a smooth flexible surface.
Note: The acrylic caulk, used uncut with water but spread thinly so that it can cure all the way through, is also great to fill seams and cracks in EVA foam work.

Once the foam is sealed, I apply a base coat, normally a 'hammered' metal paint to give it an interesting metallic texture. Then colour(s) and a black wash. Finally for a 'metalic' look, spray with a clear gloss until you have the sheen you want.

The Master Chief (except the helmet and sword) is foam:

interested to hear more about this... how is the finish as far as chipping and cracking? and have you ever tried the caulk without the heat setting? just curious. The suit looks great!

 

[Drack]

Just plastidip then prime and then metlic car spray paint. Check my ironman build out and you will see this method produces perfect smooth results, easy
Mine does need some lacquer to give it that extra metallic look but won't be doing that till I have my weathering done.

 

[marksete]

Cara, antes de pintar, usa cola branca, tipo escolar, daí vc já cria uma pelicula pra poder pintar, plastdip é caro e não sei se vc vai encontrar aí no Brasil.
O legal é fazer esse processo, vc pode ver nos tutorias do Stealth, e antes de pintar passar o smooth-cast 65D que vc pode ver o tutorial no www.xrobot.com
Fica muito bom o resultado.