Question about styrofoam...

[Hecubus114]

is there something you can coat styrofoam with after you've shaped/carved it that will make a hard shell on the outside?

 

[chibigear]

is there something you can coat styrofoam with after you've shaped/carved it that will make a hard shell on the outside?

Well, there might be better solutions, but here is one. If you first coat the styrofoam with either acrylic paint or some pva based glue, let it dry throughly, then coat it with resin. The resin will be hard, but brittle. If you ad fiberglass to the resin, it will be hard and durable, and will not even need the styrofoam inside. The details will be tough to work in, though, if you put fiberglass on top of the styrofoam. There are other alternatives to styrofoam, insulation boards and urethane (the self expanding foam) these will accept resins and other chemical adhesives and hardeners a bit more readily than stryrofoam.
What are you making, if I may ask. It would provide a bit better advices..
My two cents here, hope it helps.
Cheers, Ville

 

[weaselflinger]

there are a few products out there, this is one:

http://www.sculpturalarts.com/foamcoating.htm

 

[Hecubus114]

Thanks guys - I am making a stand to look like its made of stone, so the details arent fine at all - and it needs to support practically zero weight - which is why I was gonna go with styrofoam... the made reason I wanted a hard shell is so the styrofoam doesnt chip or flake off after time...