Themanydanny15
New Member
Super amazing! Great job! Can't wait to see it done!! Your inspiring me to go do one but I'm currently mass producing power ranger helmets! 
My first foam build [[Reach Armor WIP]] Pic Heavy!
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ImpactBlue
New Member
When you were cutting to get the angles on the foam did you use an exacto knife or scissors? I find when I use my xacto knife it's not as a clean cut.
Jason 078
Well-Known Member
Find a hot knife. It should be somewhere near the soldering irons. It's basically an exacto knife that has a heating element on it. That stuff cuts through EVA foam like... well, a hot knife through butter. Seriously, you slide it through the foam and it produces a flat edge every time.
I've been meaning to get a hot knife for a while now and just havent picked one up yet. I seem to do alright with the scissors, some rough edges, but I should be able to smooth them out with the dremmel. That actually brings up a question I have about sanding foam. What kind of attachment should I get for the dremmel to make sanding the edges and seams down easier? I would like to get one of the flexible precision adapters but I'm not sure what kind of sanding bit to get. Any advice?
Sanding foam doesn't really work out it just causes the foam to "splinter" and it goes rough.
Basically to smooth out your edges it come down to making nice clean cuts in the beginning and also any excess glue you just smooth out with the nozzle of your heat gun.
When it comes to cutting angles, and in fact any cut, just have a fresh knife blade on (I use no11 scalpel blades) score your line shallow to start with then, push the knife in at an angle and slide along the line.
If in doubt check out my tutorials I've got some techniques in there to help you out.
Mike
Kazansky316
New Member
looks great man, I did something similar to craft my torso but I found that I scaled my chest peice to big, so... I tried by bring it in closer at the back and now the back peices dont fit. I think I pretty much have to start over. I am very similar to you as in I've been lurking for a few months, reading, reading, and reading some more. But looking at your photos pertty much looks very similar to what I've got done so far except that the back of my chest peice doesn't fit. And you craft foam work looks amazing, I am terrible at using the craft foam, How to you get it to just the right size to cover what your trying to cover?
I usually cut out a piece roughly the shape I want and lay it over the area to be covered. Then I take a pen and trace onto the craft foam to get it sized correctly. It's a trial and error process that usually gets me near to perfect coverage. What I dont get covered I seal up with silicone caulk. I actually just finished caulking the seams in my chest armor this evening.
Here's a pic...
And the back...
And here's the stuff I used...(This is not a product endorsement, it just happens to be the stuff that I chose to use)
I changed my plan a little as well. I'm working on the cod right now instead of the other shoulder. Hopefully I'll have some good updates on my progress this weekend.
Thanks for looking!
BeanwaterFox
Member
Hmm, this is a fantastic idea. I've never thought of using a sealer. This build is going to turn out really well
littlebigmikey
New Member
looks awesome ! How many foam mats did you use and how thick / big were they ? looking to make some armour,, stuck between HALO , Mass Effect and Iron man keep up the good work dude
looking to make some armour,, stuck between HALO , Mass Effect and Iron man keep up the good work dude 
Spartan_127
Well-Known Member
Armor is looking good! Keep it up.
They are fatigue mats for the floor and they come 4 to a pack. The measure about 2' by 2' and are 1/2" thick. I got them from Home Depot for about 12 dollars a pack. I'm on my second pack of 4 now and I think I have enough to complete the other shoulder and the thighs. From one set of 4 I was able to build the chest, the biceps, the forearms and one shoulder. I expect that I will have to buy one more pack before everything is complete. I hope that you find all the information you need here on this forum and that you will attempt a build. I'd like to see another progression build!
Spartan_127
Well-Known Member
Most people use the Plasti Dip as their primer for foam. You can paint your final cover right over it.
You could also water down plain old Elmer's glue and brush it on, but I've heard mixed results on using it. A lot of people have said that it peels a lot. So if you use it, it won't be as permanent as using Plasti Dip. I've seen others use Adhesion Promoters, but I have no experience with it. I've only ever used the Plasti Dip. It comes in spray cans and a larger can that you can dip things into or use a brush to brush it on.
On my son's build, I used a heat gun on all the foam parts to the point that it was pretty much sealed up. On some of the parts I didn't even use Plasti Dip and haven't had any issues with the paint on those, but I guess only time will tell.
Hope this helps.
Ive used plastidip already. I was looking for information on a primer to cover the plastidip with before I paint the final colors. The plastidip is black and I dont want the colors to be washed out so I was hoping for a flat gray primer to paint over with the final coat. I've heard others mention automotive primer but that doesnt sound flexible to me. Thank you for the info on the plastidip though!
I know exactly what you mean. I usually treat each seam with a thin bead of hot glue then flatten it down with the tip of the heat gun. If the seam is craft foam then I use caulk to fill any gaps. It's working pretty well so far!
I know exactly what you mean. I usually treat each seam with a thin bead of hot glue then flatten it down with the tip of the heat gun. If the seam is craft foam then I use caulk to fill any gaps. It's working pretty well so far!
Spartan_127
Well-Known Member
Sorry about that. I didn't understand apparently. . . . .LOL!
If you've put Plasti Dip on it, Rustoleum's black primer is a real good one, but almost any will do if you don't want to paint directly over the plasti dip with your final cover. I've never had any issues with the Rustoleum black primer. I used it and everything is holding up well. After my son wore his armor all night on Halloween all the paint on the foam parts has held up and hasn't peeled or chipped at all. If you're looking for something thicker, filler primer is really thick and can cover up some smaller imperfections you may have, but it can also have a lot of over spray that needs to be cleaned up. You also have to make sure the nozzle doesn't get clogged with it constantly or it can start running or leaving globs of stuff where you don't want it.
Hope that this helps a little better than my last one.
If you've put Plasti Dip on it, Rustoleum's black primer is a real good one, but almost any will do if you don't want to paint directly over the plasti dip with your final cover. I've never had any issues with the Rustoleum black primer. I used it and everything is holding up well. After my son wore his armor all night on Halloween all the paint on the foam parts has held up and hasn't peeled or chipped at all. If you're looking for something thicker, filler primer is really thick and can cover up some smaller imperfections you may have, but it can also have a lot of over spray that needs to be cleaned up. You also have to make sure the nozzle doesn't get clogged with it constantly or it can start running or leaving globs of stuff where you don't want it.
Hope that this helps a little better than my last one.
BeanwaterFox
Member
Agreed on the Elmer's. It works pretty damn well, as long as you put multiple coats on (drying before applying another). 4 or 5 worked for me. Despite that, Elmer's does peel, but that was after 7 straight hours of wear, and a martial arts demo the day before that. Elmer's can take a good beating. Now keep in mind also that the thinner the glue mix is, the weaker the seal will be. So you'll have to apply more coats to compensate. However, a thinner mix also means easier to apply. There's a lot of pros and cons to the Elmer's method. I have found Plasti Dip to be the most durable, especially after 2 or 3 coats. So if you want something to last the maximum amount of time and wear, go Plasti Dip. Otherwise, if you're just looking to finish, or can't spare the coin, Elmer's is a great alternative.
Update time! I completed the cod this weekend and I was able to get the chest plastidipped and primed. I used a sandable primer which seemed to cover pretty well. I will try to get the first coat of color on this evening and post pics either tonight or tomorrow sometime. But here's the cod!
I used elastic to join the back halves of the belt to the butt plate so that I can put it on and take it off easier. Also in case I gain alot of weight lol!
Thanks for looking!
I used elastic to join the back halves of the belt to the butt plate so that I can put it on and take it off easier. Also in case I gain alot of weight lol!
Thanks for looking!
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