Foam Question about EVA foam

[ZeldaCat]

What kind of resources and methods do you generally use to make the outside of EVA foam builds sturdy and smooth? I know that a lot of people use bondo on the surface before sanding but what else? (I want to know for future reference)

 

[Electraknite]

i havnt heard of people putting bondo on the outside of foam.. sounds like itd just crumble off unless its applied pretty thick. if you want hard armor id say just go with the fibreglass method. if youre sold on it though you could put worbla over foam.

 

[Fallen]

I don't put bondo on foam builds or sand the full build. I use either Leakseal or Plastidip most often to seal and prime. You can sand Leakseal lightly, but unless there's a problem with my spraying technique I don't bother.

There's also the Foam Guide in the tutorials section with suggested tools, materials, and quick tips.

 

[ZeldaCat]

Okay. I guess I didn’t pick up on the fact that people don’t use bondo for foam

I’ll look into the Foam Guide for more details once I’m closer to doing things with foam

 

[N8TEBB]

Before I paint foam I seal it with a heat gun and fill in the gaps with kwik seal (caulk). I wouldn't recommend anything that won't flex like bondo. I do find that sanding rough seams with a dremel tool helps make the armour look smooth though.

 

[JammedMite942]

After finishing the piece I go over it with a heat gun, make sure to be careful if your using hot glue, because it will reactivate it. After that I fill in the gaps with Kwik Seal (or whatever filler you want), then do a coat of plastidip to seal the foam.

Good luck on your future builds!

 

[ZeldaCat]

After finishing the piece I go over it with a heat gun, make sure to be careful if your using hot glue, because it will reactivate it. After that I fill in the gaps with Kwik Seal (or whatever filler you want), then do a coat of plastidip to seal the foam.

Good luck on your future builds!

Thank you! Also, what do I do if I don't have a heat gun? Does a hairdryer work?

 

[JammedMite942]

Thank you! Also, what do I do if I don't have a heat gun? Does a hairdryer work?

It probably will, but it’s gonna take considerably longer. The best way to tell that it’s worked is the foam will be kinda shiny if that makes sense. Honestly if you can I’d invest in one, got mine for around $50 and it’s helped me sooooo much!

 

[N8TEBB]

I will tell you a hair dryer will absolutely not work. But then again, if you can't get your hands on a heat gun, you can go without the heat treatment. My chief suit was never heat sealed. But I would recommend picking up a cheat heat gun if you can (the wired ones in the paint section of the store are much cheaper than the battery ones in the tools section).

 

[JammedMite942]

I will tell you a hair dryer will absolutely not work. But then again, if you can't get your hands on a heat gun, you can go without the heat treatment. My chief suit was never heat sealed. But I would recommend picking up a cheat heat gun if you can (the wired ones in the paint section of the store are much cheaper than the battery ones in the tools section).

Makes sense, never really tried out if hair dryers work on not. I agree on the cheap ones, My corded one has lasted a few years without problems. On the topic of tools I also recommend you get a rotary tool, as they make sanding a breeze. It’ll cost about the same as a heat gun, but it was also worth it.

Honestly I’ve found trying to build armor without the proper tools (funny how that works) is very difficult and usually leads to underwhelming results. As costly as it sounds it’s absolutely worth it in the long run!

 

[Fallen]

Harbor Freight can be your best friend for budget tools. Use those tools until they break then you know it's worth getting a higher quality one.

 

[ZeldaCat]

Makes sense, never really tried out if hair dryers work on not. I agree on the cheap ones, My corded one has lasted a few years without problems. On the topic of tools I also recommend you get a rotary tool, as they make sanding a breeze. It’ll cost about the same as a heat gun, but it was also worth it.

Honestly I’ve found trying to build armor without the proper tools (funny how that works) is very difficult and usually leads to underwhelming results. As costly as it sounds it’s absolutely worth it in the long run!

About the rotary tool, we have some dremels(is that how you spell it?) at home that will work for sanding and detail work. My dad used one to make the pieces of my Mandalorian helmet fit together(still not complete). But yeah, thanks for the info. (we might have a heat gun somewhere in our very messy garage)

 

[KitKatGoose]

What kind of resources and methods do you generally use to make the outside of EVA foam builds sturdy and smooth? I know that a lot of people use bondo on the surface before sanding but what else? (I want to know for future reference)

A few people have used epsilon resin to get a hard shell on their EVA foam, but generally when working with foam we all keep some level of a flexible finish. Like mentioned above worbla is another alternative that's great for certain needs, though I've never seen someone cover a halo foam build in it

 

[RamenN00dl3]

Heat guns are relatively cheap and definitely worth the investment if you're looking at making an entire suit out of foam. Heat-sealing is a pretty important step in my opinion. Yes, you can technically go without it, but I wouldn't recommend it. Finishing will be more stable and cleaner with heat-sealing. KamuiCosplay has a good overview of all things foam if you're interested