Props Expanding Foam Tutorial

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I like step 2 better, less cutting... after how much work I put into this I dont think Id have the heart to cut it in half

I have been working on a trip mine for the past week and a half and just finished gluing all the pieces together this morning and have been looking for the right way to continue with it. (Originally I was just looking to see how many coats of resin are needed to make it durable but foaming the inside is so much better an idea than a hardened but empty cavity)

But I have one question

After the resin and foaming are complete, would i still need to go back and fiber glass the outside or would the extra coats of resin be enough to begin the sanding process?
 
nice tut, i've been using expanding foam in my armor and after screwing up the first torso i did (which set me back a week) i decided to only foam the walls with a small bead, it works with very minimal distortion.

an easier way to do up your weapon to make it solid is to fill it up with urethane after you fiberglass it. or fill it up with silicone. bondoing the hell out of the inside of it works too.
 
finally bought the foam resin and bondo and will finally get to work on my pep trip mine this week :) hope this works and doesnt explode

if it does explode... i hope its entertaining to watch!
 
I used foam for my rifle, and well...

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I made padding for my old football helmet like this. Took a big bowl (disposable) and put the foam mixture in. when it started to expand I put a smaller bowl on top of the foam. the foam expanded around the little bowl, and when it was dry I pried it out and trimmed it to shape with a sander.

btw, the little bowl has to fit your head, the actual padding ended up being no more than 1" thick.
 
I know this is kinda necro but this seemed like the best place for what I have to add. I'm calling this WEAPON METHOD 2.1, very similar to method 2 but with some key differences. Note: Works best if you screwed up on your pep work and have some sizable holes. It is also pretty messy and you will have to do some extra sanding when everything hardens.

1. Resin once lightly so to maintain flexibility

2. Find or create a hole large enough to insert your Foam straw. Fill.

3. Gently press on the areas that are "ballooning" til they are slightly depressed inward. (Note: Foam will also escape when gassing out in this manner)

4. Repeat Step three as needed for approximately 90 min, removing enough escaped foam to continue allowing gas to release, then move on to the next section of your weapon
 
Also dotn get it all over your hands

Ohhh Good Lord... :rolleyes Trust me guys, expanding foam is not an easy medium to work with. And that's coming from a guy who's been using the stuff for 8 months. Even after you think you know what you're doing, you don't. Trust me. After experimenting with this method for a while, I've found that the least troublesome way to "Degass" the foam before it hardens is to wait a set amount of time, and then proceed very carefully to push down the foam with your fingers, until it is very thin. The problem with this method, is the fact that you have to have easy access to the foam. I have found that this does not work in enclosed, or even partially enclosed spaces. The hardest piece I've had to foam yet were my forearms. There is just no easy way to degass the foam before it starts to expand, and by then, almost the whole entire inside cavity if full.

If you guys have any questions about expanding foam, or how it works, feel free to Pm me. It's certainly something that takes practice, I'll tell you that. :D
 
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