Soft Parts Foam sealing

[Legend 113]

Just wondering what the best way to seal foam suits is without getting heaps of creases... and still lasting a long time. I saw impact props video on their free hand masterchief suit and they just heat sealed and used special stretching paint designed for foam. Is this stuff any good though for longevity, because I used straight pva glue and got creases so I'm thinking of using plasti dip and better spray paint in the future. What do u guys think is the best method?

 

[N8TEBB]

I used plasti dip for my suit. I am getting creases after some time but I think that's more from the spray paint that I used, not the plasti dip. I will be getting that flexible paint for the suit I'm working on now, but I haven't bought the plasti dip/primer yet. I'm interested in seeing if other folks have an opinion as it would help me out too

 

[PlanetAlexander]

Just wondering what the best way to seal foam suits is without getting heaps of creases... and still lasting a long time. I saw impact props video on their free hand masterchief suit and they just heat sealed and used special stretching paint designed for foam. Is this stuff any good though for longevity, because I used straight pva glue and got creases so I'm thinking of using plasti dip and better spray paint in the future. What do u guys think is the best method?

Seeing that you're from around these here parts, if you're wanting to go the spray route, you'd be saving a number of bucks if you went with Leak Seal instead - from what I have found, it's practically the same product but about half the price. Make sure to warm the can first, and definitely wear a respirator when spraying..

I don't know what paint Impact used, but the PlaidFX paints are high pigment and, although I haven't stress tested it yet, are supposed to be quite flexible.

 

[N8TEBB]

Impact indeed used fx plaid (screenshot from impact prop member server)

 

[BinaryHe1ix]

Take this with a grain of salt as I haven't tried it personally, but one suggestion I saw was to use a heat gun to initially seal the foam. Not a lot of heat, just enough to close up the pores. After that he used Rosco Flexbond in a 4 to 1 mix to cover the piece, then Plasti Dip over the top. He was going for a high gloss look with this but I don't see why you wouldn't be able to use matte Plasti Dip instead. He reportedly didn't have any issues with creasing. Outside of this guy's video I've never heard of Flexbond so I have no idea if it's worth it but might be worth a shot if you can get your hands on a small bottle of it to test out.

 

[N8TEBB]

Take this with a grain of salt as I haven't tried it personally, but one suggestion I saw was to use a heat gun to initially seal the foam. Not a lot of heat, just enough to close up the pores. After that he used Rosco Flexbond in a 4 to 1 mix to cover the piece, then Plasti Dip over the top. He was going for a high gloss look with this but I don't see why you wouldn't be able to use matte Plasti Dip instead. He reportedly didn't have any issues with creasing. Outside of this guy's video I've never heard of Flexbond so I have no idea if it's worth it but might be worth a shot if you can get your hands on a small bottle of it to test out.

I have never seen the flexbond method but I do use the heat gun to seal the foam before painting. It certainly helps

 

[PlanetAlexander]

Heat seal for sure (when the foam goes glossy, it's sealed enough) and I occassionally use Flexbond too. It's kind of like a premium Mod Podge. It self levels better and is less prone to creasing as Mod Podge is - though similarly, they can both be wet sanded for a smoother finish.

 

[Legend 113]

Thanks guys really appreciate all the input on this thread. I think I'll try using a leak seal and spray paint/acrylic paint method next time. I might end up buying a paint air sprayer and using that too but I'm undecided as of yet .

 

[Rock Lobbster]

No matter which paint you use to seal it make sure you hit the foam with a heat gun before painting. It drastically helps improve the appearance of the foam even before painting.
I've used plastidip on all my builds and it doesn't crack. You just need to be careful which paints you use overtop. Leak seal is also the popular alternative like Alex said, its also sandable which is very nice for getting a smooth finish.

 

[Legend 113]

Thanks mate and nice, new profile pic .