I'm a noob! Please help is Pepakura different from a foam build?

[stickmAn snip3r]

Hi guys I'm a noob wanting to build his first costume (a H3 naval pilot) but I'm not sure if a foam build is different from a pepakura! Are they different? Which one is better? (keep in mind this is a first time) and which one is cheaper?

 

[Noble 10]

it depends on how much your foam is and or paper i would say pepakura is a little bit cheaper do to bondo and resin and or fiber glass but with foam it takes a mouth or 2 to build and sand and paint but you can chose

 

[Master Builder]

Foam is usually much much faster and user friendly. Also cheaper.

If you're going with the bondo method, you will need fiberglass matte, resin, body filler (bondo body filler if you're in the US), Cardstock paper (I would say at least 110 Lb), sandpaper (a good assortment), putty knives, etc.

It's the bondoing process that's going to take most of your time. But it's also what going to make or break your build (it's a skill, and you will get out of it what you put into it).


Foam on the other hand is simple, you will need an assortment on razer blade knives (foam will dull them very fast), EVA foam (Harbor Freight is the cheapest place to get it, about $7-8 bucks a pack of 4 at times), you will also need something to seal it before you can paint, otherwise the foam just soaks up the paint, a lot of people use Plasti-dip, a heat gun is also a very handy tool to have.

Now I have next to zero experience working with EVA foam, so I can't give you much advice there.


I think you're best bet right now is to build up on knowledge. Keep surfing this forum, and watch a few builds that are in progress right now. Learn as much as you can, then jump into actually building something.

 

[stickmAn snip3r]

it depends on how much your foam is and or paper i would say pepakura is a little bit cheaper do to bondo and resin and or fiber glass but with foam it takes a mouth or 2 to build and sand and paint but you can chose

Hmmmmmmm ok well I definitely want it done in less than two months heck even less than one month if that's possibly!

 

[stickmAn snip3r]

Foam is usually much much faster and user friendly. Also cheaper.

If you're going with the bondo method, you will need fiberglass matte, resin, body filler (bondo body filler if you're in the US), Cardstock paper (I would say at least 110 Lb), sandpaper (a good assortment), putty knives, etc.

It's the bondoing process that's going to take most of your time. But it's also what going to make or break your build (it's a skill, and you will get out of it what you put into it).


Foam on the other hand is simple, you will need an assortment on razer blade knives (foam will dull them very fast), EVA foam (Harbor Freight is the cheapest place to get it, about $7-8 bucks a pack of 4 at times), you will also need something to seal it before you can paint, otherwise the foam just soaks up the paint, a lot of people use Plasti-dip, a heat gun is also a very handy tool to have.

Now I have next to zero experience working with EVA foam, so I can't give you much advice there.


I think you're best bet right now is to build up on knowledge. Keep surfing this forum, and watch a few builds that are in progress right now. Learn as much as you can, then jump into actually building something.

Ok I'm sort of thinking that foam builds are "flimsy" both due to their reputation and the fact that they are not "hard", is this true? What do you mean by "sealing" the foam? Is that covering it in quick hardening plastic or something? I will do, I think most people go with pepakura I may do as well but could you please give me an esimated time? (all together) the H3 marine shoulder armour, H3 marine shin armour, H3 naval pilot helm, H3 marine chestplate and the H3 marine elbow pads!

 

[Noble 10]

then foams your best chance

 

[Master Builder]

Ok I'm sort of thinking that foam builds are "flimsy" both due to their reputation and the fact that they are not "hard", is this true? What do you mean by "sealing" the foam? Is that covering it in quick hardening plastic or something? I will do, I think most people go with pepakura I may do as well but could you please give me an esimated time? (all together) the H3 marine shoulder armour, H3 marine shin armour, H3 naval pilot helm, H3 marine chestplate and the H3 marine elbow pads!

2 months is not a realistic deadline, especially for your first build. I can easily end up being a year before you get it finished. But it all depends on how much time you can invest in it on a daily bases, and how motivated you are.

The only way you could get it done that fast is if you really work hard on it every day. You still have a lot of learning to do, and this is where most of that time is going to be spent.


If you really want a fast, more user friendly build, I would go with EVA foam. Just look at what other people have accomplished. You can still do amazing detail. It's lighter, some what flexible, and therefore more enjoyable to wear. It still is very resilient, maybe even more so than bondo, think about it, if you strike a bondo piece, you will chip the paint and leave a dent, with foam it will just return to it's original form.


You should really look at other threads involving foam, and soak up as much as you can.

Here just one pointer: Link

 

[stickmAn snip3r]

2 months is not a realistic deadline, especially for your first build. I can easily end up being a year before you get it finished. But it all depends on how much time you can invest in it on a daily bases, and how motivated you are.

The only way you could get it done that fast is if you really work hard on it every day. You still have a lot of learning to do, and this is where most of that time is going to be spent.


If you really want a fast, more user friendly build, I would go with EVA foam. Just look at what other people have accomplished. You can still do amazing detail. It's lighter, some what flexible, and therefore more enjoyable to wear. It still is very resilient, maybe even more so than bondo, think about it, if you strike a bondo piece, you will chip the paint and leave a dent, with foam it will just return to it's original form.


You should really look at other threads involving foam, and soak up as much as you can.

Here just one pointer: Link

Well im very motivated and enthusiastic, I'll be working on it every chance I get. A year is a long time but eh whatever It doesn't matter I want to do a good job, not rush it! But what does "seal the foam mean"? Am I dipping it in a bucket of quick drying plastic or something else? I'm getting th pants, shirt and thigh pouches tomorrow so I'm excited for that!

 

[Master Builder]

Well im very motivated and enthusiastic, I'll be working on it every chance I get. A year is a long time but eh whatever It doesn't matter I want to do a good job, not rush it! But what does "seal the foam mean"? Am I dipping it in a bucket of quick drying plastic or something else? I'm getting the pants, shirt and thigh pouches tomorrow so I'm excited for that!

Sealing it is just applying something over the surface that will "seal" the foam. Without anything the foam is much like a sponge, and that will soak up whatever you try to paint it with.

A lot of people use Plasti Dip to seal it. Like I said, I have next to zero experience working with it my self, but Plasti Dip is just a rubberised coating in a can, including aerosol-can (what everyone uses). You should be able to pick it up at any big box store. It's going to be with the rest of the spray-paints. Once the foam is sealed, you can paint on top of it with no problem.

You should be able to use anything that will not eat away the foam. So some glues should work as well.

 

[stickmAn snip3r]

Sealing it is just applying something over the surface that will "seal" the foam. Without anything the foam is much like a sponge, and that will soak up whatever you try to paint it with.

A lot of people use Plasti Dip to seal it. Like I said, I have next to zero experience working with it my self, but Plasti Dip is just a rubberised coating in a can, including aerosol-can (what everyone uses). You should be able to pick it up at any big box store. It's going to be with the rest of the spray-paints. Once the foam is sealed, you can paint on top of it with no problem.

You should be able to use anything that will not eat away the foam. So some glues should work as well.

Ok awesome I have only two questions 1:what will I be painting it with? Spray paint or something else? 2: why will I need glue?

 

[stickmAn snip3r]

(UPDATE) I've got the undersuit!

 

[surfahbum808]

Don't want to sound like a jerk, but you should really do your own research before posting questions. Many of the questions you've asked so far can be easily answered by just looking up "sealing EVA foam" on YouTube or even looking at other foam builds on this site. When you ask a ton of easy to answer questions that are "common knowledge" to anyone who's worked with foam it just goes to show you didn't try to research it yourself first. Researching before asking is always a must when it comes to this site. It's not that we don't want to help you, it's just annoying when 20 different people ask the same questions in their threads everyday when the information they want is literally in almost every other thread out there. Just watch some tutorials on working with foam, there are many that go from the start of cutting out templates and the building process all the way to final paint.

 

[stickmAn snip3r]

Don't want to sound like a jerk, but you should really do your own research before posting questions. Many of the questions you've asked so far can be easily answered by just looking up "sealing EVA foam" on YouTube or even looking at other foam builds on this site. When you ask a ton of easy to answer questions that are "common knowledge" to anyone who's worked with foam it just goes to show you didn't try to research it yourself first. Researching before asking is always a must when it comes to this site. It's not that we don't want to help you, it's just annoying when 20 different people ask the same questions in their threads everyday when the information they want is literally in almost every other thread out there. Just watch some tutorials on working with foam, there are many that go from the start of cutting out templates and the building process all the way to final paint.

Sorry I've just been thinking that at least I'll be asking someone who knows what they are talking about and not just wiki discussions or people on YouTube who only cover the subject briefly and not with much info or knowledge. Oh and the thing is I have tried to research it but it's always coming up with the wrong stuff and not exactly what I'm looking for, just other random stuff.