Foam ODST Foam build Feet/ Boots first into hell

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RUST

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Hello there 405th Fam! Been WAY to long since my last project , but now that I finally have some free time, I’m hoping to finally make my helljumper some Boot armor so I can properly drop “feet first into hell”. I’m pretty wet behind the ears with EVA foam working, and was wondering what all tools are involved for making foam armor look the best it can (respirator? Certain brand of Heat gun? Etc.)
Would anyone awesome also be able to give me some preferred dimensions of foam that I should purchase as well as a good place to buy some in bulk at a reasonable price? (10mm, 6mm, etc.). Any help is greatly appreciated and I hope you all have had an amazing start to the new year :).
 
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Any brand of heat gun should be fine as long as it is a heat gun. a 9mm box cutter, blade sharpener and extra blades. Either super glue, contact cement or hot glue for gluing. Also a ruler!!
I buy my foam from thefoamfactory.com but if you're only building the boots maybe get some mats from harbor freight, there is also tntcosplay as well.
I suggest 10mm foam or 3/8" for armor.
 
Any brand of heat gun should be fine as long as it is a heat gun. a 9mm box cutter, blade sharpener and extra blades. Either super glue, contact cement or hot glue for gluing. Also a ruler!!
I buy my foam from thefoamfactory.com but if you're only building the boots maybe get some mats from harbor freight, there is also tntcosplay as well.
I suggest 10mm foam or 3/8" for armor.
Thanks a bunch!! You’re beyond awesome and that is super helpful. :) I’m planning on ordering a crap ton of foam tonight, along with all the tools to get the job done properly. How many sheets would you recommend? 6-10 perhaps? Also would smaller sizes (6mm or w/e) be better for details in the armor?
 
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Thanks a bunch!! You’re beyond awesome and that is super helpful. :) I’m planning on ordering a crap ton of foam tonight, along with all the tools to get the job done properly. How many sheets would you recommend? 6-10 perhaps? Also would smaller sizes (6mm or w/e) be better for details in the armor?
Depends on how much you are trying to build. Boots maybe need only 2 sheets if I had to guess maybe even 1 if you are a tetris player. So i'd say no more then 6 if you need to buy that many. my boots didn't use that much but I also didn't make a bottom to them, they just went over my shoes (shoe goed them on).
I used 3/8" for armor. 1/4" for detail. so yes 6mm would be fine :). (if we are referring to the square sheets idk how big tnt stuff is)
Also look thru he4thbar ODST build, his is pretty slick.
Thanks!! if you do happen to go through my thread RUST you can always ask me about any of my methods. i'm pretty sure I have the boots in that thread too somewhere.
 
Haha you both have clean builds, so I’ll be creeping around your posts for help lmao. :p On a side note, do you guys think a Dremel is worth investing in as well and are there any specific YouTube cosplay armor videos that you think would be helpful?
Yes 100%. If you are good at beveling precisely then you might not need one. But I can't begin to count how many pieces/cuts were saved by being able to Dremel down a bevel further.
That being said I bought a cheap cordless $25 Dremel from Walmart. Maybe $30 at max
 
I will make a specific heat gun recommendation of the Porter Cable heat gun. It's super quick to heat up and can be placed flat on a table or floor facing straight up without risking covering the intake, so you can use it more like a heat volcano for items requiring two hands to mold while heating.

Definitely buy a respirator too. EVA foam gives off toxic byproducts when heated up, so you don't want to risk bioaccumulation by doing it in a poorly-ventilated space without protection. For blades, get the highest-quality cutter you can afford. I used Olfa blades and changed blades regularly; cheap Harbor Freight blades gave me some genuinely awful-looking cuts where the Olfa went through clean. I'll also recommend the Logan Foam Werks Bevel Cutter for angles; it won't always come out perfectly clean, but that plus a Dremel for cleanup will look infinitely better than "sawblading" through an angled cut.
 
You guys are too awesome! Thanks a bunch again and sorry for the late response, but I plan on ordering a bunch of stuff tonight and going HAM for the next couple weeks on these boots for my next con .
Just one more question, Is there anything that you guys recommend specifically for making good, clean seams?
 
You guys are too awesome! Thanks a bunch again and sorry for the late response, but I plan on ordering a bunch of stuff tonight and going HAM for the next couple weeks on these boots for my next con .
Just one more question, Is there anything that you guys recommend specifically for making good, clean seams?

For seams, I filled all of mine as best I could with Woodland Scenics Foam Putty. It's not perfect and some of the seams required at least 5-6 layers to thicken it enough, but it definitely looked better than leaving it open. You can see how I used it to fill the (very large) seam on my shoulder pieces since the DFT template for those often leaves huge gaps if you're not dead on with your cuts. Once painted it almost looked welded, so I was happy with it.
 

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You guys are too awesome! Thanks a bunch again and sorry for the late response, but I plan on ordering a bunch of stuff tonight and going HAM for the next couple weeks on these boots for my next con .
Just one more question, Is there anything that you guys recommend specifically for making good, clean seams?
Making sure your cuts are perfect and the adhesive is done correctly. If your cuts are a little warped, sand them. If make a good connection, seams should barely be there, and you can sand them down so that no filling is necessary. Some people like kwick seal, but I dont since it doesnt sand well. I second woodland scenics, but only in places where you dont need alot and your foam wont heavily flex
 
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