Props Tutorial: Hot Glue Method With Weapons And Props

[LeytonInTheNet]

Hi Everyone,

I'm possibly going to make a weapon in the near future, and am REALLY worried about using Expanding Foam. So, I wondered, "Would it be possible to fill it with hot glue instead?"

Advantages:

Less Risky:
Expanding foam might 'explode' the weapon.

Disadvantages:

Heavier:
Hot glue weighs quite a bit more than expanding foam. However, this could be an advantage; more realistic weight.



Method:

Need:

Your Pepped Weapon
Fiberglass Resin and Hardener (and brush)
Hot Glue Sticks (NOT HIGH TEMP)
Spare saucepan/heatable container
Possibly funnel/pouring jug

How to:

1) Coat outside with 4-5 coats of resin
2) Drill hole in base of weapon big enough to pour Liquid Hot Glue through
3) Pour in hot glue to brim.
4) Leave to set

And once it solidifies, sand, bondo, paint etc.

If you 405thers think it'll work, I'll try it and upload pics

FEEDBACK PLEASE

 

[scandomfo]

It sounds like it'll have a high chance of warping due to it being hot glue. Not sure if it will work but amaze me with pics.

 

[LeytonInTheNet]

It sounds like it'll have a high chance of warping due to it being hot glue. Not sure if it will work but amaze me with pics.

Would a few more layers of resin help at all?
I'm just trying to find an alternative to the traditional (and risky) expanding foam method.

I'll try to do this within a month or two

 

[Sherm]

But, if you have already used hot glue on the pep, wouldnt that risk the chance of the seams UNglue-ing themselves?

 

[the stig]

But, if you have already used hot glue on the pep, wouldnt that risk the chance of the seams UNglue-ing themselves?

That is why you resin the object first.

Plus the downside of this being that filling something to the actual brim of hot glue isn't cheap, You'd need ALOT of glue sticks.

 

[Sherm]

That is why you resin the object first.

Plus the downside of this being that filling something to the actual brim of hot glue isn't cheap, You'd need ALOT of glue sticks.

Oh, Some one kept telling me that even if I resined it the seams would still split and the object would be ruined...
Thank you, and i agree, my friend tried this with a simple frag grenade, and it ran him around $7.

 

[the stig]

Oh, Some one kept telling me that even if I resined it the seams would still split and the object would be ruined...
Thank you, and i agree, my friend tried this with a simple frag grenade, and it ran him around $7.

I see your point, I'd probably go ahead and do 3 coats of resin, if not more to make sure.

 

[Sherm]

OK, I was planning on doing a couple coats anyway.

 

[angry cabbage]

I can attest that this wont work. Hot glue tends to shrink when it cools, and if you have something coated with resin it creates cracks and crazy warping on the outside. Without resin all the faces warp inward as the hot glue cools down. i did this on a piece a while back and ruined it.

 

[geijin]

Personally, I think its a decent idea. I had thought about it myself, but I haven't gotten that far in a build. Just cause I don't like expanding foam, and I HATE fiberglass, what with being allergic to it. What I eventually figured I'd do, though, was follow the standard hot glue method, just sectioning the weapon and going from there.

 

[LeytonInTheNet]

But, if you have already used hot glue on the pep, wouldnt that risk the chance of the seams UNglue-ing themselves?

I use PVA Adhesive

Plus the downside of this being that filling something to the actual brim of hot glue isn't cheap, You'd need ALOT of glue sticks.

I've got quite a few lying round (Probably about enough to fill a Pistol)

I can attest that this wont work. Hot glue tends to shrink when it cools, and if you have something coated with resin it creates cracks and crazy warping on the outside. Without resin all the faces warp inward as the hot glue cools down. i did this on a piece a while back and ruined it.

Really? What type of Hot Glue were you using?

EDIT:
I think that only happens with the High Temp Hot Glue. I just tried a bit of my Medium Temperature Hot Glue, and there isn't any significant shrinkage (5cm Cube Shrunk to 4.98cm Cube. About 1/5 of a mm)

 

[the stig]

EDIT:
I think that only happens with the High Temp Hot Glue. I just tried a bit of my Medium Temperature Hot Glue, and there isn't any significant shrinkage (5cm Cube Shrunk to 4.98cm Cube. About 1/5 of a mm)

Got any pics of it?

 

[Toby]

EDIT:
I think that only happens with the High Temp Hot Glue. I just tried a bit of my Medium Temperature Hot Glue, and there isn't any significant shrinkage (5cm Cube Shrunk to 4.98cm Cube. About 1/5 of a mm)

That number is not very significant (if you can really measure accurately to 3 decimal places?), however, it says nothing about the warp-factor (you get it ).

Ultimately, someone is going to have to try it out, and I am looking forward to it.

 

[LeytonInTheNet]

Got any pics of it?

I'll try and upload some within a few hours (Stupid English Coursework )

That number is not very significant (if you can really measure accurately to 3 decimal places?), however, it says nothing about the warp-factor (you get it ).

Ultimately, someone is going to have to try it out, and I am looking forward to it.

I've got a Digital Ruler thingy that measure up to X.XXcm
I'm going to try it out ASAP, so if you do do it, can you post the results please?

 

[angry cabbage]

I use PVA Adhesive
I've got quite a few lying round (Probably about enough to fill a Pistol)
Really? What type of Hot Glue were you using?

EDIT:
I think that only happens with the High Temp Hot Glue. I just tried a bit of my Medium Temperature Hot Glue, and there isn't any significant shrinkage (5cm Cube Shrunk to 4.98cm Cube. About 1/5 of a mm)

i use multitemp glue. Maybe if someone used hot glue to line the folds first then on the faces themselves it might prevent shrinkage.

 

[LeytonInTheNet]

Maybe if someone used hot glue to line the folds first then on the faces themselves it might prevent shrinkage.

That's a good idea!
Might be a bit fiddly, but it'd probably work.

I'll try that on a test cube and tell you the results

 

[centerside]

I'd have to say this will not work for the following reasons. (Some might already be mentioned)

1. You need A LOT of glue sticks.... (That'd be expensive)
2. You need to somehow heat the glue sticks and pour them inside the pep weapon peice without it cooling down so quickly, or else it'll ruin the build.
3. Pouring hot glue inside a pep peice should be done in one continueous pour, or else you risk warping.. (I'm sure you get what I mean)
4. And, lastly, Hot Glue is hard to work with, Imagine the mess it'll make during the time you melt the hot glue itself (thought it is possible hehe)

But you shouldn't stop trying this method out...Who knows, it might just work

 

[LeytonInTheNet]

I'd have to say this will not work for the following reasons. (Some might already be mentioned)

1. You need A LOT of glue sticks.... (That'd be expensive)
2. You need to somehow heat the glue sticks and pour them inside the pep weapon peice without it cooling down so quickly, or else it'll ruin the build.
3. Pouring hot glue inside a pep peice should be done in one continueous pour, or else you risk warping.. (I'm sure you get what I mean)
4. And, lastly, Hot Glue is hard to work with, Imagine the mess it'll make during the time you melt the hot glue itself (thought it is possible hehe)

But you shouldn't stop trying this method out...Who knows, it might just work

Well, I'll try and find solutions for those
I'll have a good think, but only AFTER my Biology GCSE

But

1. You need A LOT of glue sticks.... (That'd be expensive)

I have quite a few lying around, and sometimes this could be cheaper that expanding foam (Smaller Props, eg. Pistol and Trip Mine

2. You need to somehow heat the glue sticks and pour them inside the pep weapon peice without it cooling down so quickly, or else it'll ruin the build.

I'll heat it on a stove in an old saucepan (I think it retains heat fairly well... Hopefully)

3. Pouring hot glue inside a pep peice should be done in one continueous pour, or else you risk warping.. (I'm sure you get what I mean)

I know exactly what you mean. I once melted and poured metal at school, and I forgot to keep it continuous. It clogged up the pouring hole, so the whole thing was scrapped. So I'll try and pour it as evenly and continuously as possible.

4. And, lastly, Hot Glue is hard to work with, Imagine the mess it'll make during the time you melt the hot glue itself (thought it is possible hehe)

Um... My Mum's not going to be happy
I'll have to be extra careful!

Yeah, my plan appears to be a bit flawed, but I'll try and find an easy and efficient way to do this

 

[centerside]

Keep trying out new ides in your head forst Leyton eventually you'd get this figured out. And thanks for replying to my post.

TIPS: Try to incorporate other metrials in your build like for the trip mine. You don't have to fill the whole pep peice up with just hot glue, you can maybe put some cardoard reinforcements or dense foam pads to to further strengthen the prop, ther are ALOT of possibilities for every idea, we just have to figure out how we can effectively do it.

Good luck

 

[seaninja]

It might work. Actually I had the same idea for making part of the night vision goggles from splinter cell.