Fun Foam WIP

[ericajoanne]

I decided to go with fun foam for my first build since it's super cheap, easy to use, and as a preschool teacher, I work with it all the time anyway.  I just used Elmer's glue and cheesecloth to reinforce the backs after I heated it over the stove to mold.  Then I painted the front of it with Elmer's glue to fill in the pores and make it look less foamy and more solid.  I had to use a ton of coats of spray paint, but it ended up making it even more sturdy so that worked out fine.

Here's what I have so far.  The shoulders and chest are all painted and ready to go but the gut needs gluing and painting and the cod needs everything still.



I'm thankful that I'm not as busty as some girls, otherwise I don't think fun foam would have worked out so well.  It was kind of really frustrating, but I think it turned out alright.

This is what my sister (it's helpful to know an art major) drew up as a concept art for how I was describing to her what I wanted to try.  Though I don't remember telling her I was after the "Disney Princess" look.   



And this is what my sister whipped up after she told me she thought my original design needed more pink.  Just pretend that's the mercs logo instead.  I really like what she did a lot here.

[Am Vindam]

Nice! Keep up the good work. I can't wat to see more.

[Choruk Diryc]

Awesome concepts - I like the pink!

But foam isnt on the authorized materials list - Im not sure if the app team will go for the reinforced foam unless you use something like fiberglass - Fiberglass does stick really well to theat craft foam - I used it to make my original knees

[Adan Ordo]

yeah i am almost positive they wont accept foam armor. sorry

[OriKad]

Yeah, craft foam is not approvable as a primary armor material. It can be approved as an accent, such as for a pauldron, or adding raised details to plastic, metal, or fiberglass plates, but as a primary armor material it's a no-go.

If you want to still use those plates, you're gonna have to hit it hard with fiberglass resin, which would make it officially fiberglass and not craft foam.  If you go that way, you'll have to make sure that you use enough coats of resin to make the plates completely rigid.

[Remo Jadd]

Yep, Ori'Kad hit the nail on the head. Foam is not acceptable for Armour.

[ericajoanne]

Plan A was to use a lot of fiberglass, but when I tried it it ended up lookin like poo.   I was thinking about trying bondo. Or possibly adding a layer of trash can plastic to the backs. Or I did this weird art project with my kids today using plastic water bottles that I think I could apply.

I swear I've seen people do craft foam though. Unless I didn't read the posts well enough which is entirely possible.

[Jerek Darr]

There have been some 'for fun' Kits, and some child kits that used foam, but nothing intended for approval. Also with the elimination of the 'grandfather clause', materials that may have been passable in the past are now no longer allowed. The approvable materials list has been narrowed in an attempt to maintain a club wide level of quality. that being said, your ideas look great, and with some clever paint apps can work quite well with the approved materials, especially that layered look if you used both 1mm and 3mm sintra.

[Jorg Mereel]

especially that layered look if you used both 1mm and 3mm sintra.

This. Sintra is not only approvable, but also easy to cut, mold and paint. Look through threads of people who have worked with it.

Cheers and good luck!

[ericajoanne]

Thanks for setting me straight haha. What I have now will work nicely as patterns for whatever I end up using. I've got some ideas floating around. We'll see what end up happening.

[Jerek Darr]

And there is the true joy of this, nothing is ever a wasted effort!

[ericajoanne]

"Fiberglassed paperboard"...that's like cardboard? What if I added that to what I have? I've got cardboard boxes out the wazoo. The kind of cardboard that cereal boxes are made of. Crap, now I have too many ideas.

[seugtai]

The majority of my kit is fiberglassed cardboard and my shoulders are fiberglassed paper mache. So sure, you can use cereal boxes. The key ingredient is that they are fiberglassed, which will make them an approvable material. Also a note to remember with bondo, it is only as strong as what you put it on. I would advise doing a layer of fiberglass first then adding the bondo if you go that route.

Oh and your concept art made me laugh out loud! Love the little love struck Jango and the Snow White-esque birds holding the back armor concept! Too funny!