It is usually much harder and inflexible, making a seamless transition difficult. For example what works surprisingly well as a bond between flat styrofoam sheets is spraymount, by which I mean the permanent spray-glue types from 3M. These are easy to make, involving only a thin strip of sandpaper glued to a former. Styrofoam ball Craft glue Long, smooth feathers. David, You have written one of the best tutorials I have ever read, period. I made use of the technique for the sculptural pieces I’m working on at the moment .. i.e. Tag Archives: cutting smooth holes in styrofoam Cutting smooth holes in foam. Styrofoam will compress a little to make this possible. Hope you have a great weekend and thanks again! You can cut a round styrofoam ball in half by tracing a line along its equator with a sharp pencil. I chose this brand because of its low viscosity, designed to cure even in very thin sections. This will sand and smooth the rough-cut edges. I waited a little more than two hours, during which the glue had expanded .. as the manufacturer says .. 3-4 times in volume. I also spray-moistened the topside of the glue after this was done. It didn’t take long to reach the marked circle. Pingback: Good Friday Links | Prop Agenda, great inspiration and many useful infos thanks a lot David. If you don't care if the ball is *exactly* round, you should be able to just basically cut it from all sides with a serrated knife, or hot wire cutter if you have one, to remove a lot at once . Purchase a craft acrylic paint in your desired color. That said, the gap did translate into the concrete so I suspect clamping them might get rid of that! possibly both nation wide suupliers. This should be a gradual slope (over 5-10mm) and on the inside .. the outside diameter remains constant. . I will be reading it again a few times to learn as much as I can. I waited a few days for the paint to reach maximum hardness (although thin, the enamel dries very hard and durable) then rubbed carefully with a fine sanding sponge (these look similar to kitchen washing pads) to bring out some of the grain. http://lifeasahuman.com/2015/arts-culture/creativity/concrete-creations-making-styrofoam-cavities/. 28/2/2015 thanks to Nathan for the info that Lowes Home Improvement in the US does stock the blue styrofoam as an insulation material. Foamular is the name of the extruded polystyrene Owens Corning produces and, for all I know, it may be just as good for sculptural purposes as blue styrofoam .. except that it’s a shocking mauve-pink, by the looks of it! Please note we ship all sizes to UK. Bravo. Casting resin is not usually considered as a medium for thin coating, mainly because it’s thought that it will fail to cure properly under a certain thickness. The forms need to be sanded lengthways with a longer sanding block that will be guided by the profile templates. Because of its smooth ⦠Spread the word as you see fit! Epoxy glue is very tough though, so it is no good in any area that needs to be cut or sanded through! Pingback: LIFE AS A HUMAN – A hot wire Styrofoam cutter. In answer .. yes, I’ve tried Weldbond white Pva type glue in the past .. good, but just a regular form of strong Pva as far as I could tell. Perfect for craft projects, floral projects and more! I found that a Dremel tool and some of the sanding tips allowed for quite a bit of detail. I was struggling to figure out how to hollow out a perfectly round indentation in styrofoam. What is very important to note (and not included in the manufacturer’s directions!) As you work it around it will become more liquid and if this is continued while adding water a few drops at a time you will gradually get something like the consistency of gesso, without any lumps. The glue needs to be applied thinly to just one of the surfaces before the two pieces are pressed together. If it does moisture will contaminate the bottle and some of the glue will set inside .. as I found out when I tested it for the first time! You can also use elmers glue to coat the styrofoam ball in. Floracraft-Smooth Styrofoam Ball. Soda bottle, Styrofoam ball, wire. Either one will work just fine! Thanks for your answer, indeed it’s also used fo insulation and building materials suppliers but i was hoping you would have some tips or ‘good plans’ as the price they sale it is just too expensive !! For this I very roughly carved ‘teeth’ in the end of a plastic plumbing pipe, which as it turned out could be twisted into the cake without a problem. Any tips on what I can cover the foam with to fill in the craters and create a smooth, paintable surface to salvage my work? UPC: 046501011015. Step 1 Spread a thin layer of foam coating on the surface of the Styrofoam with a paintbrush. The much better way to do it .. patching in with the same material .. is illustrated below. It looks better when you have varying sizes. Go to the end of this article for advice on where to buy it in the UK. Does anyone know of an inexpensive way to paint Styrofoam and make it look smooth? Now that I think about it .. the ‘4+1’ primers are mixed in the ratio 4:1, hence the name of course, which relates to the standard mix for epoxy coatings. Books were fine when change was relatively slow! at 90 degrees to the pipe length, as above. This is then removed. They will either be polypropylene (PP), ABS (a form of styrene), uPVC or MuPVC. It was like trying to sand bread! As you probably know, the two are significantly different, even though they originate from the same material! The props need to be handled with care .. they won’t take any accidental knocks! I tried it yesterday because I’d been working with it and it works perfectly on either styrofoam or polyurethane foam .. no damage to the surface, and a very strong bond. Thanks for saying! The only problem is .. it’s very difficult to see where you’re applying it! There’s hardly anything more gap-filling and instant that hot-melt glue! If a styrofoam shape is being made as a prototype form intended for casting it doesn’t need to be made particularly durable .. it only needs to withstand silicone rubber being either brushed or poured over the surface. Like almost everything we use, styrofoam is not made for us makers specifically .. it is a roof insulation material, hence it’s not usual to find it in thicknesses less than 25mm or more than 100mm. Below I’ve included the stages in the shaping of these ‘heads’ .. starting with a block shaped on a template, then sanding away from a centre line. Here are the methods I’ve… Made in USA. Master Card. I think, from what I’ve been told in the past, that Polycell products .. or specifically the ‘Fine Surface’ Polyfilla .. are hard to get in Canada and the US, though I don’t know why this should be. I found the answer here, and much more. UPC: 046501011015. I am looking to model 4 identical sewing machines! Very helpful website – thanks for the start-up info…. Could I achieve a good finish if I painted on neat PVA then spray painted once dry? Thanks. I found an easy way to carve out clean holes in styrofoam and I will explain this method sometime soon. I make things with polymer modified concrete and often use Styrofoam for the cavities. I use either sharp, thin kitchen knives (i.e. Place the sequin yarn over the glue, circling the entire ball. On the other hand if you know what you want and you want a lot of it .. you should look at Panel Systems who supply multi-sheet packs with significant savings. Hi Peter, ( Log Out / Then sand off any rough spots until the ⦠If you just want to try it, or you just need a small amount, and especially if you want to ‘pic’n’mix’ different thicknesses or types, 4D modelshop in London or online is the best option. 2- and 3-inch Styrofoam balls. It is a smooth, closed cell foam, most commonly referred to as smooth Styrofoam ®. To get a smooth, right-angled edge on the form I’ve fashioned yet another ‘custom’ tool .. this time sandpaper fixed to a short length of Pvc pipe which has been sliced at a right-angle. Craft glue. Then it was just a matter of re-attaching the semi-circular templates either end of the form (see earlier) to protect the undamaged surface and sanding the block down to the same point. For a smoother cut, run the blade along an old candle before cutting your styrofoam. The sander can be dragged round the form, keeping it flat on the work surface, and will gradually create a smooth perpendicular edge. Pearl beads, tassel balls and tassels. Most fillers tend to shrink, to varying extent .. inevitable if they rely for hardening on the evaporation of a solvent. Sorry David, I meant, what do you think would be the best material to make a house and a garden? It is not necessary to spread the glue beforehand over the whole surface but here I used a coffee stirrer just to distribute it better. Very interesting ! Excellent informative article, especially as I have been cajoled into making a Brittania sculpture for the Cowes (Isle of Wight) carnival float! First the outline of the ‘bowl’ needed to be marked on the surface. In this case I secured the block with double-sided carpet tape. I sell sheets and blocks of Dow Styrofoam LB-H that i have cut to convenient sizes. After the styrofoam is as smooth as you can get it, layer on more gesso. The other small additions are shaped using much the same methods, starting with a base template to create blocks. We are the largest supplier of retail Styrofoam Craft balls in California and we ship all over the United States. Step 1: Cover the styrofoam ball with fabric. Standard outside diameters start at 22mm and normally end at around 44mm .. before they become something else, i.e. I did have to move them around a bit. Another option is provided by the ever multi-tasking polyurethane! Truly excellent, I have featured your blog. This was sufficient, although where possible it is always better to clamp the pieces together (sandwiched between flat pieces of wood to protect the styrofoam). Use a sharp blade, a hot wire cutter, or an electric knife to bisect the ball. Polycell doesn’t appear to be sold here. It paints like wood, can be pinned, and has north and south poles as well as an equator line, which can be helpful guides when creating projects. For the ‘half-ring’ which encircles the central bowl I first cut a template shape (using plastic or cardboard) outlining the form. The type of insulation material available varies a lot from country to country, as one would expect even in these ‘global’ times. I’ve listed address details and a selection of comparison prices for styrofoam in Updated sources/prices of specific materials within the Suppliers section. I would like to hear from anyone who finds a good and reliable source for the blue styrofoam, wherever you are, because I can then include this in my articles or lists for others to see. Not great. Thank you , Awesome tutorial … I am complete beginner at this and I am currently working on building aTiki statue … so this helped me alot. Firstly, the end needs to be cut and filed/sanded straight i.e. Made in USA. Smooth and durable, they are made of the finest material that promises strength and resilience, allowing for long term use. My first thought would be covering the stryofoam with paperclay (which is an airdry clay) and you'll be able to sand it as smooth as you like. Styrofoam is one of the easiest materials to shape by normal means e.g. I use a small 4×6 piece of glass from a picture frame and mix with a wooden spatula made from a popsicle stick, sanded to look like a screwdriver but with a finer edge. These solid polystyrene - styrofoam balls can be painted with acrylic paints or decorated with endless craft and modelling materials. Craft glue This test form was made in the same way as one of the components described above .. first rough sanded and then finished with a 120 grit sanding block. Floracraft-Smooth Styrofoam Balls. Vaseline (petroleum jelly) is an ideal temporary sealant in this case because it can be easily brushed or rubbed into the micropores without damaging the surface. The cure time for the primer is around 24 hours at an ambient ⦠It is molded from tiny beads into many shapes like balls, bells, eggs, miniature fruit shapes and more. In fact, whether applied straight or mixed with either powder pigment or acrylic paint for an opaque colour, the first coat will emphasise much of the porous foam surface and appear matt with an even roughness. I did some XPS sculpting for an art class. Quilted Christmas Ornaments Christmas Crafts Christmas Balls Styrofoam Ball Crafts Fabric Balls Diy Y Manualidades Navidad Diy 242 Idee Diy. Each object will take 7-10 coats at minimum and sandings between every 2-3 layers. Foamboard VOC Adhesive in a caulking gun configuration. Prop-makers and sculptors are more likely to use the foams which are supplied in two separate parts and which need to be manually mixed .. a good source is a sculptor’s supplier such as Tiranti .. but the ‘instant foam’ tube cartridges sold for wall repairs or insulation are similar. If you have any questions you can get in touch via the forms on the site. Thanks also for the info. I have used a 40 grit sandpaper for this. For rectangular chocolates, use a block of Smooth Foam and cut it into small rectangle shapes, then follow the same process. If pressed too hard while turning the former will just tear up the foam surface, but this may not matter at first. slicing with sharp knives or a hot-wire cutter, sawing with serrated blades, rasping with files, and smoothing with sandpaper. The rough rock texture around the outside of the bowl was created by slashing with the back of the scalpel (producing the effect seen more at the bottom here) and also breaking down using a wire brush. styrofoam!). I used the most basic epoxy resin glue .. the ToolBox brand from Poundland. I’ve noticed here that it’s sometimes cheaper and there are likely to be more choices from these suppliers than from builder’s merchants. Use either feather type to cover a Styrofoam ball … Thanks Simon! Cissors 6. I usually get mine from there, preferring the green version. It is a smooth, closed cell foam, most commonly referred to as smooth Styrofoam ®. As I got nearer to the marked depth I returned to using the previous former to finish off (because it has the right curve) but this time dragging it straight. although it is different to the styrofoam it is much more alike than other glues. If care is taken not to use too much of it the Vaseline will also even out the surface, although I’ve noticed that most of it is absorbed into the silicone anyway. Thanks for the tip of using Gorilla glue to join pieces together. Would that melt the foam. Great tutorial. I chanced upon this method of making almost perfect holes in ⦠Great article and blog. Because of its smooth surface it is excellent for painting. Thank for the 3M spray suggestions. I make this distinction between ‘painting or coating’ because certain polyfillas can be thinned with water to a gesso-like consistency without losing too much of their strength and can be smoothly painted on. 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