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[Future Hokage]

Hy i was wondering if there was a way to hide the bumps on the foam so that it can look smooth,im making an armor from a camping mat.

[Nostrum]

Okay. By "camping mat" do you mean the EVA foam squares that they sell as camping floor?



If so, you should have one side that's textured, and one side that's smooth. And then the obvious answer is to use the smooth side.

Aside from that, you can take to it with a fine grit sandpaper and work at it until you have a smooth(er) surface. However it won't be armour-plate smooth and will need to be sealed, which you should be doing regardless.

[Future Hokage]

No i used this http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...0/DSC00531.jpg
both sides have that texture on it and what would you recomend in order to seal it.Buy the way thanks for your advice

[djlemma]

Originally Posted by Future Hokage

No i used this http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z...0/DSC00531.jpg
both sides have that texture on it and what would you recomend in order to seal it.Buy the way thanks for your advice

I have an old camping mat like that. I'd love to turn it into something useful. If you come up with good techniques I wanna hear them!

[Nii-san]

Ive been building an Iron Man costume out of foam for about 6 months now, and I have to say it really depends on the thickness your working with and the intended result. Most camping mats are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness but I would advise the EVA foam if you can find it. Its much easier to work with for a smooth result, then all you need is a heat gun to bend and shape it and alot of patience. A 1/4 inch mat in 90x60 is available is stores like Sears for $24 a roll and if that gives you an idea that will build about half of an Iron Man suit so its great for budget builds. You can even use it to build some of you prop weapons and other items.
I will suggest the EVA more than the camping mats because one side is textured and one side is smooth, no real need to apply 3 layers of sealant, 2 coats of resin, a coat of fiberglass and a butt-load of bondo just for a smooth result, theres about $200 down the drain right there. just blast it with a heat gun to give it a sheen and to firm it up, then apply a few coats of sealant (equal parts tacky glue and water) then paint and clearcoat it. saves you time and money in the end. here is a picture of my Iron Man armor to give you an idea as well. If you have any question on foam working shoot me a message and I'll gladly assist as much as I can, best of luck with your cosplay.

[Future Hokage]

oh man thanks for the info i never conciderd eva foam so im just going to try that out wish i new that before i started with the mats since i went threw 3 already just to get my armor correct but this is what im working on http://www.whatsyourobsession.com/im...ue-concept.jpg by the way i do plan on making an iron man cosplay so def keep me posted on your awesome work THANKS.

[Nii-san]

Originally Posted by Future Hokage

oh man thanks for the info i never conciderd eva foam so im just going to try that out wish i new that before i started with the mats since i went threw 3 already just to get my armor correct but this is what im working on http://www.whatsyourobsession.com/im...ue-concept.jpg by the way i do plan on making an iron man cosplay so def keep me posted on your awesome work THANKS.

Its no problem at all, I'm always happy to try and help. If you start your Iron Man go to the same site I mentioned and you can get all the pepakura files that have already been modified for foam working, you just have to scale it to you. (The general size fits someone from 5'9 to 6 without alteration). Keep us posted on how your build comes out.