# Help with foam



## Spooky Dave (May 12, 2011)

Hi all,

Okay, so please forgive me if this information is posted in abundance throughout the forums. I've tried searching and haven't been able to find a basic FAQ regarding extruded foam use. Thus, I have a few basic questions I was hoping to ask regarding foam. This is my first year using extruded foam (i.e., not the disposable coffee cup type stuff, which is all I've used in the past), and I'm looking forward to it. Just want to get off on the right foot. I promise to keep the list short!

1. What's the best way to attach extruded foam to itself? I have 1-inch foam, but some props will require layers of 2-inch or more. So, for doubling up on depth, or just when I need multiple layers for effect, what's the best way to stick this stuff to itself?

2. What's the best way to anchor this type of foam to wood? One thing I'm going to tackle is a mausoleum, which will have a wooden support beneath. Also, even for simpler things like gate posts, I plan to have a wooden framework under the foam. So, do you screw the foam to the wood? Glue it? (If so, what kind of glue?) Something else?

3. What are some strategies for carving foam? I've seen Steve O. over at GoE use a router (which I don't have), and I know a lot of people use dremels (which I have, and will use). But what about melting in some details? I built a hot wire foam cutter to get started, which will let me cut cool profile details, but I'd like to melt in some details on the surface, say, cracks in stone. Could I just use the tip of a hot glue gun? Soldering iron? I'm curious what some of you use here.

That should do it. Thanks for all your help, and haunt on!

Dave


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## TheOneAndOnlyKelly (May 7, 2009)

1. There are particular glues that allow foam to glue to itself. I've had some success with this. You really want to experiement with adhesives, some contain solvents that will eat into your foam.. 

2. Anchoring to wood... Hmmm... Hot glue will work to an extent. But you can try other glues (see above). I would rough up the surface of the foam wherever it would contact another surface, just to give more area for the glue to stick too... There are nails that have plastic washers you can use, if that point of contact isn't going to be visible. They use this stuff in construction, so something has to work!

3. Hot wire will make a nice line, but I've not had much good luck with keeping the wire hot enough. I typically use a box cutter or Xacto knife, personally. As far as carving into it, I use the Xacto knife again for chipping away, then use a "cool" flame to clean up afterwards. 

Best thing to do is experiment on some scrap, find the best techniques that fit your tools, time and temperment. Everyone is a little different on how they prefer to work.

Good luck!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

1. Gorilla glue

2. Gorilla glue

3. Dremel, router, hot knife (the one made by the hot wire people, not a hot regular knife from your table), sharp scalpel blade.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

There is a construction glue that comes in the caulk type tubes that is made specifically for foamboard. Make sure you get the stuff that says it is for foam. The other types will eat the foam. I use this and it works great and is easy to apply.


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## Dark Star (Nov 6, 2007)

1. Liquid nails has a foam board adhesive I have used for years with great luck will not melt foam.

2. I use regular liquid nails to attach it to wood but I do add a finishing nail or two to make sure it adheres and holds in the windy weather. 

3. You can use a hot glue gun, I use a wood burning tool as you can get many different tips. Just a reminder do this outdoors the fumes are very toxic.


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## Spooky Dave (May 12, 2011)

Thanks everybody, I appreciate all the advice! Glad to know there's something like liquid nails for when I need large surface areas. 

Of course, gorilla glue is always near and dear to my heart, so I'm glad to know that works too. 

You've all been a great help!

Dave


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## trentsketch (Jul 27, 2009)

Just be careful if you go with Gorilla Glue. If you don't weigh it down, it will puff out to full size against the barely-there weight of the foam and then you're stuck with lopsided tombstones.:googly:


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Trent is correct about the expansion issue with gorilla glue. I believe the directions recommend letting it sit for something like five minutes so it can expand before putting the two pieces together that you want to attach. We also put weights on the pieces while the glue is drying.


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## niblique71 (Dec 2, 2009)

This is the glue that I use for MANY Foam projects. I believe that it is one of the few tube-type adhesives that actually list foam on the tube. it also works to bond to just about anything including wood. The bond is SUPER strong.









I've had bad luck with Drying time and good adhesion using the "Foamboard" Glue's. Same goes for Gorilla glue with the expansion issues. I don't have the patience to wait 5 or more minutes to let the glue expand.

I've also successfully used 3M-77 Spray adhesive for "Laminating" two or more pieces of foam together to make a "Thicker" piece of foam. I also use it to attach extra foam pieces to props like Teeth, and Horns, and Claws made from the pink or blue foam.

To secure pieces of foam together at 90 degrees, I use long deck screws to temporarily hold things together. Once the glue (of any kind) is dry You can remove them and use wood putty to fill the holes.

For lamination, just use a flat surface and weight to insure a good bond.


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## Dixie (Feb 18, 2009)

Since PERSONAL PREFERENCE plays a huge role in all of your questions, I thought I would chime in with my personal votes.

1. Here in the South, I usually have to deal with 1/2" foam, and have to *glue* it A LOT. I have used everything from Elmers white glue when desperate (gluing layers of tombstones down, but I have always sealed the edges with wood filler, so I don't know how well that would hold otherwise) to Liquid Nails, to Wood Glue to Hot Glue. I'm too cheap to use Gorilla Glue, and hot glue melts a lot of foam, so that only works on something that would be coated on the outside as well. Liquid Nails is my go to glue.

2. Treat *foam to wood* the same as foam to foam. Again, LN is my choice.

3. *Foam carving* - each tool has its specific use:
Exacto - the only thing I will use for my lettering. I love the crispness of it, making it look like chiseled stone, and more realistic in my opinion. I just cannot get the same control on lettering with my Dremel that I can with an Exacto. I also shake my Exacto like Katharine Hepburn for cracks in tombstones. They look much, much better than when I burn them in.
Hot wire pen style - good for cutting out the shape of thicker foam, as well as tight spaces
Hot wire knife - good for cutting out the basic shapes of tombstones... faster on long cuts than the pen style
Utility Knife - What I cut 90% of all my tombstone shapes with - on my thinner foam, its just faster than any hot tool by far.
Dremel - with or without the router - by far the fastest way to route out large expanses of foam. If you want to shave off a layer of foam, leaving a raised center design for instance, the Dremel is your friend. Wear a mask though, or you WILL throw up pink fiberglass. Don't ask me how I know.
Hot wire tool with variable bits, or soldering iron - good for really interesting designs... play with the different tips on scrap, and come up with a lot. I make fake "rough stone" look by stabbing the foam really close together with one of the tips - pretty cool.

Ok, I think thats my opinion. I'm a wordy bit of goods, eh? Sorry bout that!


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

To cut foam, we use an old coping saw that I happened to have laying around when we started making stones. It leaves a rough edge that we generally sand smooth with 180 grit or higher sandpaper.
We use liquid nails adhesive to stick two or more pieces together. 
For cracks, crevices, and smaller letters, we use an exacto knife. For the larger letters like the name plate, we use a dremel. Set your dremel on a lower setting, or it will melt the foam.


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## TheOneAndOnlyKelly (May 7, 2009)

My band saw works pretty good for cutting the foam as well...


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## Dark Star (Nov 6, 2007)

Reading everyone's post I have to chuckle...Our tools and techniques are diverse...I have even used a circle saw and a miter saw to cut my foam.


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## Spooky Dave (May 12, 2011)

Thanks everybody, awesome, awesome tips. And yes, much diversity out there! But that's great to know so many different options. Watch out foam, here I come!


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## Bascombe (May 18, 2010)

Someone posted on the hazards of cutting foam with a hot knife. The blue and pink foams are made of polystyrene. In the book "Artist Beware" it states that when you have heat transfer of foamed polystyrene it releases hydrogen cyanide, monomers and carbon monoxide gasses. If you are going to use heat on this stuff, either wear a respirator, cut it outside on a windy day with the wind at your back or cut it in a fume hood. You may not have negative reactions to the foam the first ten or hundred times you cut it, but this stuff has a cumulative effect on your body and eventually you will reach a level of toxicity that your body can't fight.

The white particle masks DO NOT PROTECT YOU from gasses, only particulates like floating dust or sawdust.

By the way, hydrogen cyanide is the same gas the Nazis used in the death camps.

All that being said, if you want a really cool texture on your foam pieces, I like to flick a bit of acetone or laquer thinner on it. Make sure you have water in a spritzer bottle to halt the reaction so you don't eat away too much.


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## pensivepumpkin (Mar 27, 2011)

Wow! Thanks for that one, Bascombe!


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## stagehand1975 (Feb 22, 2010)

For easy disassembly. Consider attaching foam to wood on larger projects using 2 or 3 inch drywall screws and large fender washers


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

melting the foam is my fav carving technique....hot, fast, and cheap


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## angelor (Jun 21, 2011)

Hey Kids, As I have just started back in the Haunt World recently, I thought product research would be a good place to start, see what was new on the scene. I found a product that may be of interest to anyone working with foam to carve props. Industrial Polymers Corp. out of Houston has a product called Styrospray 1000 that hard coats foam and can be brushed or sprayed using a simple hopper like the ones for spraying popcorn ceilings. It can be tinted and textured when wet AND is a permanent foam to foam glue. Once coated you can paint and detail it as you like. I purchased a small sample for 40.00 and coated 10 new gravestones! These suckers are near indestructible!
Check out the videos at www.industrialpolymers.com


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## Spooky Dave (May 12, 2011)

niblique71 said:


> This is the glue that I use for MANY Foam projects. I believe that it is one of the few tube-type adhesives that actually list foam on the tube. it also works to bond to just about anything including wood. The bond is SUPER strong.
> 
> I've had bad luck with Drying time and good adhesion using the "Foamboard" Glue's. Same goes for Gorilla glue with the expansion issues. I don't have the patience to wait 5 or more minutes to let the glue expand.
> 
> ...


Hi Niblique,

Thanks for the recommendation. I already had some Liquid Nails foam board on hand, and found the drying time to be pretty long (as you said). I just picked up some of the PL today, and will let you know how it goes. Any strategy on typical dry time there? Thanks!


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

I use my table saw to cut anything large.


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## Spooky Dave (May 12, 2011)

niblique71 said:


> This is the glue that I use for MANY Foam projects. I believe that it is one of the few tube-type adhesives that actually list foam on the tube. it also works to bond to just about anything including wood. The bond is SUPER strong.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ok, I'm officially a huge fan. This stuff is easy to apply (much easier than Liquid Nails), and was tacky dry in less than an hour. If it's as strong as you say it is, and I'm sure it is, I've officially found my foam glue of choice. Thanks again!


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## niblique71 (Dec 2, 2009)

Your welcome Spoody Dave, I really love this stuff for foam to foam and foam to wood and foam to ummmm..... Just about ANYTHING. You will need to stabilize your project (Screws or clamps) since pieces have a tendancy to move for a few minutes while the glue sets up. Also, Cure time varies WIDELY with tempature. If your working in the winter and it's 40 or less degrees in your work area, give your project at least 24 hour to cure.

To make an UBER STRONG bond, Place your glue bead down and then take your next piece and place it on the bead and move it around a little bit to thin and flaten the glue bead. With some practice, you can get a remarkably strong and weather resistant (and Water tight bond) for building custom fog chillers and cauldrons.


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## Sinister Sid (Aug 27, 2010)

Elmers Glue. Nothing more, nothing less.


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## flesh1031 (Jun 28, 2011)

In my experiance anything with acetone will eat and eat foam. Liquid nails works, but for added strength tap a couple dowels through the back of the wood into the foam and then glue it down in areas where the foam may have added wear (doorways,corners). 
The all out pros use wood glue to attach foam to foam but its very hard to cut/ meltt through so don't do that on seams that may need trimming.
As far as cutting, everyone above is correct. I built a table hot knife using pianowire and a variable transformer that a friend loaned me. I also picked up a 8" heat knife at harbor freight for 19.99 that works great!


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## DrUnK3n_PaNdA (Sep 17, 2009)

For carving I've been getting along just fine just using sandpaper. Get a small piece and fold it in half, use the very edge and basically 'cut' the foam with it, then go over it a second time to smooth it out a bit. You can fold the paper more times for wider lines.

With the sandpaper, you want something medium grit. It takes a bit of practice to learn exactly how much pressure you need... also working with it for too long seems to make my hands cramp up. Something about pinching something tiny like that so hard for so long, I imagine.

I might've had the wrong kind of bit, but dremelling was not working out for me at all for carving, it was just tearing up the foam and spewing an ungodly mess everywhere.


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## Foamguy (Jun 25, 2014)

You definitely want to get a hot wire foam cutter that will make your life a lot easier. Other great tools include a bow cutter, a foam cutter, a hot knife, and hot rod system


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