# Groundbreaker Coating



## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

I have several groundbreakers created. They are made with foam heads, pvc, newspaper, and liquid nails. I want to coat them with something that will give them durability. My specific concern is for the foam heads to be durable like the body - and blend in as a single piece. I will then airbrush, paint, or stain them to their final look.

If you have a recipe or technique that might be useable, please post. Mixture of elmers/water, some off the wall deviation of monster mud, or whatever. _Btw...I detest the thought of carpet adhesive. I won't consider anything based on it._

At one of our make-n-takes, Jaybo showed me a technique he was playing with for coating tombstones to make them hard, yet light weight. Something like that. Jaybo...feel free to describe your method.


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

Exterior house paint does the job just fine.


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

I use Vinyl Concrete Patch and wood glue for the tombstones, but I don't think that's what you would be looking for on this prop.

Like Mr. Chicken said, a good coat of exterior latex paint would be fine if you are just looking to protect from the elements.

If you are looking for some unique textures, then Liquid Nails (not FRP Adhesive) or PL300 Foamboard adhesive mixed with paint is great. Basically any latex based caulk. You can add a little joint compound to the mix to thicken it up a bit. If you add too much joint compound, the mix tends to crack.

Now, if you mix this stuff with a high speed drill, it will whip it into a foam with lots of air bubbles. This gives you some cool texture once dried. I'll try to get a picture posted showing what I am talking about a little later. If you don't like the texture, just mix it slowly by hand to get a smooth consistency.

I usually use the following amounts in the mix:


1 Quart latex paint
2 - 4 tubes of latex caulk
2 cups of Joint Compound

If you want to bulk things up a little, you can make a clay with this mix. Just add cellulose insulation (which is really only shredded paper) to the mix until you get a nice clay like substance.

I'll try to remember to post a picture tonight of what the whipped texture looks like.


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

I'm looking for more than a coat of paint. Think of the chocolate coating on ice cream. I want a hardened shell...specifically for the foam.


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

Candy coating huh? Ok, try this:











 6 pounds of Quickrete Vinyl Concrete Patch
1 Quart Water
1 Quart Woodglue (you can do this with latex paint also, but it will be thicker with the glue)

Throughly mix your water and glue, then start pouring this into the Concrete patch. You have about a 30 to 45 minute working time. After you apply the coating, you want to keep it moist for up to 24hrs. The concrete needs moisture and warmth to cure. So, make sure it's above 40 degrees before starting, then cover the finished piece under a plastic sheet or put it in a trash bag. Spritz the prop with water occasionally. You can lay down coats as thick as 1/4" inch. If you need a thicker coat, then apply another layer after the first has cured for at least 24 hrs. The coat should be very hard after three days. This coating is pretty durable, but it will crack if you really lay into it. Just like a candy shell.

You can tint your mix with concrete tints to save on the amount of paint. I coated my columns last year with this and tinted them black. Worked like a charm. If you use tint, mix it into the water/glue mix first.

Ok, that's the local Home Depot solution.

You can also order Foam Coat from the Hotwire Foam Factory and use additives such as Boost to harden the coating and Bounce to rubberize the coating. The stuff is not that expensive and I hear really good things about the product. I haven't used it yet, but I do plan on testing it out.

FYI, Foam Coat is actually concrete based, so I'm looking forward to comparing it to Vinyl Concrete Patch.

I need to quit playing around with all of these coatings and get back to building real props! I've got scrap pieces of foam covered with all kinds of goop just littering my garage.


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

Thanks for all the input. I think the bounce and foam coat combination sounds like what I'm looking for. I read other things about foam coat that were positive.

Do they have any coupon offers you know about? Is this anything I should hold off for a make and take get together?


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

No, I don't know of any coupons. I wouldn't wait for a Make and Take, no telling when I'll have any actual real free time to attend. The 3lbs jar of Foam Coat is only $10, plus I notice they have a foam system kit that contains a little of everything for $40. As soon as I can get back in the garage building again, I plan on getting a batch of this stuff to try. I don't have any new props to coat yet, so got to get that step going first.


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## TheOneAndOnlyKelly (May 7, 2009)

Check your local big box hardware stores (lows, home depot) and see if they have any oops paint. I was able to get a gallon of Dryloc dirt cheap last year. That stuff is awesome.


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