Foam
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Set Design and Construction
Forum Discription: Post your questions or suggestions about designing or building a set here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1735
Printed Date: 4/27/24 at 11:09pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Foam
Posted By: Joan54
Subject: Foam
Date Posted: 11/10/05 at 10:54am
Has anyone worked with foam...you know the dense styrofoam that you see columns etc. made out of? I've read about it and am curious. I understand that you have to cut it with a "hot wire" knife. Anyone tried this? How do you glue it together? Can you paint it? Is it worth the cost or should I experiment with dense foam insulation which is a reasonable price and available at the lumber yard?
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"behind a thin wall of logic panic is waiting to stampede"
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Replies:
Posted By: Shatcher
Date Posted: 11/10/05 at 3:29pm
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I have used the pink or blue foam many times. Depending on what you are making you can gule the pices together with liqiud nails or a scenic glue. Foam can be coated with textureing products (rosco makes some good ones) and painted. Spray paint will eat away at the foam leaving a rough surface, it will also produce a toxic gas so try this outside! I am sure there will be more advice about using foam to come!
good luck, if you let me know what you are making I might be able to help more.
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Posted By: Joan54
Date Posted: 11/10/05 at 4:26pm
Well, I'm not really sure what I am going to make with it...I am just looking for ways to make all of this STUFF lighter and easier to store and transport. My projects right now ( besides the backdrops..but that's another story) are a lot of fake food for "Taming of the Shrew"...I want the cast to be able to have a real good food fight at Petruchio's House...so I am thinking of foam food...maybe covered with cloth and painted or covered with salt dough..I don't know yet and I also want to cover the legs and arms of some more "modern" chairs so that they look like the clunky square seats of the Renaissance era. I am not a great carpenter but a fair sculptor so I thought....carve foam..glue to chairs...paint? Any ideas?
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"behind a thin wall of logic panic is waiting to stampede"
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Posted By: Aimee
Date Posted: 11/10/05 at 4:43pm
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I love this stuff! It is light weight and you can do ANYTHING with it. I have no idea what I would do with out it.
Liquid nails is great for gluing it together. I imagine elmers might work too. Don't think I have ever tried it.
You can get the "foam cutter" at any hooby supply store (Michael's, Hobby Lobby, etc) Some use batteries, or you can by them that plug in. You get very smooth edges.
I reccommend gluing soem pieces to gether, then , after completely dried you can "sculpt" it to your liking.
If you did not want to make all that food, those same hobby stores sell fake food! Depends on your time and of course the budget!
Paints well, just do not use spray paint, it'll melt...not pretty at all.
The downside to useing this is is not all that durable. During rehearsals and production it will take a beating. (Depending on your actors abuse)
Best of luck and have fun!
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Aimee
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Posted By: castMe
Date Posted: 11/10/05 at 5:15pm
We have had great success using it to build molding. Floor boards, door and window casings and my favorite, cornice molding. Cornice is the molding along the top of the wall and not only does it beautifully finish off your set but it also hides inconsistent flat heights. For cornice, begin with 1 or two inch thick by about a foot deep and keep adding depth for two or three more pieces. We have a guy who loves to run the stuff thru his table saw with a dado blade to give it that real molding look. You can attach it by pushing resin coated nails thru the back, but be careful when cutting to length and angle. Coat with Swiss Flex glue and let dry. The swiss flex will make it easier for your paint to adhere. We first did this four or five years ago for a show and the same molding has appeared in three or four shows since. Light weight and reusable, you gotta love it.
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Investigate. Imagine. Choose.
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Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 11/10/05 at 9:20pm
The portable hot knife are not that complicated to make, but as
suggested! It is much better to purchase a proprietary brand tool,
which are cheap enough & readily available, therefore you don?t
have to mess about making it!
I?m sure the tool will come with all the usual health & safety warnings.
The main thing you have to remember is use it in a well ventilated area
when cutting the styrofoam. You will find it cuts like butter & it
gives a smooth finish to the cut surface, which I can never seem to
achieve using a hand saw!
Possibly with an electric band saw or dado profile cutter, the heat
generated from the friction of the blade, is possibly enough to smooth
out the surface that?s cut, I?ll just have to try & hand saw faster?
If I may suggest & point out, styrofoam heated or melted in anyway,
gives off toxic odours. All so in a fire situation, if it is subjected
to flames, it will melt & perpetuate it?s own flame. Making it
extremely difficult to extinguish.
Try it outside.
{Disclaimer never try this unless under adult or parental supervision!}
Hang a piece of styrofoam on a on a small safe structure off the
ground, like a steel pole or something similar. In a clear open sandy
location. Then set fire to it with a blow torch or something similar,
then evacuate quickly to a safe distance, ensuring it is not windy.
After a few moments the of flame the foam will return to it?s original
liquid form & molten fire ball droplets will be observed hitting
the ground spreading & continuing to flame, giving off black toxic
smoke.
It is quite spectacular & completely deadly!
Image if this was to happen on a stage set, besides the molten drops,
igniting everything that this flaming petro chemical liquid comes in
contact with, the black smoke will certainly suffocate anyone caught in
an enclosed area, in less than 90 seconds!
Don?t take my word for it, ask your fire Marshall or have a look at a fire prevention & cause video.
I see that here, they are starting finally, to restrict the sale of
styrofoam & other petro chemical based products in building
materials.
I don?t know about your school fire policy, but here in the state
school system, there are no fire extinguishers installed in any school
buildings, as they do not want any teacher or student to become a hero
or a pseudo fire fighter. In the case of a fire, their sole duty of
care is to evacuate everyone, as buildings are easily replaced. Which
in my view is a sensible attitude, all so it helps in still a sense of
thinking health ?n safety. Which can be an oxymoron in it?s self, with
a few that I know!
Not wanting to be an alarmist old chook!
But you only have to look around your home To find petro chemical
products & materiel everywhere, even the PC your using right
now!
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Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}
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Posted By: Joan54
Date Posted: 11/11/05 at 8:54am
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All the secret pyromaniacs of the theater community will be torching foam in their back-yards tonight!
....good to warn us. I wonder what the flash point of the foam is? Could proximity to a light cause it to catch fire? Hmmm...must experiment.
Foam (used as insulation) has not been banned in New York...but the building code requires that it is not left exposed...in other words it must be covered with a flame resistant surface...for example sheetrock or gypsum board.
I see piles of scrap foam thrown away from our job sites all the time. The scavenger in me cries out to find a use for it in the theater. I will buy a hot wire knife and experiment..outdoors..on windless days...will keep you posted.
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"behind a thin wall of logic panic is waiting to stampede"
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Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 11/12/05 at 2:11am
Go for it Joan!
A cigarette lighter works a lot fast and easier than using matches!
I have seen some of those foam cups, they use to hold candles on vigils
or carols by candlelight. Flame up if the candle falls over, without
going out & melting the styrofoam, than catching fire. But in those
case the person holding it just drops it on the ground & it is not
a problem!
We mainly use Gyprock plaster & fibre glass insulation.
However what might work, as you suggested, is to use a jesso type covering on the styrofoam!
I?d still carry on skip diving for the waste foam & just be judicial in it?s application.
Possibly using unbleached calico as a jesso type covering & with fire retardant added!
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Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}
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Posted By: Tjelvar
Date Posted: 4/11/06 at 7:54am
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We just did Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin, and did the bar as the basement of the house, which supposedly it is in Paris. For the foundation we took 1" pink foam, and carved out stones all around the set. It took forever and created pink sneezing fits for days, but the overall effect was amazing, it looked very realistic. Just had our tear down on saturday night after close, and it almost made us cry to tear down the foam, after so much work. A dremel tool worked well for rough carving, which gave a very realistic grout look. Currently we're working on a hotwire system to carve foam next time, and possibly a rig to push moulding through, for a much cheaper alternative than buying wood each time.
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Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 4/11/06 at 8:49am
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Tjelvar.... I am guest directing at a theater near by and was amazed at their technique for moulding. They just send it throught their table saw (no special balde or anything..) it cut like butter. Very straight and no problems. Then they put on Moulding blades and they too worked great! They had quarter rounded tops, tri grooves. They had even used a technique where they sent the stock through at an angle and created a cove. I know how I'm doing moulding from now on. Blades may cost a little to start, but doing an entire room for one sheet of foam vs 10,15 or 20 bucks a board... wow..
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Marty W
"Till next we trod the boards.."
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Posted By: Redbeard
Date Posted: 4/12/06 at 12:10am
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Another quick way to shape rough textures in styrofoam is to use an electric charcoal starter. The one I purcased fifteen years ago is giving up the ghost so I will be buying a new one this summer. It works best on beaded (white) foam but works on the pink and blue stuff as well. It's especially great at creating rock wall textures.
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Posted By: baydrama
Date Posted: 4/18/06 at 6:26pm
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Where does one procure this foam you're all talking about?
AND, does anyone know about or has anyone worked with foam board? I need to build a kitchen out of this stuff.
Thanks!
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Posted By: Redbeard
Date Posted: 4/18/06 at 8:10pm
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Your larger corporate building supply stores usually carry sheets of half an inch thick. Call your local lumber stores and building supply houses for thicker pieces.
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Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 4/24/06 at 9:46pm
Foam board makes the best rock walls. You have so many choices. It can be broked and wire-brushed into different shapes. Also a great technique is using a wire wheel on a drill to cut "grout" lines into the rocks. I did a full Irish barn for Dancing at Lughnasah (dont spell check that). The barn looked great and has made several appearances in surrounding theatres. One warning is that when using the wire wheel, you end up with styrofoam snow everywhere. If you are carefull, a blowtorch can be used around the edges of the rocks to eliminate the sharp edges. Be very careful, but the walls have a great look.
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Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse
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Posted By: jimzmum
Date Posted: 5/05/06 at 3:45pm
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You can also buy heavy foam up to one foot thick. It is an extruded styrofoam that is very dense. I bought some of this to use to construct set pieces for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. I wanted something light that the actors could schlep around and manipulate to create set pieces. We covered the puzzle-like pieces with glued on masonite, then used muslin and glue to strengthen. We cut all the pieces with a hot knife, too.
When finished, the actors could even walk and dance on the stuff.
We found the foam at a foam supply place in St. Louis.
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Courage does not always roar. Sometimes, it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow". Anonymous
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