hey everybody, i’m just trying to layer two separate pieces of foam together with contact cement, but it is completely dissolving it. should i prep the surface to prevent this or should i use a different medium?
use 3m Spray 77…
Be sure not to completely douse the blue foam with the 77 otherwise you will get the same results… (just for future reference dont use a solvent based spray paint either!)
lightly sand, vacuum, carpenter’s white glue.
hasn’t this topic been covered another time?
I used to use a hot melt glue gun for speed.
I’m with Yo on this.
Super 77 works the best, all you need is a quick light coat on both sides and then slap’em together. There may be other ways, but 77 will no doubt give you the fastest, and cleanest results.
If you are going to paint this then I suggest you use vinyl spackle to prep the surface. Just put on a thin coat of spackle, let it dry, sand smooth, prime and paint. However, this will only give you ok quality and I would only recommend it if it’s for a fast mock-up or something. If you want to make a super nice appearance model then you have to upgrade to the tan urethane foam.
Yup, light coat on each side, let it dry a few second and then press together, this should hold it well, but be easy to sand. The white glue works great, but takes awhile to dry, the hot glue works good but you have to keep it in far from where you need to sand.
Second on the vinyl spackle, but if you want a matte finish anyway, you can lightly paint it with a latex spay paint directly…
I’d recommend stepping up to yellow foam though, it is worth it.
I agree, yellow foam is the way to go, you can get big blocks, and shape them down, much better than trying to glue layers of blue foam together, and MUCH faster to shape. If you have some money, renshape is the best.
I agree, yellow foam is the way to go, you can get big blocks, and shape them down, much better than trying to glue layers of blue foam together, and MUCH faster to shape. If you have some money, renshape is the best.
I agree, yellow foam is the way to go, you can get big blocks, and shape them down, much better than trying to glue layers of blue foam together, and MUCH faster to shape. If you have some money, renshape is the best.
Isn’t there a chemical difference between Super 77 and Super 78 -one eats foam and the other doesn’t?
Ah, blue foam models… and pink foam models… which evolve into yellow foam models… all those flavors still in my lungs after all these years!
Use ductape 
Just look at the glue labels they all said you can use on foam or not. Never use super glue cause those melt. Woodglue or hobby glue all work but need a halfhour waiting time to wait till its dry.
Other wise use Muscle Pritt. Silver version of pritt superstrong and dry fast.
I was researching foam as a material for my modeling class and did a search and found this old post about foam and I keep reading about this “yellow foam” they talk about on here and don’t know what it is. So far, we have only worked in the cheap blue foam and Super 77, but we will be working in better materials soon, which I think is Balsa Foam. Is this yellow foam mentioned in this post, Balsa foam? is it the same thing? Just curious. is it harder, because I think I have touched it before here at school and its a lot denser and less brittle than the blue stuff we currently use. Is this it? Blick.com sells it in blocks.
Thanks guys
Super 77 is all you need. To be real clean tape the edges to prevent any deterioration at the edges for the crispest joint.
Renshape really is not workable by hand. At least not easily.
Ren is perfect for machining and doing appearance models, but yellow foam is a good in between. Dense, but still workable by hand, and usually you can find it in chunks that are several inches thick.
Super 77 will eat blue foam… get Super 78.
I heard Yellow Foam causes cancer. Supposedly, that’s why OSU got such a huge donation back when I was in school. Some company wanted to dump the stuff.
But I gotta say, it beats out every other modeling material I’ve used. Although clay was a lot of fun to try.
Hey guys,
Quick question. Do you guys use Bondo to glue layers of yellow foam together? My professor is advising us to use an alternative to Bondo, which I have always used. It seems to work well for me. Not sure what others use. She says Epoxy glues work better and are safer and less toxic than Bondo. What have you guys used in the past?
T’hanks!
Heya;
From my modeling past, I can agree that a modicum of Super77 can be most efficacious for gluing 2 pieces of blue-foam together…
(points for anyone who can tell me what movie that was in reference to)
Also, I agree with the epoxy to glue yellow foam together. The epoxy seam between the two will be harder to sand down as it will take longer to sand compared to the softer yellow foam. Use it sparingly, and don’t have it squirt out the edges of your seam and you’ll do fine.
I always used bondo for sculpting only - never as a gluing agent.
Take a look at why surfboard foam (White Foam) is no longer used…the specs get into your lungs and are shaped like little, jagged knives that cut your lung tissue every time to inhale and exhale…I used to know some surfboard-type people who practically bathed in it…no respirators at all.
And don’t get me started about not using Bondo with a respirator or using Methylene-Chloride for gluing ABS/styrene models together. Get some of that on your skin and it evaporates into your blood stream and heads for your CNS…
But - I loooovvvveed making models as a wee young designer!