im trying to find out the “official” name for the high density foam. its yellow in color, easy to sand, cut and it makes a big mess. i personally think it is called high density foam, but i cant find info about it on the net.
also, i know it comes in diff. weights some are too dense to sand which is used for the sign density. i need the light less dense kind. im not sure what weight it is…i need to get some… does anyone know where to get some…all the info would me great. thanks n adv.
A quick search of the site shows several distributors across the country including McMaster Carr.
If you’re building form studies with minimal detail, I would recommend no lighter than 10lb. Anything less dense and the particles are airborn when you sand and it dents easily. 20lbs and up will hold details better.The challenge will be to find a supplier that will sell you a small enough quantity. A local supplier where I live sells 10lb foam-2" thick x 24"x48" for approx. $100.
also there is HDPE (Polyethelene), HDPS (Polystyrene). the use depends on what you want it for.
yellow foam may be the HDPU mentioned (same kind of foam used in furniture cushions and dashboards. the pink/light blue stuff normally used for models is PS foam.
PE foam is more plasticy and not really good for model making.
you can also look into alternatives for foam like low density renshape type materials.
best suggestion for models is the blue PS foam you can get everywhere at home building supply places and is pretty cheap and easy to use/finish.
thanks for all the info guys, do you have website that you deal with, that would help a lot. im not too familiar with other types of foam out there due to the fact that i only worked with the yellow stuff… all the info would be great. also, any other details would be amazing…
So you’ve worked with the yellow foam. Where did you get it from?
I don’t a have web site that I order from. Just the local distributor. Again, look through the distributor list at General Plastics. What part of the country are you? Call the closest distributor. If you’re lucky there may be one in your city. Play up the poor student card, they may have cut off scraps they might sell for cheap or better yet, give you a few scraps.
Some ID students will use the pink or blue foam insulation you can find at Home Depot(expanded polystyrene). Correct me if I’m wrong, rkuchinsky, on the exact name. However, I respectfully differ with rkuchinsky and caution you that its soft and not ideal for cosmetic models. It is cheap, readily available and it’s good for rough mock-ups and form studies though.
I think the product that you are looking for is known as structural foam. It is ideal for model making and build ups. It mills, planes, sands, routes and is very rigid. It comes in many thicknesses and densities. It is called “Divinycell”, and it is manufactured by a company in Texas called Diab Group. (www.diabgroup.com) It is fairly spendy, but I use it as thickness buildup in my products and also with thermoforming in certain applications. Good Luck!
I think the product that you are looking for is known as structural foam. It is ideal for model making and build ups. It mills, planes, sands, routes and is very rigid. It comes in many thicknesses and densities. It is called “Divinycell”, and it is manufactured by a company in Texas called Diab Group. (www.diabgroup.com) It is fairly spendy, but I use it as thickness buildup in my products and also with thermoforming in certain applications. Good Luck!