Thanks Steve! I appreciate the time you took to make this video, very informative and clear. I didn't know what stone bits where for. Now I do. :) Thanks again and I'll make sure to order from you when things get better.
This is easily one of my favorite channels on RUclips. You are so informative, clear, and concise, not to mention super talented! Thanks for everything you do Steve!
Just want to say THANK YOU for these videos! In January, I used your videos to create costume headpieces for a theater company I direct and they were a huge hit! Sent you some pics over on insta. My kids were FASCINATED and they can't wait to continue story telling in the fall. Your videos are a gift and reach farther than you know!
I'm new when it comes to Cosplaying in general and have decided to give EVA a go. This Tutorial has been my crutch and is super helpful and informative. Even with learning disabilities, I have understood everything mentioned. Thank you so much!
Perfect. I’ve seen handfuls if tutorials, nothing like this! Your explanations of everything and step by step demonstrations are perfect. As always amazing video. I took way more in your 15min video than I have in handfuls of other videos. Thanks for the tips
Thank You! and Yeah I feel most of my fans already know this stuff but I am getting a big influx of new builders and hopefully this will help answer beginning questions
Hey man i really love your video though i want to ask something about "the sealing eva foam" part..... I really can't find any plasti dip at any store that's near me,can i use "rubber paint" to seal my eva foam?....im kinda new to this cosplay props making😂 Still.....love ya content may you have wonderful day❤
Plasti dip can be found in the states at Walmart, homedepot, and lowes. Outside the US and rubber spray can work as long as it is a thin mixture. So don’t use truck bed liner or sprays that come out thick. Besides sprays you can also use brush ons like creature cast, flexbond, and mod podge. However mod podge has a tendency to wrinkle much more than the other options.
A solid video for beginners looking to dive in and a great refresher for those already in the hobby, Steve! Definitely makes me want to drag all of my supplies and in-progress costume bits out of storage and get back into it immediately.
I just wanted to say, I love how the is the most simplest breakdown of just about all the steps one will go thru when creating something with foam, some videos will miss many steps, or not go into depth, but this was just awesome 👌
Thank you very much! I try my best to fully describe and walk viewers through my videos so that information can be picked up easily whether they are experts or beginners
I just bought a roll of your foam from Blick and I’m wondering how to make it lay flat? It keeps wanting to curl back into the roll shape it came in. Any tips here?
Lightly heat it with your heat gun and roll it the opposite direction. The foam will want to return to its original flat shape. I lay several sheets together and place some books on top for mine as well
Very informative and even as someone who has been working with foam for years I definitely learned some things/understand them better. Sad to see that your line of thicknesses has gone down a bit from when you started in regards to what Blick sells, but I can understand that those thicknesses will give you your core essentials. I have still yet to do much with foam dowels, I definitely need to look into those in the future.
For the heat gun safety. I have another recommendation is that you can prepare a mug cup let it laying around and whenever you're done using a heat gun, slip the head into it. It will be much safer. I had this habit of letting it sits on its back every time I used, and it gave me a heat mark by accident once
Just want to say Thanks, Great Work, please keep up the good work, I just fell into your HD Foam on Blink, and really getting fully engulfed in Foam work. Thanks R
I appreciate this channel so much, I've been interested in cosplay creation and this channel is both inspiring and amazingly helpful! Definitely will be using your products simply because you're such a cool dude. Saw your table at a con recently and was stunned by the things you've made!
Blick Art Materials ships all of my products and i know they can ship to Mexico and Canada but I do not know the costs here's a link to the Foam bit.ly/2NECyrU
I can't wait to get my hd foam!!! As far as hand painting any tips for a beginner? I loved the plaid fx beetle ya did, and i seriously want to hand paint my coz's but I'm lost when it comes to hand paints
Biggest tip is Paint and Brush quality makes a huge difference. If you get cheap paints and brushes the coverage and color consistency is going to make it a lot harder to work on your finished prop. Lucky for you pretty much every video I put out goes over the paints and brushes I like to use
@0:59 "CON SAVE" DC 15 You may roll out the foam with advantage as this video is a Nat 20. Thanks for all the work man. HD foam slaps harder than my Dad's belt.
I am not just saying this because SKS is awesome but the HD foam i got from blick blows away any of the other foams i have.Its density and maleablility is truly the best.Great price too (IMO).It will be the only foam i use from now on.Brava!!
Thanks for the kind words I'm glad so many people like my HD-Foam! Makes it easier when it really is the best foam out there for prop and costume fabrication!
Hey!! I'm new at cosplay.. my first projects were the blaster from the mandalorian and Grogu's pram, both using your tutorials and templates. I was wondering, is there a significant difference between the high density foam you sell and other high density foams on the market?
Hey! Yes there is a huge difference. I actually developed my HD-Foam specifically for prop and costume fabrication. The big deal being mine is the highest density at a shore 38 hardness. Basically that means it cuts cleaner, sands smoother, and is waayyy easier to manipulate. I promise if you ever get a chance to try it you’ll definitely see the difference 👍
I was watching your Hellboy mask video, and thought "It would be awesome if he did a video talking about the brushes and tools he uses..." Imagine my happy surprise when this video popped up in the suggestions! Great overall review of what you use & how to use them. The close-up view of the brushes as you named/gave sizes for each one was particularly helpful to me.
I watched your video on how to make a plague doctor mask a few days ago ... and you talked. I just wait for the paints and start working. Greetings from Poland.
As someone who's never worked with foam before, this (and all of your videos) is super helpful! Do you have any advice for adapting this process to a mix-media piece? I'm looking to add "metal" (foam) toe and heel tips, as well as other ornamental "metal" pieces, directly to leather boots. I'm guessing brush-painting the flexbond and paint would best to avoid getting paint on the boot itself, but I'm not sure what adhesive would be flexible/strong enough to stick to a leather boot. Thanks for all that you do! You're a bright spot in this world!
So glad I found this channel. My daughter asked for a crib for her baby yoda and your channel was exactly what I was looking for. I'll be getting some of your HD foam for the project. I have used other foams in the past so I am looking forward to trying something new. What type of blade do you use on your band saw? I have a fine tooth blade but I find that it doesn't give the cleanest cut. I have heard that a meat cutting blade is best but I have trouble finding them. What's your ideal blade?
Awesome! Glad I can help. My blade is actually really old and only good for cutting foam but I recently got a foam blade from mc MasterCar for my other bandsaw I plan on trying out
Thank you so much for all the great info! I'm new to cosplay, and foam! (I mainly work in fabrics) I feel confident to try a build on my own after watching just your one video. Thats frickin awesome! 🤘🏼
We don’t measure it the same way as overseas that’s why. In the US ours is density vs shore hardness and at a 38 shore hardness it has the highest density available. But the numbers are part of our formula
@@SKSProps Awesome! Thank you! I couldn't find that listed as a selling point on your site (or on Blick's).... great to know! Super appreciate that feature!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏
Just remebmer most of us have already been working with foam for a long time. I'm well over 10 years so each project is a chance to learn and get better at the craft
@@SKSProps Yep. Gotta start somewhere as a newbie with this material. Gotta learn to crawl before you walk. ☺️ Just a question about the foam clay: Does it only adhere that easily to foam 'sheets' or does it work with, let's say, a hard plastic mask as well, if one wants to sculpt something with it?
@@SKSProps If I may pester you with another question: if the foam clay piece that one has made has dried, can its bonding abilities be reactivated with water, or does one need glue to attach it to something?
A love yours show man I woud liked I cant by your foam but in my cauntry its inposuble to by your brand or enikinyd of foam but whatever your chanal its the best thank you
I'm trying to work on my first cosplay item and found you while seeking wisdom. This is an awesome video. Just subbed, thank you! I was wondering (and I'll probably find the answer on one of your other videos) how you would attach elastic or stretchy fabric to this kind of foam? I'm wanting to make a helmet that can fit different sizes while retaining detail, without it being too clunky.
First off thanks! When I attach elastic I always do a double adhesive method where I will glue the strap to the foam then cover that with a piece of 2mm foam to make sure it can't pull away
I’ve been watching your videos for a few days now as I work on huge and dramatic builds for being a newbie. Tbh I thought you were cool, but after seeing your reels I realized I actually got to meet you and see your work in person at Planet Comicon Kansas City 2023, the pieces in person are AMAZING. I’m definitely taking all your tips.
Hey Steve great video really inspired me but I have one problem lately I’ve been going onto Blick Art materials and I can’t really afford the foam maybe you could lower your prices? Not to sound like a jerk again you inspire me!
Hey glad you’re inspired! I don’t control pricing but I will say that the prices Blick has on my foam makes it the best bang for the buck on the market. No one else can stack up to the quality of HD-foam for the price. Plus if you were to buy the Cosplay Bundle that’s 3 sheets that are 24”x60” that is a ton of material to work with. Plus Blick ships incredibly fast so you get your products right away.
@@SKSProps That is 100% OK I had a Plan B for adding some coupon codes for your high density foam rolls I really appreciate the things that you’re doing and I’m gonna try my best to do the same.
heat and water won't bother eva foam. but certain adheasives can fail because of heat such as hot glue. that's is why I use contact cement and super glue, but the foam will be fine
Ive just found your videos and its given me allot mlre confidence to try foam, instead of just 3d printing everything. Is youre foam available in the uk ?
hey i know this was a while ago, but i want your advice and where i would go/ what i would do for a template of Raiden's Armor from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance? i'm thoroughly contemplating building a cosplay of him and i have no idea what to do because it would be my first time ever *making* a cosplay
When I build I check google first see what others have done and what might work. Then I template everything on poster board by hand before transferring it to foam. It’s all about building up your layers. If you’ve never worked with foam before I’d pick a couple of my projects with free templates to familiarize yourself with the material before you jump into a big build
When you're going over the cutting tools, there's a little cylinder looking tool that you don't talk about. Is that some sort of sharpening tool? My biggest issue is keeping a sharp blade. It's like after a single cut, it's too dull to make those nice slices without it looking jagged. I find stropping my blade with leather and a compound helps but I have to do it after every cut it seems
the sturdiness of the foam depends on the shore hardness and density. the higher these numbers are the better it will hold up. The plasti dip can help improve this durability by adding an additional layer that is basically a rubber. I use 6mm for pretty much all of my armor and helmets and it holds up just fine. If you use cheaper low density foam then your armor will feel soft
@@SKSProps i appreciate your response. i planned to start my first project with your Space Marine Absolver Bolt pistol and was just going to buy the foam you recommend, but when i branch into armor i just wanted to be sure it didnt look goofy. thank you
Thanks for this step-by-step guide. When you sand the EVA form with a rotary burr, it generates a lot of dust. Do you have some kind of dust collection system installed on your desktop?
I have an entire station for dust collection. I cover that in a later video. Check out “the tools I use to make video” video. Otherwise yes it creates a lot of dust and I would recommend to have a shop vac handy
Maybe I can in the future. But off the top of my head I’d clamp a metal straight edge and use that as a guide for my dremel with a stone bit to create the channel
I LOVE THIS CHANNEL! I hope he makes Greek/Roman/ Spartan armor soon. Cuz I wanna make an Odysseus cosplay from the Odyssey story but all I can find is cardboard diys...
Because you can get a full rotary tool kit with flex shaft for around $20. Which will have a ton of cutting/sanding bits of various grit plus a higher rpm and torque than any nail sander
@@SKSProps Okay. But have you ever used a good quality woman's nail drimmel? Yes the good ones are around $100.. but they're made to be steady.. and the rpms are adjustable. could use it both for your cosplay and nails. So if you're a woman who owns a nail drimmel, could possibly skip the file.
Olá amigo, comecei a acompanhar o seu canal recentemente, estou curtindo muito todos os vídeos e tutoriais, mas por eu não entender muito outra língua as vezes fica difícil entender, gostaria de saber se tem algum tutorial dessa armadura ficarei feliz com a resposta
Luckily I have put subtitles in different languages on almost all of my videos. I'm sorry but I don't have a tutorial for that armor set because it was built extremely fast in just 10 days for a con in New York.
@@SKSPropsmagina, mesmo assim agradeço por responder, continuarei a acompanhar seus vídeos, sempre muito explicativos e bem feito. Em relação a tradução pode ficar despreocupado
There are hundreds of ships off the coast waiting to dock. I’m glad to say ours finally was able to dock last Thursday just waiting on us customs to send it through.
Hi, I've been dealing with EVA daily now for 4 or 5 months. I don't melt it , just cutting and what not but I deal with alot of it. I use it in the basement of my house. My question is do you take precautions because of the formamide content in EVA? Do you wear a mask or gloves when working with it? I hear formamide is a very nasty chemical and some EVA foams have been banned in certain countries. Any advice would be great 👍
That’s why when I made my line of HD-Foam I made sure that it is formamide free. I do wear a respirator when sanding and heating the surface. Cheaper foams out there including some floor mat foam does have formamide and yes you’d want to take precautions
@@SKSProps I am using craft foam from Michaels stores. I have heard that formamide free means just the lowest level of formamide allowed by regulations. I don't heat it or anything like that just doing a lot of cutting on my vinyl cutter. I cut so much of it that it worries me a little even though I'm not heating or milking it. Thank you so much for the info I appreciate it
@@jasonl5500 no prob 👍 just a heads up Michael’s foam is literally some of the worst I have ever tried in my years working with the medium. If you ever have an opportunity to try mine you’ll see a night and day difference in how mine cuts and sands compared to that. Plus your blades will last longer and it’s much smoother for paints
Loving your work! watched the Fett Blaster earlier and really want to try it but I'm having trouble finding anywhere in the UK that supplies HD Foam???? Can anyone help???
I love these videos! My real question.. how did you get started? I’ve always had a love for theatre and have considered going to school for theatre arts specifically costuming. I’ve always had an interest in art.. but never felt like I was good at art.
Thanks! I went to art school for illustration and have just sort of fallen into the cosplay community over the yers. I will say I do use a lot of the info from school (color theroy, negative space sculpting, etc) but the great thing now is that there are people like me that can show you individual projects to dip your toes into the medium
I managed to purchase the HD foam for my hellboy RHOD. Thanks so much for these tips!! ☺️ Plus this is my first time making a prop for a convention! So I can’t wait!
I see links for lots of tools but I don’t see one for the respirator and mask. Can you add that link to the video description? I want to get what I need before I start working with the foam to be safe from breathing in fumes. I’m also going to set up an extractor system at some point to assist with the dust. But until then we’ll just run with a respirator/mask. Thanks for the videos and help!
I see the respirator on your site under tools and safety. Can’t buy it but I can search for one with that I believe. A link to one may also still be helpful.
@@SKSProps thank you. I just didn’t know if there are different ones that are regulated for specific things. As in are all respirators the same but uses different cartridges for specific things. That type of thing. Just trying to be super careful with the lungs and breathing.
The flexshaft on your rotary tool is also keeping the motor away from all the dust. This makes it hold for much longer, because dust wouldnt come into the motors electronics. Annother reason for the flex.... thanks for the video.
I been using your stuff for a year now I love ur foam. I made my genji build and unfinished Ironman build and working on my Guyver and Batman build. But gonna be ordering some more soon . Hope you still got deals on those bundles man.
if it's not necessary to heat seal the foam, does that mean usually the only instance you'd need to do it would be when you are shaping/warping it in a certain way? that's pretty cool!
Correct, now that is only going to be with my foam other brands require a heat seal because they are much more porous and will soak in way to much paint
@@SKSProps that's so awesome! in that case, when would you warp the foam to its desired shape? would that be before or after you finish the painting process?
@@SKSProps got it! thank you for the help :D not sure when i'm making my armor this year but this high density foam has definitely caught my attention heheh
What a great, informative and fair assessment of materials. Obviously there is a sales aspect to it but that was not a product push as most tend to be. I hope your foam is not massively expensive because I’ll be buying it if it’s justifiable
Thanks! My focus is definitely on the knowledge and to get people to try crafting regardless of the medium. But I promise you once you use my product vs others out there you’ll see the difference 👍
this was so helpful!! i was so nervous starting my first foam project and was so worried about whatever right from wrong was. really broke it down for me. thank you!!
![Tee Grizzley - Blow for Blow (feat. J. Cole) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wNLN5xsx5dc/mqdefault.jpg)
Check out more of my complete builds, walkthroughs, and HD-Foam at www.SKSProps.com
Does HD foam post to the UK? We have our own foam shops over here, I'm just real curious about trying some HD Foam to see if theres much difference
@@dacentabaal as of right now my foam is exclusively sold through Blick Art Materials they do ship internationally but I don’t know the costs
But foam clay is not available where I'm from which is the uk
@@nerothejackal9662 yes it is poly props sells it overseas
@@SKSProps if I do I'd have to pay extra for shipping
I love going back to basics. It's always good to double check that I'm still doing things the right way. Thank Steve great video!
because everyone works differently I also like to see others workflow!
Thanks Steve! I appreciate the time you took to make this video, very informative and clear.
I didn't know what stone bits where for. Now I do. :) Thanks again and I'll make sure to order from you when things get better.
You are very welcome! I’m so glad videos like this can help builders out! 👍
You are the coolest!
Ha! I try my best 😉
I just want to make some Jedi clone wars armor for Halloween bruh 💀
I would love your videos if y take out the close caption ... It covers a lot of the screen...
You do know all you have to do is just hit the CC button to get rid of them...🤣🤣🤣 I guess you learned something new that wasn’t even foamsmithing
My favorite thing about the foam is that its light gray. Using a pencil vs a sharpie really does make a difference
It really does! My templates are so much cleaner and more precise!!
This is easily one of my favorite channels on RUclips. You are so informative, clear, and concise, not to mention super talented! Thanks for everything you do Steve!
You are very welcome and thanks for letting me know! Comments like this really help when I’m worn out from editing 👍
If you ever wanna make a female Lich King outfit I'll be your test dummy and wear it to Blizzcon for you. Total dream come true
Just want to say THANK YOU for these videos! In January, I used your videos to create costume headpieces for a theater company I direct and they were a huge hit! Sent you some pics over on insta. My kids were FASCINATED and they can't wait to continue story telling in the fall. Your videos are a gift and reach farther than you know!
That is so great to hear! I really appreciate the comment and knowing that these videos make an impact in the community!
I'm new when it comes to Cosplaying in general and have decided to give EVA a go. This Tutorial has been my crutch and is super helpful and informative. Even with learning disabilities, I have understood everything mentioned. Thank you so much!
That’s great to hear I’m so glad I can help! 🙌🙌
Perfect. I’ve seen handfuls if tutorials, nothing like this! Your explanations of everything and step by step demonstrations are perfect. As always amazing video. I took way more in your 15min video than I have in handfuls of other videos. Thanks for the tips
Awesome glad it helped! 👍
I already know all the basic. But I feel very happy whenever I watch your video. Thank you❤❤❤
Thank You! and Yeah I feel most of my fans already know this stuff but I am getting a big influx of new builders and hopefully this will help answer beginning questions
That is the most professional video ever created! He's a humble, talented master !
Thank you very much!🙌
Hey man i really love your video though i want to ask something about "the sealing eva foam" part.....
I really can't find any plasti dip at any store that's near me,can i use "rubber paint" to seal my eva foam?....im kinda new to this cosplay props making😂
Still.....love ya content may you have wonderful day❤
Plasti dip can be found in the states at Walmart, homedepot, and lowes. Outside the US and rubber spray can work as long as it is a thin mixture. So don’t use truck bed liner or sprays that come out thick. Besides sprays you can also use brush ons like creature cast, flexbond, and mod podge. However mod podge has a tendency to wrinkle much more than the other options.
A solid video for beginners looking to dive in and a great refresher for those already in the hobby, Steve!
Definitely makes me want to drag all of my supplies and in-progress costume bits out of storage and get back into it immediately.
Thanks Kev! Yeah I think it's good to step back and get back to the basics from time to time and I can't wait until we can hang out at a con again!
@@SKSProps Yeah, man! I'm glad we at least got to touch base at C2E2, but I miss the con fam at Dragon Con. Fingers crossed for 2021.
I just wanted to say, I love how the is the most simplest breakdown of just about all the steps one will go thru when creating something with foam, some videos will miss many steps, or not go into depth, but this was just awesome 👌
Thank you very much! I try my best to fully describe and walk viewers through my videos so that information can be picked up easily whether they are experts or beginners
@@SKSProps well you did a great job of doing that and this will definitely be a reference for me whenever I do jump into all this.
In my area plasti dip isnt available 😢
Then use something else flexbond, creature cast, mod podge etc.
I just bought a roll of your foam from Blick and I’m wondering how to make it lay flat? It keeps wanting to curl back into the roll shape it came in. Any tips here?
Lightly heat it with your heat gun and roll it the opposite direction. The foam will want to return to its original flat shape. I lay several sheets together and place some books on top for mine as well
Hey Steve, I live in the UK and your foam is really affordable but the shipping is really high. is there a way to get around that?
Unfortunately no my companies are US based, but for overseas I’d probably check out Polyprops
Wish i watched this before i bought my foam i would have bought this brand
Im sure what i have will work good still i just think its funny
@@XxShadowAnxceitxX use what you have and try mine next time. I’ll guarantee you’ll see the difference 👍👍
@SKSProps i absolutely will
I will get that foam clay tho im def gonna use it
Very informative and even as someone who has been working with foam for years I definitely learned some things/understand them better. Sad to see that your line of thicknesses has gone down a bit from when you started in regards to what Blick sells, but I can understand that those thicknesses will give you your core essentials. I have still yet to do much with foam dowels, I definitely need to look into those in the future.
Thanks! Actually it was still under wraps but Blick is adding 4mm to the lineup with the next shipment prob late December!
Thanks for the clear information from everything you use, all are great piece's of art.
For the heat gun safety. I have another recommendation is that you can prepare a mug cup let it laying around and whenever you're done using a heat gun, slip the head into it. It will be much safer. I had this habit of letting it sits on its back every time I used, and it gave me a heat mark by accident once
Isn't that how you get branded to show you're a maker! 😆 Good Tip!
WOOOT im the 500ths like :D lol
Just want to say Thanks, Great Work, please keep up the good work, I just fell into your HD Foam on Blink, and really getting fully engulfed in Foam work. Thanks R
You're welcome I'm so glad these tutorials and my foam have helped you out and Thank you very much for the support!
I appreciate this channel so much, I've been interested in cosplay creation and this channel is both inspiring and amazingly helpful! Definitely will be using your products simply because you're such a cool dude. Saw your table at a con recently and was stunned by the things you've made!
Fantastic! Glad I can help you out and be an inspiration!
Fantastic info Steve. Thanks for doing this.
No prob! Helps remind me to step back time to time and show the basics to the craft 👍
Could you do a video for Lawbringers helmet from for honor?
Nice I haven't made that one yet but I made a simple knight helmet video you can check out with free template at www.sksprops.com/templates
Great video! Will be sharing this to people that have questions.
Thanks James! Definitely a back to basics for anyone wanting to dip their toe into our hobby 👍
This is so cool & easily explained... I can now move move forward into making creations 👍👍👍
Awesome to hear! Glad I could help you out 🙌
Thanks a lot for this vid! I'm just entering the world of cosplay and your videos are really helpful: you tell everything we need. Thank you!
Welcome to our crazy awesome hobby! I’m glad I could help you out if you ever have questions let me know 👍
Thank you so much for this! Looking at getting started and this is the exact type of video I needed.
Fantastic! I’m glad the video helped and I’ve got even more info, build threads, videos and free templates on my site
www.sksprops.com
Do you send the hd foam to México?
Love your videos
Blick Art Materials ships all of my products and i know they can ship to Mexico and Canada but I do not know the costs here's a link to the Foam bit.ly/2NECyrU
I can't wait to get my hd foam!!! As far as hand painting any tips for a beginner? I loved the plaid fx beetle ya did, and i seriously want to hand paint my coz's but I'm lost when it comes to hand paints
Biggest tip is Paint and Brush quality makes a huge difference. If you get cheap paints and brushes the coverage and color consistency is going to make it a lot harder to work on your finished prop. Lucky for you pretty much every video I put out goes over the paints and brushes I like to use
@0:59 "CON SAVE" DC 15
You may roll out the foam with advantage as this video is a Nat 20.
Thanks for all the work man. HD foam slaps harder than my Dad's belt.
Thank you!! 👍
Ima challenge or dare u
Try to make d4c's head :>
quiero saber donde venden ese material foam aqui en lima peru :c
I am not just saying this because SKS is awesome but the HD foam i got from blick blows away any of the other foams i have.Its density and maleablility is truly the best.Great price too (IMO).It will be the only foam i use from now on.Brava!!
Thanks for the kind words I'm glad so many people like my HD-Foam! Makes it easier when it really is the best foam out there for prop and costume fabrication!
Hey!! I'm new at cosplay.. my first projects were the blaster from the mandalorian and Grogu's pram, both using your tutorials and templates. I was wondering, is there a significant difference between the high density foam you sell and other high density foams on the market?
Hey! Yes there is a huge difference. I actually developed my HD-Foam specifically for prop and costume fabrication. The big deal being mine is the highest density at a shore 38 hardness. Basically that means it cuts cleaner, sands smoother, and is waayyy easier to manipulate. I promise if you ever get a chance to try it you’ll definitely see the difference 👍
hello i subs!! 🥰 i love watching this...
Can you make the call of duty Spectre ninja
I was watching your Hellboy mask video, and thought "It would be awesome if he did a video talking about the brushes and tools he uses..." Imagine my happy surprise when this video popped up in the suggestions! Great overall review of what you use & how to use them. The close-up view of the brushes as you named/gave sizes for each one was particularly helpful to me.
Fantastic! Glad I could help
I watched your video on how to make a plague doctor mask a few days ago ... and you talked. I just wait for the paints and start working. Greetings from Poland.
Awesome! have fun with the build!
As someone who's never worked with foam before, this (and all of your videos) is super helpful!
Do you have any advice for adapting this process to a mix-media piece?
I'm looking to add "metal" (foam) toe and heel tips, as well as other ornamental "metal" pieces, directly to leather boots. I'm guessing brush-painting the flexbond and paint would best to avoid getting paint on the boot itself, but I'm not sure what adhesive would be flexible/strong enough to stick to a leather boot.
Thanks for all that you do! You're a bright spot in this world!
First off thanks! Id use contact cement to attach the foam pieces. Also be sure to scuff up the boots first to give it something to grip onto
@@SKSProps Thank you so much for the advice- and the tip with scuffing up the boots! I appreciate you.
So glad I found this channel. My daughter asked for a crib for her baby yoda and your channel was exactly what I was looking for. I'll be getting some of your HD foam for the project. I have used other foams in the past so I am looking forward to trying something new. What type of blade do you use on your band saw? I have a fine tooth blade but I find that it doesn't give the cleanest cut. I have heard that a meat cutting blade is best but I have trouble finding them. What's your ideal blade?
Awesome! Glad I can help. My blade is actually really old and only good for cutting foam but I recently got a foam blade from mc MasterCar for my other bandsaw I plan on trying out
@@SKSProps Cool, I'll check that out!
@@SKSProps Also....Haven't done any real work today...been watching your channel. The content is so addictive!
Thank you so much for all the great info! I'm new to cosplay, and foam! (I mainly work in fabrics) I feel confident to try a build on my own after watching just your one video. Thats frickin awesome! 🤘🏼
That's fantastic to hear!
What density is that HD foam? I mean in numbers? Is it 80g/cm3? 200g/cm3? Cannot find any info on that...
We don’t measure it the same way as overseas that’s why. In the US ours is density vs shore hardness and at a 38 shore hardness it has the highest density available. But the numbers are part of our formula
Okay, but what about when you have bevel from 10° to 60°, how do you get consistent acurate cuts? What tool?
I use a high tpi blade on a bandsaw that way the cuts are consistent.
A great primer on getting started.
Thanks! hope it helps out the influx of people coming to my channel 👍
Love this video-so helpful, thanks! Curious if your EVA foam is formaldehyde free?
Thank you and yes it is 👍
@@SKSProps Awesome! Thank you! I couldn't find that listed as a selling point on your site (or on Blick's).... great to know! Super appreciate that feature!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏
Hey bud what kind of facemask is that and where can I purchase one?
It’s a 3m organic filter mask I got mine from Lowe’s
Working with foam is a bit scary for me, since I'm not that experienced with cosplay yet. 😂 So envious of all the people who can make this cool stuff.
Just remebmer most of us have already been working with foam for a long time. I'm well over 10 years so each project is a chance to learn and get better at the craft
@@SKSProps Yep. Gotta start somewhere as a newbie with this material. Gotta learn to crawl before you walk. ☺️ Just a question about the foam clay: Does it only adhere that easily to foam 'sheets' or does it work with, let's say, a hard plastic mask as well, if one wants to sculpt something with it?
@@slasherlady foam clay can adhere to hard surfaces ( like my foam pumpkin videos ) you just need to wet the surface so that it bonds properly
@@SKSProps Cool. Good to know. I'm really interested in trying it out. Seems like a very cool material to use.
@@SKSProps If I may pester you with another question: if the foam clay piece that one has made has dried, can its bonding abilities be reactivated with water, or does one need glue to attach it to something?
A love yours show man I woud liked I cant by your foam but in my cauntry its inposuble to by your brand or enikinyd of foam but whatever your chanal its the best thank you
Thank you!
I'm trying to work on my first cosplay item and found you while seeking wisdom. This is an awesome video. Just subbed, thank you!
I was wondering (and I'll probably find the answer on one of your other videos) how you would attach elastic or stretchy fabric to this kind of foam? I'm wanting to make a helmet that can fit different sizes while retaining detail, without it being too clunky.
First off thanks! When I attach elastic I always do a double adhesive method where I will glue the strap to the foam then cover that with a piece of 2mm foam to make sure it can't pull away
@@SKSProps Thanks for the reply! I'll definitely try this.
I’ve been watching your videos for a few days now as I work on huge and dramatic builds for being a newbie. Tbh I thought you were cool, but after seeing your reels I realized I actually got to meet you and see your work in person at Planet Comicon Kansas City 2023, the pieces in person are AMAZING. I’m definitely taking all your tips.
Ha! Yep Planet is still my home town con I've been boothing there for over 10 years. and I'm glad you could see all of these builds in person 🙌
@@SKSProps that’s amazing! I’m well off now to be able to go when I want so I hope to see you next year!
thank you for explaining the advantages of using a flex shaft rotary tool.
You’re welcome 🙌
Hey Steve great video really inspired me but I have one problem lately I’ve been going onto Blick Art materials and I can’t really afford the foam maybe you could lower your prices? Not to sound like a jerk again you inspire me!
Hey glad you’re inspired! I don’t control pricing but I will say that the prices Blick has on my foam makes it the best bang for the buck on the market. No one else can stack up to the quality of HD-foam for the price. Plus if you were to buy the Cosplay Bundle that’s 3 sheets that are 24”x60” that is a ton of material to work with. Plus Blick ships incredibly fast so you get your products right away.
@@SKSProps That is 100% OK I had a Plan B for adding some coupon codes for your high density foam rolls I really appreciate the things that you’re doing and I’m gonna try my best to do the same.
It's always a pleasure to watch your videos :D
Thank you very much! I appreciate the support! 👍
Great vid man, really enjoyable to watch 👍👍
Thanks!
Yesssssss, I'm loving this!
Good! I’m glad this information is useful 👍
Wish you would deliver to England im using black HD foam and just realised I need a white marker or felt tip pen to mark it so I can cut it
En España no se puede conseguir ningún tipo de los materiales que usas
Como se puede conseguir?
Look at a company called polyprops overseas they sell foam. It's not quite as good as mine but a lot better than using foam floormats
How well does EVA foam stand up to being out in the heat for long stretches; e.g. a full-day Ren Faire out in the sun and 90 degree heat?
heat and water won't bother eva foam. but certain adheasives can fail because of heat such as hot glue. that's is why I use contact cement and super glue, but the foam will be fine
@@SKSProps Thanks so much! Can't wait to get started!
Ive just found your videos and its given me allot mlre confidence to try foam, instead of just 3d printing everything. Is youre foam available in the uk ?
Nice 👍
my foam is only available in the US but check out polyprops for overseas
@@SKSProps thank you so much that will be a great help.
hey i know this was a while ago, but i want your advice and where i would go/ what i would do for a template of Raiden's Armor from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance? i'm thoroughly contemplating building a cosplay of him and i have no idea what to do because it would be my first time ever *making* a cosplay
When I build I check google first see what others have done and what might work. Then I template everything on poster board by hand before transferring it to foam. It’s all about building up your layers. If you’ve never worked with foam before I’d pick a couple of my projects with free templates to familiarize yourself with the material before you jump into a big build
@@SKSProps okay thank you
When you're going over the cutting tools, there's a little cylinder looking tool that you don't talk about. Is that some sort of sharpening tool? My biggest issue is keeping a sharp blade. It's like after a single cut, it's too dull to make those nice slices without it looking jagged. I find stropping my blade with leather and a compound helps but I have to do it after every cut it seems
It’s a kershaw knife sharpener I use it all the time especially after every few cut
@@SKSProps Thank you so much! I love snap on blades but I refuse to go through them as often as people say you should.
@@KeryuOkami with the sharpener I’ve had the same blades in mine for months. And I guarantee I cut a lot more foam than most.
I want that costume...
does the Plastidip make the foam feel more sturdy? my main concern with building armor with EVA is that i am afraid that it will be floppy.
the sturdiness of the foam depends on the shore hardness and density. the higher these numbers are the better it will hold up. The plasti dip can help improve this durability by adding an additional layer that is basically a rubber. I use 6mm for pretty much all of my armor and helmets and it holds up just fine. If you use cheaper low density foam then your armor will feel soft
@@SKSProps i appreciate your response. i planned to start my first project with your Space Marine Absolver Bolt pistol and was just going to buy the foam you recommend, but when i branch into armor i just wanted to be sure it didnt look goofy. thank you
Hi, I have just been checking out your products through the links and wanted to ask if I can get these in the UK?
Hey, unfortunately no my distribution company is US only. For overseas check out polyprops or Lumins workshop
@@SKSProps thank you so much for your speedy response. Love the channel by the way.
how do you cut out your templates? Do you use a scissor or a hobby knife?
Usually Knives, they are easier to sharpen.
I’m going to start working on a cosplay myself it will be selena from brave frontier wish me luck
Good luck! And have fun!
@@SKSProps I’m going to start with the handle,guard,blade
I will shift to it when I arrive in Canada! Thank you.
Thanks for this step-by-step guide. When you sand the EVA form with a rotary burr, it generates a lot of dust. Do you have some kind of dust collection system installed on your desktop?
I have an entire station for dust collection. I cover that in a later video. Check out “the tools I use to make video” video. Otherwise yes it creates a lot of dust and I would recommend to have a shop vac handy
@@SKSProps ok thanks for the tip.
BTW: what do you use as the structure if I want to make a sword with HD foam?@@SKSProps
Can you show how to add a fuller to a 🗡️
Maybe I can in the future. But off the top of my head I’d clamp a metal straight edge and use that as a guide for my dremel with a stone bit to create the channel
I LOVE THIS CHANNEL! I hope he makes Greek/Roman/ Spartan armor soon. Cuz I wanna make an Odysseus cosplay from the Odyssey story but all I can find is cardboard diys...
Thank you very much!
What's the difference between that small sanding bit and a woman's nail drimmel? Why not just get the nail drimmel?? Can use on both.
Because you can get a full rotary tool kit with flex shaft for around $20. Which will have a ton of cutting/sanding bits of various grit plus a higher rpm and torque than any nail sander
@@SKSProps Okay. But have you ever used a good quality woman's nail drimmel? Yes the good ones are around $100.. but they're made to be steady.. and the rpms are adjustable. could use it both for your cosplay and nails. So if you're a woman who owns a nail drimmel, could possibly skip the file.
Olá amigo, comecei a acompanhar o seu canal recentemente, estou curtindo muito todos os vídeos e tutoriais, mas por eu não entender muito outra língua as vezes fica difícil entender, gostaria de saber se tem algum tutorial dessa armadura ficarei feliz com a resposta
Luckily I have put subtitles in different languages on almost all of my videos. I'm sorry but I don't have a tutorial for that armor set because it was built extremely fast in just 10 days for a con in New York.
@@SKSPropsmagina, mesmo assim agradeço por responder, continuarei a acompanhar seus vídeos, sempre muito explicativos e bem feito. Em relação a tradução pode ficar despreocupado
If I don't have or can't afford a heat gun, would I also be able to use something like a Hair Dryer to heat treat foam?
You can try every hair dryer is a bit different for high temp
Worse case you can get a heat gun for like $10 at harbor freight
@@SKSProps Okay. Thanks.
Still says out of stock. Is it available elsewhere?
There are hundreds of ships off the coast waiting to dock. I’m glad to say ours finally was able to dock last Thursday just waiting on us customs to send it through.
Hi, I've been dealing with EVA daily now for 4 or 5 months. I don't melt it , just cutting and what not but I deal with alot of it. I use it in the basement of my house. My question is do you take precautions because of the formamide content in EVA? Do you wear a mask or gloves when working with it? I hear formamide is a very nasty chemical and some EVA foams have been banned in certain countries. Any advice would be great 👍
That’s why when I made my line of HD-Foam I made sure that it is formamide free.
I do wear a respirator when sanding and heating the surface. Cheaper foams out there including some floor mat foam does have formamide and yes you’d want to take precautions
@@SKSProps I am using craft foam from Michaels stores. I have heard that formamide free means just the lowest level of formamide allowed by regulations. I don't heat it or anything like that just doing a lot of cutting on my vinyl cutter. I cut so much of it that it worries me a little even though I'm not heating or milking it. Thank you so much for the info I appreciate it
Melting* lol
@@jasonl5500 no prob 👍 just a heads up Michael’s foam is literally some of the worst I have ever tried in my years working with the medium. If you ever have an opportunity to try mine you’ll see a night and day difference in how mine cuts and sands compared to that. Plus your blades will last longer and it’s much smoother for paints
Loving your work! watched the Fett Blaster earlier and really want to try it but I'm having trouble finding anywhere in the UK that supplies HD Foam????
Can anyone help???
Thanks! Unfortunately mine is only sold stateside but outside the US check out polyprops. 👍
I love these videos! My real question.. how did you get started? I’ve always had a love for theatre and have considered going to school for theatre arts specifically costuming. I’ve always had an interest in art.. but never felt like I was good at art.
Thanks! I went to art school for illustration and have just sort of fallen into the cosplay community over the yers. I will say I do use a lot of the info from school (color theroy, negative space sculpting, etc) but the great thing now is that there are people like me that can show you individual projects to dip your toes into the medium
I managed to purchase the HD foam for my hellboy RHOD. Thanks so much for these tips!! ☺️
Plus this is my first time making a prop for a convention! So I can’t wait!
Fantastic! Have fun with the build! 👍
I see links for lots of tools but I don’t see one for the respirator and mask. Can you add that link to the video description? I want to get what I need before I start working with the foam to be safe from breathing in fumes.
I’m also going to set up an extractor system at some point to assist with the dust. But until then we’ll just run with a respirator/mask.
Thanks for the videos and help!
I see the respirator on your site under tools and safety. Can’t buy it but I can search for one with that I believe. A link to one may also still be helpful.
You can buy a respirator at any hardware store or Walmart. I personally use a 3m respirator with organic fume filters
@@SKSProps thank you. I just didn’t know if there are different ones that are regulated for specific things. As in are all respirators the same but uses different cartridges for specific things. That type of thing. Just trying to be super careful with the lungs and breathing.
@@NerdNerfer definitely 👍 just look for ones that say for sprays and organic vapors on the box. For 3m they are pink
Surebonder now has cosplay glue it’s amazing. It’s combined with resin so it doesn’t soft back up.
I know, I used it on my lotr witch king build 👍
I will havto check out the foam.
I Promise you’ll like it 👍
I'm pretty new to cosplay and interested in using the EVA Foam. My question is how do you know what mm to use for different pieces?
Experience, but for most things 4mm and 6mm are my go to for helmets, armor, etc
I'm going to cosplay the ncr ranger of fallout new vegas, now i am informing myself and this video reallly helps a lot. THX
Awesome! Glad I could help 🙌
The flexshaft on your rotary tool is also keeping the motor away from all the dust. This makes it hold for much longer, because dust wouldnt come into the motors electronics. Annother reason for the flex.... thanks for the video.
Great point!
I wanted to start cosplay but I did'nt know what tools to buy and how to get and use them Thank you so much I will be buying your suplies hopefully
That’s awesome to hear, glad I could help 🙌
Hello! Would you sell the pattern for this cosplay? :(
There was no pattern all of the pieces were hand drawn and scratch built in 10 days for New York Comicon
@@SKSProps ooh well thank you!
I been using your stuff for a year now I love ur foam. I made my genji build and unfinished Ironman build and working on my Guyver and Batman build. But gonna be ordering some more soon . Hope you still got deals on those bundles man.
Thank you very much! And yes despite rising manufacturing costs were are still offering the cosplay bundles 👍
if it's not necessary to heat seal the foam, does that mean usually the only instance you'd need to do it would be when you are shaping/warping it in a certain way? that's pretty cool!
Correct, now that is only going to be with my foam other brands require a heat seal because they are much more porous and will soak in way to much paint
@@SKSProps that's so awesome! in that case, when would you warp the foam to its desired shape? would that be before or after you finish the painting process?
@@luckynow7 you always do manipulation and textures before you seal ( Plasti dip ) and paint the foam
@@SKSProps got it! thank you for the help :D not sure when i'm making my armor this year but this high density foam has definitely caught my attention heheh
What a great, informative and fair assessment of materials. Obviously there is a sales aspect to it but that was not a product push as most tend to be. I hope your foam is not massively expensive because I’ll be buying it if it’s justifiable
Thanks! My focus is definitely on the knowledge and to get people to try crafting regardless of the medium. But I promise you once you use my product vs others out there you’ll see the difference 👍
Awesome work. I will try using your product. Seems to have a better texture than some I've delt with
Thank you for the support! 🙌
Great video, thanks for sharing.
this was so helpful!! i was so nervous starting my first foam project and was so worried about whatever right from wrong was. really broke it down for me. thank you!!
Fantastic, Glad I could help you out!
Omg I would love to be able to make an armor like the one in this video. Looking to build an armor set to go with a mask I own from CFX
Lots of layers, biggest challenge was having it completed in 10 days for new York Comicon
Thanks man i was looking for viedeos to start and i defenitly found the right one.🙏
Awesome! Glad I could help!