Foam armour coating help

By Selphiroth. 15/04/12, 09:44 am

Hey guys, I'm getting to the coating stage of the armour and now it's bit of a problem. Seems that my foam is made out of those white gooey stuff in Portal 2, and it repels everything. Colour wise it cracks with enamel, spray paint, gesso and acrylics; glue wise it can't even hold PVC and only somewhat works with glue gun and the tacky foam adherent.

So I'm getting to the point that it's kind of presentable, but I am concerned about paint flaking and cracking without a top coat. So far I've tried resin (that dripped off like something involves duck and water), and vehicle top coats (which seems to make it better but not enough for what I want).

So could anyone recommend me any clear or translucent flexible, touch top coats that may finally encase the paint?

Cheers!

By Highlander. 15/04/12, 11:36 am

What foam and paint have you used?

I can run it past a senoir tradesperson.

By Selphiroth. 15/04/12, 11:42 am

Paint I've used so far include: enamel spray, enamel, acrylic and gesso. I also used three different types of foam, EVA for pool insulations, floppy thin bed roll, and pool noodles. The floppy thin bed roll functioned most like the kind of foam armour people talked about, absorbent, react with solvents but great with acrylics and gesso. The pool noodles take up colours well even though it can't stand heat.

The bulk of what I made are from EVA, which is the problem. I think it's been coated with something but I can't work out what. It is abrasion resistant, can eat solvent in entirety and spit it back out, and cracks and flake with every single thing I tried to throw on it. Mind is pretty blown right now.

Thank you very much for your help, Highlander.

By Highlander. 15/04/12, 12:06 pm

Well once you get into pool stuff it can be quite special, as it would to deal with water and cholrine. The only liner I ever sold, you used a two pot glue to melt it together!

By Selphiroth. 15/04/12, 12:14 pm

You are right that is the only thing beside my hair that sticks to these stuff!

EDIT: I am now trying out something else pretty outrageous regard to coating the armour. Shall let you guys know how well this works because it's potentially going to change the way I do armours forever. As if I've done any before.

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