I have done foam sculpting for over a decade and nothing revolutionized my work more than Hot Wire Foam Factory's basic hot knife sculpting tools and All Purpose Foam Coat. I have found Foam Coat to be easy to use and the ideal way to simply create a variety of textures while giving strength and durability to my creations. It can be mixed thick or thin depending on the need and accepts paint very well. I have used it successfully with objects such as branches, fossils, grass, etc. embedded as decorative elements.
One of my clients is a zoo where I create naturalistic elements such as rock and tree sculptures. After discovering Foam Coat I was able to create interesting environments for the animals in the indoor exhibits instead of just the outside decorative work. This made for a more immersive experience for the guests and an interesting environment for the animals. A stone worker, there for a visit, warned that the "rock" over the glass was too heavy and would stress the glass too much!
Since I also create dinosaurs for a fossil museum I really appreciate the fact that I can make creations in sections and after transport I can blend the parts together seamlessly since the product will blend wet on dry with little effort. Just a bit of wet brushing does the trick. It appears not only seamless but provides the necessary strength and rigidity to support a large sculpture.
Multiple times I have had clients tell me they'd like an interior wall to look like natural rock, but can't afford to have it done. I have shown then how to create the look for very little effort and money using All Purpose Foam Coat.
Melanie Richard, Montana
My company Fantasy WaterWorkz does indoor/outdoor above/below ground ponds & waterfalls. what makes my creations different is I start with a base of Styrofoam. YES I said Styrofoam. You know the stuff with the breathable holes in it! I was going to use plaster to coat it but decided to try this Foam Coat. I was IMPRESSED!! It applied easily to the styrofoam and gave me a finished product that was more stable and harder than plaster. This company's products are a must try for any project!!
Here's my review of your machine and your company. You can also post my phone number if you like...610-562-2278.
We were fortunate to get a prototype of the large 4-axis CNC foam cutter from Hotwire Foam Factory. We had looked at many similar machines that were priced much higher, so it was reasonable to be skeptical of the value offered by Hotwire Foam Factory. We received our machine via freight and the equipment was well packed with attention on preserving the superb craftsmanship. We chose to elevate the machine 20" off the floor on 2 CMU blocks (8" each) and a 4" pancake block on top. I had the machine uncrated; assembled according to the clear and easy instructions; leveled perfectly with an inexpensive water level; and, ready to go in a few hours. After a short acclimation to the included software, we were in production. HFF delivered a high quality CNC machine that performed exactly as advertised. But that's not the end of our story. The most impressive aspect of our business relations with Hotwire Foam Factory is the manner in which they accommodate their clients. Customer service is not the typical afterthought that you get with most companies....these folks mean it....they live it....and it's self-evident that they enjoy it.
We have been building props and costumes for about 4 years. We use a variety of materials including EVA foam and pink insulation foam on many of our projects.
A problem with using pink insulation foam is that it is very fragile and many paints and adhesives eat through it. Once the foam is sealed with All Purpose Foam Coat, the foam has additional strength and is now safe to paint and sand.
We built a large 10' tall Reinhardt axe (From the game Overwatch) out of insulation foam and were able to keep it light weight and add durability by using the Foam Coat.
We liked that you could mix as much or as little water into the Foam Coat in order to patch dents and imperfections in the foam. We also liked that we could sand the foam coat to get a smooth finish before painting. We will certainly be using this product again in future projects!
I use this kit to make all my Dept. 56 holiday displays. I use it on foam insulation boards to make the villages, including streets, mountains, ponds or anything else to make my display look real. My Halloween display draws over 100 people to my house and when I tell them that half the display is carved out of foam they are amazed and always have to feel it. These tools are a must and so easy to use.
