Worbla & Thermoplastics
No! A snap-blade style box cutter and scissors are all you need to cut either EVA or L200 foam. The scissors are best used on thinner foam sheets (1mm-3mm) and the box cutter is best used for the thicker foam sheets (4mm-10mm).
Cutting foam will dull any blade or scissor quicker than normal (make sure you’re not using your fabric scissors!). They will still cut paper, cardboard, etc just fine - but it's best to keep a large stack of blades on hand when cutting foam and to switch them out frequently. A hand-held sharpener is very helpful for extending the life of your foam cutting blades or scissors.
Intrinsic colours (pigments) include the S, SFX, and BC series pigments. These products come in a single bottle and are meant to be mixed into a batch of uncured silicone to tint the entire batch a uniform colour.
Extrinsic colours (paints) include the M, F, and LY series paints. These come in 2-part "kits" - an uncoloured, 'Part A', catalyst, and the coloured 'Part B'. They are meant to be mixed 1a:1b and then applied to the surface of a cured, cleaned, silicone piece to paint it.
There is no specific tensile rating for most Worblas and it is not made to support weight itself. Unsupported single sheets of classic, black, white, Worbla Mesh, and Thibra will show stress lines and may crack, if bent double when cold.
Thermalplastic backed with EVA foam or other materials is much stronger. When thermalplastic scraps are combined into a clay and used to sculpt pieces instead it becomes much stronger depending on the exact shape. The thicker the piece the stronger it will be.
Worbla's TranspArt and KobraCast Art are much stronger and more tear resistant than many other thermoplastics. However we still do not recommend using either for supporting weight.
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With all FuseFX 2-part products (the F, LY, and M-series paints) the "Part B" is the coloured bottle. To activate the product you need to mix it 1:1 with the included Part A.
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NO - you MUST mix the Part A in a 50:50 ratio with the Part B otherwise the product will NOT cure. You can mix these by eye, as long as the ratio is close to 50:50 but other ratios will not work. To make a colour more transparent you can thin the mixed paint with an appropriate solvent (Toluene, Xylene, or Naptha) or you can add M/F-110 Clear PART B to the coloured Part B of your choice BEFORE adding enough Part A to equal the two B's _combined_. For example you might mix 1 part M/F-110 Part B to 1 part F-230 Darkest Brown and then add 2 PARTS of Part A to activate the mixture for painting.
For the sandwich and backing methods many people use foam sheets such as "Fun Foam" or craft (EVA) foam.
Daley Kreations offers a variety of foam products that can be used in conjunction with thermoplastics including EVA foam in various thicknesses and densities, L200 foam, and LED foam.
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Extreme temperatures may cause Worbla-based costumes to become soft and unsupported structures may begin to soften. Worbla pieces with a foam core will generally stand up better to extreme temperature conditions. Basically - if it's too hot for you to be comfortable it's too hot for your costume!
DO NOT store your Worbla or any finished thermalplastic-based costume pieces inside a vehicle. The temperature within a car will definitely soften and warp Worbla.
Yes! You will need an appropriate silicone solvent (such as Toluene, Xylene, or Naptha). To airbrush FuseFX: mix the FuseFX paint as normal (50:50 Part A and the coloured Part B) then dilute the mixture with 1.5-2 parts of solvent and continue to mix until smooth. Spray at approximately 15 PSI.
Because Worbla and other thermoplastics are, well, plastic, yes, they can generally hold up to getting wet. To be honest the paint finish on your piece is more likely to be damaged than the thermoplastic itself if you get it wet. Technically EVA foam is also waterproof but we would advise caution if wearing your costume in a pool or salt water as the chemicals may do residue damage to the foam.
Wearing your costume in the rain is likely to be fine - again damage to the foam underneath or to the paint is more likely than damage to the plastic.
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Mixed silicone can be thinned with Toluene, Xylene, or Naptha. These solvents are not always sold under these names (often they are sold as odorless paint thinner). It is recommended to do a test before using a new brand or type of odorless paint thinner to make sure it contains the correct solvent and does not contain other fillers which may inhibit platinum silicones.
Alternately you can get a dedicated silicone solvent such as Smooth-On's NOVOCS Glossy or NOVOCS Matte thinner. BEFORE mixing you can purchase a silicone thinner add-in from a supplier such as Smooth-On. Follow directions carefully as too much thinner can inhibit the mix.
Yes ... and No. For FuseFX paints and pigments the products are skin safe once they have cured. While the products are in an uncured state, however, you should wear vinyl or nitrile gloves (NOT latex) while handling the product. Smoothie and Royal Jel-E should be used while wearing vinyl or nitrile gloves.
You will have the best result by painting a silicone piece fresh out of its mold. In this case simply wash the piece thoroughly with soap and warm water to remove any mold release residue then dry the piece with a lint free cloth or lint free tisues.
If you are trying to paint an older piece that has been used or been on display it is best to wash it thoroughly with soap and water, scrubbing gently or even wet sanding with 400 grit sandpaper, then wipe it down with a lint free tissue or cloth and isopropyl alcohol or a silicone appropriate solvent (see the Solvent question in this FAQ for some suggestions). You may wish to apply a thin layer of BondFX as a primer before painting. Older pieces are prone to paint delamination (see previous FAQ question on "I have an older silicone piece - can I still paint it with FuseFX?" for more information).
If you know you will not have a chance to paint your piece right away after demolding it is best to either place your piece in a sealed plastic bag, plastic tote, or wrap it securely in plastic wrap. This will protect your piece from collecting dust and you should be able to paint the piece at a later date with no problem.
30g of catalyzed F-series paint can cover approximately 12sq ft if stippled in a thin layer. M and LY-series paints will go even further as they are typically painted sparingly to create a realistic skin look instead of applied as a continous layer.
For the S and BC pigments one 30g bottle can tint over 3,300g of catalyzed silicone (or approx. 7.2 pounds or 116.4 oz). The 500g bottle can tint over 100,000g or 100 kilos (approx. 27 gallons or 220 pounds) or more depending on the softness of the silicone. See the video below on using S-series pigments for tips on calculating the amount of pigment needed for a project.
YES! As long as the paint has not yet cured you can simply wipe it off with a lint free tissue and a bit of isopropyl alcohol. Once the paint has cured however, it permanently bonds to the piece and will have to be cut off to be removed.