Foam blocks?

[robinthecrow]

I'll have to give this an experiment! *runs into garage to get sander*

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Yes, a belt sander would work wonderfully as well and would be safer for people just starting out with sanding foam. Actually the way I sand is by holding the foam head between my knees and the drill with both hands. Bob Fappiano uses the rotary sanding disc method as well, the only difference being he uses a high speed pneumatic one.

Uhhhh.....no offense, but holding the head between your legs while you use a belt sander is - to put it politely - a very bad idea.

After having witnessed someone get part of their leg accidently sanded down to the bone I don't recommend this. If you're using drills, belt sanders, etc. secure whatever you're working on with a vice grip or something similar. Puppets aren't worth losing a limb over.

Safety first people!

 

[ravagefrackle]

What about one of those power sanders? Might that work to make a Beaker?

BJ

no , but only because beakers head isnt made of foam, not evry puppet has a foam base, take a close look at his head and see if you can find a sutible shape for it

 

[Iokitek]

I have a Black & Decker Mouse. Would that also work well?

 

[FISH'N'WOLFE]

If it's a standard vibrating finishing sander then unfortunately, no. As for holding the foam head between your knees and sanding it, I didn't mean sanding it with a handheld belt sander, that would not be a good idea obviously. I meant that a benchtop belt sander as James had mentioned would be a good option for people. Sanding foam between your knees is fine with a drill/sanding disc, it simply does not rotate fast enought to cause harm, however make sure you wear jeans. I would never recommend it if I thought people could be hurt by it. With the trigger you can easily regulate the speed, drills stop almost instantly when you release the trigger. Make sure when sanding you hold the drill with both hands.

 

[Iokitek]

oh I see... well it's always good to know dfferent techniques

 

[Buck-Beaver]

I'm sorry if my earlier post sounded harsh and to be honest I didn't realize you were specifically referring to a benchtop belt sander which I agree is considerably less dangerous than a handheld one.

I'd still recommend properly mounting any wood/foam/etc. you're working on in a vice grip or something like that. It's much easier to work that way (at least that's what I've found). I think it's also good advice because a lot of people have no idea what the difference between a benchtop belt sander and a handheld belt sander is and won't ask. I've also seen people wound themselves with tools as simple as a screwdriver because they didn't use it properly.

Let's face it, a tape measure is dangerous in the wrong hands!

 

[Puppetplanet]

Let's face it, a tape measure is dangerous in the wrong hands!

How true! Just ask the guy who was recently arrested in my area for robbing a hardware store with ..... you guessed it, a tape measure under his sleeve. Apparantly, he thought the metal tab would look like the barrel of a gun if it was extended out a bit from inside a jacket sleeve.

Perhaps this might have worked at any other place, but this moron of the week decided to rob a hardware store of all places..... and the owner (a big burley man) gave the "robber" a beating he shalt not forget for some time. *laughing*


Anyway, Bucks comment brought on that funny little memory. Carry on now, and sorry for muffining the thread. *grin*

 

[erniebert1234ss]

Jeez, and I thought most criminals WERE morons! Beaker's nose is made of foam, right? I just noticed that Beaker's nose is foam-based and I also noticed that his head is also made of foam. His eyeballs are made of pom-poms; is that true? Are his pupils tiny pom-poms too? What is his orange hair made out of?

BJ

 

[ravagefrackle]

Jeez, and I thought most criminals WERE morons! Beaker's nose is made of foam, right? I just noticed that Beaker's nose is foam-based and I also noticed that his head is also made of foam. His eyeballs are made of pom-poms; is that true? Are his pupils tiny pom-poms too? What is his orange hair made out of?

BJ

ok so are you try to be funny, what i said is that his head shape is not foam, yes his body and nose are foam, but his head is not , he has several different sets of eye balls, some are basic hard spheres some are light bulbs,the hair is fur fabric.

tiny pom poms?????