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May 29, 2006
if I went with foam latex...
by sven at 8:00 am
At this point, I'm thinking I'll probably go with making a silicone puppet next -- not foam latex. But I've done a bunch of research... And if I don't write down what I've learned, it'll go to waste. This post can be where I pick up again, if I come back to doing foam latex later.
THE FOAM LATEX ITSELF
I took at look at three brands of foam latex: Burman, GM, and Monster Makers.
All three brands cost roughly $30 for the basic 1 quart kit (shipping not included)... Burman costs $29; GM costs $32.50 (from Tim Vittetoe Originals, the most convenient distributor relative to my location); Monster Makers costs $30.
I think the deciding factor for me is quality of instructions -- and on this criteria, GM excels. The GM Foam website has run schedules that are specific to three common types of kitchen mixers: Mixmaster, KitchenAid, and Hobart. The instructions that I've hunted down for Monster Makers aren't so specific -- although they do give more information about using different recipes for different purposes. Burman does not provide online instructions that I've been able to find.
In general, GM foam feels the most user-friendly to me. The Burman website seems geared for professionals in the special effects industry; you have to really know what you're looking for in order to find it on their website. As for Monster Makers, I'm a little soured on them after having ordered my "self-skinning flexible expanding urethane foam". When I made my purchase, I also ordered two books -- but I got two copies of the same book, rather than the two different books I asked for. Furthermore, I asked repeatedly for instructions and an MSDS for the urethane foam, but never received these things.
GM foam is recommended by Kathi Zung. Her Do It Yourself! Foam Latex Puppetmaking 101 DVD is invaluable for getting a sense of how foam latex works -- so her advice also weighs in heavily.
Yep, my mind's made up -- I'll go with GM.
...There's something more worth saying about Monster Makers foam, though. Apparently Monster Makers actually carries McLaughlin Foam -- just under their own name. I found this very interesting story from Tom McLaughlin about how he pioneered the use of theatrical foam latex in the 1970s -- but then his recipe was stolen!
Apparently Tom is the guy that produced the foam that was used to make Miss Piggy, the critters from The Dark Crystal, Yoda, and Jabba the Hutt. Yowza! GM foam was used for Amadeus and the aliens on Star Trek: Next Generation / Voyager / Deep Space 9. Also impressive... But having made Yoda? That pretty much makes you my God.
[Tom also authored "Silicone Art" -- a difficult-to-find book that I'm trying to hunt down.]
...If I wind up spending any significant amount of time working with foam latex, then my second order of materials might have to be McLaughlin foam.
AN OVEN FOR CURING
I was hoping to find a large convection toaster-oven for curing foam. Something small enough to fit on a counter, but big enough to handle fairly beefy puppets. I found a pretty decent selection at Target. What we really need to know is the interior dimensions -- so I grabbed a ruler from the store's school supply section, and measured all the in-stock models.
My top pick was the "Oster 6-Slice Toaster Oven - Red" for $60 (apparently on sale for $50 right now). The interior dimensions: 4.75" tall, 11.5" wide, 10" deep. This was pretty much the roomiest toaster oven that I could find for $50 or under. And yes, I confess, the sexy red exterior also helped sway me. ...Still, I'm left with the uncomfortable feeling that the first mold I make will wind up being too big for this thing.
So I looked for used ovens.
I looked in the used appliances room at Standard Appliances (5240 SE 82nd Ave). The cheapest oven they had was $200 -- still too much. ...I kept my eyes out while driving around town and finally found a "store" called Associated Bargain Barn on NE Martin Luther King. The employees are amazingly rude; there's just a narrow path through the single room of junked-out machines back to their office; and the business cards don't even have a street address on them. BUT, they said that they'd sell an oven with a non-functioning stovetop for $30. And that's all I really need. They'd had "seven" for sale the week before, but were sold out when I visited. Doesn't matter -- I feel like I've found the place where I can get my cheap oven.
Where to put it? I think the only workable solution is to store it in the garage. When I do an actual foam run, then I can wheel it out into the driveway, plugged in with an extension cord. And if I find that I don't like foam latex? It ought to be pretty easy to take the junker back to the folks who sold it to me -- just to get rid of it.
A KITCHEN MIXER
GM Foam has schedules for doing foam runs on the Mixmaster (Sunbeam), the Hobart "KitchenAid" mixer, and the Hobart (which has a 20 quart bowl). I shopped around online, looking at Walmart, Sears, Target, and Amazon.com. The best price I found was $98.72 for the Sunbeam Heritage Mixmaster at Walmart.
However, when I was shopping in-person at Target, I noticed that they sell spare bowls for the KitchenAid... Ah-ha!
See, I already have a "KitchenAid Artisan 5-qt. Stand Mixer - Red" -- but I was looking for a new machine, because once foam latex goes in the bowl, you never eat out of it again. What I could do is just buy a second KitchenAide bowl and whisk-attachment -- or better yet, just a whisk and then an old aluminum bowl of some sort from Good Will. I'm sure that with a garbage bag and some cardboard for a splash guard, I could construct a protective covering for my "kitchen motorcycle". Checking Amazon.com, I see that a new whisk attachment might cost me around $31.
GRAND TOTAL
Let's see here...
- $32.50 ... GM Foam 1-Quart Starter Kit, from Tim Vittetoe Originals
- $30.00 ... oven without functioning stovetop, from Associated Bargain Barns Inc.
- $31.00 ... whisk attachment for KitchenAid mixer, from amazon.com
...That's $93.50. Figure in something for shipping and a cheap bowl from Good Will, and the grand total probably comes out to just about $100. Not bad at all!
posted by sven | May 29, 2006 8:00 AM | comments (8) | categories: stopmo
Comments
My mom called to point out that an oven cannot be run with an extension cord. It has a big appliances-type plug to deal with its power requirements.
D'oh! Obviously... Forgot about that, though.
Posted by: sven at May 29, 2006 10:39 AM
See if there's a 220volt plug already in your garage, Sven. They are used for washers, dryers and electric water heaters.
Another useful thorough write up. Do you have any idea of toxicity comparison between say, plain latex and foam? And of course, there is always my back up plan of using non-tox Kryolan Gel Skin instead.
I don't use microwaves however this is a new product of their's you might take an interest in...
From http://www.kryolan.com/en/Newsletter/Lab/Lab.htm "The KRYOLAN product Gel Foam caused a good deal of excitement last year at our International Seminar for Make-up Artists in Berlin. Its particularly impressive characteristics include its ease of handling and the outstanding, especially natural 3D effects that it enables. The KRYOLAN laboratory didn't rest until it had developed our own Gel Foam product to meet the strictest professional expectations set on it. Place Gel Foam in a microwave compatible container that is not too flat, and heat it in a microwave oven. Watch it continuously. When it begins to rise, switch off the microwave. Then remove the container with the melted Gel Foam, which is still very hot. Next, immediately fill it into a mold that has been previously sprayed with a thin coat of KRYOLAN Mold Release Agent. Allow to cool and open the mold. Power the foam appliance with talc, and separate it carefully from the mold. Powder it again, and then completely remove it. The appliances can be attached with Spirit Gum. You can re-use the Gel Foam for several times with the same techniques."
Posted by: shelley Noble at May 29, 2006 11:17 AM
AWESOME!! I actually already have a semi-large toaster oven (we got two for our wedding in '02, luckily never returned one), its what Juli's (the wife) been using for her jewelry experiments in polymer clay...and I'm building the Jenny puppet/mold to fit it...all I need's the mixer, and the foam... GM is what I was going to go with too, its what Neil Hughes and Shelley Smith suggest in their little puppet construction .pdf that you can find in the legendary SMA Handbook...they speak very highly of the help they received from GM's hotline number as well...
Posted by: ubatuber at May 29, 2006 2:18 PM
Hey Shelley --
Regarding a toxicity comparison between liquid latex and foam latex... For a definitive answer, I'd have to see Material Safety Data Sheets -- and I haven't found any yet. I have a few informed guesses, though.
GM Foam has an interesting page on how it produces its product here: http://www.gmfoam.com/tech_info.html
As I understand it, latex is a natural product that is harvested from rubber trees; it's subject to seasonal variations. Ammonia is a "preservative"... When liquid latex cures, it's largely a matter of the ammonia evaporating. (Ammonia, I believe, is what makes latex so stinky.)
Since ammonia is involved, you want to protect your eyes and have some ventilation. What I've read suggests that the level of ammonia off-gassing is not so bad as to pose a major health threat. There are anti-ammonia cartridges that you can buy for a respirator, but I've chosen not to hunt them down for purchase.
Foam latex has four components: latex base, foaming agent, curing agent, and gelling agent. The latex base has ammonia in it, just like regular liquid latex -- so I think the toxicity for these two things is roughly equivalent. The foaming agent appears to be a soap which encapsulates little particles of the latex base... I suspect that this is a low toxicity material.
The curing agent and gelling agent are mysteries to me. I've read warnings that you shouldn't cure your foam latex in your kitchen oven because the off-gassing will leave residues. Nonetheless, there are folks at SMA (such as Toggo, whom I generally respect) who feel comfortable doing their work in the kitchen. ...I'm more cautious, and don't think I want to do that.
I have the impression that foam latex is a good deal safer than cold foam (which has some of the same ingredients as super glue), casting resin, epoxy putty, and what-not. It doesn't seem to have any solvents in it -- which are probably some of the most dangerous materials in an artist's studio...
Ultimately, though, I do have to say "I don't know."
With regards to the KRYOLAN Gel Foam: Thanks for the link! I'll have to take a closer look at this -- it sounds interesting. My understanding, though, is that prosthetic-quality gel materials tend to degrade fairly quickly. Making puppets that will last for a long time: this is one of my priorities.
Oy... So many materials to research... I'm beginning to think that maybe I'll put off further foam latex/silicone research for a while. During the past week I've written a LOT of blog posts, which are being published one-a-day to space them out... It's been great to get all this out of my head; I'm feeling like maybe, though, it's time to head back into the studio and just play around with the materials I already have.
Now that my head's been emptied of answers, all that's left is questions... Which is good: questions are where the progress happens. I'm seeing all kinds of permutations of cast-making and armature-building that I can try out with what I have right now. Now that the academic stuff has been documented, I can go more confidently to the hands-on work. :-D
Posted by: sven at May 29, 2006 2:22 PM
Hey Jeffrey --
Glad the post was useful! GM Foam -- seems like the stuff that a beginner should go with. Even if you do go with GM, though, I recommend also taking a look at the McLaughlin Foam website -- very interesting info there, which I haven't fully read through yet. Here's the link: http://www.mclaughlinfoam.com/index.html
Do you have the Kathi Zung DVD yet? Truly a MUST HAVE tutorial. (Nice to be able to support a kick-ass artist directly, too.) Here's her site: http://www.angelfire.com/anime4/zungstudio/
Oh... Now that I think about it, I should mention that besides the Kathi Zung DVD, I know of two other useful (but not "must have") tutorials on foam latex. There's Nick Hilligoss' website: http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=60051&uid=42706
..And Susannah Shaw's book has a chapter that deals with the process: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240516591/sr=8-1/qid=1142094826/ref=pdbbs1/002-7731589-6066443?%5Fencoding=UTF8
Posted by: sven at May 29, 2006 2:36 PM
Nothing to add, except that if you buy a Burman kit they send along some decent instructions for both Sunbeam and Kitchenaid mixers. I also bought Foam Latex 101 (or the Foam latex Survival Guide or whatever it's called), which is essentially the same stuff in the instructions if I remember right.
Posted by: Darkstrider at May 29, 2006 9:56 PM
Thanks, Sven.
Posted by: shelley Noble at May 30, 2006 10:46 AM
first time user of kryolan gel-foam, tested it in the microwave to see what would happend, it turned into liquid but did not rise? is it supposed to foam up like cold foam-laytex?
Posted by: ichi at September 5, 2006 4:21 PM