Foam vs Worbla for armor pieces - my experience with both

I spent about 6 months making armor out of EVA foam for my first cosplay. It looked okay but it was HEAVY and took forever to sand smooth. Then I tried Worbla on a small vambrace project last month and the difference was night and day. The Worbla heated up in under 2 minutes with my heat gun and shaped perfectly around my arm. I spent $35 on a single sheet of Worbla versus $20 for a big pack of foam mats. But the time I saved was worth every penny since I finished that piece in one evening. Has anyone else switched materials and found one way easier for certain parts?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jennifer4d ago

You ever try heat forming foam with a heat gun instead of sanding?

valgibson4d ago

Wait wait wait, @the_jennifer, you're telling me you can just melt and shape the stuff with a heat gun like it's some kind of fancy clay? I've been spending hours sanding XPS foam for my cosplay builds and it's a dusty nightmare. I didn't even know that was a thing, I figured it would just bubble up and look like garbage. Is this like a hardcoat or something where you need a specific type of foam to pull it off without ruining it?