The debate over hot glue vs epoxy for armor pieces - my foam chest plate melted at a con in Orlando last summer

I was at Megacon in Orlando last June, rocking my foam Mandalorian chest plate that I'd spent 2 weeks on. At around 2pm in the dealer's hall, I felt something wet on my chest. Looked down and the hot glue holding my side panels had literally melted in the Florida heat and humidity. The whole right side was flopping off. I ducked into a bathroom stall and had to use clear packing tape from a nearby vendor booth to hold it together for the rest of the day. My buddy swears by E6000 for everything and says hot glue is a disaster waiting to happen. But I've also seen people say epoxy is too stiff and cracks when you move. Which adhesive has actually held up for you in hot weather conditions without breaking the bank?

2 comments

2 Comments

benbrown22d ago

Heard from a prop maker at a panel that contact cement is actually what they use on movie sets for foam armor. Said they've had pieces sit in hot trucks for hours and never had a failure.

anthony_wells22d ago

Hot glue is basically a ticking time bomb in any warm environment. I've had the same thing happen at a con where the sun hit the window near my booth and my whole shoulder piece just slid off. For foam armor, contact cement is the way to go. It bonds strong but stays flexible, and I've never had it fail in heat. Just use it in a well-ventilated area, the fumes are no joke.