DAPing 4# Foam

Making Weapons and Shields

Moderator: Belegarth: Forum Moderators

DAPing 4# Foam

Postby Sir Thurat » Wed May 21, 2014 6:24 am

For a while now, I've been using the gray Gold's Gym puzzle mat (4# EVA) from Wal-Mart for the box on just about all of my weapons. Sometimes I route it, sometimes I do a regular box build, depending on what I'm building. I've never sanded down the ridges on it.

The problem I'm having is getting good, lasting adherence when DAPing it. It seems like I'm using a lot of DAP, but the last few weapons I've built have had core separation within a month or so of use.

Are the ridges on the foam causing this problem, or is there some trick to dealing with 4# foam?
Realm of Carthage War Council Representative
Knight of Oldcastle
Realm Map Curator
Master Seneschal
User avatar
Sir Thurat
Skull Crusher
Skull Crusher
 
Posts: 1205
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 7:21 pm
Location: Carbondale, IL
Started Fighting: 02 Apr 2006
Realm: Carthage
Unit: Clan of the Hydra

Re: DAPing 4# Foam

Postby Caleidah » Wed May 21, 2014 11:04 am

My experience using the 4# Harbor Freight stuff is that the foam just drinks the DAP. I generally put a coat on the 4#, put a coat on the blue I'm using, and then another coat on the 4# for it to be good to go.
Knight of Grond
Palatine of the Sons of Sylas
"But in life, the young king becomes a tyrant, and leads his people to war."
User avatar
Caleidah
Boo Radley
 
Posts: 2055
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2009 11:36 pm
Location: Central IL
Started Fighting: 03 Jan 2009
Realm: Grond
Unit: Sons of Sylas
Favorite Fighting Styles: Boot and Bottle

Re: DAPing 4# Foam

Postby Remdawg Killionaire » Fri May 23, 2014 2:09 pm

two coats is the way to go, also mixed with thinner and use a paint gun
Bishop wrote:Overall I believe the article was positive for our image, loosely defining us as a sadomasochist anti-larp. I'm ok with that. http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/LARP-harder

Caleidah wrote:But, his sensei passed that style down to him! Literal hours of tradition!
User avatar
Remdawg Killionaire
Forum Gordon Ramsay
 
Posts: 3261
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2003 5:10 pm
Location: Portlandia
Started Fighting: 20 Apr 2006
Realm: Pyke and O.G. Babylonian
Unit: Catalyst
Favorite Fighting Styles: Acerbic wit and sassy one-liners

Re: DAPing 4# Foam

Postby Sir Thurat » Sun May 25, 2014 11:05 pm

Thanks for the tips, guys. Definitely going to try doing the two coats.
Realm of Carthage War Council Representative
Knight of Oldcastle
Realm Map Curator
Master Seneschal
User avatar
Sir Thurat
Skull Crusher
Skull Crusher
 
Posts: 1205
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2006 7:21 pm
Location: Carbondale, IL
Started Fighting: 02 Apr 2006
Realm: Carthage
Unit: Clan of the Hydra

Re: DAPing 4# Foam

Postby Thorne the mercenary » Sun Feb 01, 2015 12:06 am

I've switched to using hot glue instead of DAP. If you read the warning label on DAP there are some serious health risks that come with using it. Also I like that hot glue dries really quick. I haven't had any issues with separation though I have heard that there can be problems using it in the cold. Has anyone else on here tried hot glue?
Where ever coins jingle or plunder is promised you'll find a mercenary.
Thorne sword for hire
http://daguardian.blogspot.com
User avatar
Thorne the mercenary
Recruit
Recruit
 
Posts: 27
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2011 9:56 am
Location: Louisville, KY
Started Fighting: 0- 6-2011
Realm: Dun Abhon
Favorite Fighting Styles: Florentine, sword and board, archery

Re: DAPing 4# Foam

Postby Caleidah » Sun Feb 01, 2015 12:34 am

Thorne the mercenary wrote:I've switched to using hot glue instead of DAP. If you read the warning label on DAP there are some serious health risks that come with using it. Also I like that hot glue dries really quick. I haven't had any issues with separation though I have heard that there can be problems using it in the cold. Has anyone else on here tried hot glue?

Hot glue will pop in the cold, and it isn't flexible. Just DAP in a ventilated area, or wear a particulate mask. Or both. The hazards are there, yes, but the benefits are too. Grab a fan, open a window, have at it.
Knight of Grond
Palatine of the Sons of Sylas
"But in life, the young king becomes a tyrant, and leads his people to war."
User avatar
Caleidah
Boo Radley
 
Posts: 2055
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2009 11:36 pm
Location: Central IL
Started Fighting: 03 Jan 2009
Realm: Grond
Unit: Sons of Sylas
Favorite Fighting Styles: Boot and Bottle

Re: DAPing 4# Foam

Postby zimboptoo » Sun Feb 01, 2015 9:11 am

If you have access to a bandsaw (preferably with a fence to keep it even) or belt sander, taking the ridges/texture off the surface seems to help a lot. I haven't had any problems with 4# separating since I started cutting off a very thin layer of the foam with my bandsaw to remove all the texture. (The 4# I use is 3/4" thick, so the small loss in thickness isn't generally a problem.)

Two coats of DAP is still usually a good idea, though. Once the first coat "dries", the second coat will sit on top of it rather than getting soaked in all the way.
User avatar
zimboptoo
Recruit
Recruit
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2014 5:14 am
Started Fighting: 01 Mar 2014
Realm: Rhovanion


Return to Foam Smithing

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests

cron