# fursuit creation for a new suit maker?



## NeffieFox (Jul 1, 2013)

This will be my first time making a suit. I have watched tutorials and read tutorials such as Matrices and others, and I was wondering if I can use Foamies (Craft foam, the thin sheets of foam that's really durable :S) to make a base and the head in general? I have no money for upholstery at the moment and my dad works all day so he cannot drive me to any upholstery stores to buy/ask for spare foam. I have two twenty-sheet packs of this craft foam and I will buy more if I need to- but can I make a fursuit head in the manner you would with upholstery? My head is intended to have a balaclava base, by the way. 

I've also heard that hot-gluing two sheets of the foam together makes it even more durable, is this true? I don't want to try it out myself yet as I don't want to waste glue.

Also, at the store today I  bought 
Two packs of foam
Sculpey clay
a somewhat seethrough material 
hot glue gun + refills

We already have a sewing kit and thread. I'm buying the fur later.
Is there anything else I will need in order to make at least the base of the head?
If the foam isn't the best way to go, can somebody recommend me some good places to get free/cheap upholstery in or very close to Bristol, UK? Thank you in advance, this will be my first suit so I'm trying to collect as much information as I can before I start creating when my balaclava arrives ^^


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## Ozriel (Jul 1, 2013)

I am going to offer my piece.


I will flip a table and kill a kitten if you try to peddle a head made from funfoam. 

Either use upholstery foam, or learn how to cast from resin or flexifoam.
You'll need more durable thread (poly-cotton and/or nylon).


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## NeffieFox (Jul 1, 2013)

Ozriel said:


> I am going to offer my piece.



I'm gonna assume this is a no to the whole foam idea. 
Another thing I considered was using the FFoam as an under base then build it up with upholstery, but money.
;-;


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## DerpyTurtle (Jul 1, 2013)

Get money for proper materials or don't build a head right now. You can wait.


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## Hutch (Jul 1, 2013)

Yeah please wait until you can get the right foam.  If you were to make a whole head out of foamies you will end up using more than the 2 packs of twenty most likely and also I wouldn't want that stuff on my face when I'm in a suit, the sweat would just make foamies really nasty.


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## Bladespark (Jul 1, 2013)

Lance Ikegawa (as in this guy: http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Lance_Ikegawa one of the best and most talented fursuit makers I've ever met) makes some of his heads from thick EVA foam.  Which is the same thing as foamies.

The thin sheets are probably impractical, but there's nothing inherently wrong with the stuff as a material.  I've actually started experimenting with half inch EVA sheets myself, and so far it's worked really well. 

I hate automatic "you have to do it the way everybody else does it" reactions.

P.S. Wal Mart often sells upholstery foam in "cushion" packs in the craft section.  I've never bought the stuff from an upholstery store, there are tons of other sources.


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## DerpyTurtle (Jul 1, 2013)

It's not "automatic 'you have to do it the way everybody else does it'" reactions. You can't carve a head with thin sheets of fun foam.


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## Dokid (Jul 1, 2013)

DerpyTurtle said:


> It's not "automatic 'you have to do it the way everybody else does it'" reactions. You can't carve a head with thin sheets of fun foam.



Not to mention that you can get Thick EVA foam. I doubt he uses the super thin sheets for massive carving.

We just want the head to come out good and durable. Not just a waste of money for the person.


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## jorinda (Jul 2, 2013)

DerpyTurtle said:


> Get money for proper materials or don't build a head right now. You can wait.


This. If you canot afford foam, how are going to buy proper faux fur? (Don't even think about buying the cheap stuff. It looks really lousy and loses hair. No matter how good your work is, a suit with cheap fur will always look like a dog that has scabies and has scratched off half of his hair.)


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## Zabrina (Jul 2, 2013)

jorinda said:


> This. If you canot afford foam, how are going to buy proper faux fur? (Don't even think about buying the cheap stuff. It looks really lousy and loses hair. No matter how good your work is, a suit with cheap fur will always look like a dog that has scabies and has scratched off half of his hair.)




Back to what Bladespark previously said, and I'm sure it's been discussed in the past, you don't need faux fur for a good suit. There are many types and brands that carry durable fur that doesn't shed.


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## Dokid (Jul 2, 2013)

Zabrina said:


> Back to what Bladespark previously said, and I'm sure it's been discussed in the past, you don't need faux fur for a good suit. There are many types and brands that carry durable fur that doesn't shed.



Fleece is also a really good alternative if you can do it right. You can use it to "fur" the majority of the face and then use the rest for the hood and neck.


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## Ozriel (Jul 2, 2013)

Zabrina said:


> Back to what Bladespark previously said, and I'm sure it's been discussed in the past, you don't need faux fur for a good suit. There are many types and brands that carry durable fur that doesn't shed.



But you don't want to use fun fur or any fur that's super sensitive to heated adhesive.




Bladespark said:


> Lance Ikegawa (as in this guy: http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Lance_Ikegawa one of the best and most talented fursuit makers I've ever met) makes some of his heads from thick EVA foam.  Which is the same thing as foamies.
> 
> The thin sheets are probably impractical, but there's nothing inherently wrong with the stuff as a material.  I've actually started experimenting with half inch EVA sheets myself, and so far it's worked really well.
> 
> ...



It's not just thin sheets of foam. It's also lined in the inside to prevent sweat and oil damage and properly padded and layered so it doesn't warp due to heat and condensation or bend horribly if someone hits him in the head.

There's a difference between "Do what I say because everybody does it" and "it isn't going to wear well".

Working both the comic/anime side of conventions and Furry cons, there were a substantial amount of people who made fursuit heads with just fun foam and fur without layering, padding, and lining it to prevent too much wear and tear. At most, it lasted for about two days before I cleaned up discarded bits on the floor. Two and a half if some little shit dressed as a Team Fortress scout didn't hit them in the head with a bat.


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## Hutch (Jul 2, 2013)

Bladespark said:


> Lance Ikegawa (as in this guy: http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Lance_Ikegawa one of the best and most talented fursuit makers I've ever met) makes some of his heads from thick EVA foam. Which is the same thing as foamies.
> 
> The thin sheets are probably impractical, but there's nothing inherently wrong with the stuff as a material.



He has some awesome suits but they are made like you said with thick Eva foam which is about 30 bucks a sheet, foamies are ten cents lol.  Anything can be made of out anything, but what you make it out of will of course effect what the final product looks like and how long it lasts.  You can use double sided tape to hold your fur on too, will it work sure but it isn't that durable and won't last long lol.
I think what NeffieFox wanted to do was to make the head base out of the 10 cent foamies, which aren't lined with anything and not ideal for having up against your face when you sweat.  Can it be done, sure, but even if it's cheaper to make, it will ultimately be destroyed quickly.  And when I put that much effort and time into something I want it to last as long as possible.

Its like puting 100 hours of time and work with 10 bucks for something that will last a day
or 100 hours of time and work with 100 bucks for something that will last 5 years.  
I'd choose the longer lasting one even if it costs more.  Especially if I'm making it myself cuz I know how much sweat and tears go into making a suit.
Just my opinion.

Also there are furniture upholstery stores by my house that will give me foam for two or three bucks, or sometimes for free!! all different thicknesses because it's the scraps they cant use anymore but sometimes they are huge pieces.  Call around.  Joanns has those sheets too and you can use the 40 or 50 percent off coupons


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