# Resin Blank vs Foam Blank



## Moonsqueaker (Jan 6, 2013)

(First time fur suiter, long time costume maker and furry)
So Ive really been wanting to get into doing a fursuit head. While Ive delt with other costume things, 
diving into this scares me abit (Ive seen furheads go wrong). Ive made tons of tails and ears and currently have
a satyr outfit project going, along with doing many "furry" style Mardi Gras masks. 

Im down in southern Alabama and Im mainly looking into which would be better for
 suiting down here...full foam head or a resin mask w/wig. 

Ive looked at prices, and really both are going for about the same price. The resin I can buy now... foam commissions wont start
until Spring.  http://www.fursuitsupplies.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=44v Where Im looking at buying it from. 

Im really good at painting so the resin I know I can really put some snap and detail into. Ive seen resin jaw movement videos and feel
it would be easier for me to jaw move on a resin base. The downside is that Ive read that resin can be heavy and break easily. 

The foam would give me a chance at really doing a full head and not having to worry with just a face piece and a mane/wig for the back. 
My understanding its lighter, but can sometimes be hard to deal with for long times in the heat/direct sun. And that foam cleans better
and can handle abit more wear and abuse. 

Any pros/cons that anyone has that could give me any insite on for doing this for the first time...what would be the best choice? Im leaning more towards the resin, but I really would like to hear it from people who have done it for a while before I dive into something I really shouldnt have. 

Thanks ~Squeaker


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## Trpdwarf (Jan 6, 2013)

I can only speak from my experience as a maker and suiter. Generally speaking Foam based heads are actually more breathable than resin. So this is a head you can wear for a longer time with less heat build up due to them being more porous. Unfortunately these heads tend to soak a lot of sweat so you do get some accelerated breaking down on the inside. This can be slowed down if you make use of something like a sweat wicking hood to wear under the head.

I noticed that these heads didn't always take long to dry off in something like a headless zone at a convention but, the longer you go the longer you have to spend letting it dry off. These can also be very light heads too.

Resin masks can actually be durable but only if made with more durable materials and layered properly. Some people who offer resin masks for sale don't do a whole lot of layers. So the result is a very brittle easy to crack, and hard to work with mask. Others do multiple layers and so you end up with something that is more like a skull, and less like a cheap plastic mask base. The upside to a well made resin mask is that you don't always have spend as much time drying it off on the inside. However because the only thing there to soak sweat is the back of the head that can get pretty soggy. These are much warmer heads so you sweat more. Some people install fans to deal with this. Again wearing a sweat wiking hood helps keep down the build up moisture and heat.

Now this is just something I witnessed and other people's experiences vary...that said I found that people with resin masks had a harder time getting them up on the head tree at convention headless zones and or getting proper air flow when putting them on a fan. This won't hold true of all styles and makes but the weight is what does this. Your weight is centered on the front of the head where as you have less weight in the back. If you have a very improperly made one you can have strain on your head, face and neck due to improper weight displacement.

If you have not made a head head before I suggest doing foam first. A resin head is much less forgiving when you start furring.

EDIT: I should also point out that resin based heads tend to look more realistic so if your intention is to do a lot suiting around kids or public it may scare them. Foam based heads tend to be more child friendly due to being often used for toony type heads.


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## Moonsqueaker (Jan 6, 2013)

Thank you greatly on the insite! Sounds like I really need to go the foam way.  I do alot of events that have children..so something more cute would be better then something that may scare them off. I really didnt think of that aspect of things. 

I think my biggest worry is doing the head and not messing it up. I have the fur that I want to put on it and my horns. Its just either praying I do okay for my first head or find someone I can send the supplies too and the money and "build me something". LOL.


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