How to get smooth PlastiDip finish on your cosplay - Quick Tip Clip | Cosplay Apprentice

Sealing your EVA foam with PlastiDip helps you get a nice smooth flexible base coat for your paint and can provide an excellent finish but many people struggle with getting PlastiDip to spray smooth, especially if it is cold out. In this video I cover how I get clean smooth finishes out of PlastiDip everytime! Enjoy!
Let me know what Cosplay Questions you might have and I will answer them in a video on this channel!
Here are links to the items I mentioned in the video that I would recommend, if you buy any of them please use these affiliate links, it gives me a kickback at no cost to you that will help me continue to create these videos. Thanks! Cosplay On, My Friend!
What The Foam (W+F) - amzn.to/39HHeq2
Plasti-Dip - amzn.to/2tuq92x
A great KZbin Video Showing these techniques in practice - • DipTips: Spraying Plas...
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[@britttullos8119]

This guy knows what he is talking about. I’ve been doing some research on improving plasti dip. I’m a painter and it’s unique in the way it acts and cures. But listening to his advise and things like warming the can up are things that told me this guy is someone who I can trust for advise.

[@CosplayApprentice]

Thank you for your comment!! :) I appreciate it! :)

[@thekiltedcraftsman]

I use alternating colors of plastidip to see coating. Black foam... White dip.. Next gray... End in black. If painting lighter colors you want a light background so switch to grey black white. I also find the blaze color on sale a lot! Bright pink makes reds n oranges pop! Great video!!!

[@CosplayApprentice]

Thanks! That's a great idea! :)

[@joshuaimobersteg954]

So we are attempting our first armor piece for our niece (very simple design) with 5mm EVA foam as the base with trim and decorative scales using 2mm EVA to emulate Hiccup and Astrids dragonrider armor from How to Train Your Dragon. We were using the white plastidip When we used Plastidip the surface ended up very bubbly and pock-marked. We had sprayed in our garage (with proper ventilation) to avoid the outdoor moisture and humidity as I've had issues with this on plastic miniatures and acrylic primer, however, the surface quality still ended up being very poor. We had also heat-sealed the foam with a heat gun a few days prior to applying the plastidip. In addition, we have some layers of the 2mm trim foam glued along the edges of the armor plate scales peeled back and many of the scales glued on the armor surface peeled up along the scale edges. We are assuming that as the plastidip dried, it contracted and the "shrinking" cause the foam underneath to warp and peel up. We did try to use a heat gun to reshape some of the scales and trim and then re-glued these, but the plastidip did actually start bubbing and did not look very good at all. In the mean time since we don't have time to rebuild the armor before the holidays we are trying to fix the pockmarked surface by using a thinned gesso to try and even the surface so it doesn't look as bad. We're not quite sure what we are doing wrong, do you have idea what might have caused this and how we can avoid it in the future?

[@cierrabird6463]

Sorry for the year later reply but you need to heat seal immediately before priming

[@rmoosepig]

A great resource that I always revisit. I love how our definition of “warm” weather is relative. It’s 50 degrees today where I am in So FLA and I was wondering if it would be too cold to spray 🤣

[@CosplayApprentice]

Hahahahaha :). So true, During the summer here we get up into the 100s a few times but is at least 90 all summer. But once we got fall and then especially winter it's warm when we get into the 40s :). 50 degrees is usually my cut off for doing any spray painting or especially Plastidipping, if it is 50 or above I say it's usually pretty good. :)

[@beckymurphy4714]

Been there! Can you do a mini tutorial on using Foam Mo? How to use it for sealing seams, how to sculpt with it, attach it another surface after it's cured, sealing and painting.

[@CosplayApprentice]

You got it! I will do a whole series of Foam-Mo tips. I know I have a couple lined up already for next week and I will add some more to the list. :)

[@DemonIgnis]

KZbin recommended this video. I was about to ruin the armor that I just made. @CosplayApprentice Thank you so much!

[@weebjeez]

I literally worked for a cosplay company from Midwest USA, and I fought with my co-workers over this. We kept our cans near the door, all year round, didn't warm them before use, and other than me, they were proponents of the "small coats". They had a bit more luck with it than others, but I never liked how their stuff turned out: not smooth enough for me. But they also had a huge 40K history, where having those details really just adds to the grittiness of the characters/costume/theme.

[@CosplayApprentice]

Thanks for your comment! :) I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one. Did you ever notice a difference in finish with using the different colors of plastidip? I had a couple times where I was trying a white plastidip and it seemed to give me more problems than the black. It could have been a fluke but I didn’t get more white to try. :)

[@weebjeez]

@@CosplayApprentice I'll be honest, I started with black and almost never deviated. Only grabbed grey when there was nothing else and I had a big project. Haven't really touched glossifier either, tbf. I just throw Rust-Oleum clear gloss over top!

[@CosplayApprentice]

@weebjeez Nice! I’ve mostly stuck with black too but was trying to save some time on a build that was gonna be white and tried it out but it ended up costing more time :/ haha. I haven’t used the glossifier either :)

[@weebjeez]

@@CosplayApprentice lolol~ I feel like no one in the community trusts it enough to even try it!! Though, everyone I know was using spray paint and Citadel pigments, so what do I know? Maybe my circle were just the 'scrappy" ones, lololol~

[@miz_kyy]

can i use other variants of plastidip like the gunmetal gray for primering my eva foam?

[@spoon1245]

My greatest challenge is sealing with something like plastidip, always.

[@CosplayApprentice]

Thank you so much for your comment! I actually did a video on tricks to getting a smooth finish with plastidip, I’ll link it here in case it’s helpful! :) How to get smooth PlastiDip finish on your cosplay - Quick Tip Clip | Cosplay Apprentice kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYCqfnqof6xjZtU

[@OstlerHouseDesign]

Been there!

[@kellysmith2479]

Yep been there lol!

[@jeremiahritchie2443]

Thanks for all of the tutorials! I am in the painting stage of a project, and the plastidip dried really differently on different surfaces--very matt on the eva foam, thicker, glossier on the foam clay and quick seal. So seams and foam clay features really stand out under plastidip coat. Will this even out when I pain, or do I need to add some more coats of plastidip?

[@CosplayApprentice]

No probs, glad you are finding them helpful! :) It should even out with the paint job,. How many coats of plastidip did you do?

[@michaelstyles4678]

Hey I've been watching a few of your videos and am working on my first project a foam helmet (Mandalorian 500K challenge) and found this video really helpful I'd love to see you apply the product in this video, would you recommend Plastidip for a helmet or something more sturdy (sealer like Mod Podge, etc. )

[@CosplayApprentice]

I tend to use Plastidip a lot, but for a mando helmet I would look at using a product called Fine Finish by Prop Monkey Studios. That is probably what I am going to use on my Mando helmet. It stays flexible but it is sandable, so you can get a super smooth finish :)

[@kathymiskell7658]

My biggest challenge is finding a way to use spray paints and Plastidip inside. Because the weather is too cold/windy most of the year and I have no access to a garage or shop area to do this stuff in. Ugh!

[@CosplayApprentice]

Creaturecast might be a good way for you to seal your EVA foam, you can spread it on with a brush and it is non-toxic and low odor. Or modpodge.

[@CosplayApprentice]

I'm glad you brought this up as it is a problem I face as well and I know others do too so I will add it to the list to make a video talking through alternative options with limited space and cold weather. Thank you!!

[@britttullos8119]

You can buy or make a small airbrush paint booth with ventilation/ air purification. I use aquarium carbon to filters to filter air painting and soldering. You can use or buy a cheap PC 12V DC fan to move the air and a clothes drier vent hose. Cheap LED lights. They also sell collapsible paint booth made just like a tent in the pint section of Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot and other hardware stores. Wagner is the paint supply company that makes the booths. I think they are $25-30. It comes in a small bag and even has a screened “window” or “vent” the size of a box fan.

[@mako4874]

Hi quick question, I’m trying to make an f1 car wing from Eva foam- so smooth as possible is the aim- I’m planning on heat gun > primer filler > plasti dip > then paint coats > then a clear coat to finish. Should I add some fine sanding in there somewhere and if so - which stage?

[@CosplayApprentice]

Sounds like an awesome project! Sorry if I’m late on the answer. Is the primer filler a spray primer/filler, paintable, or like a paste like bondo type of thing? If it is more like a brush on or a bondo type of filler, there would be no need for plastidip and you would want to sand it to the smoothness you want at that stage. If it is a spray I would maybe consider doing it after your plastidip and then doing fine just light sands between coats of the filler and the paint :) Hope that helps :)

[@rmoosepig]

Great tutorial, as always. How long after applying your coats do you have to wait to paint?

[@CosplayApprentice]

I often use a Rust-Oleum 2x coverage spray paint as my base coats. And depending on the weather when it is warm out I will do it as soon as 15-20mins after the last plastidip coat. I live in a dry climate though and so time may vary. Basically just once the plastidip is not wet anymore :)

[@rmoosepig]

Thank you. Wasn’t sure if dry to the touch was sufficient or if the Plasti Dip neeeded to “cure” at all. I used these tips and applied the Plasti dip and it came out GREAT! But man is that stuff gnarly. Now onto paint.

[@CosplayApprentice]

Yeah, I give it more time if I am keeping it as just the plastidip coat to get leather looks , for that I usually give it a day or so to let the rubber settle a bit and not be and squeeky/grippy, but when you are doing a base coat over it I think it helps adhesion to do it sooner :)

[@CosplayApprentice]

Hahaha, yeah, that stuff is definitely stinky!!! :/

[@LuvItachi90]

Been there xD

[@spideyproductionz]

I have a question, how does it cure, cuz today is 56 degrees today, and i'm working on my armor and plastidip said over 70 degrees Fahrenheit, so how much degrees will it be when i heat it up?

[@CosplayApprentice]

My rule of thumb is to make sure it is at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit out to do Plastidip outside. For warming up the can, I don't know what temp it will be, mostly just go untill the can doesnt get cold when you shake it again. If the sun is out and it is at least 50 outside, it will be ready for a new coat within about 15-20 mins. I'm in a dryer climate so that may vary.

[@alexarias4099]

The biggest challenge using Plasti-Dip for me is getting it

[@daveadams1650]

Been there

[@benchborner]

Is plastidip-coated foam able to be spray painted over with normal spray paints like rust-oleum, or is there some surface treatment or special type of paint needed first?

[@CosplayApprentice]

It works great! I spray Rust-Oleum spray paints as my base coat on top of the plastidip all the time. I tend to paint it about 15-20 mins after my last coat of plastidip. Not sure if waiting longer would cause any issues or not. :)

[@MarkAngelbuer]

Been there 😭

[@matthewblack3077]

so i have a problem, the plastidip caused the caulking to bubble and now i have to sand it all off what can i do to stop this?

[@CosplayApprentice]

What type caulk did you use?

[@matthewblack3077]

@@CosplayApprentice dap silicone plus, also is there a solvent that would remove paint but not affect the contact cement?

[@CosplayApprentice]

I've never had a reaction like that with plastidip and caulk. I use dap quick seal though. :/.

[@bethmaschmeier5934]

How do I get it smooth after it pits. Sanding and respraying hasn't worked.

[@CosplayApprentice]

Odin Makes has a great video on fixing mess ups from Plastidip using Acetone or something like that.

[@ms.pirate]

Would leaving a can in a summer heat garage do? 😅

[@CosplayApprentice]

Haha, yeah that would definitely warm it up :) you just don't want to get it too hot so as long as the can is at about room temperature and doesn't get cold when you shake it up :)

[@ms.pirate]

@@CosplayApprentice got it thanks!

[@CosplayApprentice]

Perfect! Good luck!! :)

[@art3misarrow863]

Been there.... is it salvagable?

[@CosplayApprentice]

Yes, there are ways to salvage it. One that I used is in my video titled my Plastidip bubbled. :)

[@karolangel8025]

Totally been there :'c

[@CosplayApprentice]

Totally not fun when that happens right!?!

[@karolangel8025]

@@CosplayApprentice riiiight!!!

[@rickmason11]

You speak really well, and you do a lot of speaking. But after explaining the plasticoat twice, it became tedious.

[@CosplayApprentice]

Thanks for the feedback :). I get a lot of questions about doing plastidip coats so I probably reiterated for that reason :)

[@thehghman]

Been there