How to seal EVA Foam for Cosplay - Quick Tip Clip | Cosplay Apprentice

EVA Foam is perfect for making amazing cosplays and I frequently get the questions, "Do I need to seal EVA Foam before painting?" , "Why do I need to seal EVA foam", and "How should I seal EVA foam?" If you have had this question, you are in the right place because in this video I am going to explain why most people seal their EVA foam and depending on the type of EVA foam you are using if you even necessarily have to seal your EVA foam for your cosplay.
Here are links to both the foam I recommend using and the Plastidip that I recommend using for sealing your EVA Foam. If you buy some 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
Support me on Patreon: / cosplayapprentice
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[@AsianSpycrab]

He's replying to comments even after a year, this is the sign of a quality content creator. Thank you for all the videos you make!

[@CosplayApprentice]

Thank you so much!! You rock!! That means a lot to me! I try to reply to every comment I can! :) Thank you for watching, I'm glad you like the videos :)

[@Yan-uh9tm]

Seal! This is amazing, thank you so much, now i can complete my Xenomorph cosplay and freak out the neighborhood😆

[@CosplayApprentice]

Awesome!!! So glad the video was helpful! :)

[@mothywings]

Seal. I've been stumbling my way through my first EVA foam build. Guides like this are incredibly helpful!

[@CosplayApprentice]

So glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching! :)

[@uhohgecko505]

This video has helped a ton 😭 I’m totally knew to crafting with foam and am trying to make a headpiece for practice, thanks a bunch 💜

[@CosplayApprentice]

I'm so glad it was so helpful!! Thank you so much for watching!! Good luck on your project! Let me know if you run into any more questions :)

[@uhohgecko505]

@@CosplayApprentice thanks! No issues so far, your video is great :D

[@CosplayApprentice]

Yay! :)

[@KotaClips]

Seal. This is nice, I love looking for the simplest/cheapest way to make a cosplay

[@CosplayApprentice]

Yay!!! :)

[@HanginAtHome]

The heat gun.... 😂

[@reptilana]

Thanks! you just "learned" me (ha ha) about - What The Foam (W+F)! going to give that a try. Doing the research for a female Mandalorian :) Think I will get some of that to try for armour. THANKS!

[@CosplayApprentice]

Haha!! Yay!! It would be perfect for Mandalorian armor, I'm using it on my Mando helmet right now and it is amazing because it gives me a nice thin helmet but still super sturdy! :)

[@Maver1ckTV]

In the video, you said that pva/wood glue would get that harder finish. I have a few questions on that. Is there a specific kind that you'd recommend for pva/wood glue, or is it just any kind. In addition to that, is there any way to apply it to get the best seal with the pva/wood glue, like adding water or something... The last question I have is to find out whether or not the pva/wood glues are able to be sanded.

[@patriciaorellana6469]

I’m binging thru all these quick tips at work, in hopes my brain will absorb all this critical info

[@CosplayApprentice]

Awesome!! Thanks so much for watching, hopefully learning by osmosis works for you! :) Happy Binging! If you have any questions feel free to let me know :)

[@LifeHacksbyStacy]

Hi. Thank you for this information. I am Needing to paint pool noodles to use as a dance prop. However so far whatever we have used since we bend the noodles to form shapes during the performance it peels and flakes off. How can we paint them permanently but keep Them flexible enough to manipulate? Any tips? Thanks!

[@Jayy8Bit]

The hiccup helmet in the background! That's actually why I am here! lol I'm building his suit from the second movie :)

[@CosplayApprentice]

Awesome!!! Thanks for watching! I have videos and patterns for that helmet and his chest plate and pauldrons! :)

[@Jayy8Bit]

@@CosplayApprentice I do plan to do that one once this one is finished!

[@bigmeaty_custard4572]

I’m making the Batman armor and the foam I’m using doesn’t really show cracks through the paint at all, but I have to ask, I know barge cement is used for gluing but do you know if super glue, rapid fuse, or gorilla glue could work?

[@jasonl5500]

Hi, I've been dealing with EVA daily now for 4 or 5 months. I don't melt it , just cutting and what not but I deal with alot of it. I use it in the basement of my house. My question is do you take precautions because of the formamide content in EVA? Do you wear a mask or gloves when working with it? I hear formamide is a very nasty chemical and some EVA foams have been banned in certain countries. Any advice would be great 👍

[@harrywetzel644]

Im making a turtle shell, is ot better to heat seal then use the wood glue and then plastidip

[@chrisnavasatis6461]

What's the difference between heating foam up with a heat gun to mold/form a piece compared to heat sealing a piece? Also...if I made a full arm piece...do I HEAT SEAL the whole thing as one before I start plastic dip spray OR in pieces prior to gluing together? And I'm guessing heat sealing doesn't effect the shape after already kind of heated to form foam in the 1st place? Sorry for the confusing questions lol Thank you for the video!

[@CosplayApprentice]

Great questions, I totally get what you are saying. Many times your pieces of foam will have been heat sealed just by the process of heat shaping them, you'll mainly want to just do a pass of heat over any areas that didn't get heated in the process of shaping. You don't need to heat it for long just passing the heat gun over it to where it gets a little shiny so you don't want to heat it too much to where it loses its shape and try to avoid heating seam lines

[@ShiNoKarasu]

I'm making an Inosuke mask, should I seal the inside with Plasti dip? And if I do how would I heat seal the inside? Also how do I make sure it doesn't ruin the shape I have it in with the heat?

[@CosplayApprentice]

For the most part you don't need to do the inside of a mask or helmet just the outside that is visible and a little along the underside/inside edges where someone might catch a a glimpse of the underside. Heat sealing is just a quick pass along the surface you don't need to hold it anywhere on the foam too long to where it softens and loses the shape. :)

[@johnthehuman4146]

Hey man, I'll be using hot glue instead of contact cement and I'm worried that heat sealing it would melt the glue. Should I heat seal the individual pieces before gluing them together?

[@Lylaris_or_Garuk]

I personally recommend sealing the individual pieces first. I would smooth down the hot glue using something to get a cleaner look, but thats up to you. :)

[@CosplayApprentice]

Yes , that is good thinking, that would be good to do first so the heat gun doesn’t undo your glue seams.

[@aliaanka]

Is a 350°C heat gun enough for EVA foam?

[@dustybackpacking]

Do you seal with the heat gun before glueing pieces together?

[@CosplayApprentice]

Usually after gluing them together right before plastidipping

[@luchinosimp]

hi, i'm wondering how hot should the heat gun be set to? for some reason mine doesn't turn as shiny. i used to seal small bits with a lighter but it ended up burning parts of it, can that happen with a heat gun? thanks for answering, i just got a heat gun ;-;

[@CosplayApprentice]

Depending on the type of Eva foam you are using, it will achieve different levels of "shiny". Most standard heat guns have a low and a high setting and it really depends on the type of EVA foam you are using but I would start with the low setting and see how it does on a scrap piece of foam. For the most part the high setting is fine on foams. But make sure to keep the heat gun moving as you go and don't leave it in one place for very long because as you said with the lighter it can cause some problems if you get the heat gun too close to the foam for too long. :). I hope that helped. It doesn't need to get super shiny, you should see a slight color shift in the surface though and it will get a little more of a sheen. :)

[@luchinosimp]

@@CosplayApprentice okay! i think i got a good feel for a temperature that works now, i realized that maybe lighters are more hot than low heat gun settings, which is why it burns so easily with a lighter. informative video btw!

[@CosplayApprentice]

Good, I'm glad it's working out :). Yeah, with a lighter having the direct flame hitting the foam it can burn easier than the hot air. :). Let me know if you run into any more questions! :) I'm happy to help!

[@cariswilliams5808]

I know this is slightly different scenario, but what sealer would you recommend on top of a paint job on clay foam? I didn't do anything to it before painting...

[@KysEcstacy]

Foam clay is eva foam

[@CosplayApprentice]

It drys to a consistency similar to Eva foam but it is not fully the same thing. :)

[@navyblu_6702]

Can a hairdryer set to high be used in place of a heat gun? I've already sunk a lot of money into my cosplay and don't have the funds to grab a heat gun, despite how cheap they are.

[@CosplayApprentice]

Unfortunately, a hair dryer doesn't get hot enough to sufficiently heat the foam enough to allow it to take a shape and hold it smoothly.

[@arky8515]

Would a hair dryer work in place of a heat gun? Just wondering to see if I don’t have to invest in another tool.

[@clawwestfall8799]

Hair dryer usually isn't creating such a high temperature. I've been recommended to use heat gun at 350°C, if hairdryers would get to that temperature, it would ruin the hair.

[@boonysurvival4260]

About heat sealing, do I need to heat seal a foam before or after I make something of it?

[@CosplayApprentice]

After, right before painting usually. :)

[@boonysurvival4260]

@@CosplayApprentice Thanks.

[@fantasy2reality717]

When would you want to have a harder finish vs a flexible one?

[@CosplayApprentice]

If you had a helmet for example and you didn't want it to have much flex and be a lot stiffer or if you did a prop piece and you want it to have a harder surface feel to it, you could do a harder finish on it. I personally go with a flexible finish for most all my foam projects. :)

[@fantasy2reality717]

@@CosplayApprentice Thanks! I'm just getting started into working with EVA (my heat gun arrived today!!) So I'm trying to learn more about it

[@CosplayApprentice]

@@fantasy2reality717 So awesome!!! I'm so excited for you! The heat gun, the trusty side-kick for any foamsmith!! Well, let me know if you have any other questions and I have plenty of videos to help with techniques and tricks and stuff for working with EVA foam! :)

[@rafifthesecond9023]

Well shit, I forgot to heatseal my foam prop before applying the plasti dip. Should I heat seal the foam prop even after I applied some plasti dip? Some parts of the prop aren't applied with plasti dip yet.

[@CosplayApprentice]

If you've already started plasti-dipping it I wouldn't worry about it, it could cause problems to the parts that have been plastidipped. Heat sealing to foam before Plastidip just helps to make a little bit smoother surface on the foam as it causes the cells to close up on eachother on the surface. Especially if you are using a higher density foam or our ludicrously durable WTF (What The Foam) then it doesn't necessarily need the heat seal to make it smoother. :). Hopefully that answer helped! Please feel free to tag me in any WIP pics on Instagram I love following people's projects! :)

[@JKolman1179]

Does the foam not seal while you are heat forming it?? Noob question :)

[@CosplayApprentice]

That is a great question, if you've heated to shape it then it is pretty well sealed, many time you will had other layers on and pieces that weren't heated yet, so that is why it's a good idea to just do a quick pass and make sure you didn't miss any :). But you are totally right, if you've heat shaped it then it is already heat sealed. :)

[@JKolman1179]

@@CosplayApprentice Thank you so much!!

[@laurajulien9605]

@@JKolman1179 thank you for asking, this was something i wondered about too!

[@OstlerHouseDesign]

First! 💖

[@CosplayApprentice]

Noice!!

[@rin3407]

Im 2 years late but hopefully someone will reply ehe. Is it necessary to use heat gun before applying plastidip? or can I skip the heating part cause I dont have a heat gun The other question is what is the best method to stick eva foam together and to stick eva foam to wood?

[@CosplayApprentice]

Depending on the type of foam you get, some foams need it more than others. If you get our foam What The Foam it doesn't really need to be heat sealed but with other foams it makes a big difference in getting a smoother finish. You can get a heat gun cheap at harbor freight or you can get one for $15 on Amazon. :). Hope that helps :)

[@rin3407]

@@CosplayApprentice Thanks for the reply! really helpful. Do you mind answering the 2nd question as well? hehe thanks in advance

[@kalinadesseaux8011]

***what about translucent eva foam?***

[@thehghman]

Seal! I really needed help lol

[@chanseselect7869]

Seal!!

[@paimon5343]

Seal

[@thegardenofeden7096]

So uh what do you do if you used hot glue for the project

[@CosplayApprentice]

I wouldn't risk trying to heat seal it if you did it with hot glue :)

[@thegardenofeden7096]

@@CosplayApprentice I thought not thank you for the help I really appreciate it. I went ahead and go some Plasti dip sealer. But otherwise this video gave me some good tips for future projects

[@rndm9087]

sooo....your just gonna leave that heat gun on then?

[@CosplayApprentice]

Hahaha :) it has a cooling feature once I turn it off it blows cool air until the metal and stuff cools down to avoid fires or burns. Sometimes it's annoying though, especially when I'm filming :)

[@wormwood7822]

Volume is low

[@CosplayApprentice]

Thanks for the heads up, I heard that from a couple people so I have since bought new microphones to make it better :) Thanks for watching and for helping me improve the videos :)

[@queer.solutions]

baby seal.

[@drsofaking]

Seal... or is it a sea lion?

[@CaseyEdgar]

Seal

[@starwarsgeekgirlpodcast]

Seal

[@annleonard6180]

Seal

[@Atweedie47]

Seal

[@Albuscus1999]

Seal

[@MLeivick]

Seal