Making Foam Flock for wargaming and railway terrain

Last week we had a look at making sawdust flock (you can watch that here - • Making your own flock ... ), and whilst that kind of flock certain has its uses, it's time to have a look at making foam flock.
This is the same type of flock made commercially by Woodlands Scenic, Geek Gaming and others but the advantage is we can make it any colour we want, and when we get to making blends, we have complete control!
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[@debbralehrman5957]

Thank you for sharing this information. Don't know if I will ever use it, but now I know and nobody can take that away.👍🏼

[@billforrest4205]

I use a mincer/meat grinder to shred my foam when making flock. Also if you add some isopropanol/Isopropyl alcohol to the water then the foam will absorb the acrylic paint colour more readily even when wet. The meat grinder method means I can just swap out the sizing screens for different grades, or I do multiple passes on the smallest sizing grate for extra fine flock

[@rolandhersom239]

I use old mattress or chair cushion foam for making my flock. It's always available free. I tear it up with a wire wheel on a small grinder surrounded by a surfboard box to catch the shredded foam . I colour it with a few drops of cheap artists acrylic paints straight from the tube in a small $14 coffee grinder from Kmart. If it is left to dry in a thick mat in a flat tray the paint will bind it together and makes it very useful for tearing apart as clump foliage or you can put it through the coffee grinder again when dry to break it up and then rub it through the sieve to get the various grades. Stirring it a few times with your hand while it is drying will also break it up successfully. You can achieve a variety of green colours by the amounts of yellow and blue you add during the colouring process. I usually use about 5 parts of Bright yellow to 2 of ultramarine blue and vary the amount of blue for how light or dark a green I want. The craft paints available at Bunnings work well as do the ones available at your local cheap stores.

[@Iskelderon]

Interesting, for "airier" coarse stuff I also use plastic sponges from the dollar store or padding foam from the hardware store.

[@karenmusa3052]

Fantastic thanku. So nice to see an Aussie on the scenery scene 😆 you mention shops im familiar with which makes a nice change. Cheers mate Kaz in Perth 😉

[@sickofsnow1506]

with my blender but my coffee grinder did the trick. 🤗. Thank you so much!! This is not a cheap hobby and I really appreciate your help.

[@HobbyBeforeIDie]

The thinking man's hobbyist. Cheers Viv you legend

[@KnightsOfDice]

Mate, the brain doesn't turn off !! :)

[@bradcraig6676]

Thanks for the clear instructions, I just made my own flock using your methods. I was sorry to see your channel end, but sounds like you have moved on to more exciting things.

[@turkx4547]

Thanks for the tutorial! I'm brand new to this hobby and iv been searching for pink flock for Cherry Blossoms and your video has helped heaps! off to clack rubber I go :D

[@rolandhersom239]

I use badly weathered MDF that falling apart for making my own static grass. I tear hunks off it by hand, break it into smaller pieces, remove any hath pieces then beat it up in the coffee grinder and colour it in the same way as described in my flock comments. You can't get much cheaper than that and it works really well.

[@arnaud3299]

Nice video. I like the step to go back to the grinder after the foam being first tinted. Great result.

[@KnightsOfDice]

I had struggled for years to get nice fine flock ... blending it dry was the key!

[@user-gc2qr6gv7t]

Wow nice work amazing thanks for the information 😮

[@jeffblack1967]

Excellent as always - hope you an yours are all well.

[@KnightsOfDice]

I'm well, as is the family. Daughter is having a sleep over so we're off to comedy show for m birthday!

[@teddyharvester]

Ok, I've already visited the local carpentry workshop for a bucket of sawdust, I guess it's time to check if there are any mattress companies around...

[@KnightsOfDice]

There used to be a furniture upholstery place across the road from the studio, sadly they went bust during COVID. Good luck on your search!

[@RedHandedDaniel]

Great Vid, Viv! Love the new hat.

[@KnightsOfDice]

Love that bowler hat, got it in the UK when I went for Salute in 2016. Thanks for taking the time to comemnt!

[@jelly_hammer688]

Great tutorial Viv. Nice work mate

[@KnightsOfDice]

Thanks, much appreciated!

[@MKempICI]

Another excellent video.

[@KnightsOfDice]

Thanks, much appreciated!

[@BillMakingStuff]

Good solid tutorial, keep them.coming mate. Please.

[@KnightsOfDice]

Lot's more coming!!

[@johnschweiger1079]

Woah I really didn’t realise it was that simple think I am going to make my own from now be cheaper in the long run thank you for video

[@thetwogardens6048]

Good Video !

[@zackcook5123]

Oh my god this is awesome!

[@KnightsOfDice]

Thanks mate, much appreciated!

[@karenmusa3052]

Thanks very much for that..I thought I'd pop in to the local hobby shop 😳😳$$$ how much??? Wtf! Back to the blender lol I got a good ol yellow sponge from Auto Masters and shredded it, then into my very old General Electric blender that made pretty short work of it. Its outside in our wonderful WA sun drying, if I get impatient im just going to put it into a old pillow case and give it a low heat blow with a hair-dryer, my heat gun may fry it so best to be safe than sorry. Thanks again, love your tutorials.. Cheers Kaz in Perth 😁

[@KnightsOfDice]

Hey Kaz! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. I love making my own materials, it can take time but its very rewarding!

[@karenmusa3052]

@@KnightsOfDice most certainly is hon, god a big grin on the ol face when it works out and my pockets are heavier instead of the hobby shops, works for me 😅

[@robertcoble1445]

Cheers Viv

[@KnightsOfDice]

Very welcome mate, looking forward to getting into something a little 'meatier' though, some big builds coming up!

[@robertcoble1445]

@@KnightsOfDice can't wait mate :)

[@holohulolo]

I thinn the reason the colour isnt even is because of how thick the paint is, some of the foam will immediately form clumps as you pour it in so the inside of the clump never get coloured entirely. It's still possible to get it coloured evenly, you just need yo massage it longer or maybe spread it out think on a surface and use some kind of spatula and keep mixing it like an artist would mix paint with a palette knife, spread it out and mix. But of course a much easier way is just to add a bit of water or paint thinner so the paint can really be absorbed even inside those clumps. Also, I'm not too sure about this rubber pieces you're talking about but if it is rubber it should sink in water so you can dump the foam bits into water agitate the surface gently, let rubber sink and use a sieve to scoop up all the foam that's floating on the surface.

[@BoysOfCinnamonCat]

Looks good!

[@KnightsOfDice]

Thanks!

[@BoysOfCinnamonCat]

@@KnightsOfDice You're welcome.

[@arsdever8957]

What if you just add the coloring into the blender? It would also mix pretty well in the blender while grinding.

[@sickofsnow1506]

Thank you. Money is n issue for me and I really appreciate your help.

[@mitchgibson3605]

Nice one dude

[@KnightsOfDice]

Thanks mate!

[@dshowat]

Great Video and nice to have the Aussie version of the raw materials you use…may I ask which brand of commercial blender you chose and are you happy with it?

[@rm709]

Shredded foam can be found at JoAnn crafts for under $10 a bag.

[@idontwanttopickone]

Look for a blender that can do ice cubes. You'll be fine then.

[@antoniomessana3698]

I Just discovered this channel and I'm truly amazed. I admire your work I was wondering if I could ask: can I make this out of XPS foam cutouts?

[@KnightsOfDice]

Thanks so much. I've never tried XPS for this before, I don't think it'll work though.

[@antoniomessana3698]

​@@KnightsOfDice thanks to you for your kind answer! I wonder what can I use this cutouts for, besides simple rubble

[@blaarghwee]

Thanks for the video! Waiting for my flock to dry now... Also, what's the very first thing you say?

[@KnightsOfDice]

Wohoo! Hope it works out well. I usually say "G'day everyone, I hope you're all keeping well". G'day is Australian slang for "Good Day" or "hello" in Australian English :)

[@blaarghwee]

@@KnightsOfDice Alright, now I can hear it. The final step is giving me a bit of trouble. It just swirls around for a minute and doesn't get any finer. I'll let it dry another day and give it another go. Maybe try and add a bit more. I don't have quite such a beast of a blender so I might need to get creative on that.

[@Ayns.L14A]

Quick tip, learned from experience, Don't get caught shredding your wives cushions.................................she was not happy, on the plus side she did leave me totally on my own for three days got two models almost finished................

[@ajlynch123]

Does anyone know where to get pre-shredded foam in the US? Glad there are so many great hobby channels in the UK, Australia, Canada, and even Germany but the US channels seem pretty crappy 🤷

[@KnightsOfDice]

It is also called Crumbed Foam ... that might help with any searches

[@marksimpkins5081]

Foam flock.... is made from.... foam? how'd i never but that put 2 and 2 together with that one XD Ive not actually used any myself, probably why. Just see it all the time in terrain videos.

[@KnightsOfDice]

Sawdust vs Foam Flock ... both a good, both are useful but I think foam flock is the big brother in this regard!

[@The_Bat]

Please try and sort your lip sync on the full face video clips, (they don't match, and haven't for a few videos now.)

[@KnightsOfDice]

Odd, it plays back fine for me??