Prop: Shop - Strapping Your Foam Armor

Bill shows you how to get your foam armor strapped to your body.

Other Foam Tip Videos

Foamsmith Book

Materials
3/4" Nylon Webbing

3/4" Plastic Buckles

Velcro

3/4" Elastic

Foam Floor Mats

[StardustMegu]

I've used this technique a billion times on my cosplays. It works and is one of the best ways to attach armor pieces. I usually use e6000 glue instead of hot glue because it's much stronger. Make sure to place the parts that are glued together below books or have clips to hold them together and wait 24hrs for the e6000 glue to cure and release.

[JimboTMX]

5 years later and Im still watching this! ❤️Love all your hard work!

[bethysboutique]

E6000 is a million times better than hot glue. Hot glue gets gross and weakens very easily. E6000 is flexible and tough as nails, great for working with straps and other potentially stretchy things.

[Wonyumi]

"You can't wish it to stick to your body"??
Well that explains a lot... :D

Thanks a lot for your great tips. I'm working on my first foam armor right now (this is going to be and I could never do that without your books and videos!

[PyroX]

One technique I've had great success with is for larger straps that have a lot of weight on them, like around the midsection of the torso, I glue a second piece of nylon webbing perpendicular across the top of the first strap and down to the foam making a t shape. It spreads the weight out and gives more surface area for the glue to bond.

[fmadiva]

Thank you! My foam is gonna be thinner and cheaper but I think I can still apply the same idea. This really helped me have more of an idea for my Speed of Sound Sonic cosplay

[WillSway]

Perfect timing i needed this ! thank you ! i love your tutorials :)

[timbonetonight.]

You are freaking helpful. Seriously, I watch your videos and it helps me out a lot. Thanks for the tips.

[StardustMegu]

This tutorial really helped me when I was making my armor pieces for my Wonder Woman cosplay! Instead of eva foam, I used craft foam and it still works! Thank you!

[johnalmaraz]

great meeting you at the con my son was little deathstroke....i used magnets to hold down some of his worked great!

[spieagentl]

I gotta say, these videos and your book has helped me get into this hobby so that I can make an XCOM 2 Advent Captain costume in time for the game release! It certainly isn't pretty, and I only have 2 weeks total to work on it, but the knowledge you have provided has mitigated a lot of frustration as this is my first time making a costume ^^

[alexismicunek]

Thanks for this, ive been struggling with straps!

[TheJackkiller]

I think using contact glue/cement will be better to attach the straps. Conventions can be pretty hot and especially in high summer so the glue from the hot glue gun can let lose way faster. I have seen many cosplayers struggeling with this so i hope you take the tip for granted ^^

[maribakumon]

Glad I came across this. I'm working on a shy guy mask and I didn't have a clue how I was going to get elastic to stick to the inside. Hot glue was never favorable to me so I'm considering testing contact cement.

[SketchUpWorkshop]

Learned that velcro doesn't hold well glued to foam when my costume started falling apart at Denver Comicon this year. Haha, thanks for the tips, next time will hopefully go better.

[willitodavis]

hi could you make video of how to install lighting on a foam armor

[n.j.e.]

Just a little tip for people out there who don't want to buy that nylon webbing: buy some cheap felt at Wal-Mart or a craft store and cut it into strips. Just make sure to pre-stretch the strips before you glue them to your costume because some brands of felt can stretch and then your pieces will become very loose.

[CDSuperNova]

All of these videos are super helpful. Thank you!

[CazM]

yeah, i've started to give up on velcro, it just doesn't hold as well as i want for parts that move a lot, even with Barge cement it peels if you move too much, so i'm switching to buckles anytime i can manage it.

[oopsiethatsgay]

This is something I never thought of! Thank you for making my work easier when I start lol