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Tip of the Week 08-02-06

 
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jegner
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Joined: 30 May 2003
Posts: 2144
Location: Texas, USA

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 4:17 pm    Post subject: Tip of the Week 08-02-06 Reply with quote

Sooner or later you are going to want to make a prop that needs some flat material that is easy to work with, can be found in various thicknesses, can be glued, painted and sanded, and will hold up under most filming circumstances.

The stuff you want is called styrene. Or sometimes called by it's chemical name; Polystyrene. It's acronym, HIPs [High-Imact Polystyrene sheet] and sometimes called HISs [High-Impact Styrene sheet]. This stuff is the wonder material of modern science.

I've seen styrene used to scratch build all sorts of props and models, and to be honest, I've used the stuff on more things than I care to admit.

Styrene can be bought in bulk from plastic wholesalers in 4 foot by 8 foot sheets, or in single panels from hobby stores. Heck the local Walmart will have styrene just look at a garage sale sign!

Styrene is what I use to make my Stormtrooper armor, Rebel Fleet Trooper helmets, the X-wing helmet, Halo armor, you name it! Styrene can be heated and vac-formed with a toster oven, an pine box, a piece of pegboard, and a shop vac.

Get some, and have it on hand you never know when you might need some!

It comes in different thicknesses, and here in the US, .020, .040, .060, .080, .093 and .125 inch are the most popular thicknesses. .020 is garage sale sign thickness, and it only get thicker from there. I've pulled .040, .060, .080, .093 and .125 inch material, and I have to say, .080 is the most versitle, followed by .093 and .060.

The .040 will heat to forming temp in under a minute!

Good stuff!
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