Specify: Open Cell?

DiodaGoat

DiodaGoat

Newbie
Hi all,

I am looking to build my first couple boffer weapons this week and am gathering up materials locally. I've been able to find good specs on everything except this nebulous term "open cell foam"...

the problem is open-cell foam defines 50% of all foam and ranges from high-density upholstery foam (the easiest for me to find retail) to egg-crate super-squishy, to high-density silicone fiber-foam, and many many things between.

So to simplify: can someone send me a link to the ideal foam to use for thrusting tips and waylaying tips and then recommend a retail place to purchase these items? I would rather not wait or pay for shipping right now, but will if it is best.

Thanks everyone!
 
I use upholstery foam. Joann Fabric and Hobby Lobby both usually carry it in bulk and in small sheets. I like the green stuff at Joann because it's a little higher density than most other upholstery foam.
 
Good to know. I was afraid it would be too firm.
 
I've found that pipe insulation is exceedingly difficult to use when the core is kite spar or similar. Would high-density furniture foam work instead? And if so, to what thickness would it need to be kept?

Sean
(Zephrin)
 
You can trim a thin strip of pipe foam out, creating an inner diameter that will more closely correspond with the diameter of your core. Turkey carving knives work really well for this purpose. Just don't interchange blades used on foam with blades used for food, because I'm guessing the chemicals in the foam aren't great for your digestive system. Or very tasty for that matter.

Those long strips are great for making plugs at the top and bottom of the foam. Say you want a 42" sword you can waylay with. Your name has "rogue" in it, so I'm wildly guessing, here. You'll need a 2 inch thrusting tip at either end, meaning you should cut your core to 38", right? Well... almost. After a few weapons failed because the core could be detected during safety checks of the thrusting tip, some people have started cutting cores to about 36". You cut a 1" piece of closed-cell foam and put it in the ends of the pipe foam, securing with some duck tape. This way, if the core shifts inside the weapon by a fraction, it doesn't become a stabby-hazard when the thrusting tip fails or gets ripped away.

The foam always has to remain at a thickness of at least 5/8" along the length of the striking surface of the blade.
 
RoseRogue said:
Would high-density furniture foam work instead?)
Click to expand...
No, the sort of foam you describe is open celled. Another option you can do to get your core to match the foam is to get sheets of packing foam and wrap the core in a few layers so that it fits more snugly into the insulation. Depending on the size mismatch, the option Lauren (above me) suggested might be easier, but this is the method I use for things that get narrow like golf clubs. If the size is close, do it the other way, if your core is pretty thin, you won't be able to cut out enough foam easily to get the "C" to close without putting a lot of stress on the foam.
 
If you wrap the core in foam, be careful not to do it too tightly. If you've already got a piece of pipe foam, try and make sure it's got similar give, or the weapon will fail safety checks.
 
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