I agree with most of the comments on foam.  The type of foam used to make the muppet style mouth and monster puppets is different from that used for insulation.  However, rigid foams do have their uses in various sculptural arts.  It is widely used in scenic and props construction and can have it's uses in puppetry.

The real problems with all plastics is that they are primarily made from petroleum derivatives.  They could be made from other raw materials, but since they were originally developed with petroleum technology that's how they are still made.  One day when the oil runs out maybe chemical engineers will start to use alternatives.

Frankly, Melmoth, don't use foam if it is highly regulated or if you choose not to due to environmental concerns.  You can get excellent results from a variety of materials, just not those you would get using poly foam.

Marty

My padded cell was wall to wall with puppet foam and my straight jacket was fleece. It was quite warm though...it must have been the fleece straight jacket.

Thanks for all the replies and advice.    The "Nu-Foam" cotton batting is actually working quite well, but since I'm not sure how they made it "flame retardant", I doubt it's much safer than foam.  To avoid touching the stuff as much as possible, I think I’ll either always wear gloves or make covers for the batting

The main danger in polyurethane foam is that it's extremely flammable (it's been compared to gasoline by firefighters), and if it catches on fire, it releases large amounts of toxic chemicals (carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide (better known as "Zyklon B"), carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and nitric oxide).  I found this information on this site: http://www.projo.com/sharedcontent/east/foam/   

Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) is used for insulation: http://www.sprayfoam.org/index.php?page_id=198

Here's the MSDS sheet on polyurethane foam for anyone who's interested.  There were about three different types when I googled it, so I hope this is the right one!  http://www.auralex.com/testdata/test/foammsds.pdf

I think I did confuse polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam, however.  I remember the show talking about food containers and such, not mattresses and cushions.  Sorry about the mix-up. 

Is there a powder residue on the stuff that you are working with?  If so, that is not a good idea to work with.  I work in a theater and we get all of our curtains and drops that have been treated with flame retardant powder.  It is NOT advisable to breathe in or handle often.  If it is like part of the material like those found on material to make children's pajamas then it is safer to handle but again, if you can see a residue, then it is probably not a good idea.  I always have an allergic reaction after opening up a box of shipped curtains and drops to our theater....not fun....but it has to be done.  I of course take long showers when I get home before I interact with my son.

Aloha,
Nikole

No, there's no residue, but I wish the company would say what they treated it with to make it flame retardant.  The package said it was safe to use in cribs and the like, but since that kind of statement has proven itself false in the past, I don't trust it.  I'm mostly worried that they used PBDEs, since only a few of these are banned in only a few of the states.

I sound really neurotic in this thread...  

Do you wear gloves or a mask when you're handling the curtains and drops?  After a couple of years of using photography chemicals, I couldn't even touch them without getting contact dermatitis.  However, a pair of dishwashing gloves and frequent hand washings prevented the rash from forming in the first place.   

I wear gloves and a mask when I use contact cement I have lupus and can get one heck of a rash but when I'm careful it all works well

Happy puppet making !

I sound really neurotic in this thread...  

Welcome to Puppets and Stuff, Melmoth the Neurotic. 

You sound like a smart person, and it's smart to be safe. A number of traditional puppet making materials have been abandoned over the years because of health and saftey concerns, as have materials used in other arts and crafts. Some puppet makers have suffered permanent health damage because of materials used in the old days, such as certain volatile solvents like acetone. This topic crops up periodically on the Puptcrit list, and members and former members there have (or had) firsthand knowledge of the potential dangers.

Please remain cautious and continue researching the toxicology of the materials you work with, we want you playing with puppets for many years to come. It's fun.



Ron G.

Thanks for the welcome, Ron G.!