Sintra I could not see it being skores easily and snapped.  I guess you could with the right tool.  Usually when you skore you can only do straight lines.  Usually you need a curved mouth plate.  I guess you could do curves bit by bit like stain glass but that sounds like a lot more work than getting a simple electric saw and buzzing away with it.

Daryl H

I like the thinner foams better from a building standpoint, but do these thinner foams perform well enough for puppeteers like yourself or do they need to be treated with care?

I would watch leaving puppets in hot cars especially when using hot glue to put some parts of your puppet together.  High heat and hot glue doesn't like each other and you might find a goopy puppet after a bit of time in the hot car. 

I think at least 95% of puppeteers use 1/2 and 3/4 inch foam when making puppets, as Jay pointed out it gives easier and overall easier to shape.  Foam will always break down, just try to keep it out of high heats and sun light and keep the moisture down, these are some ways to prolong the life of your foam.

Daryl H

puppetlady about the thinner foams they hold their shape pretty well. Now if you make a really large puppet I would certainly use thicker foam but arond the mouth or areas where you need better movement i would shave the foam or cut it out and replace that area with 1/2 inch or 1/4 as I have in the past. And too it depends on the type of mouth plate.

 

On the Star Wars fansites where they make their own Storm Trooper outfit and such like, most of the UK posters seem convinced that Plasticard is the same material as Sintra/Sentra. Plasticard is the stuff modellers use when making scale models of cars, trains, it's v.v. easy to find (any model shop will have it or order it for you) and is usually sold in A4 sheets.

Plasticard? I thought that was styrene...I know most of the Storm Trooper armor I have seen is vacume formed styrene

In regards to the scoring and snapping, I have done work in the past using fluorescent light fixtures.  If you go to the lighting section of your local home improvement store, you will see long sheets of plastic used to cover the large fluorescent ceiling lighting found mostly in apartment kitchens and commercial buildings.  They are rectangle in shape.  There are various thicknesses and textures.  There is a tool made especially for scoring and snapping this sort of plastic which I believe would be the perfect tool for what everyone is discussing.

Hope this was helpful!

Nikole

I am laughing. I posted a long time ago somewhere saying we use Sintra (expanded PVC board) for mouthplates AND props.
We've never paid for it, get scraps from sign companies, etc.
You can buy it at Home Depot or Lowes. It's around $50 for a 4x8 sheet. My husband stacks it, tapes it and cuts it with the router.  You can also use FRP, which is cheaper.

We use 1" foam in almost everything.

BTW - I think people have been taking puppets apart for years to check them out. However, it does bother me when people stand right in front of my booth at a conference or workshop and discuss buying one to take it apart!

I think people have been taking puppets apart for years to check them out. However, it does bother me when people stand right in front of my booth at a conference or workshop and discuss buying one to take it apart!

That is pretty bold.....and rude!

Daryl H

I agree thats very rude. People really amaze me sometimes!