When scenery that takes on shapes that are more organic in form, pink and blue foam is one of the more commonly used materials.

Technically, pink and blue foam are insulating products.  One technically is a little better at that than the other, but I don’t know or care about that.  In theatre, we like to carve it. 

Gluing Foam Together

Very often, before carving, we glue lots of pieces together because they don’t come in big enough chunks.  (Actually, they come bigger, but it’s often a lot cheaper to buy smaller pieces and glue them together and pay for the extra labor.)  It usually comes two feet wide, eight or ten feet long, and can vary in thickness from around half an inch to around three inches.  Gluing foam to foam can be tricky.  It won’t allow thick adhesives to dry very well, so while liquid nails is sometimes used the parts in the very center can still be tacky by the time the set is being struck.  There are a number of different glues that can be used, but always read the label.  There are both glues that can be brushed on and sprayed on that do work well, however, some glues will melt the plastic and try to poison you in the process.  Also, always follow the directions.  If the green glue you have decided to use says to apply and then let sit for a few minutes until tacky, do so and you will get better results. 

Carving Foam

Once glued together to a size big enough, carving can commence.  The two tools I have found most successful in carving foam are a small, electric chain saw, and Japanese hand saws .  Chainsaws are good for roughing in rough things, like a stone wall, quickly.  Japanese hand saws are good for everything else.  Rasps, sure forms, bread knives, electric turkey carving knives, and a variety of hand saws can also be used with a certain degree of success, but may be frustrating in the process. 

It can be run through power saws, like a table saw or band saw, however use caution.  It is soft enough that the table saw will run away with it and spit it out at odd angles if you are not careful to stay in control.  Any of the power tools run fast enough to melt the surface a bit and release bad fumes, so work with ventilation and/ or respirators, especially if you don’t want cancer or photo-sensitive headaches.  (You don’t see sunlight enough as is… don’t make seeing it cause you to suffer.)  Power sanders can help achiever a very smooth surface at the end of the process, but again will release bad fumes. 

Painting and Sealing

After carving is complete, treating the surface of the foam at some point during the paint treatment is a good idea, especially if it is anywhere within the reach of an actor on stage.  For a low budget, a few coats of latex will help, but it will still be easy to chip. 

If you are painting straight on the foam, you will definitely want a base coat or two.  The first couple coats don’t like to stick too much, and then they take forever to dry.  Plan on an overnight of dry time for every coat of paint and you will be in really good shape. 

After painting, one of the most common ways to seal the surface nowadays is with a product called Sculpt or Coat .  It’s kind of cloudy when it goes on, but if you don’t apply it too thickly at one time, it will dry very clear.  There are many other products that dry clear, but this one drys nice and hard as well, and is pretty durable.  It also is water soluble, so cleanup is easy. 

Side Note

Never put a fan on a clear sealer of any variety, or you may find that it creates a cloudy effect because the top layer dries so fast that it seals in the bottom layer and won't allow it to dry.  The only time it doesn’t create a cloudy effect is the one time you thought the cloudy effect would be nice and were trying to do it on purpose.

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