I bought on Etsy the file for the mask, bought an high-density 1 cm EVA foam (which was the specifications suggested by the seller) and cut the pieces
Now, searching online I found that more people prefer to use contact glue instead of hot glue, so I bought some Axton's glue (I applied on both sides and let it dry before pressing together the pieces)
The problem is that when I tried to assemble the mask, the pieces couldn't fit well together; I asked the seller if I had to heat up the pieces, and he told me he didn't do that. When I tried to attach the pieces, the glue gave away.
Is hot glue better? The seller suggested to use low temperature hot glue for this mask, but I don't have it atm. Since I have to attach fur on top of the mask I don't care if it looks a bit ugly when assembled, I just need to assemble it. Any help?
I am not familiar with Axtons so I can’t tell you if it this is a glue problem. Is it specifically a contact cement? Dap Weldwood and Barge are the two I use and don’t have any problems with. The problem with hot glue and foam is that it is much more difficult to work cleanly with, and in my experience doesn’t do great with high tension seams- which looks like it could very possibly be an issue with this.
The bigger issue here though- I’m strongly doubting the legitimacy of the person who sold you this pattern. Some of those shapes most certainly would have to be heat formed. Like the nose ridge for example, You aren’t getting that specific curve just from glueing it to the surrounding pieces. Also a lot of the seam placement, or lack thereof, doesn’t make sense. And alot of the cuts would need to be done at specific various angles to get those pieces to fit together properly, especially with that thick of foam. Was anything like that included in the pattern instructions? Nothing I can find in the photo is a dead giveaway for AI, but the piece as a whole is just weird enough that it makes me wonder if it hasn’t been forged in some way.
There's a video of the creator with the mask, I may be wrong but it seems real
I had the instructions but only with blue or green part for the bevels and the letters for glueing together the pieces
For the specific cuts, there wasn't anything really specific
I use barge contact cement, it is pretty standard. So this is where register marks come into play they are the little lines that cross the seams that you must line up. Other than that it sounds like you have the process down for working with cement. Is there something more you would like addressed?
You may not be allowing enough time for the glue to set either before you have attached the pieces, or you need to give it more time to adhere before moving on to the next piece if it’s going to put tension on the previously glued section.
But also, as I said in another comment, some of these curves would most certainly need to be heat shaped- the seller is full of shit if they said that used no heat on this.
I left it for 15 minutes without adhering, then I pressed it against each other for 30-50 seconds and let it wait for some time
I'll try with Barge Contect Cement is I find it and I'll heat the pieces, thanks
Unfortunately, this was the best mask I found online that didn't cost a fortune
Ok so I found the pattern and seller online to get a better idea. So first of all, the seller is NOT using EVA foam. They are using upholstry foam, which is different. It is more flexible and stretchy, and doesn’t require heat shaping to get those shapes to work- which is why this pattern seems so off to me, it isn’t designed for EVA. So that’s the bulk of your problems right there. If you use upholstry foam, you’ll find it works much better for this project as pueces won’t be popping apart when you glue other sections. You still want to use contact cement, apply to both sides that you are gluing together.
I suggest a heat gun if that is the case ( as I see you have already deduced this solution) and when using any contact cement you must wait till the glue is dry to the touch before bonding the surfaces. If you wait like this with dapp or barge cement the foam will literally tear before the glue releases ( it is scary good stuff)
When you say the pieces don't fit together well, what exactly do you mean? That will help diagnose
It could be a pattern issue or it could be a cutting issue. It could also be that the pattern maker used hot glue and it filled in any weirdness.
If that's your mask, it looks fine from here except for maybe some minor gaps, which could easily be filled if you weren't doing fur. The fur will hide that, though.
The mask isn't mine, it's the product image
I believe I cut the pieces well, or at least good enough to make it fork
What I mean, is that, for example, to make some pieces fit I'd have to curve the nose after I attached them to the lateral part of the nose
The problems is that when I tried to bend the nose and glue the bottom part of the pieces, the lateral part detached due to the memory force of the foam
Also, yes, he filled some gaps inside some pieces, which I also need to do because the 45° bevels are exaggerated
It won't work as well but for lesser curves it might?
Also, do you have a picture of what you have so far? It might help the more knowledgeable people help more. You can upload to a private album in imgur and then link that here if you can't update with the new pictures
Oh, cause I don't have an heat gun Even for 3d stamps I heat them longer with the hair dryer Also, this are the pieces I don't know how to make an online album
Short answer is no, hair dryers are extremely poor substitutes for a heat gun. They dont get hot enough and dont penetrate the foam deep enough to do good heat shaping.
You can get a heat gun for like 20-25 bucks though, and in EVA foam cosplay, the 3 things you will use constantly are utility knives, contact cement, and a heat gun, so its worth it to get one.
The gaps have contact cement on both edges? Well, first I'd try reapplying contact cement. If that doesn't work, maybe hot glue, but only as a gap filler. But if you have gaps large enough that require filling with hot glue (or you could try air dry foam), that sounds like a sign to start over with new pieces.
The problem is that there aren't instructions for the specific angle, and I'm new to this so I don't know how to figure out what angles are required without spending a lot of money on tries and errors
Also, I looked up Barge contact cement, and on amazon it listed an item with that label along with Bostik contact glue; is Bostik as good as barge? Because I don't know if they have it here
I'm not familiar with bostik. Not the Axton one you mentioned. Is yours a spray adhesive? The listing I found mentioned it doesn't work well with plastics, so maybe it's not so great with EVA foam either. Also a spray adhesive might not hold so well under tension either, not like the thicker barge would.
Okay, that should be the same as barge basically, so i wouldn't bother buying a different glue for now. Maybe you didn't hold the pieces together long enough? I'd run a few tests with some scrap pieces, and check out some foam work tutorials on YouTube as well for tips.
Contact cement is your best bet. Outside in a well ventilated area and/or a respirator (preferably both)
Wait til it is tacky like gum. When you are attaching pieces together start with your outer edge first then go inward. If you line up your outer seams, that is more important than other inside bits where you can't see as much.
Also allow that you are new to this and you will likely have some trial and *error* along the way. It is fine and as frustrating as it feels, it is the way to get better. (says someone who is currently sitting with a project in the "time out corner" because it is not looking how I'd hoped)
Good luck. Look at Odin Makes or, Evil Ted on Youtube for good foam crafting tutorials.
Heating up contact cement seams will loosen them. It's a method to use if you make a mistake and want to redo a seam!
The maker's example you posted is made of an open cell foam. That compresses more than Eva so is probably easier to put together than 10mm(1cm) Eva foam. You can compress Eva. The most important part of the pattern is to get the registration marks to line up. If you have to pull or squeeze the foam, do it! 10mm Eva can be very stubborn to hold in a curve, it REALLY wants to stay flat. Heat forming the pieces beforehand will help for sure. I also like to do two thin layers of glue. So paint one on and let it go matte and tacky, then paint the next one on, let it dry then press together. Good luck!
Contact glue is so so so much better and should be used.
Don't wait till it dries. You wait until it becomes super tacky. The glue i use is 5 minute wait time. Find your wait time creating curve pieces to glue together. Apply the glue to the edges and set a timer. At different intervals like 1 min, 3 mins, 5 mins, 10 mins. Attached different pieces together until you find a time where they hold together very well. Thats your wait time.
Contact cement will warp the EVA glue as it dries. Thats why you alignment lines to match the seems correctly. You may have to stretch or push a little to align correctly.
With proper wait time and alignment it should go together easily.
Don't wait till it dries. You wait until it becomes super tacky.
Not sure what contact cement you've used, but I've never had to do that. Mind you, I only wait about as long as the instructions recommend, which is maybe 15 minutes or so.
That said, when the contact cement is dry to the gloved touch, it's still very tacky when it contacts another dried layer of contact cement.
Contact cement will warp the EVA glue as it dries.
That makes no sense to me. Are you sure that you didn't add the word "glue" by accident?
I intended dry to mean cured and by super tacky I meant with the other piece with the contact cement applied. I understand the confusion it may have lead to.
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u/Waddiwasiiiii Aug 17 '26
I am not familiar with Axtons so I can’t tell you if it this is a glue problem. Is it specifically a contact cement? Dap Weldwood and Barge are the two I use and don’t have any problems with. The problem with hot glue and foam is that it is much more difficult to work cleanly with, and in my experience doesn’t do great with high tension seams- which looks like it could very possibly be an issue with this.
The bigger issue here though- I’m strongly doubting the legitimacy of the person who sold you this pattern. Some of those shapes most certainly would have to be heat formed. Like the nose ridge for example, You aren’t getting that specific curve just from glueing it to the surrounding pieces. Also a lot of the seam placement, or lack thereof, doesn’t make sense. And alot of the cuts would need to be done at specific various angles to get those pieces to fit together properly, especially with that thick of foam. Was anything like that included in the pattern instructions? Nothing I can find in the photo is a dead giveaway for AI, but the piece as a whole is just weird enough that it makes me wonder if it hasn’t been forged in some way.