Clay or Foam?

[T-Type]

Hey all. I'm looking at adding some custom pieces to a urethane body kit and need to work off the original kit to make the new additions. Looking for recommendations as to what would be easier to work with....the sculpting clay or foam? Keep in mind i'll need to make the new bits out of fiberglass.

Wondering if the clay would be easier to shape or foam. If I use foam will the resin melt it? Is there a specific name for the clay and where is the best place to get it? If I use the foam, what type should I look for? Closed cell of some sort? Any other tips or tricks would be appreciated as well. Thanks in advance.

[ProTouring442]

I've been making my interior door panels from foam. I'm using the blue insulation foam you can find at Lowe's, but you must use Epoxy resin when you do this as the polyester resin will dissolve the foam.

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

[Mrfixit]

I've used foam for some custom interior parts. To make release simple, after I completed my foam mock-up I covered the whole piece with masking tape because resin will not stick. The fiberglass piece simply popped off and allowed me to reuse my mock-up for multiple pieces.

Good Luck.

[elitecustombody]

foam or clay can get pretty expensive,depending on the size of your project,check out fiberglast.com, you'll find what you need here

http://www.fibreglast.com/showproducts-category-Foam-156.html

[T-Type]

I've used foam for some custom interior parts. To make release simple, after I completed my foam mock-up I covered the whole piece with masking tape because resin will not stick. The fiberglass piece simply popped off and allowed me to reuse my mock-up for multiple pieces.

Good Luck.

Did you use the home type foam as well? I'm assuming it would sand pretty easily.....

Thanks for all your help guys. The link is appreciated as well. :thumbsup:

[Mrfixit]

Did you use the home type foam as well? I'm assuming it would sand pretty easily.....

Thanks for all your help guys. The link is appreciated as well. :thumbsup:

If you cover it all with masking tape, you can use anything you want because the tape creates a barrier that the resin cannot penetrate. I used simple Styrofoam that I got from a craft store. The shape I was going for was pretty simple so it was quick and convenient. If your going for a more complex shape, you'd be better off buying better foam.