Props - Material locations?

[NerdyBirdAsh]

So, I've been trying to get my hands on a couple of sheets of Extruded Polystyrene for propmaking.
Does anyone know any stores in the Bay Area where I can accumulate some without having to buy in bulk or be a part of a construction company?

I've checked places around, like Home Depot and Lowes, and I just can't seem to find any around and it's driving me nuts.

[lunarknight]

 I might have a method you can use but it's a bit time consuming and kind of messy to do. Are you interested in knowing?

[NerdyBirdAsh]

Uh.
Sure?

[lunarknight]

 Well basically you can get Styrofoam from any grocery or electronics store. But I would suggest electronics stores in this case.

Now just get a can of acetone which you can get from Home Depot or Lowes. From there get a bucket and pour a fair amount of acetone in then start putting in the Styrofoam. Acetone will break down certain molecular bonds of Styrofoam until is is reduced into a blob of polystyrene. Also Styrofoam is mostly empty space so you are going to need a lot of it. Plus Styrofoam will instantly dissolve when touched by acetone so you should see the effects immediately. Now from there start kneading the blob which will take a while for acetone to evaporate out but it will eventually be done. Then from there spread it out over glass and allow it to dry and then you have your hardened mass of polystyrene. I'm pretty sure you should know how to manipulate it from there.

I hope this helps and sorry for the long explanation on how to generate polystyrene. Well good luck on your project ^___^.

[lunarknight]

 Also don't use too much acetone or it will be a pain to evaporate out.

[NerdyBirdAsh]

Hrm.
I'm not sure I would want to go through all that.
I'm sure I could use other materials, I just really want to work with extruded polystyrene.

[lunarknight]

 As I said my way was going to be a lot of work >_<

[BSaphire]

Lunarknight: I wanted to make sure that you are aware that the US EPA regulations specifically state that use of solvents on polystyrene is prohibited. In other words: Not safe (probably due to the toxic gas that is emitted from the styrofoam as it is de-foaming.) If someone should try this I would hope they would take many safety precautions for their skin and eyes and would do this out of doors... again if someone would try this.

Now back to the subject at hand...
If you are looking to use polystyrene specifically then I take it you are looking for something to mold with (because of the use of a lump of it instead of the foam version). I would recommend looking into craft and hobby stores for alternatives. If you do want the foam version then the electronics and appliance departments of stores would have large sheets prior to being placed in the recycle bins.

What prop are you looking to create? That would help on giving you ideas for alternate materials you could use.
BSaphire

[NerdyBirdAsh]

I am looking for the foam sheets, not a lump.

I need extruded polystyrene to form into a base for my Harkonnen, using it to form a Crosspunisher, and a couple of swords.

I've been lead in the direction of extruded polystyrene by other propmakers for it's ease of forming and shaping, and because of the realistic results it's known for giving.

[lunarknight]

BSaphire: I do apologize I was not aware of that. But I will keep it in mind for now on.

Well buying EPS directly is not something you can get from just any store. For the most of what I learned they can only be attained by special delivery from certain companies. If that is for certain I'm not sure it still requires more digging. So for the mean time I would suggest an alternative method to what you are planning to build. I think an approach you could try is making the base out of something relatively hard and solid and from there use craft foam as the covering. The concept is similar to making armor but in your case swords.

[BSaphire]

I am looking for the foam sheets, not a lump.

I need extruded polystyrene to form into a base for my Harkonnen, using it to form a Crosspunisher, and a couple of swords.

I've been lead in the direction of extruded polystyrene by other propmakers for it's ease of forming and shaping, and because of the realistic results it's known for giving.

I would try an appliance store and look into the styrofoam packing materials for larger appliances.

If you are using a cardboard tube for the Harkonnen then the corner styrofoam from washers and dryers is thicker and would be useful for carving. For big cuts use a fine serrated blade like a carving knife and then slowly work your way into the shape you need. If you are using PVC pipe for the cannon portion I would recommend wood instead. The length and weight distribution on the handle calls for a heavier base material for it.

I will say that I am not a huge fan of styrofoam for larger props due to the fact that the bigger the prop the more it gets noticed and when you go in and out of elevators the risk of damage increases. Styrofoam, though pliable and light weight, is very brittle as a substance. Bonding it in layers can get complicated due to the reaction (de-foaming) properties that can happen and the limited products you can use.

Woods and plastics become more of my preferred materials to work with in prop making.

As for the Cross Punisher: A friend of mine cosplayed Wolfwood with the Punisher and it was a total photo whore :P Everyone was amazed (it was awesome though) because it opened up and was super accurate. It also weighted 70 lbs, so when he held it up over his head with one arm for pics it was a feat in itself :) This may not be what you had in mind though and I was thinking that higher density cardboard &/or foam poster board may be a more sturdy alternative.

This is just my opinion though and if you have a styro master to help you manipulate your projects then GO FOR IT :) Never hurts to try something new ^^)

@Lunarknight: Hey no need to apologize, but greatly appreciated :) I was just concerned that the many new cospeeps out there would recklessly try your suggestion and could get hurt so I was airing my knowledge on the side of prevention. It isn't like the EPA will take the time to show up at your house and bust you, but if you start to feel sick when trying that then the reason why is pretty serious. Heck even something as simple as nail polish can cause problems, but it all boils down to what things are made of and how they interact with other chemical properties.
Squidges
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