How to Use Foam to Construct a Fiberglass Body

Create human forms out of foam and fiberglass.

The many possible reasons that you may need a fiberglass body include fashion and arts as the most common. If factory-made mannequins are not the right shape for your needs, you can make your own fiberglass body using foam as a base. While this technique will not provide the same level of detail, it affords you infinite choices as far as the size and position of the body are concerned.

Things You'll Need

• Insulation sheet foam, 4-by-8 feet, 1-inch wide (12 sheets)
• Foam glue
• Pencil
• Electric turkey carver
• Rasp
• Fiberglass mat
• Fiberglass resin and catalyst
• Paint brushes
• Disposable bucket
• Sandpaper
• Paint (optional)

Instructions

1. Glue all 12 foam boards together to form a block that is 1-foot thick. Add or subtract boards to reach a particular thickness you desire for the body you are making. The drying time will vary depending on the glue that you are using; consult the bottle for specific drying times.

2. Draw the outline of a body on all four sides of the block from the front, back, right and left perspectives. The hands and feet should be solid forms. Fingers, toes and ears might break off as you work, so it's best not to add them.

3. Carve the rough shape of a body using an electric turkey carver, and redrawing your outline as needed. It's much easier to remove foam than it is to put it back, so carve off small pieces at a time.

4. Refine the shape with a rasp.

5. Tear the fiberglass mat into 5-inch squares. Wear rubber gloves while you do this, and any time you work with fiberglass.

6. Mix a batch of fiberglass resin with its catalyst in a disposable bucket. Follow the specific mix ratio provided on the resin container.

7. Brush a layer of catalyzed resin onto the foam body. Do not cover the feet yet.

8. Cover the body with squares of fiberglass, overlapping them slightly to make sure you don't miss any areas.

9. Apply more resin on top of the fiberglass, tapping it in place with the brush to force out any trapped air bubbles. Fully saturate the fiberglass.

10. Add four more layers of fiberglass squares, each covered with resin.

11. Allow the resin to cure for several hours until it completely hardens.

12. Set the body on a table with the feet sticking over the edge. Add fiberglass to the feet following the same method as for the body. Allow the resin to cure for several hours.

13. Sand the body smooth, starting with coarse sandpaper to remove burrs and other imperfections. Move on to finer grits of sandpaper to refine and polish the body. Fiberglass dust is a major irritant, so wear protective clothing, goggles and a dust mask for this step.

14. Paint the body if you desire.

Tips & Warnings

• If the resin in the bucket becomes gummy, it has begun to cure and will cause you problems. Stop working with it and mix a fresh batch.

• Always use proper ventilation when working with fiberglass.

References

• Serious Explorations: Step by Step Fiberglass
• Nicodemus' Fursuit Pages - Carving Foam