To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2009 17:06:03 -0500
Subject: [Puptcrit] Easy fake coral


This afternoon I needed a break, so I was procrastinating, but gosh, I never 
can procrastinate properly!
The work posesses me even then!

So I was fidgeting with a piece of insulation foam (blue styrofoam in my 
case) and some wire while watching television.

My fingers found a way to simulate coral, or swiss cheese.

Basically, you just take a slice of foam of about a quarter inch thick, use 
a straight piece of stiff wire to push a hole through. It needs to be wire 
or rod for it to work, not a needle. On the other surface, from the 
pressure, a cap is broken off. Remove it. Repeat in a random pattern, some 
areas more crowded with holes than others. Some of those holes will thin 
some pre-pierced areas, creating depth.
When your coral is realistic enough, break off the straight edges.

I made a second piece of that coral to test for the accuracy of the method, 
and it works.

Such a coral can be strenghtened by applying some glue and Pieces of toilet 
paper.
Or it could be molded and cast in whatever material you choose.

Oh, and the cast off pellets it produces can be kept as a texture material 
to be added underneath paper mache skin, or used as a filler when packaging 
fragile items.


I'm all about reusing, especially in this case, since foam is such a nasty 
product for the environment because of manufacuring processes.  I very 
rarely buy my foam. I get scraps from a set and props shop, thanks to a 
collegue who works there. If we don't pick it up, it gets trashed.






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