make my own ground foam

[omrick]

Hi again. I have searched the forums, but have not seen what I want. I have an older piece of foam rubber from a car seat. I have tried grinding it with various tools, but can't get the effect I want. I think that if the foam rubber was a bit harder it would work. I remember in the long ago, having some of this that had almost crystalized. I wonder how to make my current foam rubber harder. Any ideas for quickly deteriorating this material?

ps: omrick means "Old Man Rick"

 

[nachoman]

I have heard of people using a blender, but have never tried it myself. You can probably pick up an old blender for cheap at a thrift store.

Kevin

 

[MasonJar]

You can grind it in a blender, but be sure to tear it up first, and put enough water in so that it "flows" through the blade properly.

I have done this, but found that dyeing the result a useful colour is the hardest part.

Andrew

 

[Nomad]

Omrick, look here.

How To Make Ground Foam

Loren

 

[RonP]

I use Flower foam base from arrangements. Sure it comes out a weird green but add enough yellow and you get some sweet variations.

 

[Jim Krause]

I worked for a commercial model shop and foam in blender was the standard procedure. Make sure that your blades are sharp. You will have to experiment with colors.

 

[omrick]

Thank you all for the information. I did read the postings from 2005 about the blender method. My thoughts were to find a way to crystalize the foam rubber. I have in the past seen this material in large chunks that had become semi-hard and were easy to crush up with bare hands. I don't know how it occurred, but thought someone else might know the process. Maybe it was early Japanese rubber. It took them a while to get it right, but now their rubber is as good as ours. When my wife isn't paying attention, I will try the blender. Many thanks.

 

[Jim Krause]

I forgot to mention the "wife" situation. It might be better to find a blender at a yard sale. Yes the foam does deteriorate when exposed to sunlight, high temps and just plain old age. I remember some of the early padded dash boards that would sag after the foam disappeared.

 

[RonP]

I posted this recently in another thread, I have heard of using saw dust of various sizes.

 

[Trainiac77]

Sawdust is what I use. I use different size strainers to get the different results. I just add a few drops of paint in a container and mix it and dry it on a cookie sheet. If (and most of the time it does) it clumps up, then I put it in a blender to break it all up. I've only used it as ground cover though, never on trees because it's too fine.

 

[RonP]

Sawdust is what I use. I use different size strainers to get the different results. I just add a few drops of paint in a container and mix it and dry it on a cookie sheet. If (and most of the time it does) it clumps up, then I put it in a blender to break it all up. I've only used it as ground cover though, never on trees because it's too fine.

Good stuff i put an order in to my dads shop/garage for a grocery bag of dust from under the table saw.

 

[Badyin Macfadyi]

large chunks that had become semi-hard and were easy to crush up with bare hands.

Sounds like the flower base stuff Ron P mentioned. You should find it at any craft store

 

[omrick]

Thank you all for your replies. I am going to search the thrift stores and hopefully, only buy a blender. I stopped at one place and came out with a coffee grinder. I am fighting a forty five year habit as a pack rat. It is harder to kick pack ratting than it was to quit smoking. lol