Packing Tape 'Bodies' (Allen Hopps Method!)

[Greg Chrise]

We wouldn't want Allen to actually chime in here.

[freak 'n' stein]

At Haunt 2013 & The House of Boo, we've been making them and filling them with a foam gun, which mixes two chemicals with heat to produce a rapidly rising and curing hard foam. The result is a solid form that's great for creating a static figure.

I wonder if doing Allen's mix of Gorilla glue and water to create foam would be a good, cost effective, solution. I believe he talks about the technique in one of his YouTube videos.

I've wanted a faster, more "flexible" option to filling the tape bodies while actually having them rigid enough to build whatever so I THOUGHT about great stuff actually. What type of foam/gun do you use Jim? Is it fairly cost effective in the long run?

[Allen H]

O'shawn-
Once you go packing tape you will never go back to duct tape. It is far superior to duct tape for body forms.
The foam gun we use is an insta pac foam gun - it is very cost effective but does need 220 service and the up front cost is a bit high. I will never have a shop without one again. here is a video of it


As far as giving them more external strength then you cut up plastic containers into pieces about 2" x 6" and keep adding them into the tape layers, then you have a harder plastic shell built into the tape layers.

To rat proof and seal the form I recommend stuffing them with spare plastic wrap or plastic tarps even. It is very inexpensive and will fill quite a lot when you ball them up.
to completely seal the forms spray them with rustoleum leak seal. You can get leak seal from home depot. it is an aerosol can of rubber coating just like leak seal that you saw commercials for on television- I love the stuff.
does that cover most of the questions?

[Evernight]

That foam gun is just awesome....I see a future purchase, so many ideas for something like that!!

[freak 'n' stein]

Well I'm DEFINITELY gonna give the packing tape a try then Allen H ! Thanks again as always !

[Pennywise]

I am an avid follower of YouTube Wednesday, waking up every Thursday morning excited to sip my morning coffee over the latest episode. I have not seen the Gorilla glue/water ghetto foam technique, but sounds pretty interesting. Where can I find this tutorial?