Discussion on Official Sintra thread within the Prop Building Workshop forum, part of the Community category; Boba Freekk wrote: i dont have a pot large enough
I used a large lobster pot and turkey basting
Boba Freekk wrote:
i dont have a pot large enough to fit the armor peices in.if a heat gun wont work how am i supposed to bend these peices?...my kitchen oven perhaps
pan w/covers filled with boiling water. They were
more than big enough to fit most of the armor.
The backplate was a little tricky, though...I had
to dip a quarter of it in the pasting pan at a time.
You can buy those large disposable metal pans at the store, then, depending on your stove, you can put the pan over two burners at once. Just be very careful.
I used a heatgun for my sintra. I tried first with a hair dryer but that would take all day. Very fast and easy with the heatgun but don't breath from it. I did mine outdoors. Wear gloves! Like Lodril said heat from the backside so you won't blemish the goodside. Also, Sintra gets freaking wierd when you just realized that you just "cooked"it. It swells up then starts shrinking/curling around the edges like a styrofoam egg carton would do if you heated it up too.
Most likely and for safety sakes would be to boil it. Especially if you live in an apartment or have no access to fresh ventilation. Just my 2 cents worth.
Gracias senores y senoritas,
The basic question was answered, not a whole lot of detail will be picked up. Everything else was very helpful and I suppose it'll wind up like usual, me and my dremel.... I'm just getting to that point in my life when it's no longer fun picking scrap plastic out of the corner of my with a fingertip or coughing it up later in the afternoon while I'm trying to eat.
I suppose I should get goggles of some sort, but don't eyepatches turn women on?
Thanks again everyone,
Geoff
Sintra is the brand name for PVC sold in sheet form. PVC does not have the characteristics to make it pick up fine details. I made every piece of my armor myself using 2mm and 3mm Sintra and a Wagner paint stripper heat gun ($22 at Walmart). I heated it, formed it, then dunked it under cold water when I got it the shape I wanted it. The "boiling water" method is messy and dangerous, and I just couldn't go that route. If you want something that will pick up details, go with .060" Styrene. It's thinner that the standard .080" Styrene that trooper armor is usually made out of, but it's cheaper, picks up details better, and won't hurt you as bad in the pocketbook if a piece breaks during filming.
Well Im getting this deal on Styrene from this guy I know, and I was wondering is it good to make armor out, and if it is stronger/weaker than sintra? I had heard of Styrene being used in vaccuforming, but can I shape it like sintra ( ala heat gun, hot water). Your help is much appreciated.
Thats a heck of a question.
Someon with some knowledge wana chime in on this?
i tried bending 1/16" styrene with boiling water and it was really tough.i made all my armor from sintra and it was a peice of cake to bend using boiling water.i would go with the sintra.i was amazed as to how easy it was to work with.
Styrene is quite a bit more flimsy than Sintra.
The only plus with Styrene is a smoother surface.
1/8" Sintra is the stuff you want, trust me.
BTW, I work with both materials on a regular basis
with my job and have tried just about everything with
both and prefer Sintra over Styrene in just about
every case.
darksidedesign
My current chest armor is hand formed styrene that I used a heat gun on. Its too thin though. I've recently acquired a set of vacu-formed styrene armor that's a billion times better. I've tried my hand at sintra hand formed and just didn't like it. I liked the thickness but it was such a pain to sand with all the dust it creates. Its REALLY messy.
Da Sintra
ill agree with you there.i really hate cutting sintra, dust gets on my clothes, my face the floor my hair...but ****** it shapes so easy
webchief wrote:
My current chest armor is hand formed styrene that I used a heat gun on. Its too thin though. I've recently acquired a set of vacu-formed styrene armor that's a billion times better. I've tried my hand at sintra hand formed and just didn't like it. I liked the thickness but it was such a pain to sand with all the dust it creates. Its REALLY messy.
is it okay to cut sintra with a band saw? or is a dremal better? does it wear down the cutters fast? i hope to be able to get my sintra tomarrow and start on it sat morn.! i cant wait!
i used a box cutter to score it then it just breaks right off. thats one way to do it.
isnt it easy to mess up when you do that?
I used a dremel and a box cutter. But i only used the box cutter for small areas like when i cut out the rectangle from the center diamond.
its called overkill. Secondly, sintra is known to emit toxic gas when heated...so when dremeling or cutting with something that causes a lot of friction and smoke = bad idea. Secondly, sintra is the BEST stuff in the world to cut with a box cutter. its better than ABS in my opinion and grabs so much better than styrene.
i think ill just have to try it and see
tOxIc gAS?
Time to wear my respirator...
A Dremel doesn't *cut* Sintra, it *melts* it. At least the fiberglass-reinforced cut-off wheels do...
On large pieces, I use the band saw attachment on my Shop Smith Mark V, and it does beautifully. Leaves lots of dust, just like when cutting PVC pipe (hmmm... wonder WHY...?)
If it's something small, I use a "utility knife" (aka "carpet knife"). Be careful if you go that route. You don't want to end up looking like Seeker!
no one would want that!
I used a band saw. It made the cleanest, quickest cuts. Of course, a dremel or cutter is better for very curved pieces.
yes to got maul you listen!
Got Maul wrote:
its called overkill. Secondly, sintra is known to emit toxic gas when heated...so when dremeling or cutting with something that causes a lot of friction and smoke = bad idea. Secondly, sintra is the BEST stuff in the world to cut with a box cutter. its better than ABS in my opinion and grabs so much better than styrene.
I used a jigsaw.
Believe it or not, I used an X-acto to cut out the shapes. I'd go over the shape lightly at first to create a path (for straight edges, move the X-acto along the edge of a ruler). I'd then go over it again several times, pressing a little harder each time. This way, there's no dust, no fumes, and less shaping with sandpaper is necessary.
I hate using the Dremel because all that dust it creates. You'll have to wear a respirator for sure. That dust also gets sucked into the Dremel, reducing its life span. Also, the cutting wheels tend to break up fairly easily, sending shrapnel flying in all directions. You'd best be wearing eye protection! 8)
Always!!Quote:Also, the cutting wheels tend to break up fairly easily, sending shrapnel flying in all directions. You'd best be wearing eye protection! 8)
I guess we aren't the only ones then.
Rammage wrote:
Believe it or not, I used an X-acto to cut out the shapes. I'd go over the shape lightly at first to create a path (for straight edges, move the X-acto along the edge of a ruler). I'd then go over it again several times, pressing a little harder each time. This way, there's no dust, no fumes, and less shaping with sandpaper is necessary.
Yeah, we used an exacto knife, and followed pretty much the same steps Rammage followed.
Also, we don't have a dremel so we just cut it with the x-acto. Didn't turn out too bad. Plus as Rammage said, not much cleanup.
I personally would recommend the olfa L1 cutting tool. It is very sharp, has snap off segmented blades, its strong, and will last you a lifetime. The snap off blades a re razor sharp
and when the cutting tip becomes dull you just snap off the 1/4 blade section and its sharp again.
http://www.olfa.com/products.asp?C=2
Cheers,
ST
Bondo is only a Brand name, it is also called "auto body filler" or "body filler" or "plastic body filler" if made by another manufacturer or labled under a different name brand....
Lynn
I think that some places call Sintra "expanding PVC signboard" but I'm not sure.
hi all
an often overlooked material that is light ,needs no catalyst ,bonds incredibly to styrene is PLASTIC WOOD ,a cellulouse based wood filler that will not crack off when dry ,can be sanded or used as a base for a finishing filler like p38 or other modelling/plumbing putty ....use all of these fillers in ventillated spaces........or 3 years from now you'll wake up one day and find youre living with a battledroid ....like i did :p
I work at a sign shop and we use SINTRA all the time.
Appolo_50 wrote:
I think that some places call Sintra "expanding PVC signboard" but I'm not sure.
When we say SINTRA to a customer they just stare at us
blankly, so we tell them it is "Expanded PVC Sign Board"
and they usually understand what it is we are telling them.
darksidedesign
I purchased a set of armor plates off ebay that are pristine (no battle damage) I've read that dremmeling sintra is bad for it, but to rather heat it like you would be shaping it to add the dents.
I'm wondering if any of you awesome prop builders have any suggestions as to what is the best thing to use for this. I was thinking about getting various sizes of ball bearings or marbles, I'm also thinking maybe RPG dice. With the dice I'm afraid that the sintra might stick or melt the die. Ball bearings I think might give too perfect of a dent (ie too symetrical).
Any thoughts on this?
All we did was we took a heatgun, heated the back of the piece of armor (be sure it's the back because it gives it a weird texture to the sintra). We just went around and found various sized metal objects and pressed them lightly in the armor and pushed until we got the desired affect.
Hope this helps.
I dremmelled my old sintra armour and it seemed OK. Creates a load of dust, though, so you'll need a mask and goggles.
And old clothes.
And a shower when you've finished!
What I did notice was that the revealed area seems more porous than the finished area, and soaked up quite a bit of primer before it looked even.
Try a little spot on the back somewhere and see how you get on.
Si
yeah the dremel with a round ball bit works good for the dents, and you can use a bit with a flat edge for any sratches.
When I needed to create any round dents I took a lighter and heated the sintra until it started to droop a little. Then I took a marble and pushed it to the desired depth. Make sure you let it cool for a second (run it under cold water) otherwise if you pull it out to quick it will fold over itself because it will still be too warm.
And WA-LAH, perfect blaster bolted dents.
Try searching for PVC FOAMBOARD. That is how I found it here in Iceland. No one knew what sintra was.
I did the lighter with a ball peen hammer, then run it under cold water to set it. Super easy!
The blurb on that page...
Appolo_50 wrote:
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/pro...+PVC+Cut+Sheet
I do believe that is where ya get it.... Although my links never work.
"Its characteristics include: foamed PVC sheet material that is approx half the weight of solid PVC; durable and hard wearing under many adverse conditions and resists most chemicals and water, with its porous interior and hard smooth surface"
Makes it sound like "Gatorboard" (Sintra/foam/Sintra sandwiched together) instead of "solid" Sintra (which is Sintra all the way through the board).
Has anyone ordered Sintra using this link, and if so, what type did you receive?
I'm in need of more Sintra, but my local supplier will no longer supply me with the small (and odd-sized) quantities my prop building requires, so I have to find a new place.
This is what I used for all of my armor although I know Seeker has used it and a different sintra and likes the other better than the sintra from US plastics.
My link above still works and that is how i found places near me that sold it.
I got the White Expanded PVC 24" x 48" .120" Thick for my armor. It worked out great.
here are my results
<img src=http://200.72.163.179/cdref/tdh/Armor/thighs.jpg>
<img src=http://200.72.163.179/cdref/tdh/Armor/legs.jpg>
<img src=http://200.72.163.179/cdref/tdh/Armor/sintraarmor.jpg>
<img src=http://200.72.163.179/cdref/tdh/Armor/sintraarmor1.jpg>
<img src=http://200.72.163.179/cdref/tdh/Armor/sintraarmor2.jpg>
<img src=http://200.72.163.179/cdref/tdh/Armor/sintraknees1.jpg>
<img src=http://200.72.163.179/cdref/tdh/Armor/sintraknees2.jpg>
<img src=http://200.72.163.179/cdref/tdh/Armor/sintraknees3.jpg>
I ordered some plastic from USP's website a week ago - to be specific, I ordered 2, 40"x70" sheets of .060" Styrene (for vacuforming) and 1, 24"x48" sheet of 2mm Sintra for thermoforming and miscellaneous prop and armor building.
After seeing an earlier picture of someone's (phantom viper?) package from USP that had been damaged by UPS in transit, I was a little nervous. At least I was confident that the sheets would be shipped FLAT and in "sheet" form.
Imagine my horror upon arriving home this afternoon to find this!(I opened the end to take the pic - it WAS taped shut, at least).
(the Sintra is on the inside, the Styrene is on the outside)
I *think* with some TLC and some moderate heat, I can make the sheets FLAT again. I find USP's packaging methods TOTALLY unacceptable. I need these sheets FLAT so that I can cut them and insert them into my vacuforming frames. If they are "warped", the frames will bow. NOT good.
Buyer beware!
That sucks! All mine was sent to me flat.
That does suck... My three sheets were sent flat as well.. The lady I dealt with from USP was great. Very helpfull, and everything came through fine. I am planning on getting some more from them soon, as I forgot to pack a sheet in my move to florida.
Cheers.
Erik
Looks like someone else got their shipment in a "flat box" (was that phantom viper?) as well in the past (though it arrived with a big hole in it). Maybe USP just doesn't like me?
*MY* box was approximately 10"x10"x48" and had 3 sheets of plastic rolled up inside it! I shudder to think what they would have done had the Sintra been 3mm or 4mm, or had the Styrene been any thicker.
I guess they do this is to lower shipping costs. I know UPS charges not only by weight, but by size as well. The more space it takes up on their truck, the more they charge because your package is taking up room that they could be using to haul someone else's package. Still, I'd rather pay MORE to get merchandise unharmed and in the form I expected it to be delivered in.
Oh well, enough of my ranting. Just be careful in the future if anyone orders from them... I'm going to see if Materiél Graphics is back to dealing with non-companies like they used to do.
Does having it rolled up warp Styrene? I know it's alittle different, but I need to know. My dad gets styrene sheets for me from his work(maintinance dept. hospital), but they've all been rolled up for storage.
Sure does... which sucks, 'cause i was justa bout to order a sheet from them.
Anybody know any other sources?
I would suggest that if you are wanting to order some sintra from them, that you just shoot them an e-mail and ask how they will ship it.. Like I said, they were great with me.. I had originally ordered the 48" X 48" size sheets, they got back with me and suggested that I would be better off going 24" X 48" as they would have had to ship the 48" X 48" by freight. That would have put about an extra $75 on to the tab.. Overall, great service.
But if you are wary you may want to try one of the following.. You may need to see if they can modify the sheet size to cut down on shipping..
http://tri-dee.com/sintra_plastic_pvc.htm
http://www.dipmetals.com/plastic2.htm#sintra
Hope this helps..
Erik
Mine is still "wavy", 2 days out of the box. I think some moderate heat to the Styrene with a sheet of plywood on top of it, followed by an elephant standing on the plywood SHOULD return it to its normal state.
elfextra1 wrote:
Does having it rolled up warp Styrene?
I'll be able to work with the wavy Styrene as long as its straight enough to fit in my frames. *That* was my main concern with it.
As far as the Sintra goes, that I'm a little more upset about. Often I thermoform Sintra, but sometimes I just need a good, straight piece for "project X", and now that Sintra is all bendy. Again, hopefully some heat and pressing will fix it. Whether it does or not, the point is, I shouldn't HAVE to "fix" new material that is shipped to me. It should be packaged and shipped appropriately so I can use it "out of the box". Having to fix new material due to inproper packaging is irritating to say the least.
As far as other online vendors go, I used to order from Materiél Graphics in Chicago. They'd send me a 1"x1" piece of Sintra, if I wanted it. GREAT customer service, great prices, and low shipping. Unfortunately, they decided to stop selling to individuals and only sell to companies now.
Toxic fumes? Great does anyone know the long term effect this will have on me? I need to invest in a good respirator. I have been warming the sintra with a heat gun and cutting it with a pair of sissors. ahhhhh the smell...No wonder I've been seeing things.
I'll definatly try the x-acto knife with my new set. I used the dremel in my dorm and their was white dust EVERYWHERE for three days!
Can anyone tell me an alternate name for sintra ( I live in the UK) as no one over hear seems to have heard of it. I know this has come up before but I will be damned if I can find the right thread.
SINTRA is a brand-name product of Alcan, and you can find their website here:
http://www.alusuisse-comp.com
The generic names for the material vary a little, and here are some common examples:
- expanded PVC foamboard
- expanded high-density rigid polyvinyl
- closed-cell expanded high-density polyvinylchloride
I don't know of any other brands that are the same exact material as Sintra, but maybe someone else can add that info.
If you need more info, here are some good threads:
http://tdh.prop-planet.com/viewtopic...forum=93249783
http://tdh.prop-planet.com/viewtopic...forum=93249783
Thanks mate. I owe you one!
No problem, carbonitekid! Glad I could help you out.
I used an X-acto knife set. I used an acute tip blade to score the shape (even round edges). I'd score it about 1/4 to 1/3 into the stuff, then use a bigger less acute tip (with the big handle in the set) to 'plow' through the scoring. Saves time, but you have to be extremely careful, because those knives can cut skin easier than sintra!
also know as kometex at the plastic place in dallas .
Foamex or Forex are the popular trade names in the UK i've found.
Whereabouts have you found it and at what cost please? (Also UK).
Find a local sign maker, they usually sell it at £2-£3 a square foot.
shagger999uk wrote:
Whereabouts have you found it and at what cost please? (Also UK).
Hope this helps.
From my experiance... I guess you can cut sintra with just about any blade you can find as long as you take it nice and slow. The first time i tried i was really excited to get started and messed all the peices up because i couldn't control the knife. But now i know better.
Haven't tried the dremel tool yet but i guess the same thing goes for it as well. Patiance is always the best tool when making your Fett armor!
Where is this plastic place in Dallas?
BH2372 wrote:
also know as kometex at the plastic place in dallas .
what thickness is normally used?
I use .120 witch is about 1/8". I think that is the standard for armor.
Fetthunter, I just saw this about yours being rolled up. That is weird. I always get mine in a flat box. Maybe someone screwed up. The only problem I have ever had with them is they sent me the wrong thickness once. But they sent me the right stuff and I got to keep the other stuff.
For straight cuts, I use a large-size X-Acto knife. For curves I use either a band saw or a scroll saw.
The dremel is one of the worst tools around. It does a few things really well, and a million things poorly.
it's at 35 and manana exit off of shady trail . i didn't know you where from tx. where at ?
When I went to U.S. Plastics, in Bridgeport, CT USA, the guys there said sintra is juat a brand name of a type of PVC plastic. I bought what they were selling, although it wasn't "SINTRA", it worked beautifully.
No wonder I have'nt been able to find this Sintra stuff !!
( I kept getting information about holidays in spain when I did searches )
So it's foam pvc sheeting then, handy to know
right now i subcontract with flooring companies to do base work (look around the floor in a big building) i score it first then break it off......this method i used for the sintra armor. this leaves....ridges which need to be trimmed down.....just make sure you don't trim your fingers too like i did!
anyone think making a scout armor set from sintra is possible? mainly the chest, not just with one piece, i mean multiple pieces put together.
It's possible but you'd need to use bondo or epoxy putty or something like that to smooth out the lines. (WARNING: I've had ZERO luck getting bondo to bond with sintra long term) I guess if some of the bondo seperates you could just superglue the hardened bondo to the sintra. Hmmmm......
thanks for the help. any bondo alternatives with sintra then?
Epoxy paste or putty are the better ones.
Everything that I've read says to use PVC to ABS...perhaps ABS to PVC I can never remember the correct order...same stuff regardless.....glue. I used it and have had ZERO problems having my sintra stay together. You can find it in the plumbing department. It sort of melts the two layers together. Stinks a lot though.....use in a well ventilated area.
I think he's looking for some sort of filler to make a sintra biker scout chest piece look like it's been vaccuformed.
Bondo should work but you'd have to scour the area pretty well to give it something to grip.
Yup, I would say its possible. I haven't had any real problems with bondo sticking to sintra. Although it would not be to hard to take off. I just make sure to sand the surface like crazy with large grit sand paper. and like Jodo said if it comes off super glue would work great. it wouldn't come off after that.
I have the most supreme method of all! (though it may have been mentioned before in this string - I just can't read it all). Go to FabricWorld or Jo-Ann's and get one of those cutting boards and a wheel blade fabric cutter. It is a cross between an exacto, a box-cutter and pizza slicer. It is an absolute frikkin' danger-fest while using it. Most likely, you will cut yourself when you get one...just make sure it is a minor cut. Good luck.
I've used several different methods but the cleanest, easiest and best method I've found is a scroll saw. Just like sewing...which makes if feel so comfortable for me. I'm lucky because my dad has a shop in his basement that is all ventilated and has a thing right about the saw that sucks out the fumes.
I used this, cuts right threw .160 sintra
http://www.store.yahoo.com/olfablades/5012.html
umm, I know this will sound stupid because it is in the must read section, but what is it, and what is the cost, and where can you buy it??
Just run a search and you will turn up many topics about it
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/pro...uct%5Fid=10461
http://www.tri-dee.com/PVC%20Plastic%20Sheets.htm
You can get it there, Sintra is an already expanded pvc material that comes in sheets, it will not shrink, or expand due to the elements. you can just about do anything with it you want to if you heat it up it can conform to a mold or a vacuform table, or just bend it with your hands into shape.
I think .120/3mm is the thinkness of choice because its easy to cut, the others are really to thin or to thick, I just noticed its not available though so I dunno. got a sign shop near you?
I might have a sign shop, one more question, do you have to make two separate mold of the object with it and then glue it together? Or can I just mold it over a sculpture?
You mean in a vaccuform? No need styrene for that. Not sure I understand what you mean though
You can 'mold' the sintra using heat, I prefer boiling water, but you can use a heat gun/hairdryer (fumes). It won't form over a mold, though. Maybe some of the thinner ones can.
Styrene is the stuff you want for that. I understand that come thicknesses you can just heat up with a hair dryer/heatgun over the 'mold' to shape it.
hey phantom billy, sent that acrylic out yet?
ohh, can I have a link to buy that...??
No..
Just kidding
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/pro...ookie%5Ftest=1
I posted this on the other boards for you to, guess you didnt see it. Er your the one making GG, right?
Btw you want .125 1/8 of an inch thick is the best to melt and easy to work with, have fun. My friend made a Judge Dredge costume outta that stuff it looked awesome, I got no pics of it though........ I will soon.
do I want the thinest one then?
um, no you want the .125 one its the 36 dollar one but i mean its a 46x96 inch sheet you can mold an intire stormtrooer armor from that big a sheet lol.
Hmmm as for sintra i to am also looking for this stuff. Any links to any suppliers who sell sintra in canada?
I get my plasic through a sign shop near by. It's like 1/2 the price of the industrial plastics shop I used to buy from. Most sign shops will carry sintra and styrene.
well, "I think I now know of a sign shop I can use.
Hmmm so this is my ubjective find a sign store.
I think it may be your best bet, but I'm a first time buyer too, I believe someone posted a link above, if your interested.
Hmmmm indeed i shall check it out thanks.
yep.
Well you can find a sign shop near you, but they might try and sell you a regular pvc sheet that is used behind the base of a sign to dispurse light calling it sintra and it really isnt. some of the non exspanded pvc material will not hold paint at all.
Unless they are 100% sure its Sintra, I wouldnt get it, that was the case with my sign shop.
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