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IaSpanky

foam for bodies?

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I have looked at a couple of patterns for "foam body" hoppers, and crickets all have talked about using sheet foam cut down to size. Is the foam similar to what kids might use to make small craft projects? something like this

http://www.michaels.com/Creatology%E2%84%A2-Foam-Sheets/gc1328,default,pd.html or does it need to be something special. The link maybe a poor example.

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Yes, many people here use similar foam from the various craft outlets. WalMart has a package of 50 sheets 5.5 by 8.5 assortment includes 11 colors. Its a little denser than some of the foam sold by fly tying shops, and it can be cut with the thread just a little easier, but it works fine for almost any pattern that calls for a foam body.

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Yes most 2mm foam will work, I use a wheeled paper cutter to cut my strips the size from the shank to the tip of the hook.

 

P.S. Also theres a very good book by Skip Morris, Tying Foam Flies, in the book he talks about alot of different foam materials to use.

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I will second skips book. But i use craft store foam with no adverse affects. The trick to no cutting the foam with your thread is to use a gentle first wrap and bear down on the subsequent wraps. Exacto knives and metal rulers work great. But if you have the room an old fashioned school paper cutter works awesome. Fishy fullum talks all about foam in his books and craft store foam is basically all he uses.

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You can find this type foam ("Fun Foam") up to 5mm thick in sheets, and thicker if you get the "Door Hangers" that are to be found in the craft stores. You can also glue as many sheets together as you desire to produce all kinds of colored "layered cakes" from which to cut your bodies. I prefer, and highly recommend,one of the 'contact' glues (Pliobond, Barge's Cement, Weldwood Contact Cement) as they remain flexible.

 

The attached photos are examples of what one can do by gluing different colors together.

 

HAVE FUN!

Frank

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post-8431-0-25053100-1347544327_thumb.jpg

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Craft foam hints:

1) 2mm and 3mm foam available at Michaels, Hobby Lobby and JoAnn's or various on-line sites in 9x12 or 6x9

2) 1.5mm foam (limited colors) is available from Dollar Tree in 6x9

3) 6mm foam is available at craftsuppliesforless.com

4/ 2mm is available in sticky back

 

A standard paper cutter works perfectly for cutting foam. It works better on 2mm and 3mm than on 6mm.

Fiskars scissors (8") from Office Depot work well on all sizes.

 

Two sticky back sheets placed sticky to sticky make a permanent 4mm foam (in whatever color combinations you want).

 

Use any variety of CA glue (Loctite, Super Glue, etc) to adhere foam to foam. My preference is brush on bottles because it can be applied more accurately.

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To glue pieces of foam together, 3M contact cement works well. It can also be applied thick enough to leave a yellow stripe between the colors of foam.

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Here's a foam Morrish Hopper made from craft foam.

 

MorrishHopper.png

 

You glue the sheets together with 3M 77 Spray Adhesive. Every one who works with foam should get a can. You can make whatever thickness you want and layer different colors.

 

780472ed-57bd-4981-84e5-0ba6b4eba9e8aspect.jpg

 

Pattern below:

 

http://hopperfishing.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/how-to-tie-the-morrishs-hopper/

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I make my poppers from flip-plops I get at the dollar store. I put a hole punch (from Harbor Freight) in a drill press, turn it on and start making popper bodies. I then follow the "Krebs popper" method of shaping and construction.

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I don't have a drill press so I use a set of nesting "cork borers" that I bought on ebay. A good set can cost you $$$ but a used set or the ones from India are cheap. You bore out a cylinder by hand from foam.

 

CorkBorer.jpg

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brass-Cork-Rubber-Stopper-Borer-Set-lab-glass-top-/290776255735?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43b39d8cf7

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A source for big chunks of foam can be found at your local body shop/collision center. the foam comes on a lot of hoods and body panels to protect the corners in shipment. i have it in a rainbow of colors, even olive. punching out cylinders will produce enough material to tie way too many foam bodies than you will ever use, but this is an obsession we all suffer from...

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