Prop Bodies - Best Material for Haunted Attractions?
I've recently become interested in attempting to cast some full sized body props for a haunted attraction. Initially, I had planned to create these bodies using an epoxy resin mold, brushing in a silicone skin, and backing with a urethane foam core.
When I attended a haunt convention, I was surprised to find that the vast majority of the bodies appeared to be cast out of dense self-skinning flexible urethane foam or even rigid foams. After some reconsideration, I think this may be a better approach, seeing how easy it is to paint these foams as opposed to silicone or urethane skin, their durability, and I feel their detail is satisfactory for haunted houses.
While doing some research, it appears that almost every full body manufacturer uses epoxy resin/fiberglass molds for this. For smaller props, I would typically cast urethane foams into silicone molds for their ease of release, especially when dealing with very dense urethane foams where more complex shapes like hands and feet might be difficult to demold in a rigid mold without tearing. Additionally, I'm not keen on casting such sticky foams into epoxy molds, simply because it's such a headache if not released properly - especially for a cast of this size.
While doing some research, it appears that almost every full body manufacturer uses epoxy resin/fiberglass molds for this. For smaller props, I would typically cast urethane foams into silicone molds for their ease of release, especially when dealing with very dense urethane foams where more complex shapes like hands and feet might be difficult to demold in a rigid mold without tearing. Additionally, I'm not keen on casting such sticky foams into epoxy molds, simply because it's such a headache if not released properly - especially for a cast of this size.
I feel I could achieve similar results by making a large silicone matrix mold with a resin mother, if constructed properly. The ease of release and simply because I find them to be easier to make than fiberglass makes a silicone mold more appealing. However, since epoxy resin molds are so much more popular, I'm sure there are other considerations I'm neglecting to make.
Would anyone here have experience in making urethane foam bodies that could provide me more insight? Lastly, would anyone know what product would be most appropriate for constructing bodies such as these? (I.e. which brands and density of flexible or rigid foam you would reccomend)
I've attached some examples of the molds that I've seen used and the bodies I saw at the convention for reference.
Thank you all!
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/Chris