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Friday, October 2, 2009

And then there was... foamcore!?!

So if you didn't know, I've finally graduated from college and started an awesome internship at Marvel.
But now that I have that and my part-time job tutoring @ school, I've ended up with free time in the evening.
So what do I do? I decide to recreate the apartment from Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends!
Yeah that apartment!



Yeah I know, I'm crazy but hey, other than collecting action figures, what else am I gonna do?
Besides it's fun to do research and learn how to do things like using a hot glue gun.
Another plus is that I 've got somewhere else to put all my awesome Marvel Universe figures other than Castle Grayskull.
Which looks a little out of place when you have characters like the Hulk just hanging out.
(Oh, just got another idea for another diorama! tee hee...)

So after acquiring episodes of the show and making screen caps I gathered enough information to make a floor plan.
After some more research I found a really awesome website for making dioramas: niubniubs universe.
This site is really useful as far as what and how to use the tools and materials required to make dios.

So I got some foamcore which is pretty cheap and decided to start with the couch.
I had some measurements done, but they were kinda off so I ended up kinda winging it.

You're going to need the following:




1 Glue stick - I use Elmers but any brand will do.

1 Foamcore - I get usually get a 20" x 30" piece which is more than enough for a couch. 3/16" is a good thickness.

1 metal ruler - to cut straight lines and make measurements. I recommend the type WITHOUT any cork on the bottom as this will give you a straighter cut than a ruler with cork. If you have one with cork, do yourself a favor and turn it upside down, so when you cut the foamcore the cork is facing you.

1 Hot glue gun and w/ glue sticks - You'll need this to hold together the foamcore pieces. I recommend you use the high heat setting if you have a gun with varying temperatures. If the glue is very hot it will be easier to fix any misalignment when placing your pieces together.

1 Hobby of X-Acto knife - You'll need a very sharp blade to cut the foamcore cleanly. It helps to have a few extra blades when you cut the foamboard and it starts fraying.

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First thing I did was cut the armrests for the couch. The foamcore I bought is 3/16" thick, so I cut 4 pieces and glued 2 pieces together with my glue stick.




Next I cut 2 strips of foamcore 6"W x 1 1/4"H. These will be the bottom half and seat of the couch. Glue them together from the back with your glue gun.






Next you'll want to glue the back in.Make sure you place the glue either on the edge of the piece that is the back or on the corner where the the 2 pieces meet.


Cut another piece of foamcore 6"W x 2"H. Make a line every 2" across so you know where to cut when cutting out the division of the back cushions. Glue and place you cushions, which are made from 2 pieces of foamcore glued together like the armrests, measuring 1" x 1.5" x 6/16".


And there you have it, a couch built for 3 3/4" figures. Spidey and friends say hi!