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WeCutFoam is very excited to have been a part of the fabricators teams for the newly opened Ice Cream Museum in San Francisco, creating the ground structures for the "Candy Land" Room. We machined over 100 large EPS foam pieces to create the play ground structures, then hand sanded them. We started out with a sketch file given to us by the museum designers. We then turned it into a 3D CAD file to be able to use our CNC router machines to cut the foam shapes. We used five different CNC routers, with a total of about 300 machining hours. We transported the pieces to the museum, glued them together on spot and assembled them. We then sprayed hard coating Polyurea using our Graco E-10 Reactor. The coating used was hard, yet elastic so that the visitors will be able to step on the structure, thus creating an interactive exhibit. The museum team then covered all hard coated structures with pink turf fake grass and fiberglass figures were placed on top. The room exhibit was created in the spirit of Candy Land children game, therefor the walls were painted colorful and the fiberglass props were gummy bears, lollipops and candies. The end result is a Candy Land themed room, where visitors can walk on, play and take pictures aside the props and fiberglass figures. The room decoration that we fabricated is one of many interactive rooms at the Museum. Others include ice cream tasting, letters magnet room, unicorn rainbow room, sprinkles “diving” pool and many more. In this place you can see, feel, touch, smell and taste the flavors. The museum designers and founders meant to create a place where ideas and dreams are transformed into real life experiences to facilitate imagination and bring people together. To see more of our foam cutting and machining projects, visit our website http://www.wecutfoam.com To Visit the Ice Cream Museum Web Site go to https://www.museumoficecream.com/san-francisco/ #props #customprops #museumexhibit #museumexhibits #museumoficecream #museumdecor #foamdecor #foamexhibits #interactiveexhibits #sanfranciscomuseums #exhibitfabriction #EPS #CandyLand #playground #hardcoating #polyurea #themedenvironments #CNC #CNCrouter #coating #artmuseumexhibit #3Dprop #fabricate #fabrication #exhibition #foamcutting #foammachining #foamprops #machining

What is TED and TEDx Events? TED are a local gathering where live talks and videos take place in front of an audience and conferences, shared with the community. TEDx are previously recorded talk and videos of TED. The content and design of each TEDx event is unique and developed independently. We start by receiving a CAD file (drawing file) from our customer We feed that file into our computer connected to our CNC hot wire foam cutter. The computer will tell the machine how to cut using 2 different software: One will generate the GCode for drawing the shape required, the other will operate the machine itself. Next, our CNC hot wire foam cutter will cut the letters individually. We use EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) which is easy to work with for letters, signs, logo's, displays, props and exhibits. This foam comes in different densities. The higher the density, the smoother is the foam (but also more expensive) and in higher densities you see less of the beaded foam texture. We make the depth of the letters thick enough so that they will be stand alone to be standing on the stage, or we attach a foam base at the bottom of the letters and glue the letters onto the base. We sand the foam letters, then we paint them. We use specific Pantone paint colors that are a requirement for those letters. For TEDx Signs, we glue the "X" to a piece of acrylic which we connect to the back of the letter "D". The acrylic is transparent and creates the sense of the "X" floating in the air. #bigfoamletters #styrofoam #foamcutter #foam #hotwirefoamcutting #foamcutting #foamletters #largeletters #stageletters #TED #TEDx #TEDletters #TEDxletters #CNC #sign #logo #logosign #signs #CADfile #conferenceletters #EPS #styrofoamcutting

WeCutFoam has fabricated a Sintra PVC Logo Sign for Cafe Stop, a newly opened Coffee Shop in Sunnyvale, CA. What is Sintra? It is a lightweight yet rigid board of closed-cell polyvinyl chloride (PVC) expanded cell sheet, with low gloss matte finish. The material is strong and durable and is great for exhibits and signage both indoors and outdoors. We were happy to to be taking part in Cafe Stop coming to life - with the fabrication of three signs to be mounted on 3 sides of their new shop. We used our CNC router to machine the Sintra PVC signs, but we created it as mirror, machined from back to front. The Sintra was placed on the CNC router bed, the letters were routed out backwards. This is done in order to be able to drill the mounting holes in the back side of the letters. The mounting holes were also drilled on the CNC router to 1/2". Once each sign was made, we painted the sides of each letter in grey in order to give the signs a 3D effect. Cafe Stop (owned by Falafel Stop owners next door) is meant to serve organic solution to the nearby school students, faculty, employees and all customers, serving healthy organic breakfast, food and bakery throughout all day. To see more projects visit our Facebook Page WeCutFoam and our Instagram Page #sintra #logo #letters #foamletters #bigfoamletters #storelogo #pvcsign #logosign #foammachining #cnc #cncroute #outdoorsign #fabrication #restaurantprop #prop #foamprop #signage

We had fun recently creating some props for Cucina Bambini restaurant. Late last year the customer requested a Chef figure, Rolling Pin, Pizza Slice and some Cup Cakes. They provided us with the CAD 3D files, we took it from there. We used 2lbs EPS foam for all props. We machined them on our CNC router. Some were created in layers since they were too big or too thick to be made in one section. All props were patched to make them smooth, sanded, hard coated and painted. We machined the Chef 4ft high. First the head, then the torso and legs then the arms. We then glued all parts together. We hard coated it with Polyurea, sanded and handed it to our talented artist Paul Gonzalez. Here is the prop as raw material prior to coating and painting Here it is all painted and happy We machined the pizza slice at 6ft high and 5ft wide. The pizza was machined with the food pieces on it in one piece. It was then hard coated and painted The cupcakes were machined at 3ft high and 3ft depth, made in 3 layers glued together. They are flat on the back so that they could be mounted to the wall. They as well were hard coated, sanded and painted by our talented artist Julio Pardo And here is a 2ft long Rolling Pin. Painted to resemble wood To see some of our foam cutting and machining projects visit our website www.wecutfoam.com Visit our artist's website Paul Gonzalez Studio #foam #foamprop #foammachining #machining #polyurea #coating #hardcoating #sculpture #foamsculpture #foamstatue #toolingfoam #customfoamprops #customprops #EvelKnievel #highdensityfoam #CNC #CNCrouter #router #5axisrouter #5axis #bronzepainting #restaurantprop #Cucina #CucinaBambini #restaurantprops

At the end of September we were contacted by a customer who wanted to produce a 6' tall Evel Knievel statue for a restaurant. The prop was to resemble a bronze statue, yet foam is much cheaper and lighter, hence easier to handle. The customer supplied us with a 3D CAD file as a reference We used high density polyurethane foam which we machined on a 5 Axis CNC router machine. We machined the statue parts separately - The head, then the torso, 2 hands with a helmet, 2 legs and the base. Then, we glued all the parts together to create the whole statue. We inserted rods through the legs and all the way to the torso. We also inserted a rod connecting between the legs and the base. These rods will serve as support to make the statue stronger. Next, we hand sanded to make sure the statue is smooth and all details are showing. We then coated it with Polyurea hard coat which serves as a great protective layer. For applying the hard coat we used a Graco reactor spray system. The hard coat material resembles plastic and is durable on any foam project for life. It is great for multiple use projects, protecting from water damage, humidity, sun and corrosion damages. Our very talented artist Paul prepped and primed the sculpture so that the paint would stick well to the Polyurea coating. Once the piece was painted, it showed the spots that needed some extra sanding. After sanding we primed the areas one more time. Now we were ready for the paint. We used the "Modern Masters Metallic" Faux Bronze paint to get as close as possible to a bronze finish. Paul used three different colors : A highlight - for brightness A mid tone - for the main body A dark tone - for the inner areas. We used soft bristle brush that laid the paint evenly per application. this is important so that the metal paint would lay nicely covering any texture. On top of the paint we applied a clear coating as a final touch up. Lots of effort goes into painting a piece like that, the key is paying attention to details and using the right tools and combinations. The result - A stunning 6ft Bronze-like statue foam prop. Can you tell it's made of foam and not bronze??? To see some of our foam cutting and machining projects visit our website www.wecutfoam.com Visit our artist's website Paul Gonzalez Studio #foam #foamprop #foammachining #machining #polyurethane #polyurea #coating #hardcoating #sculpture #foamsculpture #statue #foamstatue #toolingfoam #customfoamprops #customprops #EvelKnievel #highdensityfoam #CNC #CNCrouter #router #5axisrouter #5axis #bronzepainting #restaurantprop

Beginning of 2016, we collaborated with Kevin Daly Architects to fabricate some of the props, backdrops, settings and decor for the Oscar de la Renta Exhibit at de Young Museum in San Francisco. The Exhibition called "The Retrospective" ran from March 12-May 30, 2016, and was created to pay a tribute to the renowned fashion icon, celebrating his career and achievements. More than 130 ensembles which were produced by de la Renta House over 50 years were exhibited paying tribute to the well renowned influential fashion icon. We created building platforms for furniture props and mannequins, mostly settings and background, with NY as a theme. All parts were made of styrofoam - We machined the parts with our CNC routers as well as cut them using our CNC hot wire foam cutters, then coated the parts and painted it. Here is the 24 ft tall Styrofoam replica of NY Chrysler Building we fabricated. Since it was so tall, we created it in sections, glued them together and sanded it all. We also glued vinyl windows to the building prop to create the realistic resemblance to the original building. We Cut and machined 20 ft large scale foam frames for paintings and 12ft tall mirrors then coated them with hard coat Polyurea We also created large scale wall backdrops and a 16 ft long baluster For coating all foam props we used a Graco reactor spray system. The coating we used was a fire retardant Polyurea hard coat. This material resembles plastic and is durable on any foam project for life.It is great for multiple use projects, protecting from water damage, humidity, sun and corrosion damages. Here is the baluster, mirrors and backdrops all coated and painted serving as a nice setting and add on to the gorgeous mannequins and gowns To see more of our foam cutting and machining projects, visit our website http://www.wecutfoam.com To learn more about the Oscar de la Renta "The Retrospective" Exhibition visit de Young Museum Blog or click here #OscardelaRenta #decor #foam #foamprop #customfoamprops #exhibition #fabricate #fashion #fashionicon #CNC #foamcutter #hotwirefoamcutter #CNCrouter #mannequins #styrofoam #Chryslerbuilding #coating #backdrops #TheRetrospective

The Berkley Art Museum project took 3 month from start to finish, With more than 160 pieces, most 8' in length. We started out with over 100 blocks of EPS 1LB foam and lots of plywood We cut the blocks of foam into modules shapes using our CNC hot wire foam cutter We covered each piece with 1/8" plywood on both sides and 1/4" wiggle wood from the top Each piece of module (covered with the plywodd) was primed then painted bright orange All pieces were glued and mounted to one another, then we glued anti slip pads onto each unit All module pieces were installed at Berkeley Art Museum and electric sockets were added to them to enable visitors to hook up their laptops The end result is an interactive Living Art, "serving as a site for rest, relaxation, and study, as well as a platform for the experience of live performance and multimedia events". Fabricator - WeCutFoam www.wecutfoam.com 1248 Birchwood Drive Sunnyvale, CA 94089 T 408 454 6163 sales@wecutfoam.com Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/wecutfoam Visit us on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/foamlinx Our Twitter Link http://twitter.com/We_Cut_Foam We are on Pinterest as well http://www.pinterest.com/foamcuttings Architect - Thom Faulders FAULDERS STUDIO www.faulders-studio.com 1571 Ninth Street Berkeley, CA 94710 USA T 510.693.0013 Click here for Thom Faulders' BamScape Link #Berkeleyartmuseum #museumexhibit #machining #foammacining #foam #CNC #hotwire #foamcutting #fabricate #EPS #polystyrene #coating #BAM #artmuseumexhibit

How we fabricated the X-Wing Star Wars Fighter Spaceship A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... We wanted to create a 3D prop using a simple 2D machine. We used our FCX848 CNC Hot Wire Foam Cutter (our 2 blocks machine), which is used for creating two dimensional projects. Using 2lbs EPS foam, we cut all pieces separately, then glued them using epoxy glue. The result is 3D Prop that looks as if it was machined with a CNC router, yet was created by pieces cut on the CNC hot wire foam cutter - A 2D Machine. Next step - We will coat the fighter with Polyurea hard coat and paint it. Here is how it will look like once done. Next on our list of projects - We will create the Star Wars TieFighter #StarWars #fabricate #XWing #prop #foam #foamprop #hotwirecutting #foamcutting #starwarsprop #3D #3Dprop #EPS #CNCfoamcutting #customfoamprops

You created a dimensional foam logo sign, a beautiful foam sculpture, or a magnificent EPS prop. Now, how do you protect it so that it will not break or be ruined after all your hard work? Easy answered – you coat it. You can spray the coating or hand brush it using different types of materials, such as epoxy, resin, polyurethane or Polyurea. Which one you will end up using depends on many factors, such as – Is it for indoor or outdoor use, will people touch it? Do you need to move it from one place to another? Is this a one time project or is it for multiple uses? Do you need it to last a life time? I want to go over some details here pertaining to a hard-shell coat called Polyurea, a coating that we like to use on our foam creations. Polyurea is a coating that can be used on any foam props, signs and projects. It protects the foam shape from weather, water, sun, and humidity, age and break damage. The Polyurea coating combines high flexibility and durability with high hardness and is fast drying. It can be sanded to a smooth finish and can then be painted with any type of paint – water-base paint, including latex or any oil-based paint, as well as automotive paint. It dries in minutes, providing a tough chemical and abrasion resistant coating. Polyurea will not provoke blistering and blistering will not occur even at extreme temperatures or in humid environment. It will also resist yellowing from ultra violet light exposure. Since the Polyurea dries very fast, it requires fast and efficient mixing and spraying techniques, thus, spraying a large foam piece with a spray gun is the smartest application method. Since the Polyurea dries very fast, it requires fast and efficient mixing and spraying techniques, thus, spraying a large foam piece with a spray gun is the smartest application method. Without coating, any foam is exposed to dangers of being damaged by sun, wind, humidity and corrosion or being broken. A foam sign, for example, can break anywhere between the packaging, the shipping, the handling and the installation phase. However, with Polyurea coating, the sign thrown to the ground or tossed from one place to another will not break. The Polyurea coating is non-toxic and is completely safe for use. Any type of foam can be sprayed, from rigid foam to soft polyurethane foam. When spraying the foam with this coating, a smooth or a textured finish can be applied – according to the customer needs. The Polyurea coating has many advantages, some of them include: High curing speed, protection from conditions of humidity, heat, cold and sun, extreme abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, good adhesion to the material it is sprayed on and unlimited application thickness. The Polyurea can be coated on any foam project; from signs, letters, logos and props, to prototypes, crown moldings, concrete molds and more. For smaller foam shapes you can hand-brush it or use a small spray gun with cartridges. For large projects it is recommended to use a large spray system, such as Graco-100.It is the same spray gun you would use to spray insulation in roofs. It is a heavy-duty gun which you will have to clean right after you finish using it, or else the material will be clogged inside preventing you from using it again. This spray system is also very useful for coating garage floors and even hangar floors for airplanes. There are other types of coatings that can be sprayed or coated on foam, such as adhesive glue, epoxy, and more; However, the polyurea spray coating is about 100 times stronger. After applying the Polyurea coating, the coated foam can then be sanded to any desirable finish, painted and even bonded to a surface, such as plywood. #props #customprops #foamprops #machining #foammachining #museumexhibits #coating #polyurea #hotwirefoamcutting #customfoamprops

We love creating custom foam prop for any type of industry. We fabricate theaters and movie sets props, theme parks props and decor, parade floats, rade show props, museum displays, foam sculptures, props for weddings and other events, miniature golf props, paintball and laser tags facilities props - only naming a few. Most of our customers prefer the use of foam for the props, however, we also use other types of materials, such as acrylics, wood, light metals and more. We machine our props using our 3 and 4 axis routers, then we sand them, coat them and paint over them. We also carve them manually if needed to facilitate aesthetic and attractive appearance and to make it look "alive". Since we create very large scale props, we can machine them in sections and glue the pieces together to create the full scale end version. Our props can be 100 feet wide and more. In 2009 WeCutFoam and Foamlinx created the Berkeley Art Museum Exhibit called BamScape - We created over 50 modern wave-like seats by machining high density EPS foam, covering it with plywood and painting it. The result was an interactive exhibit where the students and guests can relax, read, and do their homework. In 2010 we created a full scale 1937 Renault Truck replica prop for a museum. We began by scanning a small truck in our 3D printer to create a 3D CAD file, machined it in sections with our CNC router, glued the parts together and sanded it. Then we sprayed it with our polyurea hard coat and painted it. Lastly, we glued all the small parts such as the wheel, headlights, etc. In 2013 we fabricated decorations and settings for a celebrity wedding in Big Sur, CA. We created a 60ft wide castle ruins made of 6 walls sections, a 12ft tall Celtic hand-carved cross, Roman sculptures, dragons, planters and different types of setting, all large scale. #props #customprops #foamprops #machining #foammachining #museumexhibits #coating #polyurea #hotwirefoamcutting #customfoamprops #lifesizeprops

Here is an exhibit that we have created for the Exploratorium Museum and the City of San Francisco. It is called “Whispering Dishes”, San Francisco’s first Living Innovation Zone, also known as LIZ. This exhibit is one of ten new Living Innovation Zones Exhibits that the City of San Francisco is planning on placing on the sidewalks, to serve as new dynamic and interactive public spaces. Those exhibits will connect visitors, innovators and the City of San Francisco to facilitate visitor’s exploration and hands on science and technology, while revitalizing the city. This first LIZ exhibit, which we took part in its fabrication, was placed on Market Street, next to Yerba Buena, and was launched October 29, 2013. Living innovation Zones Link We machined the “dishes” from high density Expanded Polystyrene foam (EPS) using our CNC router. Each dish was 9ft tall. The project was made in five layers. Each layer was 7” thick. We machined (milled) both the top and the bottom of the dishes. To finalize the foam cutting and machining stage, all layers were glued to one another to create the full display. We made 3" holes to secure the two sides of the concrete that was to be put on top of the foam. The foam was then sent to Concrete Concepts & Design, in Richmond, CA owned by Mr. Heriberto Esquivel. Heriberto sprayed concrete on top of the foam, making each layer of concrete 3" thick. Once the concrete hardened and dried - the exhibit design was ready to be transported to the display site on Market street The end product is two 9 foot tall dishes facing each other, being 50 feet apart, with standing geometric layers between them. The structure is made so that people standing on each side of the dishes, whispering will be able to hear each other, even with the heavy street noise. This was a very interesting and unique project for us and we were thrilled to be part of something so modern and innovative. This was one of the more fun projects we have had the pleasure of creating. It was also great working with Mr. Jesse Marsh from the Exploratorium and with Mr. Heriberto Esquivel to see how it all came together in a collaborated effort. See Exploratorium Link to Installation #props #customprops #foamprops #whisperingdishes #exploratorium #liz #livinginnovationzone #exploratoriumexhibit #machining #foammachining #museumexhibits #coating

In the summer of 2001 Tal, a Silicon Valley resident, was working as an application engineer, creating one of the first chips for MP3 music player devices. He loved his job but was looking for an opportunity to share his creativity and skills with others. He's always had the “entrepreneur rush” in him - His dad has been developing medical 3D printers and other devices for over 50 years and Tal was always on his side learning from him and assisting him. Tal started working as a company employee since his 20’s, but always wanted to be his own boss working on his own ideas. One of his hobbies was flying RC planes and so he used to go to local parks flying RC planes and helicopters with his boys. Tal was thinking of ways he could cut those wings of the planes smoothly and accurately, as these were not straight shapes, He went home and started researching. He found out that all these RC models were made of foam, a material that enables the models to be lighter yet stronger. He started working in the garage developing his first foam cutter. It was a very simple user-friendly machine that would be able to cut various types of foam. He basically worked around the clock, keeping his engineering day job and working enthusiastically on his new “invention” over nights and weekends. The machine he developed was a CNC hot wire foam cutter, meaning it was controlled by a computer fed with a drawing file of the shape to be cut and using a wire that melts the foam in advance of contact. Upon completion of his first foam cutter prototype he put it for sale on eBay. He did not expect much as he was yet to learn about this market, only to find out that there was a great demand for this product. The machine was sold as a prototype within hours. But Tal was still not ready to make this his entire world. He decided at this point that he wanted to share his creation and his knowledge with other RC flyers enthusiasts and so he created 8Linx – a free and friendly website helping visitors create their own CNC hot wire foam cutting machines, using simple parts found in any hardware store. He even put his idea on “Instractables” – DIY How to Make website. Instructibel - Do It Yourself Tal continued developing and improving his foam cutters, manufacturing different sizes, creating specific machines to cut 2D and also 3D shapes. His wife says the garage as well as parts of the house were filled with foam pieces and bids, but she came to terms with it understanding that he found his passion and was infatuated by the foam world. Tal collaborated with his father who was working in China at that time, and together they have designed a new line of foam cutters. The garage, which was a great starting point, was now becoming too small to accommodate the machines. Tal rented a small warehouse in Sunnyvale and created Foamlinx. He discovered that almost endless numbers of industries were buying his machines; architects, sign shops, construction and building companies, museums, packaging companies, research facilities, universities and academic institutes, to name only a few. Turns out that there are so many products around us that are made of foam, and the demand for Foamlinx’s foam cutters grew bigger every day. In summer 2006, as the space became too small for the company, Tal decided to take a leap. At a stage where the economy was not doing so great he took a risk and quit his paying engineering job. He then decided to move again, this time to an even larger facility in Sunnyvale to be a home for his large foam cutters and routers, some a large as 10ft and more, occupying a room of its own. With his wife joining him at the company, Foamlinx became an LLC, employing personnel with engineering background as well as artistic abilities. Tal then noticed that apart from a need for the machines there is a vast demand for foam cutting services; and so, WeCutFoam, a subsidiary of Foamlinx was born. Under WeCutFoam he started creating anything from foam - custom props for amusement parks, weddings, events, museum exhibits and trade shows, packaging and tooling cases, dimensional signs, letters, logos, prototypes, foam sculptures, art work and any project made of foam; all using Foamlinx machinery. Tal keeps “feeling the market and its needs” and so he is constantly adding more services and products, including coating, carving, artistic painting, 3D printing and scanning, machining and laser cutting. Some of the company’s larger projects included the creation of BAMScape – Berkeley Art Museum interactive exhibit,props, sets and background created for Sean Parker’s Wedding, fabricating the Whispering Dishes Live Zone exhibit for the Exploratorium and the City of San Francisco, creating logo signs for Disney stores, Pixar, DreamWorks, CBS, Ted Conferences, eBay and many more. ome of the largest most successful companies today have made their humble small start in their garages. Amazon, founded as a book store by Jeff Bezos operating from a garage in Washington. Apple, started by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak sold their first computers from a garage in Cupertino, CA. Disney started in his house garage in Anaheim. Google, Harley Davidson, Hewlett-Packard and many more all started at a small garage. A company is not built to succeed in one day. It is a long, gradual and patient process. As one might say “It is not where you start, it’s where you end up and the road that took you there." The company has come a long way from a prototype made in a garage to a company selling its products world-wide. Foamlinx machines are currently used in construction, architecture, fine arts, packaging, sign shops, museums, universities, research, UAV, aerospace, aeronautics, hobby shops, movie sets, theaters and more. Tal and his team members are dedicated to keep expanding and developing new tools and services, not for a greed of money, but because at Foamlinx we truly enjoy and love what we do and we also believe in giving back to our community. We often participate in sponsored events, such as Formula SAE Competitions, ASCE Concrete Canoe Competitions between universities, school events and many more. Tal and his team will continue to put every effort and their innate abilities into manufacturing high quality machinery and foam props and helping companies world-wide build a better tomorrow. #cnc #hotwire #foamcutting #cnchotwirefoamcutting #hotwirefoamcutter #cncrouter #machining #coating #props #customprops #foamprops