The misunderstanding of Scott foam

[Torarin]

I've seen alot of people referring to Scott Foam as "reticulated foam" and claiming it's what jhc use. I don't know how this rumor has been created but it's wrong. JHC use a polyurethane foam (polyfoam)produced by Scott Manufacturing Inc. It looks pretty much the same as soft foam. But the polyfoam Scott produce is of very high quality and is very light and durable. It's also very easy to carve. However, Scott also make a reticulated type of polyurethane foam, that is black, but that's a completely different type of foam, and is not of very much use in puppetmaking.

 

[Puppetplanet]

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah....... we've all heard that before! *wink* Just joking! Thanks for the tid-bit!

 

[Buck-Beaver]

This is true. Scott Foam and reticulated foam are not the same, but often confused. Scott Foam is a fairly high-end material and very expensive. Reticulated foam is a little cheaper (but still more than polyfoam usually) and commonly used to make filters for air conditioners and humidifiers. It's usually yellow and has a very corse feel to it.

Most people prefer these materials to polyfoam (regular foam) because they are more durable and hold their shape better, among other things.

 

[Torarin]

Er, i'm not sure what you mean by that, theres not "one" Scott foam, and reticulated foam could very well be used to describe one type of scott foam. It's just not what JHC use.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

I don't recall the exact name of the foam JHC (and others) use but it's what most people are talking about when they mention "Scott Foam." Scott does make a variety of foams though.

Does anyone know the ~actual~ name of the foam we're talking about?

 

[Torarin]

It's one of the polyurethane foams, either the polyester or polyether variation

 

[Buck-Beaver]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe that there is another specific brand name it is sold under.