EVA foam is flexible and can be shaped in various ways.
The best method for bending EVA foam is using a heat gun to heat the EVA foam and bend it into shape. Once the foam has cooled down it will stay in its new shape. Alternatively, use a small piece of EVA foam and glue it to the inner side of the bend using glue. This will keep the foam in its bend shape.
You can read all of my other EVA foam guides right here if you want to learn more.
Using a Heat Gun to Bend EVA Foam
Using a heat gun is by far the easiest and fastest way to bend EVA foam.
1. Heat up the EVA Foam
To shape the EVA foam, start by heating the specific piece you want to bend. Keep the gun moving to avoid burning the foam in one area.
As the foam warms up, you’ll notice it becoming more pliable. Be careful to avoid burning yourself.
2. Bend the Foam
Once the EVA foam is warm and flexible, gently bend it into the desired form. Keep it in this shape until the foam cools down. Once cooled, the foam will retain its new bent shape.
Important to note here is that if you reheat the foam before sealing it, it may revert to its original shape. So ensure the foam is adequately sealed before applying heat again.
Using EVA Foam Pieces to Bend EVA Foam
This technique serves as a useful alternative for shaping EVA foam when a heat gun is not sufficient. I frequently use this approach when I encounter situations where the heat gun method falls short.
Simply cut a small piece of EVA foam and glue it to the inner side of the bend using glue.
But let’s go through the process step by step.
1. Cut a Piece of EVA Foam
Cut a piece of EVA foam to size so that it fits nicely on the inside of the piece that you want to bend.
2. Apply Contact Cement
Apply contact cement to both parts and let the glue dry to the touch.
You can learn more about gluing EVA foam, including what kind of glue to use, right here.
3. Bend the Foam Piece
Bend the part and hold it in the desired shape.
4. Glue the Parts Together
Slowly press the second part on the inside of the bend. This second part will adhere to the first part and keep it in its bend shape.
I highly recommend this method for helmets that simply don´t want to maintain their intended shape.
I used this method in my lantern build right here to force the middle part of the lantern into a round shape. The glued-in piece was later covered up by LEDs and some low-density LED foam.
How to Bend EVA Foam Without a Heat Gun?
The best way to bend EVA foam without a heat gun is by bending the foam and then gluing another piece of foam to the bent piece to keep it in its new shape. This works best by using contact cement as a glue and by gluing the second piece of foam to the inside of the bend.
You can follow the steps outlined above for this method.
Disclaimer: This article has been written with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its readability and grammatical accuracy. The content and information presented in this article are entirely original and originated from the author. The AI was used solely to rewrite certain sections of the article for the purpose of improving clarity and coherence, without altering the substance or meaning of the content.
