This is the first roll of foam I ever got, and it is also the worst foam I own. This FBR is very soft--a glue gun melts this foam down incredibly easy. This makes it pretty hard to make consistent Stefans. It fits perfectly in CPVC, but the darts shrivel up pretty quickly and don't last very long at all. Although ridiculously cheap, avoid this foam at all costs.
This beige foam is a great deal if you want decent foam for ridiculously cheap prices. It is much denser than the BestMaterials grey foam and is better in every way. It has a perfect fit in .53'' ID polyethylene tubing and a slightly tight fit in CPVC. You can buy it in foot-long lengths and up, which is also nice. However, I only settle for the best, so this cheap foam is best left for kids on a budget.
This was the foam that made me realize that foam mattered. When you get tired of drab-colored darts, there's no better pick-me-up than Mod Man's red! This foam is extremely close in quality to the LogHomeStore white foam, but seems slightly less dense when pinched. The cells are slightly larger as well. Overall, at 30 cents per foot, this quality of this foam is pretty damn good. I would say that this foam is a great choice for those on a budget who want an easy-to-find dart. It fits PETG perfectly, but is a tight fit in CPVC.
I was extremely surprised by the quality of this seemingly random internet foam. A fellow Nerfer suggested that this might be the same as the "Swift foam" that I purchased off ebay, but now I know for sure that it isn't! It is slightly less dense, the cells are slightly larger, and the surface patterning is different. It has the same exact fit as Mod Man's red. Although expensive, the quality of this foam is superb. Unfortunately, there are no price breaks for bulk orders of this stuff.
Here it is, folks--the cream of the crop. I don't know if I'll ever have a chance to buy this stuff again, since I've only seen it once on ebay. Though I payed a hefty price for this foam, it outclasses everything else I've ever used. This foam is very fat--it has a perfect fit in 9/16'' brass. I ended up stretching mine to the same diameter as the LHS white and Mod Man's red to be more universally compatible. It is rock-hard compresses very little when fired, allowing for less energy loss through dart compression. I don't know if I'll ever find foam like this ever again :(
Conclusion:
If you want to pay the absolute minimum amount of money for decent foam, go with the beige Hot Rod foam from BestMaterials. If you are looking for better quality foam that is moderately priced and looks great, go with Mod Man's red foam. Send him a PM on Nerfhaven.com if you're interested. If you want the best of the best and don't mind paying an arm and a leg, track down some Swift foam or swing by LogHomeStore.com for some of their white. And who knows--maybe there's some foam out there somewhere on planet Earth that is even denser than the legendary Swift foam!
Wow, great job! Many people needed a post like this!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, thanks a ton!
ReplyDeleteHave you ever tested out the McMaster gray foam? And if so, how good is it? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi there,
DeletePeople on the Nerfhaven forums seem to staunchly oppose Mcmaster foam, so I haven't tried it. Upon browsing their site, it seems like they only have 3/8'' and 5/8'' backer rod, which isn't what we desire. Also, the shortest roll is 100', which is humongous. I would definitely look elsewhere!
when i was at a war i saw some green foam slugs. i stole a few and the y worked amazingly.
ReplyDeletebut that was a. long time ago and i lost them and im not sure if he made it or he got it from some were.