We were commissioned by Cameron Advertising to fabricate custom foam cubes for The Price Is Right, this time producing 5 inch cubes with a fully solid foam core.
The process began with a custom cube that was 3D modeled and printed in SLA resin, then sanded smooth to create a flawless master. From this, we built a matrix mold, starting with a precision melamine jacket to ensure a clean silicone surface. The mold was poured using Mold Max 30 platinum silicone by Smooth On in 2 parts to create a removable lid.
A reinforced wooden jacket and clamps were built around the mold so expanding foam could be introduced without distorting the silicone. A top air vent was added to allow trapped air to escape and control excess foam during expansion. Multiple test pours were performed to dial in the perfect balance of properties: a clean self skinning surface, lightweight structure, and enough density to accept vinyl graphics without creasing.
The final material choice was Flex Foam-It 4 by Smooth On. Once demolded, minor surface bubbles were filled using DAP Alex Plus and refined to a smooth finish.
For painting, the cubes received multiple light coats of Plasti Dip as a flexible primer. This was followed by several thin layers of Maker Pro Paint mixed with flex additive, sprayed using an HVLP gun to achieve a smooth, durable surface.
Custom vinyl graphics were printed and applied to each cube to the client’s specifications, completing a set of high quality, camera ready game show props.
