Eva Foam / Plasterzote Chain Links

I was tasked to make the chains for the character of Jacob Marley for Nottingham Playhouse's 2021 production of A Christmas carol. The shows designer requested very large links akin to those in the iconic photograph of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. At that size in metal they would have broken our actor even if he could have lifted them so we went with making them out of closed cell foam.

Materials:
Eva foam / Plasterzote dowel
Contact adversative
Masking tape
Hex-flex paint
Acrylic paint
Optional;
Iron filings/ salt water
Sliver hot glue sticks

Tools:
Sharp knife
Tape measure
Marker pen
Set square
Steel ruler
Sponge or foam paint applicators
Hot glue gun

I purchased, the foam dowel and Hex-flex form www.poly-props.com

For the size of link we needed to match the design I worked out that from a 1 meter length of 30mm foam dowel I would need 33 x 1meter. I cut each in to 2 x 500mm lengths for the round of the link and 95mm cuts for the centre bar, thus making 66 x 300mm links.

Next I chamfered a concave curved notch both ends of the 95mm centre supports .I used my workshop belt sander to achieve this but if I have a spindle sander I would have used that instead and if I had neither of these I would have hand caved them with a piece sand paper glued to some wooden dowel.

For time saving I masked off in to batches of 10. I marked a canter line on the 500mm lengths and then then marked out form this line the diameter of the dowel (In my case 15mm from each side of the line making a 30mm stripe down the middle of the dowels. Then I used making tape to mask off the centre strip and both ends doing the same to the chamfered ends of the 95mm lengths.
I next applied the contact adhesive to the masked off areas, I have a glue spray system but aerosol or liquid contact glue would work just as well.

Now the fun really begins. Bring both ends of the longer links together so they meet and bond remembering to keep the centre line adhesive facing inwards. To the two inward facing bond the two chamfered ends of the shorter lengths. you will now have your fist link. For the next link loop the long length through the loop of the fist link and then keep repeating the proses until you have a chain.

This step is a personal choice as to how you would like the finished chain to look.
I went for a raw iron and slight rusting. the paint I recommend is clear Hex-flex form Poly-props in the UK. Mixed with stranded acrylic paint. Hex-fex is designed to bond to foam and was great in not sticking to itself which would have been horrible when painting a props such as chain when there are always parts touching on another.
I also painted the clear Hex-flex on to the areas I wanted t be rusty, sprinkling iron filing onto these areas whist still wet, once dry I wet then with salt water so the rust would oxidize naturally. If I wanted I could have done this all over to make completely rusty chains.
for the weld lines I simply pumped in silver hot glue and then washed over this with some rusty brown paint to take the shine off.

Next I cut and draped over a a manikin and a volunteer (Paul the designer) and handed over to the wardrobe department to fit to the rest of the costume and the actor.