Custom Foosball

[Sshado]

I am planning on making my own foosball table.  I know how to do all of it, but I am having a hard time coming up with a way to make the men.

I am making the table with 13 Simpson's characters vs 13 South Park characters.

Anyone know how I could design the men?  I know I won't be able to make them to scale, but I would at the very least, like to have their heads and then the knife type feet.

Anyone know how to do custom plastic molding?  I have contacted a few companies and am waiting for their replies, but I have a feeling they are just going to laugh.

[Stingray]

Plastic molding (or to be specific, the actual molds themselves) is just fantasticly expensive. Unless you're quite wealthy, you're going to want to do something else.

-S

[JDSkydiver]

I would say use generic paddles with decals/images of the characters you want.  Might be the simplest way to go.

Otherwise, go buy some wood and a good whittling knife and get to work!

JD

[LPZ]

I saw a guy on the net/eBay(can't remember) that will paint your Foosball men any team you want.

[SteveJ34]

Another idea.....

Get some generic foosball men, acquire some simpson and southpark characters (I have seen keychains and small 4-6 inch figurines), chop the heads off and mod them somehow with epoxy or screws to the tops of the foosball men.

[ErikRuud]

The most economical way to produce small runs of plastic parts is resin casting.

Check out www.smooth-on.com

If you are worried about strength/durability use one of the "Task" series plastics

[Stingray]

Resin would be too brittle for foosball men.  I don't know anything about Task plastic though.

-S

[ErikRuud]

Resin comes in a whole range of strengths, so stating that resin would be too brittle is kind of misleading.

The task series from smoothon has some very high tensile and compression ratings.

[Stingray]

Resin comes in a whole range of strengths, so stating that resin would be too brittle is kind of misleading.

The task series from smoothon has some very high tensile and compression ratings.

I stand corrected. The only resin I have personal experience with is the type generally used for low run scale models. That type is quite brittle and would be unsuitable for this application. I had no idea that there were different strength ratings.

-S

[ErikRuud]

You are forgiven.

I cast resin slot car bodies for racing.  They cannot be brittle ar they would not survive a race.  I like mine to have a small amount of flex in them.

Brittleness in resin casting is sometimes the result of improper mixing.  Too much catalyst will make may resins brittle.  Too little can lead to very soft castings.  I have had both happen.  One time I had a couple bodies that were about as soft as fruit rollups!

[Stingray]

So given the amount of stress that foosball table men are likely to be under, you say there is a resin that can stand up to it without cracking? This is pretty impressive. I always wanted to get into resin casting, but I have too many other hobbies as it is.

-S

[screaming]

It doesn't seem to be too expensive.. I don't know the first thing about foosball construction or plastics/molding, but 4 gallons of that Task stuff is only $100.  Surely that's enough for 26 men (plus a couple spares)?

http://www.smooth-on.com/plastics.asp#task

-sab

[Stingray]

I would think that four gallons would be enough to cast an entire league of foosball players.

-S

[carbodies]

Resin comes in a whole range of strengths, so stating that resin would be too brittle is kind of misleading.

The task series from smooth-on has some very high tensile and compression ratings.

HEllo everyone.

Erik...i was wondering if you have any personal experience with the Task Plastics series and if you do which specific Task plastic? I just received some and im a bit anxious to find out if the strength and quality really is as strong as the ratings suggest. The Smooth Cast series was to brittle for what i was doing initially forcing me in this direction.......

[ErikRuud]

I have not used the Task series at all, but they have been selling it for a long time, so I imagine that it must live up to there claims.

The SmoothCast 32x series has been sufficient for my needs.

What are you trying to cast?

[carbodies]

Ball and socket joints. The SC series (im using ..or was ...300 ) is adequate for most things but this project when finished will be moved often and pressure may be applied to the "stems" (err..balls =) ) so i need high strength .

SO far so good......where as the first batch of broke easily when presure was applied the new batch using the Task 4 has held up . Admittedly perhaps im being gentler but i dont notice any twist in teh plastic during movement like before with the smoothcast.

[Hoagie_one]

what about using actual simpsons adn southpark toys.  just wire teh limbs into a static position and skewer them on the control bar

[rugby1]

Status on this project?  Any Pictures?

I love the idea of simpsons vs southpark foosball. 

[Crowley]

You're best bet is probably to buy figurines and turn em into little men.
What I would do is but some clay and form some figures. It'll take prolly a few days work but it's worth it if you take your time.

[Crowley]

Sorry for the double post but here's an AWESOME way to go also.
http://www.elevenforty.com/

[Havok]

25K pounds? Dammmm - I would love one of those...

[ChadTower]

Foosball ain't for the devil.  It's for my Bobby.

[DrewKaree]

You're best bet is probably to buy figurines and turn em into little men.
What I would do is but some clay and form some figures. It'll take prolly a few days work but it's worth it if you take your time.

Yeah, but I bet your goalie would only stand up to stopping a single goal shot before his little clay feet were bent backwards and had him looking like he was kneeling in front of the goal with his arms tied behind his back

[ChadTower]

Use plastic green army men.  They have a much stronger offense.