This custom tutorial was contributed by Mint Condition Customs

Polystyrene is great to work with, since it allows you to easily and quickly make pieces that need to be smooth and straight, like pieces of armor or robotic plates, that would otherwise be difficult to get right with just sculpting alone. Polystyrene sheets come in black, white, clear, and can be found in different textures and sizes. The most common type is the normal flat sheet. The kind of sheets used by hobbyists and customizers is made by Evergreen scale models. You can buy them from several online retailers, such as right here, or you can find them at your local hobby store (Hobbytown USA carries them). Also, if you need clear sheets of plastic, save your action figure blisters. They’re similar in makeup to polystyrene and conform the same way.

When using styrene, sometimes your project requires the piece to conform around something, such as a piece of shoulder armor that needs to curve around the shoulder. Since polystyrene sheets are flat, then this can seem like a really difficult task.

I’m here to tell you though, that it’s actually not. Conforming styrene to shapes and parts of an action figure is actually quite simple. All you need is your styrene, a pair of pliers, and a hair dryer.

Got your tools? Alright, let’s begin!