Worbla is a brand of

thermoplastic A thermoplastic, or thermosoft plastic, is any plastic polymer material that becomes pliable or moldable at a certain elevated temperature and solidifies upon cooling. Most thermoplastics have a high molecular weight. The polymer chains associate ...

modelling materials, popular among

cosplay Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...

ers for creating costumes, armor and props. The name of the material is that of Worbla AG, a former synthetics manufacturer in

Worblaufen Ittigen is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The municipality was formed in 1983 when it and Ostermundigen were separated from territory once part of Bolligen. History Its ...

, Switzerland, now part of the Gurit group. The material is marketed by the German company ''Cast4Art Vertriebsgesellschaft''.

Use

In order to be shaped, Worbla is warmed up, usually with a

hot air gun A heat gun is a device used to emit a stream of hot air, usually at temperatures between 100 °C and 550 °C (200-1000 °F), with some hotter models running around 760 °C (1400 °F), which can be held by hand. Heat ...

, until it becomes formable at . It is then draped over formers or hand-moulded (wearing gloves) to shape. The inbuilt adhesive allows multiple layers to be laminated easily, for either strength or to add

bas relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

detail. A common technique for wearable props such as armour is to laminate it to thin

EVA foam Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), also known as poly (ethylene-vinyl acetate) (PEVA), is the copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. The weight percent of vinyl acetate usually varies from 10 to 40%, with the remainder being ethylene. There are thr ...

sheet, giving a light and slightly flexible carapace. Worbla can also be moulded, when warmed, as a putty and used to sculpt solid pieces. Unusually, offcuts of sheet can be recycled in this way. The material can be cut with scissors, knives or by

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fir ...

. When cold it can be cut, carved or sanded with woodworking hand tools. The surface is slightly rough, similar to some grades of leather, which allows textured paint effects. For a smooth surface it can be either sanded or filled with a primer paint.

Cosplay Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...

ers and prop makers have widely adopted Worbla for its light weight, and easy working with minimal tools.

Varieties and properties

Worbla is made in several varieties: *''Finest Art'': The original "Worbla", a sheet material composed of a

resin In polymer chemistry and materials science, resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds. This article focuses on natu ...

and

wood flour Sawdust (or wood dust) is a by-product or waste product of woodworking operations such as sawing, sanding, milling, planing, and routing. It is composed of small chippings of wood. These operations can be performed by woodworking machinery, ...

filler. Standard sheets are around thick. The sheet is coated on one side with a heat-activated adhesive. *''Flame Red Art'': Similar to the original, but with a flame retardant component, for "locations where safety is of the utmost importance". *''TranspArt'': A transparent polymer thermoplastic that becomes formable at . *''Black'': This product has a smoother surface, similar to

, and is designed to be painted with less filling and sanding needed. It is also workable at 90 °C. *''Worbla’s® KobraCast Art'': which initially resembles knitted plastic sheeting, is heat activated (approx. 80-90 °C / 175-195 °F) and can be shaped by hand, in a mold, or vacuformed. KobraCast Art contains a very strong adhesive, with a very stretchable, but tear-resistant mesh inside. Named after ''Kobracast'' see below.

Similar materials

* Kobracast (called KOBRA CAST 445 in the health care industry), a thermoplastic and fabric mesh bandage from the German company KOB - Karl Otto Braun GmbH & Co. KG. Worked warm like Worbla, this is strong and flexible owing to the fabric mesh reinforcement, but does not offer the solid surface. Made of flexible PES fabric. * ''Poli® Plastics Polymorph and 42°C Poli® Mouldable Pellets (Friendly Plastic / Coolmorph)'', 3mm PCL

Polycaprolactone Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable polyester with a low melting point of around 60 °C and a glass transition temperature of about −60 °C. The most common use of polycaprolactone is in the production of speciality polyure ...

thermoplastic beads, made in the United Kingdom, that are mouldable at 62°C for ''SuperMorph'' or 42°C for ''Coolmorph''. * Cosplayflex, a thermoplastic material from Germany. *

Sintra Sintra (, ) is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 377,835, in an area of . Sintra is one of the most urbanized and densely populated ...

, more durable and stiffer * Kydex, a robust thermoplastic, less commonly used for props, but often for firearm holsters, and sheaths for knives.

References

Thermoplastics Cosplay {{Polymer-stub