Foam backer rod

WARNING: Huge wall of text. Read at your own risk :P

It's hard to find a good brand of Foam Backer rod to make stefans with. I've sure had my share of troubles with it. I would just like to share what I've learned through my experiences to help others to find the perfect backer rod for a great batch of stefans. :)

The current brand of foam backer rod that I use is called "M+D". I have found it at Lowe's and Home Depot. (Link to the product on Home Depot's website) I got some once a couple of years ago, and it was really bad and didn't make stefans well at all. But at the end of last year, I went to Lowe's and found some of the same stuff, but the color had changed a bit, and it was much denser. I picked it up, and it made the best batch of stefans I had ever made. I have learned that you have to check carefully before you buy it, because it is very inconsistent. One day it is perfect, and the next it sucks.

Even though this brand works for me, I got sick of buying 20 ft. lengths. So I looked all over the Nerf forums, and settled on buying some closed cell FBR from Best Materials (Link here), because many people said how high quality it was. So I ordered 130 feet of it. When it arrived, I was very disappointed. The diameter wasn't quite 1/2" in diameter, and it was way too loose even for CPVC. It was too porous and "squishy", and melted way too easily when I tried to make a few stefans with it. Their stuff may have been good in the past, but they must have changed brands or something. So now I have 130 feet of useless backer rod. The moral of the story here is don't buy FBR unless you can see it in person and know that it will work for stefans. The only time I will ever buy FBR online again when I can't actually see it in person, is when I buy it from a trusted Nerf community member that is selling it specifically for the purpose of making stefans. (or I have ordered a small 1-2 foot sample to know if it really works before making a large order.)

Here is a photo of the MD backer rod that I currently use to make stefans. It has a very good fit in CPVC, and will probably work well with PETG.

Cut in half to show density

Here is a photo of the bad FBR I ordered from best materials.

cut in half to show.....what little density it has

Here is a Side by Side comparison of the FBR (Best materials left MD Right):

Here is a side by side comparison of the FBR cut in half (Best materials left MD right):

For my next FBR purchase, I think I will try Forsaken Angel 24's backer rod. (link to his website)

Please leave comments with your experiences and suggestions for buying FBR