After watching one of those house remodelling programs on TV today, I saw something which may be yet another way to attach foam slabs to wooden joists on a layout. I thought I’d throw out the idea and see what everyone thinks about it. Since I’ll be venturing into the world of foam layouts for expanding my layout soon, anything to do with foam slabs attracts my attention.
On the program, they were attaching foam insulation to the outside of a house. They used long screws with very large diameter plastic washers under their heads. They looked about 3" in diameter. They drove the screws in far enough that the washers sank into the foam. I thought that could be used to secure the foam slabs to “joists” under them. With the washers sunk into the foam, it would be easy to cover the depression with plaster and scenery materials.
I haven’t seen this idea in the forum yet, so any thoughts on it?
I have tried a couple of those where I had to do a retrofit. I also tried some on a piece that I had to remove on occassion. After about 5 removals they still hold a little. Latex calk or hot glue is easier.
i’m sure it would work , but they’re more expensive than a tube of latex caulk and probably don’t have any real advantage , plus you have to hide them and therefore have to dig up your scenery if you need to remove the foam from the frame for some reason .
keep thinking up new ideas though , this is how many great products and advances in our hobby come about [:)]
More hassle than its worth. If you’re putting the foam on plywood, then its easy. If you’re using an open grid, you’ll need to mark the joist locations on the foam, because you’re going to be driving the screws blind.
They are a great product…I used them building my house and would have really struggled with the insulation install without them…
OTOH, they are expensive and really not worth the trouble when a good “foam compatible” adhesive is readily available and cheap.
Only draw back of the adhesive is having to ventilate, but even here in MN in the winter, that’s not so bad.
It does work well…I have used the method in the past, but as stated above add a little liquid nails for foam along the top of your table or where the foam meets cross beam members…my current small layout is a luan door, 2 inch foam and 1/2 inch homasote all sanwiched together with screws and washers aroound the edges, and in the center where the door is hollow I put some 6 inch by 1/4 inch diameter bolts with 1 inch wide washers on both the bottom and top of the sandwhich…I tightened it just enough to clamp a small dimple in the door and the homasote…the foam and washers will work well…but don’t be afraid to spread some liquid nails around here n there