I am using a 2"x4x8 sheet of beaded foam for my layout. I am considering digging out a small pond. Anyone have any experience excavating beaded foam?
Is there a reason you are using beaded foam rather than styrene foam? Styrene is easier to work with.
Be prepared for a real mess! That beaded foam will stick to everything(including you) due to static electricity Are you sure you have the ‘beaded’ foam? I have never seen beaded foam in 2" thick sheets, usually I see the ‘extruded’ foam(pink or blue) in that thickness.
Jim
Beaded foam usually isn’t recommended, as it is not as strong and is much messier than extruded.foam.
However, if you have it down and are going to use it…
A hot foam cutter would, but be sure to have a lot of ventilation.
Cutting with a sharp knife or utility knife will work. You might also try sharpening the edge of a spoon to dig it out. Since you are planning a pond, you will want to form the bottom with plaster or similar product, so the excavation need not be perfect or very deep. HOWEVER, you will need your shop vac handy, as you will have even more mess than with extruded foam. Using an anti-static spray will also help control the mess.
Remember you only need a 1/2" or less depression, below where you want the water level
Good luck,
Richard
what about carefully using a hot air gun?
practice first.
you might try a a piece of cardboard with a hole cut in it for better control
Yes, it is really 2" beaded foam. Apparently here in Arizona that’s all that is available in 2". As I mentioned in other posts, it appears that 2" extruded foam is not available in the sunny southwest. That is not, however, the reason I have it. I am relatively new to model railroading, having bought my first engine right after Christmas. I went to the library and checked out an old Kalmbach book on getting started and it recommended 2" styrofoam, so off I went to Home Depot and bought a 4x8 sheet of the only 2" styrofoam I could find–beaded. I have already cut off a corner of the foam so I know the mess it creates. Given that I own it, I am trying to make the most of it and am using as the base for my first layout. This layout has been a great learning experience, mostly learning from my mistakes. Eventually, I will build a new layout using plywood and 1" extruded foam which I can get in Arizona. However, we are trying to get as much life out of the current layout as possible, thus the attempt at creating a pond in beaded sytrofoam.
(Sorry for the long explanation, but as my kids will tell you, if you ask me what time it is, I will tell you how to build a clock.)
Beaded foam is great as long as you cover the finished product with plaster cloth. A sharp break-off knife is great for cutting the stuff. For cutting large chunks off the end a saw works great. Most mountain building I did with a WS hot foam cutter, theirs dose not cut as fast as the others but with theirs you don’t have to worry about Toxic fumes as it dose not get hot enough. I am told the anti static spray works to keep the cling away but so dose plain dirt, just a very little. You can get the plaster-cloth cheap from ASW by the case. It dose get dented easily but not once clothed!
Beaded foam is a real mess to work with. As stated you end up with beads all over. Have a vacuum cleaner ready. If 1" sheets are available, use 2 of them but 1" may be enough depth for “n” scale. Bill
And have you ever built a layout on beaded foam, I have? Sure, if you use the wrong tools you will end up with a beaded mess. I used to go outside to cut the pieces but found that was unnecessary, sure you end up with some beads, just like you get mounds of dust with the other. The one drawback to beaded is you can not carve it well but you can slice it.
LION cuts beaded foam on a table saw. Real neat and clean. You can get that stuff up to 4" thick!
But once it is on the layout, cutting it without destroying the layout can be quite the trauma.
For the pond, the LION would drill two, maybe more 1/2" holes and then use a scroll saw or “jig saw” to cut out the outline of the pond. You will then need to use other materials to form the actual pond body and set that into the hole that you have made.
ROAR