I’m eager to finish up my yard which is an added part to my Granite Gorge and Northern layout. I spent hundreds for the Dow Corning (pink) foam which is pretty rare here in Phoenix. I have about a foot or so in width and around 9’ in length to add in foam. Since this is a yard and will pretty much be flat just with added structures/industry, can I get away with just using the Insulfoam they sell at Home Depot or Lowes? Really the only reason to add it is to match up with the existing Dow foam on the layout which is 2" thick. I can’t see going out and purchasing more Dow foam which is costing me around $ 50.00 or so for a 2’ by 8’ piece. Thanks! [:D]
YIKES! $50 for a 2x8x2" foam board? Are they ordering you the high strength concrete former stuff or something? If the extra area you need to cover is scenery only, you can probably get away with the beaded stuff, although forming it will be messy and not suitable for hot knife cutting. The stuff sold by Woodland Scenics would be better, but probably just as expensive as the Dow extruded.
–Randy
WOW that is alot of $$$ for the board. Here in VA we pay about $25 for a 4x8x2" sheet of extruded foam board. I cant remember the mfgr but I know it is not Dow. You may be getting a grade that is above and beyond what you need for a railroad. The exterior wall grade is all you need, concrete insulation board is alot more dense and alot more $$$ that may be what you bought. As for the space you need the WS foam will cost you alot to fill that area. I would try to order a cheaper pink foam.
Yep, I paid a pretty penny for the stuff [:0], I went with 2" thick and it’s nearly indestructible! I don’t have any hot knifing to do on this section (just lay track with a few buildings and ground cover) so yeah I’ll probably go with the stuff from HD, just wanted some input. Thanks [8D]
Now sure what the story is with Dow, but I’m sure they make multipel grades like Owens-Corning. Just Dow is blue, O-C is pink. I never checked the Dow web site, because all the home centers here stock O-C exclusively. The pink I get is the Foamular 250, which is actually a step u from the cheapest Foamular 150. The 150 and 250 refer to strength in PSI for some specified amount of deflection - if you really must know it’s on their web site. They have other grades even stronger - the higher grade stuff I’m sure you could walk on just like a plywood top, but since try to avoid walking on my layout, I’m happy with what HD sells from stock. With what I have, if I lean on it with an open palm, no problems. If I lean my full weight on my knuckles I can deform the foam. Seldom have to lean on the benchwork though, it’s only 2’ wide and I can reach all the way across it.
–Randy
At that price if your going wih a flat grade, why not just use homosote ?
Glad I live on the East Coast the stuffs dirt cheap where I get it.
If it solves a height matching problem quickly, I think you can use what you propose. You don’t anticipate doing much altering of that surface, so the main advantage of the extruded foam is irrelevant for that purpose.
I paid $20 for O-C 4x8x2" here in the Chicago area at HD, I then seen it at Menards for $17 something (Doh!)
Ditto here. $18-20 a sheet. I think someone’s taking advantage, rare there or not.
After a few pieces blew out of the back of my pickup truck on the way home from Lowes, Iv’e been braking them into smaller pieces and putting them in the cab. But if you do the breaking while you are still in the insulation isle at the store, you get some funny reactions from store personel…I’m not sure why
Funny, I went to HD last night and bought the shelf brand blue Insulfoam stuff and paid less than 10 bucks for two 2’ by 6’ pieces…boy what a difference in price from the Dow stuff I used on the rest of my layout. Though flimsy and beaded, it should hold up pretty good since I’m laying plywood under it for support.