I found at Target 20" x 30" foam board from Elmers for $3.19 per board, they had it in white and black. It is the same height as the Woodland Scenic HO scale track bed so this would make track bed if you were doing a train yard or in my case, an intermodal yard.
Someone recently posted that they found some at a “dollar” store, unfortunately not the type dollar stores we have around here. Have also seen it at recycling stores, sometimes a pretty good size piece.
Should work for a yard, just don’t push down on it and get the surface uneven, it’s not as strong as cork.
Have fun,
I think the ones I got were about the same price at WalMart, also Elmer’s brand. I intend to use it for backdrops.
The part in front of my staging yard is only about 6" to the sloping ceiling, I plan to use some of that magnet tape and glue down pieces of 1x2 with caulk to make it removable. May end up putting low relief buildings on it as well.
–Randy
I just bought some in black and white for $1.00 at the Dollar Tree in Knoxville, TN. They don’t usually have black so I picked some up for a few building mockups. These are also 20 x 30 x 3/16" thick. The Dollar Tree also has a large volume buying system but I never looked into it; possibly on line. BTW, they also carry Goo-Gone for $1.00, but in the smaller bottles (still a good buy).
Bob
I tried to edit my post but didn’t work, so here is the link to the Dollar Tree for 50 sheet case of black foam board. If anyone wants this much or may split a case with others.
http://www.dollartree.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&keyword=foam+board
Bob
I hate to burst your bubble but what you bought is foam core board NOT gator board the difference being foamcore board is open in the ends and does not fair well when it gets wet if you push on it with your finger you will see it dents easily. Gatorboard however is a hard board both are cellulose based products but Gatorboard is much harder and more durable.Foamcore board is ok for building mock up structures or even regular structures you intend to use but Gatorboard is a much better product for that application. Sorry they don’t sell that in any dollar store I’ve ever been in.
Check out Alcan composites website they are the people who make the stuff.
He didn’t say Gatorboard, he said foam board which is what many people call Foamcor board.
You are correct. He didn’t say Gatorboard. However, I believe in the original post he did seem to invite a comparison between the foam board and the Woodland Scenics track-bed product. I don’t know what the W.S. product actually is, but if we look at the pictures and description on their website, http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/category/HOScaleTrackBedSystem, it appears that the W.S. product is some sort of flexible composite material, especially since it is available in a roll.
Looking at the website the O.P. referenced above, the description of the foam board says something to the effect that the surface is a heavy kraft paper. Although I personally haven’t tried using foam board as a base for track laying, it would be my personal opinion that any paper surfaced product would be unsuitable as a base for track.
I do have some foam board around the house, and I also have some Gatorboard. The Gatorboard is a superior product to the foamboard, and I would have no problem using it as a base for structures on the layout. The only use for foamboard, on the other hand, would be for temporary bulletin boards. But that’s all just my opinion…others may disagree.
As I recall, thinking back to my days as an underclassman at Philadelphia College of Art (now UArts,) the original product was known a Fomecor and the initail application was dry mounting photos, posters, etc. Of course, we in the Industrial Design Department saw it as an excellent material to build white architectural or product mock-ups out of. Cutting a series of parallel “V”-shaped slivers from one side permits a decent cylinder to be fabricated, corners could be mitred and hot glue made work go quickly, as long as you didn’t forget, while working late at 3 AM for an 8:30 AM presentation to faculty and class that it wasn’t Elmer’s and attempt to drag an interior corner fillet with you finger. Ouch!
Be aware that it may curl a bit when it gets wet, as may happen when you ballast it. You should be OK if you glue it down firmly.
“I found at Target 20” x 30" foam board from Elmers for $3.19 per board,"
FYI Elmers does not manufacture anything that closely resembles Gatorboard which is only manufactured and distributed by Alcan composites, I know exactly what he said and I was informing him that he was making a common mistake of confusing the two. Before he went and used it as a yard panel for what he had intended to do. Once he tried to ballast it or put down ground cover it would turn into a mushy mess
Gatorboard can be painted with acrylics and getting it wet such as when applying scenery will not have any effect on it where as foamcore board or foam board will as the edges of are not sealed.
I had posted the info on foam board at the Dollar Tree stores. I used some for my roads on my HO layout and painted it with acrylics and used some white glue to hold the loose ballast and foam in some of the areas near the road surface. I had no problem with it getting soft or disfigured in any way. You do have to be careful about pressing down too hard as it will dent, although I did use this to create a couple of dips or pot holes. I posted a photo below of the road.
Just wanted to clarify what I was using it for. I am also planning to use it as a base for some of the buildings in one of the industrial areas as it is the same thickness as the cork roadbed.
Bob
The label said Elmers and they do make a foam board http://www.elmers.com/product/detail/951233 and I did not say I was using it as track bed but could possibly be used that way if need be. I am using my for a parking lot for my intermodal yard since it comes up to the same height of the track bed.
FYI Elmers does not manufacture anything that closely resembles Gatorboard which is only manufactured and distributed by Alcan composites,
Your missing the point foam board or foamcore board is a completely different product then Gatorboard which is commonly used in the hobby for may purposes such as building structures bridges just to quickly name a few. I know what you said and I was pointing out not that you used the wrong name but it was the wrong product for what you wanted to use it for. Yes you can cut it and paint it with acrylic paints and it will look ok but it wil