good evening
has anyone used 1/2" extruded foam for a back drop in lieu of masonite? it seems to me it might work although it might damage easily.i`ll be fastening it to the wall with screws using a washer and counter sinking and covering it over with putty the walls are rough cut hemlock so they would hold the screws.the lay out would be 18’ down one side and 16’ across the back and 18’ down the other side.the width would vary as to the track configureation.what are the pros or cons in using the foam as as a back drop.
thank you
I use some, though I carve it to get some three-D effects. You are right that it is subject to dents, but you should not be banging a back drop all that much.
If you just happen to have the foam…
on the other hand, considering the cost of the entire layout, springing for Masonite doesn’t seem like a huge obstacle.
its not the cost.its more like working with the masonite, i`m doing an o gauge layout and i was thinking of using the full 4’x8’ sheet and i thought it might be easier using the foam,i have used masonite in the past on other projects at the time it seemed heavy and hard to handle also if i recall i had to paint both sides as someone told me it might keep it from warping.
thank you roy
Have you thought about 1/4 inch foamboard, the stuff they make displays out of? I got some at Staples. It seemed a bit pricey, but it might be cheaper elsewhere in bulk. I’m trying it in a few places on my layout as a base for liftoff sections above my subway tunnels. It’s quite stiff and very light.
good evening mr beasley
i never gave foam board a thought,i`ll check into it the next chance i get.
thanks
Several years ago, I did a small N-scale layout on 2-inch foam. To disguise that it was basically a round-and-round, I cut a slot down the middle of the 2-inch foam base and slipped a piece of 1/2-inch foam into it for a viewblock /backdrop.
It was light, fast and easy, didn’t droop, sag or warp. I had no trouble with dents, but I did have hills butting up against it on the front of the layout so the foam was somewhat protected. I did nothing with the back as that was were the “hidden” staging tracks were.
I have not tried it on a wall but I’d think it would be fine although I think I’ll try sheet styrene for the current shelf-layout project.
good afternoon nucat78
the more i think about it, thats the way iam going to go especially after getting the idea from arthill about the 3-d effects. thank you
good afternoon arthill
what type of 3-d effects did you carve into the back drop? i imagine you also could add material to it to form contours.thanks
Home Depot and the like, sell blue or pink foam boards, 4’x8’ at 2" thick, this is carvable and cutable with basic wood tools, or with hot wire cutters, the haunt industry uses it all the time for making faux tombstones, while the original purpose is for insulation. You can scrape, cut, carve, grind, route, dremel, whatever, to get the desired effect. It can be pained with a basic latex for color and to help protect the surface. Since you are not looking for weight support, but for backdrop appearance, this may be a better and cheaper way to go, the thickness and the workability are a major plus.
good morning fontgeek
i decided to go the foam route,i think there are more pros versus cons.
thanks