On a previous post a couple pards mentioned ways to shape foam. One used a knife the other a hot knife. Back in my surfer days–and I can remember some of it–we used to shape foam with a rasp.
Then I hear of folk spreading drywall mud on it. I’m thinking sanding that would make a mess on the rest of the track.
I finally got my turnouts. Took 2 weeks ordering from my LHS and then it was NS instead of steel. I took them anyway at the steel price and make them eat the $55 difference. Anyway, I’m ready to rock this weekend.
I use an old steak knife, an old bread knife, an old rasp, and a Stanley Surform tool. Sanding and cutting foam can make a hell of a mess, and static electricity sticks flecks of pink and blue everywhere. Stand ready with a shop vac!
I use a few simple hand tools when I work foam: snap-blade boxcutter, old bread knife, hacksaw blades, coarse sandpaper, and my trusty Stanley Surefoam rasp. I’ve also successfully used a power drill with a wire wheel chucked in, but that’s a project ONLY for outdoor use! A good shop vac is also a must.
Foam filings will stick to everything , but it can be minimized with a misting of plain old water over the area, and liberal use of the shop vac. The pink snow won’t hurt anything on the layout except electric motors, so don’t worry about it getting onto your tracks.
With a little practice and care, you can carve foam with as much finesse as plaster. I don’t see the need for a covering of plaster over foam, so don’t bother. Give it a try before you start flopping plaster all over the place.
Steak knifes work great. Smoother and easier cuts than a utility knife. Whenever I do any sanding or cuting ont he foam, such as using the Dremel to make the holes for dropping the Tortoises into, I ALWAYS have the shop-vac on and in had to control the dust. And it DOES work, very little dust escapes the immediate area. Without the vac running, the whole area would be covered in a fine static dust - almost as bad as copier toner, only pink instead of black.
I used the drill with a wire brush in the chuck. I loved it. I had my son follow me with the shop vac as I carved the hills and cut the draninage ditch along the road. This two person approach minimized the mess. My son, 5 1/2 years, loves to run the shop vac and he did a great job. He wishes we could do more!!!
There is nothing better than a hot wire foam cutting tool. There are several models
available at various prices. Some use batteries and some transformers. You get
about what you pay for it. No foamdust and lots of control of shaping. I strongly
reccommend these. Just be carefull of fumes. Ventilate and or use a small fan to
blow fumes away from you. Once you try one you’ll never rasp or sand again.
Ray
I built my layout almost 100% foam. I used the white stuff. Even though, everyone seems to not like it, I have greta luck. Plus, I found foam distributer here for construction and can anything you can think of.
One greta trick you can try is useing a lighter. It does wonders. Turning your peice up side down, put the lighter underneath it (around 3-6 inches from the top of the flame) and carve and smooth away. One thing… make sure you have PLENTY of ventaltion. I woudl just take the foam chunk, say one future mountain and just grap and dig away, then use the lighter to smooth everything out. Paint and then add your plaster ( I prefer scupltamold ) and go nuts.
Since I started using foam about 5 years ago I’ve cut it w/just about everything that everyone here has used. Plus the best & fastest way is w/a 4" grinding wheel & then a small round brush on a Dremel tool to do all of the finish work. That’s only on mountains & hills. As far as roadbed, I don’t use the stuff. I never covered it w/any kind of plaster. Just latex paint w/the color of your choice. I always wore a dust mask & wore safety goggles & had my shop vac running all the time I was doing the cutting.
Now, I don’t use any kind of foam for anything. I use Celotex ceiling tiles cut to all sizes.
Still have to wear a dust mask & safety goggles. But, it’s not static like foam & cleans up a lot easier & looks like real rock & strata & I get it free at my local lumber yard. I get the damaged 2ft by 4ft pcs & then cut them to my specs.
i used a hack saw blade…just the blade…not the whole saw… it is longer then a knife…and somewhat fexable so you can bend it and make concaved and convexed cuts into the foam for differnt terrain…
csx engineer
[banghead] NOW YOU TELL ME! I just spent the whole day hacking away with a box cutter and bread knife. And I didn’t even THINK about not using paper towels and Hydrocal. Oh, yeah, I have a Dremel tool and a Surform. Tch tch! Anybody wanna buy half a roll of blue towels cheap?[:D]
Oh, well, I still have other mountains to build. We learn by doing, eh?
And, for sure, I second (or third or fourth) the motion - have yer vacuum cleaner on full alert! [:D]
Chip, thanks for asking the question for me. I just cleared the space for the new layout in the garage. During the week build the benchwork. This weekend get the foam and put it on layout.
Pretty easy, If you are “burning it” then it is wrong. I just let the heat get to it. But, the big thing, LOTS of air. I opened the garagre door and turned on the fan. fumes can get bad quick .[xx(] But great succes otherwise.
Also, another trick I do, before I scene out the open area, with ground foam and such. I take my knuckles and push in the foan here and there. get enough and press hard enough, it gives it a hilly look.
And finally, since I havent seen it yet… I take your stanrd sewing pins, cut the head off, stick in a candle flame for about 5 seconds, then shove in the bottom of a tree armature ( I use a lot fo woodland scenic stuff) then you can the tree anywhere you want. Very Stable, but you can remove it, or move several time before youhave to worry about and signs of wear or tear. [8D]
I’ve used the hot knife, the utility knife, the hacksaw blade, and the bread knife, but have had the best results with an inexpensive saw with lots of teeth designed to cut on the pull stroke, like a Japanese crosscut handsaw. For straight lines, the one with the backsaw-type construction can’t be beat. For broader curves, the ones without the stiffener work great, and then comes the hacksaw blade (with coarsest teeth you can find) for tighter curves, and then comes the hot wire for very fine work. All the precautions re: ventilation and shop-vac are a must.