I have what I think is a pretty non-unique problem. I have 1" foam on plywood for my layout- and there is this one place, sort of in the corner, where two sheets of foam meet, but end up with a 1/8" height difference. I want to shave the higher one of the two such that I can meet the other sheet with about 6" or so of a ramp.
How can I cut the foam to achieve this? I have pretty sharp Exacto knives, but it still ends up messy and inaccurate. I am sure others have faced this task!
NP.
I’ve had the same problem with the 1/2" foam sheets,and have had good luck sanding foamboard with medium and fine grit sanding blocks. The larger grit blocks tend to tear the foam.
Mike
Stanley Surform Shaver or similar tool
Probably can get one at your local hardware store.
I haven’t had to try it, but I wonder if a plane would work to shave off the foam like it does wood.
I would certainly use the sharpest newest blade.
[8-|]
I use what they call the Japanese saw, its very flexible and with some care full cutting it works great for me. You can bend it to make valleys and carve your mountains also. Here’s a link to it http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=19731&site=ROCKLER Jim
I had a similar mismatch of foam board thickness on my layout on which I used 2"-thick foam board. At joints between the sections of foam board where this occurred, I used a Stanley Surform file and/or abrasive paper to get the two side of the joint to be flush with each other. I then removed a slight bit more with the abrasive paper so the joint area was slightly concave. I then used Dap Vinyl Spackling to level the joint similar to how they spackle drywall joints.
Bob
In my opinion only, even if you matched the joints to match one another, one side or the other is still going to be higher or lower further on, hopefully not on a curve…
Cheers,
Frank
LION grew a beard 40 years ago and has not used shaving foam since!
ROAR
Good one Lion, LOL I was originally going to respond with a similar answer, but I changed my mind…
Cheers,
Frank
At least someone got the pun!
Thas all. I have lost the will to purchase another tool, but I will try as the Stanley tool looks pretty cheap.
I have a few different rasp that work well. A longer one is good for getting things level. Use Dap or caulk to fill any errant gouges. Here I use a smaller rasp to cut a trench to lower the cork roadbed in to the foam. This is leading down into the yard where the track is laid right on the foam.
Brent thanks, this looks good - I have to deal with the same problem soon.
Gondola, I did a Gangnsm Style knife rather than Japanese Style. A brand new Exacto pulled 4" out of its housing and bent. This worked really well and my curved switch now looks very level.
I had to keep kids out of the room and wore safety glasses just in case it snapped into two.
Neeraj.
Eh… You buy foam and it is level and smooth. You really think you can improve on that with cutting tools?
The time for cutting tools is BEFORE the foam is installed.
ROAR
I suspect that foam is not “level and smoth”. I suspect that there are thickness variations similar to what one would find in a Homasote sheet…thinner at the ends.
If it is only one corner that there is an eighth height difference, could you loan a belt sander and replace the belt for the person you loan it from?. You would have the speed to make it relatively smooth and the difficulty would be to keep it reasonably even and flat.
Hope this helps
Regards from Australia
Trevor www.xdford.digitalzones.com for your interest
Have you thought of using shims to level where both pieces meet. I would think it would be a lot easier and neater.
Yes, I did think of shims- but the sheet I needed sanded down really wasn’t a level 1/8" from the other sheet, it was at a grade. The other (lower) sheet was level and correct. So the right roadbed profile reaLy needed shaving.
I think this case my Gangnam Style Exacto worked best.
NP
Sometimes the LION lets the track hang in mid air where it needs to be, and just puts some ballast under it.
ROAR
Indeed a trick I am learning to use. It can actually be a good thing- provides relief spaces or the track to take natural shape (vertical profile) rather than be constrained by your roadbed profile. I am learning that using the natural tendency of smoothness of curves that the nickel silver rail provides helps a lot.