Hi Everyone, I was looking into foam or polystyrene for scenery, buying a sheet about 2 inches thick and using to add mountains & contours etc. The LHS doesn’t stock the foam and said to go to a local manufacturer, is the foam of a similar density to packing foam of is it denser? They suggested a sheet of type S rather than SL?![%-)]Does anybody have suggestions on what is appropriate or what is an appropriate type or is it very similar to packing foam (i.e. foam fruit & vegetable boxes)? Regards, Nige.
Modelers who use foam to shape scenic contours generally use extruded foam rather than the beaded foam more typically used as a packing material. This type of foam can be bought at the big box stores such as Lowe’s or Home Depot. A 4x8 2" thick sheet cost about 20 bucks the last time I priced it which was several years ago. Depending on the brand, it can be pink or light blue. For hills and mountains, I really think there are better choices. When you use the 2" foam in a wedding cake configuration, there is a lot of waste and that stuff ain’t cheap. I prefer the more old fashioned methods such as cardboard strips or window screen to form the contours and then covering it with plaster or other similar materials to form the shell. The advantage to using foam is it is extremely lightweight and if portability is an issue, it might be your best choice. If you aren’t planning to move your layout or even a portion of it, I think there are better options than foam.
Thanks for that!
Do you have a part number from lowe’s or Home Depot? I couldn’t find anything online?
The use of cardboard strips or paper balls I am a little concern it will may attract rodents, i.e. Cockroaches & Rats or Mice. I was going to cover it in plaster to give a hard shell while providing some support below it.
Their online stores seldom list it. The typical products sold in the US are a pink extruded foam made by Owens-Corning with the trade name Foamular, and a blue extruded foam from Dow who is the one who owns the Styrofoam trade name. There may be other producers in different parts of the world or these brands may be exported. Besides insualtion between the walls, these products, particularly the pink stuff, is used on the OUTSIDE of a concrete foundation before it is backfilled, so if whatever you have for home centers doesn’t have it, a building contractor might.
–Randy
It’s also used in commercial roofing. After the metal is laid down, a layer of foam is applied and then the final membrane roofing material is applied. My [2c]
Thanks guys, I’ll check it out.
Thanks for all your answers!
Nige.
I’ve used both, the beadboard and the extruded foam. The beadboard is much cheaper. The extruded foam can be sculpted and painted directly (see Poelle Soeborg’s layout featured in Model Railroader). Either one makes a big mess. A shop-vac is a God-send.
I use a piece of 1/4" plywood as a base to make removable scenery (for when I need to work on that area of the layout. I used wooden dowels to align the section. I used foam as a base, then applied rocks made Woodland Scenics rubber molds.
Hey Medina,
I like the idea!
I am a loan wolf and I like the idea of the foam to work quickly and cover with plaster. I have found a supplier in Brisbane Australia and they are are more than happy to help, they even know what I am using it for and happy to supply.
Any Brisbane people give me a PM and I’ll happily give you the contact details at Eagle Farm
Nige.