Just reading Mark’s thread on his Plaster Disaster got me thinking about the WS Foam Putty I just bought to fill in the small gaps between my painted extruded pink foam board and my masonite fascia.
Since I painted the top of the foam board already with acrylic latex, might I have a problem getting the putty to bond with the paint on the top painted surface of the pink foam? I’m sure it will bond with the masonite fine, and its made to bond to foam board, but I assume that means unpainted foam board…
Anyone have experience with the putty for building land forms or closing gaps or joints around (specifically) painted foam board? Tips for a first-time user?
I do know in construction it is a good idea to let paint cure completely for at least 72 hours before you introduce a new product on top of it. That way you usually don’t have any type of negative reaction between products. I’m not 100% sure but my gut would tell me it would adhere to the paint just fine as long as you let it cure completely.
I do know Fast & Final, a superior product adheres to paint very well after 24 hours. I would imagine someone else here has experience with WS putty and will chime in.
I’ve use this product for levelling roadbed across minor gaps and at WS inclines transitions to horizontal. It’s sticky enough. I would not use it for sculpting landforms. Too expensive and not easy to work with after it solidifies.
It is sandable but nowhere near as easy to get smooth as say drywall mud. I’ve not yet used the other plaster type scenery products but I’d guess they would work better for sculpting and cheaper.
It seems to be like a thick version of spackling compound, like Polyfilla used to be years ago. Lightweight and seems to have some sort of plasticized component because it never truly goes hard.
TF, my LHS carries the foam putty and I just bought a container, but I’m still in the process of painting the pink top of my layout a brownish-dirt color. I’m finding that I need several coats of the acrylic latex to get good coverage. So application of the putty is a ways off for now. I have other things to do first.
I was going to include a web link but WS web site seems to be down at the moment. If you google it you will find pics and videos of application. It used to go under the name Subterranean Foam Putty I believe…
In my Kalmbach book on Basic Scenery (second edition) Lou Sassi shows how he uses it to form rock ledges and outcroppings.
For years I’ve been using Fast & Final with foam. I have never had that product fail me. Although, I have never used it in an expandable seem in which a fascia is.
In situations where I get a crack in an expandable seam. And more times than none it is unavoidable due to expansion and contraction. I have had good luck using 2 in 1 Poly Seam Seal in the crack after it’s done doing what it’s doing.
The only product I’ve found my whole life that works in an expandable seam right from the start and never fails you is Quad OSI. Unfortunately it contains petroleum distilments and melts foam. I have never tried to seal the foam first and then try it, but an experiment may be warranted here.
I used WS flexpaste for the seam. It works well for this application. I tried to do one part of layout without this as I zip texture up to the edge and even though plaster dose not like to stick to it, it can be done. Anyway that space I tried without took a bump at a seam, repair work to be done now, never had this issue with the flex paste.
In my opinion, Woodland Scenics Foam Putty is ridiculously expensive! I bought one tub to see how it worked, and I was shocked at the small size. I haven’t tried to use it yet but I don’t care how good it is. I can’t justify the price.
IIRC, not too long ago someone mentioned the name of a similar product that was much more economical. In fact, they suggested that it might be exactly the same material that WS is selling. All WS has done is re-package it. Sorry, I can’t remember the name of the product.
I agree, very expensive. It’s designed to fill gaps and cracks in the WS subterranean system of building benchwork using 100% beaded styrofoam sub base covered with plaster cloth and scenicked using plaster type products.
The foam putty really glues itself to the styrofoam which is really the only reason to use it over other filler products. It can be applied and levelled easily with a standard putty knife or two. I use a 2" or a 4" putty knife to apply and smooth it. Sanding is fairly easy but as with other fillers it’s best to spread properly first to minimize sanding. Polyfilla is an interior decorating product with similar characteristics, also plastic bead stuff filled I suspect. Edit: nope, the “poly” reference is to the binder, water soluble. Different brands of these products use various types of filler including “sand” and limestone. They also come in different varieties for different filling purposes and have different drying rates. All will be substantially cheaper than WS Foam Putty.
I’d use other products for any sculpting. Like most of WS stuff the function of their Foam Putty is specific. WS makes pretty good stuff and they price it accordingly. They make no poor products except maybe their Hotwire foam cutter which seems of somewhat dubious value. It requires much more skill to use than I appear to have.
I have not used this WS product but from the discussion here it sounds like it behaves similarly to another product that I have used, namely DAP Lightweight Spackling Compound, otherwise known as Fast and Final. I’ve seen it advertised for $20/gallon. When cured it has the characteristics of extruded foam.
The WS foam is $13.99 Cdn. for a 16 fl. oz. tub which is about the size of an average china coffee cup. I’m going to see if I can order some of the DAP stuff. Home Depot Canada has a 946ml tub for $8.97.
I had mentioned Fast & Final about 6 posts back. It is not ready available everywhere but if you can’t find it, Red Devil One-Time is thier competitor, and it’s the exact same stuff.
Home Depot carries Fast & Final while Menards carries One Time. Most hardware stores carry either or but they’re both the same.
An FYI, I have tried off brands that says lightweight spackle and found they are junk. Don’t try those.