Best base


SpaceManSpiff

New Member
Would love to hear opinions on the best base for a 2ft X 3ft layout. No trains. I do HO scale modeling with no trains and just love doing layouts. The first terrain I did was for Wargaming and not HO scale and I used plywood. Was thinking about going with a Styrofoam to cut out a pond for my park. Thanks in advance!
 
Sounds interesting - personally, I would think about something in the order of 3/16" or so of plywood with the foam on top.
I do not know if it is still available ... there used to be a thin mahogany plywood that I used for making drawer bottoms that was not quite 1/4 inch thick but was a rigid plywood - did not warp.
I am talking about a 1x1 or 1x2 frame with the plywood and foam on top? I have not worked with foam - maybe you don't even need the base?
 
I do HO scale modeling with no trains and just love doing layouts.
That's interesting. I want to do much the same thing right now; making a very small (10"x10.5"x14") HO diorama to be used as a photographic backdrop for new rolling stock that I may acquire.
I'm going to use 1/4" plywood as the base and back, high density Styrofoam as a track riser, and crumpled up paper as filling. Then I intend to cover up everything with evergreen winter wrap and plaster cloth, followed by stucco patch. I believe that it would be easier to contour the plaster cloth and stucco patch than to carve out Styrofoam and make it look good. That might just be me, though, as a pond might be simple enough.
The method is clearly described in Jim's HO Pinnacle Creek thread right in this forum.
 
No offense meant: If no trains, perhaps you'd find better answers and how-tos in a forum that's oriented toward dioramas and general model construction...
But why ask about best base when you said you (already) used plywood for another model.. You could try using marble. This will not warp and will last millions of years...
 
For a diorama 2' x 3' 2" extruded foam board should be sturdy enough by itself. Expanded polystyrene is the white foam board made of billions of little beads that get all over everywhere when you try to carve it. I wouldn't make a base out of that, it doesn't have a lot of strength. You could glue the extruded foam board to a piece of 1/4" plywood for even more rigidity.
For gluing foam to foam the best product I have found from a performance and cost basis is Glidden Gripper primer paint. A thin coat on one piece of foam, clamp the two together, give it 48 hours to dry, and you will not be able to get them apart without destroying the foam.
 
My plywood base was for wargaming and didn't need to account for things like sidewalk and road depth...etc. So I need something I can carve into. I am a newbie and no offense taken, but I figured I would try this forum just to see because I know with train layouts scenery is a big component.
 
My first one on plywood
 

Attachments

  • ModelTerrain.jpg
    ModelTerrain.jpg
    485.2 KB · Views: 138
If you want it sturdy and light, you can make a spine frame of plywood, and foam on top of it to contour to your needs. It's kind of tough to carve a stream bed in plywood, though foam would allow you to make a ravine or creek below the rest of the diorama level.
 
Interesting!
If you want it sturdy and light, you can make a spine frame of plywood, and foam on top of it to contour to your needs. It's kind of tough to carve a stream bed in plywood, though foam would allow you to make a ravine or creek below the rest of the diorama level.
Can you elaborate on "spine frame?" Like around the foam, or underneath?
 
I think is is more properly called "spline". Basically an open framework of plywood pieces about 3" wide, stood on their sides. Cut slots in them every so often, and slip plywood pieces that you've cut slots in through the mating slot in the other pieces of plywood. It is very sturdy and light.
 
Would love to hear opinions on the best base for a 2ft X 3ft layout. No trains. I do HO scale modeling with no trains and just love doing layouts. The first terrain I did was for Wargaming and not HO scale and I used plywood. Was thinking about going with a Styrofoam to cut out a pond for my park.
I am strongly in the 2" thick extruded foam camp. I switched from plywood in the late 1990s and have never looked back. For more depth of depressions I stack and glue them together. Make certain the thin plastic topping is removed.
 



Back
Top