Foam


Thanks mouse, like in it insulation aisle or near by the lumber? I have a HD right by my house so it's easy for quick trips
 
I think Chip is talking about sheets of foam insulation (blue) when he spoke of scraps...That stuff works best when it comes to shaping hills/rocks and adding trees later.

But I beleive Muskieman is talking about foam insulation in the can. (at least I think you were). You can use like a shiny side of paper like freezer wrap. Crinkled up, straighten back out and stapled in place. Then spray in a "low expanding" insulation and once its set, remove the paper. The paper once wrinkled up makes the mold of rock formation. This is a great way to form rocks w/o the weight of plaster. Make sure you use "low expanding" because the others will grow like "The Blob" form the old movies.
These's a great group of videos on youtube on shaping rocks from the blue/pink insulation board if you search for modelrailroading.
 
The foam you want is actually brand named "Styrofoam". It comes in 1", 2", and 4" thick 4x8 sheets. Lowes and Home Depot will usually have the 1", sometimes have the 2", and almost never have the 4". If you want 4", you'll probably have to go to a local home improvement center that caters to contractors. They either will have it or can get it for you. Same thing with the 2" foam if it's not at one of the big two.

If you are using the 1" foam, inspect it carefully because you'll probably find a layer of plastic film on one side. This is a vapor barrier when used for insulation but we don't want it on the foam for layouts since it comes loose and can make a general mess when you're cutting the foam. Just get one end of the film up and you can then peel it slowly off the foam, usually in one big sheet.
 
If you're living in Cali like I, good luck. I checked two Lowes, one HD & a Dixieline, and not a damn one had anything beyond the beaded foam. Infact, all but the Dixieline, no one who worked there had any clue what foam insulating board was, most people just told me something along the lines of "Thats what the foam boards are for? Go look in the insulation section." And what did I find, the beaded stuff.
 
what you want is blue or pink "foam" or extruded styrene NOT STYROFOAM! styrofoam isthe "white stuff"
pink is made by DOW and called "FOAMULAR" dont know the blue stuff (different manufacturer) but it also comes in green, but very rare to find
your also better off at a GOOD lumber yard for selection, trust me I worked at HD and selection is the pitts
hope this helped
bob w
 
Hello Bob,
I searched on "Wikipedia"and found this: stryrofoam is a TRADEMARK..
Styrofoam is a trademark name for polystyrene thermal insulation material, manufactured by Dow Chemical Company.

In the early 1940s, Dow invented a process for extruding polystyrene to achieve a closed cell foam that resists moisture. In recognition of its superior insulating properties, buoyancy and "unsinkability," it was originally adopted in 1942 by the Coast Guard for use in a six-man life raft. Styrofoam can be used for building materials including insulated sheathing, pipe insulation and floral and craft products. Styrofoam insulation has been used in many notable buildings and faciities in North America. [1] The Dow product can be identified by its distinctive blue color.

Styrofoam can be used underneath roads and other structures to prevent soil disturbances due to seasonal freeze-thaw cycles.[2]

The word styrofoam is sometimes misused by the general public in the United States as a generic term to indicate polystyrene foam, such as coffee cups, cooler or packaging material are typically white in color and are made of expanded polystyrene beads. The Dow Chemical Company works to educate the public that STYROFOAM is a registered trademark rather than a generic term for polystyrene foam.
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so we talk about the same "materials"...:)

Jos
 
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Thanks for the help guys. I now know more about foam then I ever thought was possible. Blue, white, pink & green, I always thought it was white Packing material. would I want the 1" or 2"?
 
If you live in Illinois, you'll have no problem finding extruded styrene foam. The white stuff is expanded styrene. Go to the building materials area of your local Home Depot, Menards,Lowes. 4x8 sheets of two inch thick 'pink' are around twenty dollars. Another idea is to look at older homes being resided. It's fairly standard procedure to add a layer of insulation before the walls are resided. They may have some scraps laying around. I went dumpster diving in a new developement for mine.
 
Jos,
Wikipedia is correct. Styrofoam is the correct brand name of Dow's isulation board products. I thought Styrofoam was the white, beaded stuff too until I was corrected by a member of another forum who is a chemist for Dow and said Dow had been fighting this battle for 60 years. :) That's why it's simportant to ask for Dow Styrofoam insulation board when at places like Lowes becuase that's how it will be listed in their inventory. My local Lowes didn't have any out but did have some in the back once I described it correctly.

Muskie, try to get the 2" foam since that gives you more scenic possibilities. 4" is even better but it's much harder to find and way more expensive.
 
off topic, but what the heck is the best way to cut the beaded styrofoam? Hot wire cutter? I don't mind making a mess, I've got a good shop vac!
 
Beaded Styofoam; I cut it w/a sharp knife or a bandsaw or a sabre saw.
If you have a tractor supply in your area, they ship something in big blocks of white foam & they satck it behind their stores & I get it for free. I use it for legs under plywood for my garage sales. This stuff is real strong & more dense than standard white foam.

Larry
 
chimmike said:
off topic again, but, I'm pretty much due west of you, Larry. I'm in Parrish.
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Email me!! How far are you from the train museum on 301? I have a cousin that lives in Parrish. That use to be my territory when I was in outside sales.
There's not much I don't know about Parrish.
Larry
 
I am personally anything but impressed with foam on a model railroad except for profile boards and scenery bases where I need a flat space to put a couple of buildings. And 3/16 masonite is taking over there too.

The old foam is cheaper, better and faster mantra is not one I agree with. I did originally when I started modeling 2 years ago. I wasted a lot of time and money listening to that good advice.

Foam is lighter and you don't need a decent saw to work with it, but there are endless threads on the forums about how to get foam to stay bonded together, overcoming it is too loud, and harder to work with than they thought.
I've seen so many layouts the builder proudly proclaims, 'I built my layout with foam.' No kidding, their mountains frequently (but NOT always) looked exactly like stacked foam. I take a close look at the mountains on the layouts at the train shows and I find it really easy to tell which layouts are based on foam, they don't wear well either. Not all, mind you but it is evident to this modeler that foam is not everything some would have you believe.

To me, track belongs on plywood and cork|soundboard|homosote.

Plaster|Drywall mud over screen wire, WS plaster cloth over cardboard strips, crumpled newspapers hardly ever look like they were poorly done, even mine look pretty good, much better than the 3 or 4 foam attempts I've abandoned.

Just because a we see a few well done layouts in foam does not mean it is the easiest or best method for me. I was so surprised at how much I liked plaster AFTER I finally tried it.

I just don't really see the advantage.

Only my 2 cents

Joe
 
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