Styrene

You can buy small sheets at hobby shops, Plastruct and Evergreen are the two most common brand names.  They sell 6x12 inch or so sheets from .005 to .080 in thickness.  Plus they sell "textured" sheets that simulate other materials (clapboard, brick, corrugated metal, metal roofing, car siding, etc).

You can buy it a a plastics supply house, the one near me sell 3x5 ft sheets of .040 or .060.

You can buy it from a sign making company or as several people have suggested go to your local big box store (Walmart, etc.) and buy a sign ("For Sale", "No Parking", etc).

Dave H.

Evergreen and Plastruct also offer a wide variety of shapes and details as well.  You can get sheets of simulated bricks, stairways and railings, a variety of sizes of beams, channels and angles, and plain strip stock in square or rectangular profiles from small to large.

Here's a couple projects I've done employing styrene in its many moods...

I used Evergreen corrugated sheet for the walls, "board and batten" siding to simulate a raised seam roof, and tile sheet to simulate the sidewalks.

This "still in progress" round house project uses H columns and I Beams from Evergreen, plust more of the corrugated siding and strip stock for the window frames.  Plastruct brick sheet will provide a skirt below the windows.

Plastruct brick sheet forms the basis of this model.  I use layers of it to create the relief of the brick work.  The foundation and cornices are Evergreen sheet and strip stock.

Basically, you can use it to create everything from Hoover Dam down to the n scale 2x4 being loaded into a tiny pick up truck...

Lee 

Trax21 wrote:

Hello All,  Ok so here is what I am wondering alot of you talk about using styrene for scratch building or whatever you need really. What is it and where could I find it? The only thing I have been able to come across is foam board which is obviously way to thick to decent buildin work. (it works for now to mock up things) But I would like to really get into some more detailed work on my buidlings

http://www.evergreenscalemodels.com/

http://www.plastruct.com/

If you ever work with wood.

http://www.gatewaynmra.org/articles/sheahan-wood.htm

Rich 

Hate to sound like a broken record but what Dave H. said. This is scratch-built with a "for sale "sign from wally's:

The walthers one is in the background.

Terry

Thanks for all the replys, I kinda figured it was just a heavy based plastic like a for sale sign or something. But in my book it never hurts to ask if your not quite sure.

I just purchased 3 Sheets of 8 x 4  of .020  .030  & .040 when I looked in the Yellow Pages under Plastics-Raw Materials.........(Polymer Shapes)  for a total 37.00.........enough for numerous Kits......Roadways.....etc............basically anyone who makes those For Sale Signs as per mentioned previosly to make that Great Elevator.......