Expandable Foam Insulatiion Is No Go, What About Ceiling Tiles

[dougdagrump]

For the halloween layout I used the wadded up paper and plaster cloth for hills and walls, works good but very messy. Has anyone ever used the expandable foam insulation, can it be shaped after setting up, brand recommendations, etc? This is for the Christmas layout which I am putting together in the living room so I would like to avoid the mess of using plaster cloth. Tried a forum search but nothing popped up. [?]

[Dr.Fu-Manchu]

The Doctor is In !!! Doug, I have used the expanding foam to plug holes in walls and such. I don't think it can be used in the way you are thinking of. It expands fast, It is very sticky and hardens very quickly. It is also a bear to clean off of tools. You may want to fall back on an old idea: Use burlap cloth with crumpled paper under it. I think you can use spray paint to color the hills you build that way. I think this was what the Lionel layout builders used, If I am not mistaken. If any one can back up this information, Please do. Till My Next Missive I Remain The Humble Yet Strangly Evil Doctor !!![}:)]

[Anonymous]

I experimented with a couple of cans of expanding foam insulation on a large mountain I built for an earlier On30 layout. My observation: The stuff is very difficult to control in terms of where it goes and how it acts. It takes a while to harden, but once it does harden it can be carved. It tends to take the shape of giant piles of doggie doo-doo, so the foam itself is not enough--you need to cover it with a final surface layer of plaster or some other material (I use Sculptamold) to fill in the numersous gaps that will remain after you carve the stuff to shape. Finally, while it's still in its semi-rigid form, do not let it get on anything that you want to keep and/or use again. It's virtually impossible to remove or clean up.

[GregM]

Some time ago I experimented with a product called "Mountains in Minutes." It was a two part expanding foam product for making scenery. I haven't seen it for a while but it may still be available. The trick to it was to use some wood pieces (popsicle sticks seemed to work pretty well} to manipulate the foam as it was expanding. This way the foam looked more like rock and you didn't end up with the dog piles. Be sure to cover anything you don't want it on as it sticks to everything. I kind of remember that paint thinner would clean it off metal if you didn't wait to long to clean the item.

I bought some cans of the expanding foam to use with the sheet foam I was using to build some mountain scenery but never got around to using it before I took down the layout.

[Buckeye Riveter]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Dr.Fu-Manchu

The Doctor is In !!! Doug, I have used the expanding foam to plug holes in walls and such. I don't think it can be used in the way you are thinking of. It expands fast, It is very sticky and hardens very quickly. It is also a bear to clean off of tools. ................... If any one can back up this information, Please do. Till My Next Missive I Remain The Humble Yet Strangly Evil Doctor !!![}:)]

[#ditto]

[Anonymous]

I have used--and like--the Mountains-in-Minutes expanding foam product for years (a two-part product that must be mixed together for use). I DO like that stuff, and it is much easier to handle/use/carve than the spray-type expanding foam sold for insulation purposes. M-in-M is a dense and very good foam product made especially for scenery and similar purposes. It is used by a great many museums in creating their displays (they buy the stuff in 5-gallon buckets, which they mix together in smaller batches).

[ChiefEagles]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Buckeye Riveter

QUOTE: Originally posted by Dr.Fu-Manchu

The Doctor is In !!! Doug, I have used the expanding foam to plug holes in walls and such. I don't think it can be used in the way you are thinking of. It expands fast, It is very sticky and hardens very quickly. It is also a bear to clean off of tools. ................... If any one can back up this information, Please do. Till My Next Missive I Remain The Humble Yet Strangly Evil Doctor !!![}:)]

[#ditto]

[#ditto]
and use latex gloves. I've used it for sealing holes, adding some flotation to boats and etc. Untamable.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Allan Miller

I experimented with a couple of cans of expanding foam insulation on a large mountain I built for an earlier On30 layout. My observation: The stuff is very difficult to control in terms of where it goes and how it acts. It takes a while to harden, but once it does harden it can be carved. It tends to take the shape of giant piles of doggie doo-doo, so the foam itself is not enough--you need to cover it with a final surface layer of plaster or some other material (I use Sculptamold) to fill in the numersous gaps that will remain after you carve the stuff to shape. Finally, while it's still in its semi-rigid form, do not let it get on anything that you want to keep and/or use again. It's virtually impossible to remove or clean up.

[#ditto][#ditto]

I went back to cardboard strips, and coffee filters soaked in plaster...much easier to work with............Tim

[dougdagrump]

Well it sounds as if the foam is out. Thanks for the responses.[tup]
Since this is going to to just high enough for a tunnel and to support the Christmas tree maybe I'll experiment with some foamcore and paint it to look like concrete walls.
Any ideas?
[D)]

[dougdagrump]

Just checked the Lowes web site, I mite try to pay them a visit tomorrow and check out the 2' x 4' ceiling tiles. A box of eight is only about $21 and I spent more than that on plaster cloth for halloween. Rough the edge, cut them into strips and stack them to look like rock ledges.
[D)]

[ChiefEagles]

Dougsnotagrump, thanks for the Lowes info. Not far from me.

[hminky]

I have a web article about making ceiling tile rocks at:

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/more_rocks/





Click image to enlarge

I find them versatile, they don't always have to be stair step strata. Most home improvement stores will sell the broken ones for less.

Thank you if you visit
Harold

[Roger Bielen]

Doug, I've also used the tiles with good success. I doctor mine with a coating of plaster to fill in some voids and to seal the edges before painting.

[Frank53]

I'm using cieling tiles for sound deadening material on my top level (under construction). THey are easy to work with and give you a nice rugged edge if you score then and crack them.

[Anonymous]

Use ceiling tiles if you want to, I suppose, but I would go with two-inch-thick Extruded Polystyrene sheets (Sytrofoam) before I would ever consider using ceiling tiles. This stuff is available in 4x8 sheets in many areas of the country (but not all) at home improvement centers and lumber yards. It, used in combination with Sculptamold, is by far my favorite material for scenery building.

[Jumijo]

The 2 inch foam panels would make short work of any rock formations or tunnels you might want to built. Less layers to stack, and it can be sculpted and carved. It would also be a lot lighter and probably cheaper. Whether or not you can find foam panels that thick in your area is another story though.

Jim

[Jumijo]

Doug,

If your holiday layout is a temporary one, and you plan to run conventional, you might consider using aluminum foil to make rock outcroppings or tunnels. It would be especially effective if placed over a foam under-structure. Crumpled up aluminum foil looks incredibly realistic as rock when painted. It's cheap and non-messy. Easy to work with, too. A little known fact - the Batcave on the TV series Batman was all just a skin of aluminum foil over 2x4 walls.

Jim

[dougdagrump]

Jim, The aluminum foil idea sounds interesting. When I was at Value craft yesterday they carry a line of spray paint that is textured to look like granite, sandstone and I believe slate. What kind of primer would you use on tin foil?
The layout will only be up thru the end of January, at the most, so I don't want to invest to much time and money.
Recycling the halloween layout. [:D]



Does that mean I should be running the "Naughty & Nice Hoppers" [?]

[Jumijo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dougdagrump

Jim, The aluminum foil idea sounds interesting. When I was at Value craft yesterday they carry a line of spray paint that is textured to look like granite, sandstone and I believe slate. What kind of primer would you use on tin foil?
The layout will only be up thru the end of January, at the most, so I don't want to invest to much time and money.
Recycling the halloween layout. [:D]



Does that mean I should be running the "Naughty & Nice Hoppers" [?]

Doug, I'd guess any gray primer in a spray can would work nicely. I'd buy the cheap stuff for a buck at WalMart. If you do use the tin foil, try to make sure the shiny side is down, so that the paint goes on the dull side. Do a small mock-up first to see if you like working with it. You might want to use foam (either sheet or spray) under the foil for added strength. Crumple the foil a bit before glueing it down will make it look more rock-like.

Jim

[dougdagrump]

Jim, Thanks for the foil idea. I did a small test piece, w/o paint, and I really like the way it looks. It came off of a roll of the wide heavy duty stuff. [^]