Floral Styrofoam for Scenery?

[Metro Red Line]

I found this at my local Micahel's:

http://www.thecraftplace.com/store/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=339&CFID=5307299&CFTOKEN=67060085

It was a set of styrofoam bricks, non-beaded, used for floral use. 
It looks like something I can carve and shape, and is relatively economical (a set of 6 bricks was about $3+), especially since extruded styrofoam sheets are hard to find and relatively expensive here in California. Anyone used this? I figure I can stack these and shape to make mountains or make cliffs out of them. 

[wickman]

If thats the same stuff that my wife uses for putting in plaster pots for her flower arangements I tried using it and personally I found it too crumbly.

[ChrisNH]

My understanding is that floral foam is Polyurethane which would produce harmful vapors if you were to cut it with a hot knife.

Chris

[cacole]

You can get these at Wal-mart for a lot less.  They are very messy to work with when you need to carve them into shape, so have a vacuum cleaner close at hand.  They have to be covered with plaster cloth or something similar because you can't paint them.

[nucat78]

You can crumble this stuff with your fingers.  I suppose you could use it to build up scenery but it would have to be convered with hardshell of some kind.

 

[reklein]

Too Soft Dude.!

[mearrin69]

You can use it and, in fact, it carves quite well. Rather than try to use it exclusively, however, I'd use the pink/blue/yellow insulation foam for the bulk of scenery (i.e. building up forms) and then use the floral foam where you need to carve details without the 'lines' that show up when you layer the insulation foam.

I have used this stuff for wargame scenery and dioramas. As I said it carves ok (as long as you're careful) and I have even managed to carve it to represent architectural elements (columns, friezes, etc.) As noted above it's very crumbly so have a vac handy and you're going to want to cover it with your favorite 'shell' - I use Mod Podge and it works quite well.
M

[loathar]

I use that stuff to make coal and ore loads. Carves real EZ. You would have to seal it or cover it with plaster.

[Metro Red Line]

My understanding is that floral foam is Polyurethane which would produce harmful vapors if you were to cut it with a hot knife.

Chris

It's supposedly styrofoam....And doesn't extruded styrofoam ALSO produce harmful vapors when cut with a hot knife as well? Though I only plan to cut it with a regular knife.

[reklein]

If you cover your foam with sculptamold it won't show the layer lines.

[larak]

...And doesn't extruded styrofoam ALSO produce harmful vapors when cut with a hot knife as well? .

Actually, ... no. You can check the MSDS sheets at the manufacturers' web sites. The dust is an irritant and if you get the stuff hot enough to burn, (low flammability rating) it does give off some bad gasses. A hot wire of knife won't set it on fire. Even hot solder doesn't. It does melt nice sinkholes though. Don't ask.

Karl