Blue styrofoam vs. Pink styrofoam vs. White styrofoam

[AntonioFP45]

 I'm using the 2" blue foam from "Dow". Here in my neck of the woods (Florida) Lowe's sells it in

4' x 8' sheets at $25.00 each.   

Suggestion. once you've got your layout's framework built, go ahead and paint the styrofoam board first, using a neutral earth color in the tan or gray color families.  As you build and lay down your scenery, that annoying bright blue won't be showing.

I know a modeler who built his layout a few years back with the blue foam board. I know it's his layout, but it drives me nuts sometimes when I run my trains on his layout and I see patches of "blue" showing through everywhere on the railroad. 

You probably saw this on my paint stripping thread.  The stripped shell is sitting on top of my 2" Blue Foam on my new layout that's under construction. 

I got the tan colored paint from Home Depot for just $1.00!   Referred to as "Oops Paint" by the guys in the paint dept.  Usually found at the paint mixing counter desk of home stores, these are paints that are mixed for customers and either they don't pick them up or are rejected.  Win-win for other customers.

[Bighurt]

 Extruded Polystyrene comes in two flavors Blue and Pink.  Blue is produced by Dow and Pink is produced by Owens Corning. 

Lowes Sells Dow products;

• Residential sheating available in .5", .75", and 1"
• Wallmate available in 1.5", and 2"

 

Home Depot and Menards sell Owens Corning products;

• Foamular 150 available in .5", 1", 1.5", 2"
• Foamular 250 available in .75", 1", 1.5", 2"

 

Ok there are probably other flavors but you get the idea.  2" is the strongest and will support nearly a mans weight at 16" OC, the average man weighing 160-180 lbs.  2" is what I would use as subgrade details are easily carved out of 2" material without cutting completely through.

There are special foam adhesives, straight liquid nails generally eats through foam as its solvent based.  There are recipes that are foam safe.  Also Expanded Polystyrene, the white beaded stuff isn't a good bet for structural strength, however its easily carved so makes a good mountain.

Expanded polystyrene can easily be cut with a standard TS and blade, I haven't seen any blade degradation after using it for foam.  There is also surfoam tool, hot wire knife and traditional saw/knife.

[twhite]

As a layout base, the pink and blue 2" foam is excellent if you use wood cross-bracing about 12" apart under it..  The white beaded foam can be used, but you need to support it with a really well-built wooden frame, with cross-bracing about 9" apart at the MOST.  I was using the pink and blue on my Yuba River Sub when the 'extruded' foam suddenly became unavailable in California, and I was forced to use a section of the 2" beaded foam on one portion.  Though it works, it is much 'spongier' than the pink or blue foam and as I said, needs extra bracing underneath.  It is also an absolute MESS when carving contours, unless you use a 'hot' knife (and even then, wear a mask, because the fumes can affect your lungs). 

But as a layout base, unless you're just using it for a small portion, I'd say from experience, forget it.  Look for the 2" pink or blue (Corning) instead.  Cuts and carves like a dream and there's hardly a mess at all that can't be sucked up through a vacuum cleaner.  And 'stacking' it for grades on the layout only makes it stronger.  With the beaded stuff, prepare for a major MESS!

Tom 

Tom  

[MadSinger]

Pink is fine and blue is fine.  I've used them both, and don't have a preference.  It all depends on what is convienient for you.

MadSinger

[rrinker]

 The various suppliers make it in varying thickness. Home Depot here sells the pink in 1/2", 1", and 2" thicknesses. Blue and pink are pretty much the same, just one is Dow (blue) and one is Owens-Corning (pink). The working properties are about the same. White should be avoided for ANYTHING - unlike the blue and pink it WILL burn and release nasty black smoke. Somewhere there's a web site where a group did some tests comparing the fire resistence of the three types - everything from "hot soldering iron left on top" to 'burning candle with the flame touching the foam'.

                                            --Randy

 

[john2wilm]

 You also have to be careful where you get it from, Lowes foam board is 3/4" thick and Home depot is 1" thick.  Most local building supply have the thicker foam board.  I thought they where all the same.

 

[ARTHILL]

If you do some dumpster diving you may also find some green and yellow. They are all about the same. If you buy it you will find different weights. The lightest is the cheapest and works as well. The white is best avoided as said above.

 

[ham99]

Avoid the white beadfoam, but the blue and pink are basically the same -- just different manufacturers.  I used some of the white on my last layout, and it sunk under the scenery over a couple of years.  Maybe shrunk, or maybe compressed.  It's also a static electricity nightmare.  I am using both blue and pink on my new layout -- depends upon whether I get it at Home Depot [pink] or the local building supply [blue].

[train_frk-0079]

When I started drawing my layout add on, I came across a problem.  What type of styrofoam do I use?  White styrofoam has the little balls that drop off if you rub up against it, but it's lightweight.  I don't know the difference between the blue and pink styrofaom, though.  I am building an industrial yard with a few grades here and there (like the roller coaster on the beer line), so which one is better?  Does one design/cut better than the other?  Sound off.

Peace