I'm trying to find some cardstock, the kind that typically comes with a laserkit for roof or floor. I'm having a hard time finding this. I'm not looking for "heavy paper", but actual cardboard that I could use for a roof or flooring in a kit. Any decent supliers for this?Thanks!
Hi ChrisVA,
I'm not sure of what weight card stock that the model makers use, but here is a source that claims to offer up to 200lb material:
https://www.thepapermillstore.com/card-stock-weights
I'm going to play the devil's advocate by asking why you would prefer to use card stock over styrene? Styrene is easy to work with, relatively cheap (in fact it can be dirt cheap if you buy it in 4'x8' sheets from your local sign shop), and it won't be affected by moisture.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I buy my cardstock off eBay, it’s called Chipboard.https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2060353.m570.l1313&_nkw=chipboard&_sacat=0I model HO scale and it works very well for me on roofs, interior room walls, floors and general light blocking.
EDIT:
Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
You should be able to find a good selection of cardstock at any art supply store.
However, as Dave mentions, sheet styrene is another useful option. You can get 6"X12" or 8"x21" sheets from Evergreen, in a variety of thicknesses, and in either white or black.If you have a lot of scratchbuilding projects in mind, it is cheaper to go to a "plastics supplier" and buy it in 4'x8' sheets, again, available in a variety of thicknesses.I prefer the .060" sheets, as it has good strength, and is thick enough to also be used as interior bracing...
I've gone through 5 or 6 sheets of it. Don't let the size deter you... the supplier rolls and tapes it, so it will fit into pretty-well any car or truck. I used to carry mine with it standing on the passenger-side floor of my small pick-up truck, leaning towards the seatback. You could probably carry it under your arm while riding on a bicycle, too.
Wayne
Avoid the temptation to use what used to be called "shirt cardboard" that came with new dress shirts, or around the collar of shirts sent to a dry cleaner. The sort of cardboard boxes of cereal come in. That tends to be the cheapest stuff and most prone to warping. Yet some guys do great modeling with it! The late E.L. Moore used to do wonderful modeling using the very thin but sturdy cardstock that manilla folders were made of.
Art supply shops are one place to look for high quality cardstock, but also try a picture framing shop where they might actually give away their discards from matting pictures and photos. It might be thicker than your purpose.
While I do not disdain working with cardstock, and I note that it is used in laser cut wood kits for various purposes, any paper based product has to be used with moisture and warping in mind. There are ways to minimize the problems. But styrene is plentiful and relatively cheap. Some of it is even free in various product packaging.
Dave Nelson
Another place you might look is if you have any sort of small run commercial printer or office supply store. They will tend to have it. (I worked for a small one for a little over a decade.) Just as an aside, chipboard is a completely different animal from cardstock. Chipboard is a lot heavier than cardstock.
I buy the 22pt (.022”) 8½”x11” sheets of Chipboard, perfect thickness for base roofing, interior walls and floors and it blocks light nicely too. The 8½”x11” sheets store easily with standard paper. The 22pt Chipboard is the same thickness as Campbell Scale Models base roofing but without the shingle lines, I mark the shingle lines on the Chipboard with a ruler and ballpoint pen.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.