I built my last railroad with it and my current one. My layout base is beaded foam too. There is little mess if you use a Woodland Scenics hot wire. Also for areas that are too far from the edge initial cuts are made with the kind of knife with the break off blades fully extended. I have sawed it also and the mess is not that bad. You will have to cover the foam though and for that I use plaster cloth which you can get for cheap if you look, one layer is fine in most cases but a lot of people don't know how to use it without a mess. You get a tray and put just enough water in it to do a few strips. Cover your track and stuff but you can just use a cloth for that. Just dip the cloth and apply to the area you want to cover with the most plaster side up (yes most cloth has two sides). Then you smooth it over with your hands, I keep a towel nearby to wipe my hands.
Having not used it, I cannot comment on durability, but you could glue pieces together and foam with a drywall knife or similar. I hope you don't have it anywhere near scenery. If anything like the insulation foam, expect a storm of pink foam.
John-NYBW ... I've saved numerous large sheets of this foam in various thicknesses for the purpose of creating different levels for structures and also subroadbed for some spur tracks. ...
... I've saved numerous large sheets of this foam in various thicknesses for the purpose of creating different levels for structures and also subroadbed for some spur tracks.
...
I used some strips of that foam packaging, the 1/2" thick stuff, as a base for my brick machine shop. I had to paint the foam, of course, but it came out looking passably like a stone foundation:
It's an obvious night-time scene, so it's dark, but you can clearly see the 'foundation' at left if you click and expand the image below:
Beaded foam is difficult to carve into. Personally, I much prefer a combination of open grid and plywood (for yards).
Simon
Yes, you can use it when filling a void under which you might be making terrain, say with plaster cloth. Otherwise, you could be using anything, rags, although they sag, stacked cardboard, bits of plywood, etc.
It will be covered, and unless it acts like a bridge of some kind, it should not deform or compress much. Again, hardshell atop it should work well.
Be careful what you use for adhesives. Styrofoam doesn't do well with some kinds, but you can use Loctite's PL300 safely. I believe 'Liquid Nails for Projects' is also suitable, but I think it costs more.
wvgcabead board foam is simply quite a bit messier !
This is what happens when you take a Surform tool to extruded foam.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
bead board foam is simply quite a bit messier !
John-NYBWI'd like to know if there is a downside to using this kind of foam. It's not as stiff as extruded foam and breaks apart easier but it seems to me that this would not be an issue once it is glued down and covered with scenic material. Can anyone give me a reason not to use this type of foam?
I used it 40 years ago as a base to lay plaster cloth over. Actually held up much better than corrugated cardboard commonly used then. Drawback is the mess it makes cutting or breaking. Extruded foam avoids much of the mess in carving by using a knife without a sawing motion. Packing foam makes a static cling mess regardless of technique. And the packing foam melts/burns worse than the extruded stuff in the presence of heat.
Fred W
....modeling foggy coastal Oregon in HO and HOn3, where it's always 1900....
John-NYBWCan anyone give me a reason not to use this type of foam?
No!
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
In the past year I have purchased a large appliance and piece of furniture, both of which came unassembled and had ample amounts of packing foam. Unlike extruded foam which is most commonly used as a scenery base, this is beaded foam. I've saved numerous large sheets of this foam in various thicknesses for the purpose of creating different levels for structures and also subroadbed for some spur tracks.
I'd like to know if there is a downside to using this kind of foam. It's not as stiff as extruded foam and breaks apart easier but it seems to me that this would not be an issue once it is glued down and covered with scenic material. Can anyone give me a reason not to use this type of foam?