Our 20x40 foot HO scale layout, a friend's HO scale home layout, and my HO scale home layout all use two layers of sound board glued over hollow core doors. I think sound board is much easier to work with than Homosote, is not nearly as expensive, and is more readily available.
Sound board is made from sugar cane, wood scraps, and other vegetable by-products. As the name implies, it acts as a sound deadener, too, in addition to having good insulation properties. It is easy to cut into for streams, ravines, rivers, etc.
We even kept the sawdust from the cutting of sound board and mixed it into the plaster when we built the mountain scenery.
Where can you get sound board??
Bob
RFinch,
The availability of sound board possibly depends on your location. All of the major building supply stores (Home Depot, Lowe's, and 2 independents) here in SE Arizona carry sound board. Look in the insulation section for a brown colored, 1/2 inch thick, 4x8 sheet of insulation. It's made by Celotex Corporation.
cacole wrote:RFinch,The availability of sound board possibly depends on your location. All of the major building supply stores (Home Depot, Lowe's, and 2 independents) here in SE Arizona carry sound board. Look in the insulation section for a brown colored, 1/2 inch thick, 4x8 sheet of insulation. It's made by Celotex Corporation.
Same here in Denver area
Joe
Thanks for the info. I'll check my local Lowe's and Home Depot to see if they stock it.
cacole wrote: RFinch, It's made by Celotex Corporation.
It's made by Celotex Corporation.
Celotex!!!! There is a retro word. It worked back in the 1950's, so I am sure it will work now
Harold
The so-called Celotex wall board from the 1950's did not hold track nails because it was too soft. This is the reason people changed to Homasote because it is denser and will hold track nails very well. I know this from having used Homasote on my last layout. Hopefully the Sound Board made by Celotex is more like Homasote in this regard. If you're using an adhesive to lay your track this should not be a concern.
I'm using half inch temptest. I don't know if its the same as insulation board but its good to work and it deadens the sound good. Fairly cheap $12cdn for a 4x8 sheet.
................Mario
Having used Celotex in the early 1960's on my first layout I found it held nails and spikes thru wood ties well enough. It holds nails as well as cork over styrofoam.
Sound board is made by Celotex Corporation but it is nothing at all similar to the old Celotex building material. Sound board is almost as dense as Homasote because it is highly compressed. We use two layers, so plain sewing pins can be used to fasten the track instead of nails. Pins are much cheaper than track nails and they hold in sound board very well.
How is sound board to cut? When you cut Homasote with a jig saw you make a real mess.
Homasote is so dense that it is difficult and very messy to cut with a jigsaw unless you use a knife-edged blade instead of toothed blade. Sound board can be cut with a jigsaw, table saw, or even hand saw, but it does make dust, so wearing a respirator is advisable.
Initially, I was reluctant to use Sound Board because I didn't know what it was made from and out of fear that it may contain asbestos; however, when I Googled and read about it on the Celotex web site I learned that it contains no asbestos.
Well, I have some sound board installed. I glued it to 3/4 plywood and given it three coats of latex paint. It is a brown color naturally. When you cut it you get a 'fuzz' that simply blew away. I cut it outside using my skil saw. Not bad actually, plywood makes more mess. It also cuts almost as easy as foam board with a utility knife.
Used a 16 oz bottle of titebond ($6) to secure it to the plywood. It took 4 oz per 2 * 8 sheet. THe first coat of paint simply disappeared before my eyes! The third coat dried and it looks like all the pictures of Homasote I ever saw. I've NEVER actually seen Homasote, not sure it really exists, cause I've never been able to find it, I think it might be an urban legend.
Ok, it looks good, it is solid, it feels good when I touch it. Now comes the acid test. Layout a piece of flex track on it and grab some track nails and a pair of needle nose pliers. You always hear guys say that Homasote is worth it. When that nail slid into the Sound board, I knew I'd done good. I'll give you that Homasote might hold the nails even better, but oh, was I pleased with how it went together. I'm confident that wnen I glue and balast the track, it will be just what I always wanted in a road bed.
I'll post again as I get more experience with it. So far, I' really pleased.
Thanks to those who encouraged me to try it.
PS, $9 a sheet at Home Depot AND Lowes in the N. Denver area.
RFinch wrote: How is sound board to cut? When you cut Homasote with a jig saw you make a real mess.Bob
I learned my lesson and only saw homasote outside now, which of course can be a challenge on those snowy days of winter when model railroading is the best possible use of your time. I use a blade meant for metal in my saw and use that blade only for homasote since it is dulled by the homasote. One thing that does reduce dust (and prevents some of the warpage) is to seal the homasote with plain old fashioned shellac (which has no water in it). The smell brought back memories of cub scout projects! Once the homasote is coated with shellac however it is not as easy to push a track spike into.
I'll have to keep an eye out for this sound board material.
Dave Nelson
I used homasote for my last layout and it's a good product, but it cost about $30 a sheet.
After reading about sound board I'm going to give it a try for a christmas layout I'm going to start this weekend and it only cost $7 a sheet.
I have already cut the sound board for the layout. I'm going to layer it on a piece of 3/4" plywood as it needs good support under it.
I cut the homasote with a knife edge blade in my sabre saw (Sears part number 28814 .)As homasote is a paper based product and it dulls the blades quickly. When I cut the sound board I just used a utility knife. I had to make 3 passes to cut through the 1/2" board. What was nice as there was no mess to clean up. One thing about sound board is it's easy to ding up.
Sound board is a dusty product and is prone to fray. I'm going to paint the top and edge surfaces and hopefully it will help. When I was in Lowes I seen an epoxy paint and I may try it.
If the sound board works well it will be product of choise from here on out.
Dewayne wrote:I used homasote for my last layout and it's a good product, but it cost about $30 a sheet.After reading about sound board I'm going to give it a try for a christmas layout I'm going to start this weekend and it only cost $7 a sheet.I have already cut the sound board for the layout. I'm going to layer it on a piece of 3/4" plywood as it needs good support under it.I cut the homasote with a knife edge blade in my sabre saw (Sears part number 28814 .)As homasote is a paper based product and it dulls the blades quickly. When I cut the sound board I just used a utility knife. I had to make 3 passes to cut through the 1/2" board. What was nice as there was no mess to clean up. One thing about sound board is it's easy to ding up.Sound board is a dusty product and is prone to fray. I'm going to paint the top and edge surfaces and hopefully it will help. When I was in Lowes I seen an epoxy paint and I may try it.If the sound board works well it will be product of choise from here on out.
\Dewayne/
I have 3 sheets or so down on my layout and so far, I love it. I painted mine with three coats of plain latex wall paint and it seals up like a champ. I've never actually seen the fabled Homosote, but after my soundboard has been painted it looks like what I think Homosote is.
Epoxy paint woud be expensive as the soundboard is REAL thirsty and soaks up that paint!
Still happy and satisfied.
Just my 2 cents
Joe Daddy