A Homasote question?

[jacon12]

I live in central Georgia in the U.S. and have checked the local Lowe's and Home Depot. For you folks overseas those are kind of giant 'home improvement' type stores that carry tons of stuff. At neither store did they even know what homosote was. On the homosote website you can type in your zip code to find a dealer close to you, my zip code wasn't in their data base. I think I'm going to have to find a substitue for homosote.

[bsteel4065]

Hey, ghackman, it would be L'homosote.
Sorry too!

[Anonymous]

"Homasote is a dinosaur that is rarely used any more because of the added weight it produces on the layout."

All of the modelers I know use homasote....

[Paul W. Beverung]

I used to cut a 4x8 into 1.5 inch strips. Use this on edge and bend as needed. Laminate 3 or 4 strips together with glue. After the glue has dried sand the top smooth and lay your track. You get real nice curves this way, nice easments.
Paul

[genelewis]

I also live in a northern suberb of Detroit, (Oxford).
Earlier this year I bought some Homasote from James Lumber in Ortonville. Think I paid almost $30.00 for a 4x8 sheet.
In prior years, I also found it at Burke's Lumber on Dixie in Waterford.
Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Just a little info, Homasote is recycled newspaper, mostly used as an underlayment for flooring and sometimes as a sound deadener due to it's density. In construction, it is not recommended for use without a subfloor (i.e. plywood) as it is prone to sag with high humidity. It would bridge it cases where there is a gap between sheets of ply if you have it down for trackwork. I have found it is great for handlaid track after you ballast. I think the spikes rust and hold very well.

[piemandan64]

MENARD'S CARRIES 4X8 SHEETS IN INDIANA @ $18 A SHEET OR THE LOCAL LUMBER CO. CAN ORDER IT FOR A SLIGHTLY HIGHER PRICE. I'VE GOT IT ON 1/2 IN PLYWOOD. YOU DO NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU PAINT IT SEVERAL TIMES (ALL EDGES TOO) TO SEAL IT BECAUSE BEING A PAPER BASED BOARD IT IS PRONE TO EXPANSION DUE TO HUMIDITY (WHICH WE HAVE PLENTY OF HERE IN INDIANA THIS TIME OF YEAR). I DO LIKE MY CORK ROADBED BETTER AS FAR AS THE SOUND ABSORBING QUALITY. HAPPY RAILS TO YOU!!
DAN

[Anonymous]

Le Homosote (sorry) [:D]

[bjdukert]

If you know the Rochester,Mi area,Dillman_Upton lumber carries it,not sure how mjuch

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Hard Add

Homasote is a dinosaur that is rarely used any more because of the added weight it produces on the layout. ..

That sweeping, general statement would only be true if apllied to portable module sections.

[Anonymous]

Homasote is a dinosaur that is rarely used any more because of the added weight it produces on the layout. Most folks are going with blue or pink foam board because it's lightweight and you can carve,shape and cut into it soooooo easily. I went into Home Depot and Lowes to look for Homasote and they only carry it around Christmas when most people by it ...for guess what? LOL .Homasote was used by contractors as sub-flooring over the plywood to reduce noise when you walked on it. Worked great in its heyday but even the builders don't use anymore and prefer corkboard instead.Thats why you can't find it at any of the major chains.Try a local mom and pop outfit or 84 Lumber if you really want to use it. I suggest you go with the foam for price, durability , flexibility,and its sooooo damm ez to use.

[wp8thsub]

QUOTE: Originally posted by [e-mail]

Does homasote come in 1/4 inch thickness?

Homabed http://www.homabed.com used to sell small 1/4" thick sheets. They offer pre-cut roadbed in 1/4" and 1/8" thickness. It's smoother and much easier to use than the full sheets. For yards, I just use the plain roadbed and fill in the spaces in between tracks with sand before applying ballast.

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by [e-mail]

Does homasote come in 1/4 inch thickness?

I don't know but doubt it. Again, check their website at

homasote.com

Now Homabed may come in that thickness. I don't know. Maybe Rob Spangler can get back on this as I have no experience with Homabed.

[[e-mail]]

Does homasote come in 1/4 inch thickness?

[rexhea]

When I started my layout I looked all over for Homasote and didn't have any luck. If I had known that it was the same as common fiberboard, I wouldn't have had any problem. Now I know that the nearest place to get it is over 50 miles away. Oh well! It all worked out using plywood and Woodland Scenics foam track bed.[8D]

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by enduringexp

Thanks for the info, Jim. I am an old guy (46) and aluminum siding used to come with this fibrous paper/cardboard stuff behind it. It would kind of shred or crumble at the edges when it was bent and broken. I will look again at H D and see.
Thanks!!
Tim

I know what you're talking about and that's definitely NOT it. Homasote is a grey color. They have a dealer locator on their web page at:

http://homasote.com/

Also, check out the topic on the this Forum called "To use foam or not?" for more info on Homasote.

Hope this helps some.

[Anonymous]

What is Homasote called in France?

[Anonymous]

Wow--neither Home Depot nor Lowes in southern California carry Homasote. I get mine from the local lumber yard at around $25 for a 4'X8' sheet.

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by michealfarley

At our Menard's in Fargo, we can only get it in 2'X4' sheets. They're about $7-8 each. I use the homasote on top of 3/4" plywood and I have no sagging, no problems with track alignment, and a good sound muffling factor. It's solid, and a little heavy, but it's reliable.

That's how they used to sell it at our Menards, but in the past year they started carrying full 4x8 sheets for around $15-16. Prior to that, there was only one local lumberyard that would carry a few sheets and I had heard their price was up around $25!

[michealfarley]

At our Menard's in Fargo, we can only get it in 2'X4' sheets. They're about $7-8 each. I use the homasote on top of 3/4" plywood and I have no sagging, no problems with track alignment, and a good sound muffling factor. It's solid, and a little heavy, but it's reliable.

[wp8thsub]

If you want bendable Homasote, try Homabed; it's regular in thickness, holds spikes well, and installs just like cork roadbed:

http://www.homabed.com

[BR60103]

Homasote generally does not crumble. If you score it heavily with a knife, you can break it down a line. It doesn't do what I would call "bend"; it sags a bit and you can bend it up a reasonable amount to start a grade.
It's intended as a sound insulation.

[Anonymous]

I have heard Homasote refered to as "pressed board" on ocassion, if that helps for a generic name. In my area, Buffalo, NY, some of the Home Depot's carry it and others don't. Kinda weird I thought. And even at the HD that does have it, not all of the employees know what I was talking about.

I checked with some smaller lumber yards in the area and most of them stock it. If you're still having trouble locating it, try the smaller guys, chances are they have it, and they will know what you are talking about.

And Geoff, the product you describe does sound similar. The know our product is made of pressed, recycled paper as opposed to cane material. And generally, Homasote holds small track nails very well.

[cacole]

Homasote is recycled, compressed paper. I think whether or not it is sold in your local Home Depot or Lowe's, etc., depends on local fire code. Because it is paper, it is flammable and not allowed in new construction in most states. The only place I have seen it used out here in Arizona is for the expansion strips in sidewalks.

[Anonymous]

COX lumber-- 25 $ a sheet

[lyctus]

For 30 years I've wondered what you Americans call Homasote. In Australia we have what I perceive to be a similar product called Caneite, made I understand from compressed sugar cane stalks left over from the extraction process. Caneite used to be used for pin boards and may still be, but hese days thjey seem to either cover the raw white finised caneite with fabric to pretty it up or are using some other type of sub material to hold drawing pins.It did get used for insulation a bit before modern foil type stuff and spun fibre mats became the norm. Our caneite is only moderately dense and is about 12.7mm(1/2") thick. It does hold pins, but I would say, only moderately well for tracklaying expectations.
When you saw it, it makes a darn mess with light fine sawdust/fibre stuff going everywhere it wants to. Does this sound like Homasote or am I barking up the wrong tree ?
What other track sub base do folk use ? Is homasote flexible to enable it to flex around curves ? Caneite sure does not like to do this.
Do you guys have a separate product that sounds more like caneite ? Maybe you call it pinboard (for use on bulletin boards ) ??

[jrbarney]

QUOTE: Originally posted by enduringexp

Is there another name for the Homasote product? I know Homasote is a brand, but does someone else make a like product? . . . .
Tim

Tim,
Try using the Search the forums .... window in the header, using Homosote as the search term. If memory serves, (it doesn't always !), there was a generic name mentioned in an earlier thread. If you find it, please post it in this thread to help the next person.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info, Jim. I am an old guy (46) and aluminum siding used to come with this fibrous paper/cardboard stuff behind it. It would kind of shred or crumble at the edges when it was bent and broken. I will look again at H D and see.
Thanks!!
Tim

[Anonymous]

Hey Tim

Dover NJ Home Depot had plenty of it ... 1/2 X 4 X 8 Homasote, @ $16.75

It was in the insulation department, not with the plywood and other boards. It seems heavy to me for weather insulation, maybe its a sound deading board. I wouldn't know.

Off the Home Depot label ..... "Prime Source 123024
Item B 123-024"

and the product id numbers off the bar code .... 0 98056 11005 7

Jim

btw....I read your profile because I was going to email you. I'm 46, two kids 12 and 15, dog, 2002 F-250 SD Crew Cab, 1979 F-150, also enjoy armor models, fishing (plus hunting), snowmobiling (plus atv'ing). The layout I'm building is also a "typical" thing (Conrail), its not my life. I wish you lived near by, I could use a buddy in my new neighborhood. I'm the only rift-raft in the area.