Working with foam insulation board

[nickt22]

I am working with foam as subroadbed for my layout and was wondering if it can still be cut and worked with after it is glued to your table.

[MisterBeasley]

I use 2-inch pink foam.  It is glued to the benchwork rafters, with no plywood beneath it.  Although it's easier to work with before gluing it down, it's still quite possible to work it in place.  If you glue plywood beneath it, though, it will be much more difficult to cut chunks out of.  For things like gouging out stream beds or drainage ditches, though, it's no problem at all.

[ARTHILL]

If I want a rough cut, I gouge with my steak knife. If I want a smother cut, I slice with my steak knife. If I want an even cut I use my hot wire tool with a custom shaped wire. It all works. If you bust through, just hot glue a patch on the bottom and continue. I have not tried any on top of plywood, but that would give more strength if you have to crawl on top of it for working. I do have stair treads under the stream bed in the canyon so I can walk right in to work on it.

 

Have fun, foam makes great scenery.

[tstage]

Nickt22,

I have 1-1/2" extrude foam insulation as my layout base.  Like Art, I've used a steak knife to cut through the foam.

Tom

[S&G Rute of the Silver River]

I eat stake so would not stoop to using it on my senery base, but rasors work well and its not too hard to use ither a rasor or a hot wire to run along the bottom edge of the foam to remove it. I had to have ply under mine becouse its portable and its a waterfront right now.