Homasote help

[n2mopac]

Just responding to all your helpful advice, I went to the homasote web site and found that only about 5 places in all of Missouri (yes I'm in Missouri too) carry it. The only one within 100 miles of me is in Jefferson City, over 40 miles away. I have used extruded foam for scenery, but havn't tried it for roadbed. My primary concern is in yards, and extruded foam would probably work well there in 1/2 " thicknesses. I assume with foam you have to glue the track down. What is the best glue for this that won't attack the foam? I know I've read the answer to that question in MR in the past, but can't remember. Thanks again for everyone's input.
Ron

[Anonymous]

Maybe if you use a chain saw LOL. I use hot wire and/or a serrated kitchen knife. I have never noticed a dust problem, but heh, better safe than sorry.

[Anonymous]

Maybe if you use a chain saw LOL. I use hot wire and/or a serrated kitchen knife. I have never noticed a dust problem, but heh, better safe than sorry.

[Anonymous]

flee307, I agrre with you on the extruded foam,but, when cutting it you may want to put on some sort of respiratory protection.

[Anonymous]

flee307, I agrre with you on the extruded foam,but, when cutting it you may want to put on some sort of respiratory protection.

[Anonymous]

Homasote is old fashion. Use extruded foam. It's lighter, more stable, can be cut without wearing a resperator, can be carved to shapes, doesn't require a sheet of plywood under it, can be found at most home centers and insulates noise better. It's also hard to find Homosote seemingly everywhere except for Milwaukee. We have three lumber yards in town, none have it! In Springfield, Missouri, the third largest city in Missouri behind only Kansas City and St. Louis, no one claims to have it, and Lowes and Builders Square claim to not even know what it is. Same with Hydrocal.

[Anonymous]

Homasote is old fashion. Use extruded foam. It's lighter, more stable, can be cut without wearing a resperator, can be carved to shapes, doesn't require a sheet of plywood under it, can be found at most home centers and insulates noise better. It's also hard to find Homosote seemingly everywhere except for Milwaukee. We have three lumber yards in town, none have it! In Springfield, Missouri, the third largest city in Missouri behind only Kansas City and St. Louis, no one claims to have it, and Lowes and Builders Square claim to not even know what it is. Same with Hydrocal.

[Sperandeo]

I like Homasote for roadbed but I hate the mess of cutting it, as Dave Nelson described. I use precut HomaBed roadbed from the California Roadbed Co. See the ad on page 21 of the October MODEL RAILROADER, or visit the Web site at www.homabed.com.

So long,

Andy

[Sperandeo]

I like Homasote for roadbed but I hate the mess of cutting it, as Dave Nelson described. I use precut HomaBed roadbed from the California Roadbed Co. See the ad on page 21 of the October MODEL RAILROADER, or visit the Web site at www.homabed.com.

So long,

Andy

[dknelson]

Here in Milwaukee you can buy homasote in a couple different ways, and we have Home Depot as well as a more local outfit called Mendards.
First it comes in 4x8 sheets like plywood but I rarely see that available. Plus many places store big sizes like that outdoors or in unheated areas where homasote just wicks up the moisture.
The other way is within the store itself where they sell "handi panels" of 2 foot by 4 foot plywood, masonite, pegboard, chipboard, melamine and homasote. This is in the area where they also sell shelves and such. That is also where I get my plywood in the 2 ft by 4 ft size because even though it is cheaper to buy a 4x8 sheet and have them rip it to size, the plywood that size tends to get badly warped while the stuff inside is laid nice and flat and stays warm and dry. Plus the smaller size fits in my car.
Failing a home improvement type store, try finding a real lumber yard or place that caters to real contractors.
By the way when I cut homasote sheet for roadbed I do it outside. The stuff creates a fine dust that gets into everything. It also tends to dull saw blades -- I actually use a blade meant for metal because the cut is finer. Then I shellac the piece including the soft edges to try to avoid future warping. That makes it harder and maybe less sound absorbing.
Dave Nelson

[dknelson]

Here in Milwaukee you can buy homasote in a couple different ways, and we have Home Depot as well as a more local outfit called Mendards.
First it comes in 4x8 sheets like plywood but I rarely see that available. Plus many places store big sizes like that outdoors or in unheated areas where homasote just wicks up the moisture.
The other way is within the store itself where they sell "handi panels" of 2 foot by 4 foot plywood, masonite, pegboard, chipboard, melamine and homasote. This is in the area where they also sell shelves and such. That is also where I get my plywood in the 2 ft by 4 ft size because even though it is cheaper to buy a 4x8 sheet and have them rip it to size, the plywood that size tends to get badly warped while the stuff inside is laid nice and flat and stays warm and dry. Plus the smaller size fits in my car.
Failing a home improvement type store, try finding a real lumber yard or place that caters to real contractors.
By the way when I cut homasote sheet for roadbed I do it outside. The stuff creates a fine dust that gets into everything. It also tends to dull saw blades -- I actually use a blade meant for metal because the cut is finer. Then I shellac the piece including the soft edges to try to avoid future warping. That makes it harder and maybe less sound absorbing.
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

My Local Menard's has 2' x 4' sheets available. I seem to remember that they seemed "reasonably" priced, and you wouldn't need a truck to get it home in. I would think that you could special order if you can't find it locally.

[Anonymous]

My Local Menard's has 2' x 4' sheets available. I seem to remember that they seemed "reasonably" priced, and you wouldn't need a truck to get it home in. I would think that you could special order if you can't find it locally.

[jrbarney]

Have you tried the Homasote Company site at <http://www.homasote.com> to see if they have a listing of dealers or an E-mail contact point ? Also, don't forget that Homabed sells pre-sawn roadbed at their Web site <http://www.homabed.com> which will be a lot less messy unless you absolutely want the sheets. Do you have a pickup to carry the sheets home in ?

[jrbarney]

Have you tried the Homasote Company site at <http://www.homasote.com> to see if they have a listing of dealers or an E-mail contact point ? Also, don't forget that Homabed sells pre-sawn roadbed at their Web site <http://www.homabed.com> which will be a lot less messy unless you absolutely want the sheets. Do you have a pickup to carry the sheets home in ?

[n2mopac]

I have read about and seen many modelers who are using homasote for roadbed. I want to try it on my new layout, especially in the yards and dense industrial areas where several tracks run paralles to one another. I have shopped at all of the local building supply stores (Lowe's, Sutherland's, The Home Depot, etc.) but no one seems to carry it. Where can I find sheetsof homasote for purchase?

[n2mopac]

I have read about and seen many modelers who are using homasote for roadbed. I want to try it on my new layout, especially in the yards and dense industrial areas where several tracks run paralles to one another. I have shopped at all of the local building supply stores (Lowe's, Sutherland's, The Home Depot, etc.) but no one seems to carry it. Where can I find sheetsof homasote for purchase?