RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted March 30, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30, 2020 Can anyone help with a supplier of the large (roughly 2 x 4 feet and 2 inch thick) sheets that were all the rage a few years ago? I used to be able to get them in packs of four from B&Q but they seem not to stock them now and I can't see any obvious equivalents online. I found some similar blue foam sheets at a radio control plane swapmeet but again can't locate a supplier now that I could do with a few more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davknigh Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 Depending on how much you need a builder’s skip on a construction site might be the easiest route and the best price by far. On this side of the pond builders clad the whole house in foam and then cut out windows and doors so some large bits of scrap are available. The only catch being there might not be too much construction going on.... Cheers, David 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 Nowhere near Aberdare I'm afraid, but SIG Distribution in Oldbury, West Mids stock extruded polystyrene products... https://sigdistribution.co.uk/ 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gerbil-Fritters Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 Any more domestic orientated retailers? I've long since given up and put this stuff in the same category as Klear - absolutely desirable, completely unobtainable. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
soony Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 Try Kingspan on the Spon Lane industrial estate , on the side of the Metro tracks, West Bromwich/ nearly oldbury. https://www.scoot.co.uk/England/West-Midlands/West-Bromwich/Kingspan-Environmental-T-A-Polmeric-Mouldings-Ltd-CHLG363.html See if they have a 'damaged' sheet for minimum cost.. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted March 30, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30, 2020 Done some more digging around and it looks as if this might be the stuff, but for now it's being described as insulation for electric underfloor heating: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XPS-Insulation-Boards-Floor-Underlay-Panels-for-Electric-Underfloor-Heating-50mm/124032252637?hash=item1ce0e5fadd:g:NUgAAOSwmeNeD0wD Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjnewitt Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 You need to look for XPS insulation board (extruded polystyrene). Make sure it's XPS and not EPS board (expanded polystyrene) though. There's plenty about in a multitude of thicknesses. They glue the suff between two sheets of OSB and build houses out of it now, without framing a lot of the time (SIPS panels). Justin 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted March 30, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30, 2020 (edited) Al, the pink stuff hasn't been available for some years now. It was part of government subsidised scheme for loft insulation back around 2010. It's sad really but I was fortunate to get a large supply to stash away for future use. Not surprisingly, half of it is gone, mostly on 'Balcombe'! When the supply is exhausted I will be using 'Kingspan' blue floor insulation. The only drawback is that the minimum order is around £100 (IIRC) for a pack of four (?) 2440 x 1220 x 50mm. Anyway they're closed for the duration so your best bet would be your ebay find. Justin is correct in his advice re- XPS and EPS boards To glue ply to it (to frame and for track beds) use non-solvent grip adhesive. PM me if you need any advice. I've used the pink stuff for 10 years now and have never looked back! Keep well and all the best. Edited March 30, 2020 by Re6/6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted March 30, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30, 2020 (edited) If you want it for carving features like bridges etc rather than just scenic base then in bulk https://www.panelsystems.co.uk/products/modelling-foam Or loads of smaller batches on eBay if you search for modelling foam. for example: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F132254477807 Edited March 30, 2020 by PaulRhB 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium eldavo Posted March 30, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 30, 2020 The Winchester Railway modellers used Trylon Modelfoam on their Redbridge Wharf layout. Not cheap but a range of sizes and thicknesses. https://www.trylon.co.uk/design-and-technology/modelfoam/modelfoam/ Cheers Dave 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted March 30, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30, 2020 Thanks all. I've had good results with the pink stuff on earlier layouts: This one had no conventional baseboard at all, just the XPS stuff but with MDF on the outside for durability. It's still on the exhibition circuit! What i want the extra XPS for is a new addition to my French opus, and so I need (ideally) to maintain consistency of the scenic treatment from the old boards to the new, as the rail height is dictacted by the thickness of two layers of foam. This is a Tim Horn baseboard with two layers of foam - the pink (which I had left over from a bulk purchase about ten years ago) and the blue stuff, which was somewhat rougher but of a consistent enough depth to be able to be used interchangeably. The blue stuff is denser, I think. The foam was fixed together and stuck to the baseboards with PVA. I will investigate that ebay supplier as their prices seem better than what I last paid for the pink stuff, which I remember being over 20 pounds per sheet. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Richard_A Posted March 31, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2020 Try seconds and co, they sell factory spoiled and returned insulation boards, we clad and rendered a big house a few years ago using phenolic insulation bought from them the quality was fine for that so you should be ok with anything you might get from them. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bailey Gate Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 Quote What i want the extra XPS for is a new addition to my French opus, and so I need (ideally) to maintain consistency of the scenic treatment from the old boards to the new, as the rail height is dictacted by the thickness of two layers of foam. I use plenty of the blue sheets at work to form voids in cast concrete, just be aware that the thicknesses can and do vary and are not guaranteed. Saying that it sands well if necessary, albeit a tedious and messy job. To stick it I use nothing more than double sided tape, far easier to align than using glue. HTH Geoff 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasdavetheroad Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 I built my baseboards out of 3 layers of 50mm blue foam. Overkill but I bought a lot of it. I used a specialist spray on adhesive but discovered that you can use screws as well. NOT self tapping. I use long brass ones and they hold surprisingly well. If you add some Copydex to the thread before screwing in you have the proverbial …. to the blanket. Try to get that out without destroying the foam, no way. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meil Posted March 31, 2020 Share Posted March 31, 2020 Blue sheets are simply extruded polystyrene foam made by DuPont, the pink sheets were made by someone else. Same material. Kingspan material may not be expanded polystyrene depending on the product. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted March 31, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2020 Thanks again all, some really good info and suggestions here. I've used screws on pink foam as well, to hold chocolate box connectors in place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted March 31, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2020 1 hour ago, Barry Ten said: I've used screws on pink foam as well, to hold chocolate box connectors in place. Indeed Al, as long as you get the screw in first time! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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