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Foamboard supplies


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In response to posts about scratchbuilding many modellers are using foamboard.

I did intend using 40thou plastikard but foamboard looks interesting.

As I will be attempting this for a station, goods yard etc. but have no experience of this material

could fellow modellers appraise me of the following:-

 

1). Good Suppliers? Stores or internet ? I live near wigan (no local model shop or arts n craft shops) tried staples but search gives no results

 

2). Thickness to work with 3.5 or 5mm? and size4s to buy (some people have said A4 arrives curved)

 

3). References to the self adhesive type presumably this is paper covered but posts seem to indicate this is preferable.

 

4). Cutting, one firm advertises a "cutter" rather than a scalpel blade.

 

I intend to use embossed plastikard to cover and am drawing buildings on my PC to give templates.

 

Advice from any passing source of wisdom gratefully accepted

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Hi Bob.

 

Some good supplies of 3mm & 5mm Foamboard in differing sizes on Ebay at good prices - I am about to use 5mm for building structures in 7mm scale.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cheers.

Bob.

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Hi Bob

 

If you're using it as a shell and then covering with embossed plasticard you'll have to be very careful not to get any plastic solvent (Mek etc) on the foam core. Depending upon the type of foamboard you may find the foam has a nasty habit of dissolving! Shouldn't be a problem on the main wall areas but could be tricky at corners and window / door openings. On the one occasion I used foamboard as a shell I cut the door and window openings much bigger than required in the foamboard, cut the embossed sheet the right size and then built up the opening areas in plastic strip / section.

 

Be sure to post photos to show how you're getting on.

 

Regards

 

Chris

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If you do not have a Hobby Craft - try your local Reprographics Centre.

If they print out drawings for Architects Etc - we often ask for these to be mounted on foamboard and heat shrunk wrapped to avoid warping.

 

In Glasgow we have Hobbs (Was Hobbs Baxter) we used to have Millers + Sime Malloch + Reproprint + Dito Print............ just Hobbs now I think. Perhaps you have something like those.

 

Scalpel will cut it just fine - but it has to e sharp and blade has to be long enough to cut rear paper face or the handle will bend the top paper cover. There is a technique of scoring through the paper cover then opening up the cut and snapping it back closed to break the board along the line

Good luck with that by the way - when it works it gives a lovely straight cut to the back face ....... when it works.

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Thanks for the suggestions.

Hobbycrafct was out of stock !!

So Rymans(i always thought they were just stationers) had different sizes in stock got a pack of 5 X A2 5mm £14:00 to play with.

If I manage to get it cut and the building put together I'll post piccies.

These assumes I don't get stuck with no-nails adhesive everywhere.

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Hobbycrafct was out of stock !!

Hi Bob,

 

I've just been to the Warrington Hobbycraft store and got the plain 5mm A1size for £5.99 - they had quite a few others left. I'd ask for a discount though. Most of the edges etc are bashed etc.

 

They also have packs of 5 A4 5mm at about 11.99 - better value at Rymans then.

 

You've not been inspired by a certain 'Springs Branch' model on here have you?  I have.   :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for the very helpful suggestions.

I intend to try no nails and map pins (as suggested elsewhere)

In case you didn't spot it ASDA sells No nails which saved a trip to joiners/builder's merchants.

I have got as far as drawing stations buildings out on computer and pritting acard model together.

Got some dimensions a bit wrong so MKII card model is in production.

Cheers

Bob Hughes60

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