What type of foam is ok to use?

Whoever it was that told you to use beadboard... don't ask them for any more advice! They're wrong!

Yes, you can use the "dense foam", assuming that it's a pink or blue extruded foam board. It's ideal for model railroading applications. Easy to cut, strong, dimensionally stable. I haven't noticed any odor with a hot wire. Use a "Shurform" scraper to shape it, and "lightweight spackling" to make fills and smooth sharp corners. Paint with acrylic and /or latex paints.

"> Hello. I have a question that I need a better answer for if any of you "> can help me. I am building a O scale layout and was told to use either "> beadboard or polyfoam board. Well my local lumber yard only carries "> something called dense foam. Would this be ok to use in my layout as "> well? I asked if it emits odors when cut with the hot wire and he "> didnt know anything about all that. Could any of you help me out here "> possibly? I just need to know if it is ok to use or comparable to the "> beadboard, and if it smells real bad when you cut it witht he hot "> wire?

You don't really want to use beadboard!

The dense foam aka insulation foam is the right stuff.

Yes, it gives off fumes when cut with hot wire tools. Do this with lots of ventilation and you probably also want to use a mask as well. It is better (although 'messy') to just cut the foam (with a bread knife or a small hand saw) and shape it with a Sure-Form tool (looks like a block plane, but with a cheese grater type blade). The cutting and Sure-Form tool method creates lots of little bits -- you'll want to fire up the shopvac after doing this for awhile.

"> "> "> Thanks "> "> Heather "> ">

\/ Robert Heller ||InterNet: snipped-for-privacy@deepsoft.com

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You don't want polystyrene beadboard - too crumbly; look for extruded polystyrene. The "dense foam" might be that (EPS), or it might be polyurethane. I'm nost sure if the rigid PU would emit any worse fumes under hot wire cutting than the EPS, but I wouldn't do that to either without really good ventilation and a mask that;s good against organic vapors.

Heather,

Here's another reason you DON'T want to use the white 'beadboard':

"Paul - The CB&Q Guy" Modeling 1960's In HO.

Paul:

Great link there. Good to know somebody actually tested the supposed hazards of extruded foam. Not too surprising the bead board burned so quick - remember the Life Like foam cooler warehouse fire?

Cutting styrene foam with a hot wire releases styrene fumes.

MSDS for styrene:

Doesn't look too hazardous to me. The more serious effects listed are for extreme and repeated (occupational) exposure without proper precautions. For comparison, check the MSDS for ethanol (grain alcohol, commonly sold in 50% solution in clear glass bottles with Russian words on them.)

Open some windows; get fresh air if you get a headache, avoid working in a surfboard factory when pregnant or nursing, and don't worry too much!

Cordially yours: Gerard P.

Thanks Heather for the Link it was very informative. You may have saved my house :)

Heather:

Let me add that you should be sure the available foam IS polystyrene foam. 'Styrofoam', 'Certi Foam', and 'Foamula R' are some brands. Polyurethane foam's vapors are more harmful, and may include isocyanates, which you can apparently become sensitized to at rather low exposure levels.

MSDS for polyurethane foam:

California state information for isocyanates (surprisingly thorough): Note that, unfortunately, the important part is missing, which is the expected AMOUNT of isocyanates in the vapors from foam-cutting...oh well.

Cordially yours: Gerard P.

Just remember, Styrofoam is a trademark of Dow Chemical and it's blue (

Amaco's is pink ) and is an extruded polystyrene. Pre Expanded polystyrene is also known as beadboard because as you break it, it breaks into foam beads that float around. The drink cups are NOT Styrofoam, nor are the ice chests or coolers. Those are pre-expanded polystyrene.

I*'ve seen some people say that the true styrofoam is not rigid enough in 2" thicknesses. They might want to try Styrofoam HL-40 / HL-60 or HL

120 ( if I remember the numbers right) Normal Blue Styrofoam SM ( smooth material) or SE ( square edge ) has a nominal density wehere the

HL series are designed for insulation cold storage wearhouse floors and

are a much greater density.

Find a cold storange warehouse under construction and talk to the contractor. They will be happy to give you a pick up load of scraps for

free. It's costs them to send it to the dump because of EPA. Buy the foreman a case of beer and he'll send one of the guys to loas the truck

for you.

The CB&Q Guy spake thus:

I nominate that page for the Useful Content Award of the week.

What a concept: actually testing materials under actual conditions, and posting the empirical results. And concisely and entertainingly, to boot.

An electric carving knife also works real well for shaping foam terrain. Leaves a very smooth suface and very little mess.

Ken

D> On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 21:03:27 +0100, Robert Heller D> wrote: D> D> >Yes, it gives off fumes when cut with hot wire tools. Do this with lots D> >of ventilation and you probably also want to use a mask as well. It is D> >better (although 'messy') to just cut the foam (with a bread knife or a D> >small hand saw) and shape it with a Sure-Form tool (looks like a block D> >plane, but with a cheese grater type blade). The cutting and Sure-Form D> >tool method creates lots of little bits -- you'll want to fire up the D> >shopvac after doing this for awhile. D> >"> Thanks D> >"> D> >"> Heather D> An electric carving knife also works real well for shaping foam D> terrain. Leaves a very smooth suface and very little mess.

The 'mess' comes with the Shure-Form tool, which is handy for carving smooth, rounded contours, such as mountain sides or hills.

D> D> Ken D> > \/ D> >Robert Heller ||InterNet: snipped-for-privacy@deepsoft.com D> >

||FidoNet: 1:321/153 D> > /\ D> >

D> >

D> >

D> >

D> >

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D> > D> D>

\/ Robert Heller ||InterNet: snipped-for-privacy@deepsoft.com

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Robert Heller spake thus:

One tiny tiny nit: the tool is called a "Surform"

, not a "Shure-Form" or "SureForm". For some reason, almost everyone seems to misspell it.

David Nebenzahl wrote: [...]

,

Maybe people pronounce it "sure-form". I say "sir-form", because I think the mfr based the name on SURface FORmer.

But it is a little nit. (Are there any other kind?)

Hey, it's the nucular age! Look at the folks who don't know the difference between lose and loose!

Steve Caple spake thus:

Or their, there or they're. Or your and you're. Or whose and who's. Or buy and by. Or rein and reign (and maybe even rain!)

Sheesh, I'm even seeing these kinds of fuckups in the newspaper--regularly. Nation of idiots.

Or rather instead of whether , hear or here , sell or sale. It really earitaits me. I can take misspelling okay , kaus aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Ken

Actually, the list of the 10 most often misspelled words has hardly change in over 100 years. They're all homophones (same sound, different spelling, as opposed to homographs, same spelling, different sounds).

Three of them are in your list. :-)

Sure, the 10 most often may well remain the same but the frequency of the misspelling may still be greatly increased. The frequent usage of 'apostrophy s' to make plurals seems to be relatively new. Keith

Keith spake thus:

Ah, yes, the famous "greengrocer's apostrophe"[1]. Linguistically, this is a phenomonon known as "overcompensation", where folks who are uncertain about where to use apostrophes just put them in everywhere there's an "s" at the end of a word.

Simple rule here: don't use apostrophes to make plurals.

Oh, and another thing: overcapitalization. People capitalize words as if they were writing German (where every noun is capitalized).

All this is part of what I call "AOL-speak".

[1] see