Thin Bases for Houses help needed

[manchesterreg]

What i am after is a thin base, to mount a 28mm House and gardens on, and using one part as the pavement, so there's a subtle drop to the actual road, I am wondering if cork would be better than say plywood or MDF, which would warp? Or would thin sheets of ply/mdf be okay, grass etc would need glueing to base.

[SteveBurt]

Cork warps just as much as MDF and is much less strong.
I'd go with thin MDF, but prime both sides before adding scenery.

[manchesterreg]

Thanks, prime with paint?

[robh]

The best material for scenery bases is :
http://tri-dee.com/sintra_plastic_pvc.htm  (Canadian site but the stuff is available worldwide)

Lightweight, does not warp and cuts simply with a craft/stanley knife leaving a clean edge. You can also chamfer the edge to a slope for tree bases etc

It is used for display and advertising boards by lots of industries, the last lot I picked up for free were paint faded house "For Sale" signs from a then local (UK) estate agent.

[Westfalia Chris]

The best material for scenery bases is :
http://tri-dee.com/sintra_plastic_pvc.htm  (Canadian site but the stuff is available worldwide)

Lightweight, does not warp and cuts simply with a craft/stanley knife leaving a clean edge. You can also chamfer the edge to a slope for tree bases etc

It is used for display and advertising boards by lots of industries, the last lot I picked up for free were paint faded house "For Sale" signs from a then local (UK) estate agent.

Those rigid PVC sheets are great. I use the 3mm-thick sheets widely, for all kinds of purposes, and they are particularly nice for pavements as you can easily scribe in flagstones, bricks, even cobblestone if you are crazy enough. It's a bit vulnerable to scratches due to its soft surface (or rather, softer compared to MDF or hard polystyrene sheeting, e.g. Plastruct), but if you choose an appropriate colour, it won't be that noticeable.

[dampfpanzerwagon]

I agree with the 3mm plastic card or PVC sheets - try sign-makers as they often have off-cuts.

Tony

[cahrn]

I'll echo what others have said above. I use sheets of pvc or epvc to base my buildings and terrain. I find that it is sufficiently rigid while still being easy to cut and work with a knife. I get mine from a local plastic store where they sell/give away their offcuts.

[manchesterreg]

Ordered a 8 by 4 PVC sheet, bit too much, but well i can always do the bathroom as well.

[Mako]

I'd go with either styrene sheets, or 3mm linoleum floor tiles.  Both can be cut fairly easily with a blade or scissors.

The latter is heavier so more likely to lie flat, as I suspect is desired.

[Manchu]

I have had good luck using chipboard “sealed” with cheap DIY store matte varnish.

[Manchu]

I have also used expanded PVC for a heartier option but it is thick enough to require a bit of sanding to round the edges.

[6milPhil]

I agree with the 3mm plastic card or PVC sheets - try sign-makers as they often have off-cuts.

Tony

Yeah foamed PVC is what I'd suggest too.