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Author Topic: Formica is your freind!  (Read 1641 times)

Offline Smokeyrone

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1972
  • Five Rings
Formica is your freind!
« on: January 27, 2010, 12:52:49 AM »
Almost all my sunken flat roofs, balconies, floor levels, and bases for terrain are made on formica.  It cuts with scissors like paper, won't ever warp, and is super cheap (88 cents to a buck twenty nine for a 12" by 12" peice)

Super glue or PVA works perfectly too.

And you can get wood textures, including some that are in scale with 15mm and 28mm (weird, but true).  And the stone textures are great for adobe roofs.

GREAT for making doors, too.  the back, (underside) of the formica is a textured wood grain.

It is THIN, 110 weight cardstock thickness, perfect for basing a building and such.

Next visit to Lowes or Home Depot, look in "Kitchens", and grab a sample (the samples come in 2x3 inch, and 3 by five inch pieces)

You WILL find much use for Formica, I'll tell you what!

Cut out a base shape, put on some acryllic paint and cover with sand, let dry, overcoat with a watered down pain, wash and drybrush, and you have your best desert terrain ever for a base. (not for  figures, but for trees and plants, a market kiosk, a tent, a load of supplies, whatever.)


I'm doing the final touches on "Not Khartoum" and knee deep in formica now, so this is a good time to spread the word!

Thanks for listening, droogs.
« Last Edit: January 27, 2010, 01:40:03 AM by Smokeyrone »
Reigning USTA Florida, and National 50+ Singles Champion  (tennis)  TWO Time Florida 50+ Singles Champion!  Just won State 2019!

Offline tima113

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 78
Re: Formica is your freind!
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2010, 10:16:40 AM »
Interesting. I always considered formica much thicker than 110 lb card, but will have to examine it at the local Lowes. I recently got some cheap self stick vinyl tiles for some experimentation. got any pictures Smokey?

Offline Smokeyrone

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1972
  • Five Rings
Re: Formica is your freind!
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2010, 04:36:02 AM »
Good point, use dollar store scissors. 

While 'drilling" a hole with an exacto is easy, I never had much luck with the cutting/scoring method with exacto you described, either.

Yes, when you cut with scissors, the "right" side of the formica (from the cut, with right handed scissors) often cracks and  chips etc.  The "left portion" will not, so that is your good piece.  ( don't cut a piece from the middle, if you want both pieces (which is why I get it in small pieces, just big enough to cut out your shapes.)

Never thought of it because my scissor method works for all my needs, but maybe I'll find out what professional kitchen remodelers use.  Maybe an industrial scoring/cutting device???  They must have a method that saves as much formica as possible from waste?


Next time in the DIY, get some samples.  (they are free)

 Some textures are way cool.  The "Metal" textures include corregated (in scale, too), "riveted" and dimpled surfaces, that when painted, is as good a "metal" look as you will find equivelent to expensive Plastruct styrene sheets  .  Great for sci fi doors and walls.

The marble and stone textures and colors are GREAT for table tops, bar tops, stairs, walls etc. Floors too.

When I post my all inclusive "Not Khartoum" terrain pics Sunday, you will see about a dozen different uses of it.

The "underside" laminate wood, will scribe easy, and has a good natural wood grain look for gaming terrain, and   takes paint and drybrush great.