glue for rigid foam??

[Captain Blood]

Okay team... I am venturing into the rigid (pink) foam beloved of the evil Empire terrain makers for the very first time. This is in order to build a lovely mounded churchyard which I hope will succeed in making my new 20mm country church look a bit more imposing and 28mm-like!

1. I found the foam incredibly hard to track down. In the end I paid what I suspect is quite a high price for a few small squares of the stuff off eBay. I tried all the major DIY chains here in the UK, and they do not stock it. I also tried various hardware shops, plumbers supplies shops and so on. They don't stock it either. So if you use this stuff - where the heck does it come from?!

2. What glue do I need to stick the pieces together with? (And no, I don't have a hot glue gun).

 :wink:

Thanks.

[Westfalia Chris]

1. I found the foam incredibly hard to track down. In the end I paid what I suspect is quite a high price for a few small squares of the stuff off eBay. I tried all the major DIY chains here in the UK, and they do not stock it. I also tried various hardware shops, plumbers supplies shops and so on. They don't stock it either. So if you use this stuff - where the heck does it come from?!

Here in Germany, I get it from a number of DIY stores, but mainly the larger ones - some modelling shops stock the thinner pieces (ie between 3mm and 10mm, as compared to the 20mm and 30mm found in the DIY chains), but I could list those by the fingers of one hand...

2. What glue do I need to stick the pieces together with? (And no, I don't have a hot glue gun).

I use white wood glue (I think it´s called "PVA" in the UK?), of the "Ponal" brand due to personal preference. The "express" variety dries quickly and strongly, but it doesn´t hurt to pin larger pieces with toothpicks and weigh them down, if possible, during their drying-time.

[JollyBob]

Try Antenociti's Workshop next time you need some (scroll down):

http://www.barrule.com/Workshop/scratch%20builders%20paradise/sheet%20materials.html

It's blue, not pink, but it's the same stuff. I could never find any in DIY stores either.

And yeah, PVA will work fine.

[Captain Blood]

Thanks both. Much appreciated.
I'll get carving and PVA gluing then...  :wink:

[Cory]

I use Elmer's white glue, PVA glue. Works fine, though if there are gaps I sometimes use wood glue as it is a little thicker and will work as a filler as well.

In the northern US (not much help I know) the stuff is everywhere. A 4x8 sheet of 1/2" pink is about $10. For 540 sq ft of 1/4" it's about $40. The DYI stores carry it as do Walmart and Kmart in smaller 4x4 panels.

If you can't find it where you are try asking a siding or roofing contractor if they know of a source. The problem maybe in the terminology you're using, but around here x inches of pink/blue foam is usually what is used by everyone.

[Mosstrooper]

You can get the pink/blue foam (different densities) from builders merchants in the U.K. - Travis Perkins I think are nationwide , its used for insulation in buildings nowadays , we use it at work for flexible jointing in concrete bridge work . You can get large sheets of creamy/yellow coloured quite cheap BUT its not as strong although I have made buildings out of it successfully . I would look in the local yellow pages for Builders Merchants , DIY stores do not seem to stock it . Good luck !

[Hammers]

I would NOT recommend white glue unlesss you are prepared to wait for oodles of time for it to dry. Foam doesn't absord water like fabric or wood so Elmers/PVA/White Glue/Aleens Tacky will take a very long time to set.

Carpenters use what's called "liquid nails" to glue pink/blue foam and this is what a lot of hobbyists are using to these days. It's slightly more expensive, very tacky and a bastard to clean up but it creates a superior join and dries in considerable less time than tva. It can, to noones big surprise, at DIY stores.

Hot glue will melt the foam unless you use that low temp variant. The amount you need will probably make it more expensive than liquid nails.

[Rhoderic]

Keep in mind there are some extra strong PVA glues specifically meant for this kind of thing. I use Speed Bond, which I ordered from Antenociti's Workshop. Be warned it can be somewhat "violent" as it dries, by which I mean it can cause a bit of warping as it contracts. I can't really imagine this being a problem with something as thick and strong as pink foam, but stuff like thin foamboard is suspectible.

[Cory]

Hammershield has a good point about drying time. It takes Elmer's  a couple of hours to to harden entirely on the foam. Liquid nails does hold quickly but has other drawbacks - I might use it for hills but never buildings.

If drying time is an issue take a look at the DYI store. I have a wood glue that goes on like white glue but hardens in 3-4 minutes.

Of course I have limited time and a gnat's attention span so a longer drying time is a great excuse to set the thing aside while I do something else.

[twrchtrwyth]

Try Antenociti's Workshop next time you need some (scroll down):

http://www.barrule.com/Workshop/scratch%20builders%20paradise/sheet%20materials.html

It's blue, not pink, but it's the same stuff. I could never find any in DIY stores either.

And yeah, PVA will work fine.

Thank you very much for this link. :mrgreen:

[Gluteus Maximus]

Try Antenociti's Workshop next time you need some (scroll down):

http://www.barrule.com/Workshop/scratch%20builders%20paradise/sheet%20materials.html

It's blue, not pink, but it's the same stuff. I could never find any in DIY stores either.

And yeah, PVA will work fine.

I'm relieved it's not just me who can't get the stuff. I suspected I'd lost the plot!

I've used Antenociti's before & had good service from him. I hadn't realised he stocked the foam, so thats a great link  

[Vanvlak]

I've not tried it before, and don;t have storage room for scenery, so I won't do so any time soon - but would the insulating foam which comes in spray cans work? It becomes rigid very rapidly, and if sprayed into a mould could take an approximation, at least, of the required shape. trouble is that it's a bit porous, so might need coating prior to painting.

[Gluteus Maximus]

I've not tried it before, and don;t have storage room for scenery, so I won't do so any time soon - but would the insulating foam which comes in spray cans work? It becomes rigid very rapidly, and if sprayed into a mould could take an approximation, at least, of the required shape. trouble is that it's a bit porous, so might need coating prior to painting.

It works well if you spray it sparingly on something rigid like MDF and then once dry you can carve, sand and fill it. With a little practice you can get good looking hills & rock formations etc. Oh and keep it well ventilated until cured!