Any idea what I can use these for?

[Thorbrand]

Hi guys

Working on a building site, i come accross some interesting things from time to time which i think would be useful for model making.

I found some of these today which are used as shock absorbers for PVCU windows when they are in transit. They are made out of some kind of foam, quite dense.

Has anyone here used foam for modeling before and what did you use it for? I'm thinking they could be useful to create walls or bunkers.

[col68]

Alex I use it for all sorts especially when I make a diorama base I glue it to a wooden base cut it to shape then cover it with plaster.

[Mr Bowcat]

I'd use it to hold my cocktail stick mounted wheels after I've painted them.

[Thorbrand]

Alex I use it for all sorts especially when I make a diorama base I glue it to a wooden base cut it to shape then cover it with plaster.

Do you use plaster of paris?

[col68]

Sorry mate I should of said plaster bandage. Once its dry I rub normal ready mixed filler onto it to fill any gaps

[Gern]

This sounds like the pink foam that model railway builders use for scenery. If it is, grab what you can because it's really good! It glues down with ordinary PVA and it's easy to carve/cut/sand into shape. You can cover it with just about any kind of plaster/clay to create surface details or you can seal it with watered down PVA and paint it or add scatter. The only thing you can't do is use cellulose based spray paints as they will dissolve it - unless you want to create a half melted surface such as you'd see after a laser battle or a volcano.

As Bob says, if you put small parts onto cocktail sticks for painting, it's easy to push the other end of the stick into the block to hold it while the paint dries. Similarly, if you use it to make scenery, you can prod holes in it for trees, telephone poles etc. etc.

You can also use it to create jigs to hold models steady in a box for transport or posting.

[Thorbrand]

Thanks for all the tips! I found some tamiya 1:32 US army soldiers today in my box, cant for the life of me remember buying them but i think i will use them with this foam for some kind of diorama. Gern, i dont think its the same as the pink stuff because you cant sand it. Its a bit more squeezy. Anyhow i think ill look into learning to make a plaster bandage and i have loads of poly filla which i can use.

[zuludog]

Glue abrasive paper to them, then cut them up to make sanding blocks

Cut them up to make supports for components while the glue sets, eg wing to fuselage joints

Make holes in them with a sharp knife or hot wire to make bases for small bottles that are liable to fall over


A man goes for a job on a building site, and the foreman asks him 'what's the difference between joists and girders'?

The man replies 'Ah, that's easy'
'Joyce wrote Ulysses, and Goethe wrote Faust'