Is this right????

[MrCrazy]

So im looking to make some easy hills in preparation for SST: Evo.

I hear the colored high-density foam / polysterene is the best stuff to use. I went to Michaels. Nothing. I went to Lowes. Nothing. I went to Home Depot. nothing. I went to the local mom and pop craft store. Nothing. I finally found one store that sold it. It was a 5 inch thick piece probably 2x4. How much? $89.50!

My question is, what materials do u use to make your hills and where the hek do u get it? I thought this high density stuff was it but for 89 bucks for a small piece? Did i not find the right stuff or is it really that expensive?

 

[Turtle]

You might have found some more expensive version meant for high end home insulation.

The cheapest stuff is likely to be styrofoam. And honestly while HDF is likely to be better, I don't think it's that much better to pay that much.

Some people talk about pink insulation foam being great, try looking for that too.

 

[Xintao]

Go back to Home Depot or Lowes and ask for pink board insulation. They will know. Also check this link

http://www.owenscorning.com/around/insulation/products/foamular.asp

 

[Mage]

Yeah, that stuff is real good to use, even for a beginner. I had a go at making stuff at a GW event. It is easy to use and looks good.

 

[nezeray]

I use the blue insulation, which is basically the same as the pink. I get 1 inch sheets and cut them with a hot wire saw. My friend has used some 2 inch sheets and they made nice steep slopes.

When you first get your insullation, cut of a chunk about 12inch by 12 inch and just play with the hot wire knife. Wiggle it and see what effects it gives. My wife enjoys just destroying small chunks that fall by the wayside.

Nezeray

 

[shotgun-toting chipmunk]

We called it "dow board" at the hardware store I worked at (blue foam) and carried it in thicknesses up to 2" in 4x8 and 4x9 sheets. Try that.

 

[Goldwyrm]

I use pink foam insulation (that Xintao mentions earlier) that comes in 2" thick 2x8 sheets. IIRC, they ran about $14 each. I've currently got 12 sheets of it in my garage for a Starship Troopers terrrain board I'm starting on tonight.

 

[dragonfather]

Home Depot is definately your best bet. For hills I recomend 1.5" or 2" thick foam.

Here are some pics of hills using pink foam. You can see the stuff you want unpainted in the back ground. For quick painting I recomend Design Master floral spray paint (available at Michaels) it's safe for foam (water based).

 

[BuShips]

MrCrazy, for me locally Lowes did not stock it. Home Depot did, both in the softer white 2x4 sheets and in 2x8 pink, which is tougher. While many go for the stronger material, I've developed a method of etching the surface of my white Styrofoam 2x4 pieces. Then I use craft sand and latex paint to add surface strength to the pieces. For the final colored finish, I used more colored craft/hobby sand and Ktylon H2o water-based spray paint.

Oh, and I'd guess that expensive piece you mentioned was the spongy foam, right? Yes, that stuff is expensive and is used for upholstery. It works for light plastic models, but not so well for large metal models (they sink in, heh).

BTW, nice hills dragonfather .

 

[BuShips]

I use pink foam insulation (that Xintao mentions earlier) that comes in 2" thick 2x8 sheets. IIRC, they ran about $14 each. I've currently got 12 sheets of it in my garage for a Starship Troopers terrrain board I'm starting on tonight.

Post pics, OK?

 

[cordas]

Home Depot is definately your best bet. For hills I recomend 1.5" or 2" thick foam.

Here are some pics of hills using pink foam. You can see the stuff you want unpainted in the back ground. For quick painting I recomend Design Master floral spray paint (available at Michaels) it's safe for foam (water based).

Some very nice looking hills there......

 

[Goldwyrm]

I use pink foam insulation (that Xintao mentions earlier) that comes in 2" thick 2x8 sheets. IIRC, they ran about $14 each. I've currently got 12 sheets of it in my garage for a Starship Troopers terrrain board I'm starting on tonight.

Post pics, OK?

Will do. But as a teaser, my future board will be a 4x16 that is built in eight 2x4 sections with a compatible 4x8 board being built by another guy in the group (we'll call him Mushroom Nuke Guy from Xintao's earlier topic since he doesn't post here). We're building his board and mine at the same time and painting both together so they are homogenous looking for large group games or convention games as a 4x24 or in an L pattern. This is my inspiration:

The goal is to have it done on the 24th over 3 weeknights (draw/cut, cut/glue, glue) and a full day on a weekend (Paint, lunch, Texture Paint, dinner, drybrush).

 

[BuShips]

Hmm, I'm wondering how to replicate that texture. What about course textured wall spackle or those texture spray cans of orange peel? My acetone-etching process gives a rather different effect but it only works well on the softer white styro sheeting and not so well on the pink stuff.

 

[dragonfather]

Some very nice looking hills there......

Thanks! I love making terrain. That's why I am so excited about pre-painted mini's. More time for terrain. Though I haven't done much sci-fi stuff yet, but I am looking forward to it.

Here's a couple of my small sci-fi pieces.

and

 

[Xintao]

Nice Stuff dragonfather. I like the pressure values on the tanks.

 

[BuShips]

Let me guess on the first one. Beveridge cans, CO2 bottles, plastic drinking straws and a PVC plumbing elbow? :wink:

The materials are endless really and are all around us daily. I look at it as a method of recycling :wink:. I can always say that I'm doing my part. :lol:

 

[dragonfather]

Let me guess on the first one. Beveridge cans, CO2 bottles, plastic drinking straws and a PVC plumbing elbow? :wink:

The materials are endless really and are all around us daily. I look at it as a method of recycling :wink:. I can always say that I'm doing my part. :lol:

Gotta love recycling!! And the pressure valves are little wooden bits I found in the basement. The only thing not trash is the barrels on the other side and the diamond plate on the ground.

 

[Breten]

I use the blue insulation, which is basically the same as the pink. I get 1 inch sheets and cut them with a hot wire saw. My friend has used some 2 inch sheets and they made nice steep slopes.

When you first get your insullation, cut of a chunk about 12inch by 12 inch and just play with the hot wire knife. Wiggle it and see what effects it gives. My wife enjoys just destroying small chunks that fall by the wayside.

Nezeray

Just an FYI, the Pink and Blue insulation foam are pretty much identical. The difference in colour only has to do with the company that makes it. Owens-Corning produces Pink insulation as their trademark (The Pink Panther is used in their marketing), while Dow and the rest produce Blue.

 

[Rob_A]

Over here, pink is less dense than Blue.

 

[Turtle]

Someone posted an article a while back about making hills with slopes that you can put a figure on and not have them fall over. There was a certain angle that you had to make the slope for this to work.