Small Scale Military Headquarters

Has anyone ever tried to build a building out of styrofoam??? I'm trying right now, but does anyone has any tips?

I have used styrofoam on a diorama I had recently had to take down ( moving) a freind of mine took pics of it - if he emails them to me I will try to post them here- I cut out some door ways and made a 2 story blown out building and spray painted it, the spray paint I used acually melted the styrofoam a little witch made it look like stone sort of. it makes an OK material you can also use a hot paper clip to make brick lines, but it does take some work to make it look good - I incorporated wood, ashes. and concrete dust to help the look. a freind found a nice piace of styrofoam that was shaped like a concrete bunker -atlantic wall- pill box sort of, so it is a material that has some potential.

i've used styrofoam for wall sections but not whole buildings. You need to paint with acrylics as most other paints disolve the styrofoam. The natural texture of some styrofoams simulates rough wall texture quite nicely.

Are we talking about plain white styrofoam, or the high density stuff that is usually blue or pink? If its the good ol' white, unless you have the hot wire cutter its messy and doesn't cut that easily. But, its cheap, especially if you're buying ready to assemble furniture. If you use the high density blue/pink stuff, that's awesome. Hard to find now - Home Depot stopped carrying it and I can only find it at Lowe's. Cuts nice, sands really nice, but be sure not to use regular liquid nails to glue it together (dissolves big time).

What glue is good on the blue/pink stuff? I might try that sometime!

I have used 1/4 inch styrofoam (white) in the past sprayed with contact cement and sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard (not the corrigated kind)! Make up several sheets at a time! Cuts well with sharp utility knife and when finished can be sprayed or I coat it with a stucco solition and glue some pieces of wood on the sides for a tudor look! Be nice to make some like 21st does that can be disasembled to store!

I used Liquid nails for Styrofoam. I just built a mountian for one of my trainsets using the pink/blue foam. At first, I glue with the regular stuff and it ate half my foam away. So far it looks like this stuff is better.

I've only really experimented with styrofoam and diorama stuff. I'm a flooring guy thts what I do (carpet and tile) and there is a material used for tile durock ( anyone herd of it) it is a concrete board and I have experimented with it in a dio also and it does look good as like a sidewalk I had a mind to use as a building material but it is not as light weight as styrofoam. another material I had a mind to use was paver tile, a softer tile that is a brick red clay and I think it would make great rubble.

[quote="mediump"] there is a material used for tile durock ( anyone herd of it) it is a concrete board and I have experimented with it in a dio also and it does look good as like a sidewalk I had a mind to use as a building material but it is not as light weight as styrofoam. [quote]

I finally experimented with that on the dioramma I just posted pictures of. I really like the sidewalks made from it.

Another idea I've had (not tried yet) is to use the styrofoam as a mold and cast concrete buildings for a North Africa scene.

Does anyone know approximately how tall a normal normandy type building would be for 1 18 scale?

DVSk,

I use the foam packs from Home Depot. You get 6 sheets that are approximately 4' by 14" and close to 1" thick. These packs go for about $6.75. Not bad for what you get and can make out of it.

I also bought a foam cutter at Michael's for close to $7, some acryllic paint (can't remember who makes it) that came 8oz(?) for $3.99 and assembled them with Sobu glue that was close to $8 for a BIG bottle. It's kinda like Elmers.

I've made blown out buildings, hills, palm tree groves, bunkers, and bridges outta that foam - but for 1/32 scale stuff.

As for the buildings sizes for 1/18, I'd use the playset buildings for comparison. Maybe make the doorways 5" tall by 3" wide? Just a thought....

C2000

Hey guys I've been working on a styrofoam church for a stop motion movie i was thinking to make in the summer... heh i got a late start though....But its almost done and i was going to post pics when it was done...Its made out of styrofoam Hopefully I'll be done soon.

For sizes of buildings...used a scale converter...there are many free on the net...but here is some examples, hope you like math :

1:18 = 1 inch = 18 inches

therefore,

one figure is 4 inches tall, right, so you get 4 * 18 = 72 and that is the total real size ofthe figure to scale 72 inches which in reality would then become 72 inches / 12 inches in one foot = 6 feet...so we can say that most of our 4" figures in reality would actually be 6' feet in height.

Now for buildings:

a normal ceiling is either 10 feet or 8 feet....so lets use the 10 feet example.

10 * 12 inches = 120 inches
that is the total realistic inches size...
now to convert it to scale;
120 inches / 18 inches (scale) = 6.66 inches; therefore a 10 foot real building would be actually 6.66 inches tall in 1/18 scale.

hope this helps and if you need aany more help let me know.

By the way, have anyone used the texture spray paints on foam?...
i think they may work and not melt the foam...any comments on that?
let me know.

75th Ranger wrote:By the way, have anyone used the texture spray paints on foam?...
i think they may work and not melt the foam...any comments on that?
let me know.

I have tried the "plasti-kote" FLECK STONE on white foam and it melts it just like other paints, but the "KRYLON" Textured Paint (Suede) does a nice job of covering and does not melt the foam as long as you do not put it on in heavy coats!

The textured spray paint i tried didnt melt it...On the church i used spakle and dabbed it with a sponge 2 give it texture