# Foam boards



## Blue1957 (Oct 17, 2019)

Does anyone know where to get seets of foam board 4" thick? Wanting to to build a mountain tunnel and be able to support ceramic houses on it.


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

no, not foam board four inches thick ..
how ever, extruded foam insulation can be had in two inch thick pieces ?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

You can get 2" thick stuff at home improvement centers and lumber yards (usually; I've heard some areas don't stock it).

You get 4" foam by gluing two panels together.

Seriously, though, do a weight test on the 2" stuff. Supported by joists on 18" centers, that stuff will hold my weight (230#). I think it would hold a ceramic house.


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## Blue1957 (Oct 17, 2019)

Got it built up. Need to shape it and figure out what i want to put on it and where before cutting too much off.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*White Styrofoam?*



Blue1957 said:


> Got it built up. Need to shape it and figure out what i want to put on it and where before cutting too much off.


Blue1957;

The foam in your photo looks like white Styrofoam "bead board." Is that right? For model railroad scenery, we normally use "extruded foam insulation board" which is blue, pink, or green, depending on the brand, and much stronger than the white bead board.
If all you want is a temporary setup to display your ceramic houses, the white Styrofoam will be OK. It is very messy when cut, or shaped, though.
You can cut it with just about any handsaw, serrated butcher knife, or one of those electric power knives used for carving turkey. A tool called a "hot knife" sold by www.harborfreigth.com Or a specialized tool called a "hot wire foam cutter" www.micromark.com will do a much neater job, not generating a blizzard of white Styrofoam beads that float on air, stick to you, and get all over the place! When cutting or shaping I hold the hose of my shop vac close to the tool to catch as many beads as possible. The Shure Foam rasps in the photo are very good for rounding off roughly sawn edges. Final shaping can be done with sandpaper. 

Good luck;

Traction Fan :smilie_daumenpos:


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Yes, that does lok like bead board. I was referring to extruded foam insulation panels. Beadboard is different stuff and not nearly as strong. Make sure you test it with something you don't care about before putting one of your ceramic houses on it. 

Extruded foam still makes a mess when you cut and shape it, but not as bad as the bead board. If you do use a hot cutter of some kind, be aware that the fumes are toxic.


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