# Acrylic water kit



## Bob88 (Jan 3, 2017)

Can an acrylic water kit be used on Poly insulation foam board to make a model lake. Don't know if the acrylic kit would eat up the poly board on not?? Appreciate any help, thanks.

Bob


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

The only thing I've ever seen eat insulation board is some brands of solvent based paint. I've used Woodland Scenics Realistic Water, Envirotex resin, and Liquitex gloss medium (my personal favorite) over foam board without trouble.

I recommend, though, that you seal the bottom of your water feature with a little plaster or Sculptamold and paint it prior to pouring your water product.


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## Bob88 (Jan 3, 2017)

CTValleyRR said:


> The only thing I've ever seen eat insulation board is some brands of solvent based paint. I've used Woodland Scenics Realistic Water, Envirotex resin, and Liquitex gloss medium (my personal favorite) over foam board without trouble.
> 
> I recommend, though, that you seal the bottom of your water feature with a little plaster or Sculptamold and paint it prior to pouring your water product.


Appreciate the reply, but it also raises another question. You're saying insulation board and I'm talking about polystyrene insulation board. It's similar to styrofoam just denser. Don't know if its similar to insulation board or not.

Bob


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I'm not sure what you mean by "insulation board" if you're not referring to *extruded* polystyrene panels, manufactured (most commonly) by Dow and Owens-Corning. It comes in 2'x8' (usually) panels, in varying thicknesses depending on the R factor, and is either blue (Dow) or pink(Owens-Corning). It is commonly used as both a layout surface and a landscaping material by model railroaders.

What we call Styrofoam in North America is actually an *expanded* polystyrene product, which consists of small beads pressed together. Except in very high grades, this material is not strong enough, nor does it cut cleanly enough to be used as a construction material.

In either case, though, a true acrylic product, being a form of plastic itself, is not likely to attack a polystyrene product.


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## J.C. (Dec 24, 2016)

on one of my modules used bead board because it was free and had a 2 inch chunk, used woodland scenic water but I didn't seal the bottom with plaster just paint and it caused air bubbles to appear in the water, on the next module I used bead board again but coated the river bottom with plaster as CT said and no bubbles appeared , on third module with same bead board and plaster but used clear gloss acrylic medium and it looked the best and way less cost than the woodland scenic stuff.


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## Bob88 (Jan 3, 2017)

CTValleyRR said:


> I'm not sure what you mean by "insulation board" if you're not referring to *extruded* polystyrene panels, manufactured (most commonly) by Dow and Owens-Corning. It comes in 2'x8' (usually) panels, in varying thicknesses depending on the R factor, and is either blue (Dow) or pink(Owens-Corning). It is commonly used as both a layout surface and a landscaping material by model railroaders.
> 
> What we call Styrofoam in North America is actually an *expanded* polystyrene product, which consists of small beads pressed together. Except in very high grades, this material is not strong enough, nor does it cut cleanly enough to be used as a construction material.
> 
> In either case, though, a true acrylic product, being a form of plastic itself, is not likely to attack a polystyrene product.


It is expanded polystyrene insulation foam board. Here's a link to it. 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Expanded-P...Actual-0-687-in-x-3-875-ft-x-7-875-ft/3365568


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Bob88 said:


> It is expanded polystyrene insulation foam board. Here's a link to it.
> 
> https://www.lowes.com/pd/Expanded-P...Actual-0-687-in-x-3-875-ft-x-7-875-ft/3365568


That product is not what hobbyists are talking about when they refer to foam insulation boards.

I would not use *any* expanded foam product for any area of a layout that might be structural. It does not have the strength of the extruded foam products. They're simply not strong enough.

But relevant to your question, it is immaterial. Polystyrene is polystyrene, and it won't react with an acrylic material.


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## Bob88 (Jan 3, 2017)

CTValleyRR said:


> That product is not what hobbyists are talking about when they refer to foam insulation boards.
> 
> I would not use *any* expanded foam product for any area of a layout that might be structural. It does not have the strength of the extruded foam products. They're simply not strong enough.
> 
> But relevant to your question, it is immaterial. Polystyrene is polystyrene, and it won't react with an acrylic material.


No, nothing structural, just a little model lake scene. I just happen to have some of this stuff laying around, my wife uses it
for her Christmas scenes. Beyond that, where do I find the foam insulation board you are talking about. Thanks for the help.

Bob


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Bob88 said:


> No, nothing structural, just a little model lake scene. I just happen to have some of this stuff laying around, my wife uses it
> for her Christmas scenes. Beyond that, where do I find the foam insulation board you are talking about. Thanks for the help.
> 
> Bob


In Florida, I don't know. There may not be much demand for it in the warmer climate. Here in New England, every lumber yard and home improvement center stocks it in 1" and 2" thicknesses.

You may need to special order it.


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## 89Suburban (Jan 4, 2017)

CTValleyRR said:


> I'm not sure what you mean by "insulation board" if you're not referring to *extruded* polystyrene panels, manufactured (most commonly) by Dow and Owens-Corning. It comes in 2'x8' (usually) panels, in varying thicknesses depending on the R factor, and is either blue (Dow) or pink(Owens-Corning). It is commonly used as both a layout surface and a landscaping material by model railroaders.


There is also a green extruded polystyrene insulation produced by Pactiv in Winchester, Va called Greenguard and it is sold through authorized dealers. I work at a concrete accessories warehouse and that is one of the products we sell in competition to the pink and blue boards. Just another option if you are shopping around. I know we try to compete Lowe's/Home Depot pricing here.


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## Bob88 (Jan 3, 2017)

89Suburban said:


> There is also a green extruded polystyrene insulation produced by Pactiv in Winchester, Va called Greenguard and it is sold through authorized dealers. I work at a concrete accessories warehouse and that is one of the products we sell in competition to the pink and blue boards. Just another option if you are shopping around. I know we try to compete Lowe's/Home Depot pricing here.



Thanks, I'll have to look around for some of that. Any info on 
size and price. Thanks.


Bob


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## Bob88 (Jan 3, 2017)

89Suburban said:


> There is also a green extruded polystyrene insulation produced by Pactiv in Winchester, Va called Greenguard and it is sold through authorized dealers. I work at a concrete accessories warehouse and that is one of the products we sell in competition to the pink and blue boards. Just another option if you are shopping around. I know we try to compete Lowe's/Home Depot pricing here.


This is what came up on a search. I'm assuming the 4 x 8 sheet is it. Is this what you are talking about? 

https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=greenguard+insulation


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## 89Suburban (Jan 4, 2017)

Bob88 said:


> This is what came up on a search. I'm assuming the 4 x 8 sheet is it. Is this what you are talking about?
> 
> https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=greenguard+insulation


Yes that is it.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

I use the folding type, particularity as the base that I put my milled Homasote roadbed on. The theory is that is helps isolate the sound. Lots of other uses but maybe not for building big mountains. Hunt for a damaged one and usually its 50% off. It will last forever. With a little work you can make it into large granite block walls as connecting the dots indented into the insulation makes about the right sized blocks. You may want to peal the cellophane face off first to help in painting.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

The folding type -- at least the stuff in the link above -- is only 1/4" thick. Takes a lot of that to make any kind of real terrain relief.

The thicker stuff also comes without the annoying cellophane ("unfaced").


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## sachsr1 (Mar 3, 2016)

I tried the realistic water on painted foam, and it came out cloudy. I'm not sure if that was the issue, but I used plaster sheets the second time, and it was much easier to smooth and paint.


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

I have made several water courses using a two-part epoxy that is 'finish grade' quality. I have mixed it with some added craft acrylic paint (part of a single drop or only a full drop to tint it), depending on the size of the batch being mixed) and I have even added some plaster of Paris powder to make it turbid.

Regardless of the prepared surface onto which I pour my mix, and it's always been the same epoxy from Swing Paints, I have gotten many tiny bubbles. Fortunately, I now know that they are innocuous. Many disappear on their own. I usually wait for about ten minutes and then blow gently through a clean dry soda straw with the lower opening just a few cm above the 'water surface' with its bubbles. Every one of them, to a bubble, pops out of the surface immediately and none are left. Simple, 100% effective.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

sachsr1 said:


> I tried the realistic water on painted foam, and it came out cloudy. I'm not sure if that was the issue, but I used plaster sheets the second time, and it was much easier to smooth and paint.


While I can't know for sure, I very much doubt it was the foam that made your water cloudy. Especially if it was painted. More likely, it was that the paint had not fully cured when you applied the water. Many of these fake water products go on cloudy, but cure clear. Sometimes, especially if you pour a deeper layer than the 1/8" at a time recommendation of the manufacturers, these things can take many days to fully cure.

Misenteria's technique of blowing gently across the surface works extremely well. I use it on every pour I make, even though I'm using acrylic gloss medium.

I also put a thin layer of Sculptamold over all terrain, even lake and river bottoms. This helps to seal the area as well as providing more realistic textures.


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