Where can I get foam/polystyrene from?

Question

I live in the UK near London but closer to Croydon (if any1 knows where that is). I recently got into this modelling thing and now I want to create some terrain. They say at the shop and the website that you should use foam or high densty polystyrene. If any1 knows where 2 get it pls tell me. And if u don't know pls don't waste ur answer.

Answer 1

There are various types of polystyrene foam that are used for terrain for model railroads as well as for making all kinds of large lightweight objects (which are usually painted, or covered with other materials).

First though, there's a bunch of info on all the types of polystyrene on this page at my site that you might want to check out for more details:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/covering.htm
...under PLASTICS, click on the category called
"Recycle #6, Polystyrene, Styrofoam, etc".... and check out the subcategories under it)

You could use the type of polystyrene that's sold in craft and hobby stores, but it tends to be more expensive than getting it other ways.
Some comes as the stiff white packing shapes that surround electronics, etc., in their boxese.
The type that's considered "finer grained" and easier to carve carefully is available as sheets of insulation from a hardware or home center-type store (like Home Depot here).

If the sheet type isn't thick enough in one direction, the usual thing is to glue a bunch of the sheets (cut into smaller sizes) into a stack, then use the whole stack to create whatever is desired. For terrain, the layers can also be added one at a time on top of each other as the terrain gets smaller (usually).

There are also various ways to shape polystyrene... from things like serrated knives to drywall screen to sandpaper to other broken off bits of the polystyrene itself... and there are also hot wire tools, and hot knives that come with various tips which will melt the foam to cut or incise it.

Check out the page above for which kinds of glue and paint work on ps foam, as well as more info on types of ps, shaping the stuff, etc.

There should also be more lessons online for making terrain with polystyrene... I googled it for you, so here are a bunch of them:

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLC,GGLC:1969-53,GGLC:en&q=how+to+terrain+polystyrene

HTH,

Diane B.

Answer 2

I suggest you an online store which are supply and manufacturing polystyrene products across the UK. I also bought polystyrene products and those work fine till now. So I hope you can find your polystyrene products from there.

Answer 3

Look at an ice manufacturing plant

Answer 4

Some fabric stores will have it, or any place that supplies upholstery materials.
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