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Where exactly do I find plasticard? I never see it anywhere, and from the number of times I've seen it used, you'd think it'll be pretty common.

Pretty much any hobby store will carry the stuff. You can also get it online from most modelling or art suppliers.

CthuluIsSpy wrote:Where exactly do I find plasticard? I never see it anywhere, and from the number of times I've seen it used, you'd think it'll be pretty common.

Some hobby shops have it. A lot of online vendors have it. It may not be called plasticard, but it's basically just sheets of thing plastic. Most hobby stores (not game stores) local to me have a rack from 'plastruct' that has a range of plain and textured plastic pieces, as well as tubes, ladders, railings, and other useful pieces in various scales and sizes.

The 2 companies that make it are Plastruct and Evergreen. I have found the model train shops are the best place to find a good selection. Most hobby/gaming stores I have been to either have none or a rather poor selection of stuff that didn't sell very well. Good luck with finding it.

Edit: When you're talking about the plasticard that folks use in modeling applications, what you're looking for is polystyrene. That's the material you want.

You can go to the manufacture's website (http://www.plastruct.com/) (http://www.evergreenscalemodels.com/) and look for their list of retailers.

If you want a large volume of plastic card, I would look around for a company that manufactures plastic and/or commercial plastic products like sheeting, pipes, etc. You can get plastic card much, much cheaper from a large manufacturer as long as you don't mind buying in volume.

I like Piedmont Plastics (http://www.piedmontplastics.com/) but that's because I live in New Orleans and there's a location in the city. However, the company has locations all around the US as well as a few in Canada. There's plenty of companies like Piedmont Plastics though.

A few years ago I got two 8'x4' sheets of 0.04 plastic for 50 bucks. Compared to what Plastruct charges that's a bargain.

If you are looking for textured plastic card, you'll want to go with plastruct or evergreen, but if you're scratch building it will be handy to have a lot of structural thickness plastic card on hand and the prices those companies charge are outrageous.

Edit: When you're talking about the plasticard that folks use in modeling applications, what you're looking for is polystyrene. That's the material you want. The above-mentioned companies sell styrene sheets, rods, etc. and that's what other posters have been talking about.

Plastic "for sale" signs and other signs of that ilk can be bought on the cheap and are made of plasticard, or close enough to it anyway

Easily availiable from hardwares stores etc.

If you just want large amounts of flat plasticard, I've seen several people recommend signs from home improvement stores. The cheap "For Sale", "Help Wanted" type signs.



Curses!

This sort of question should be in the Painting & Modelling forum.

It's also known as "sheet styrene" if you're having trouble finding suppliers. Model train stores tend to carry it, as do stores that deal in remote controlled airplanes, etc, amongst others. It comes in a variety of thicknesses and shapes, from tubes to solid rods in a variety of shapes, as well as some sheets that are as thin as paper and just as easy to cut with scissors, but with the tensile strength of plastic.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=22883

quick google search turns up this

I used to have a GE plastics nearby, I could buy 4ft X 8ft for around 18-22$ per sheet. If you need a lot and have storage, go big.