Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Mainly to do with painting terrain really, and probably directed more at people in Australia.
I've started building terrain using foamboard. I'm pretty lazy as far as painting and was hoping there was a spraypaint that would be ok for spraying foamboard? I've heard that spraying foam with spraypaint tends to make the foam melt? is this true?
If no such spray exists, any recommendations on paints to use for painting terrain? obviously need something that comes in fairly big quanitities (ie more than the 17ml or so that the $6 pots gw sell.)
Anyway, any guidance or tips would be appreciated :-)

Yes it is true (spraypaints and foamboard).

I've heard about the Krylon H20 line (that is supposed to be 'foam safe' but never seen it around here.

The guys I know who pain their foamcard terrain use an airbrush.

Most people I know use your general housepaint acrylics for doing terrain. You can get them to colour match your little $6 pot if you like. The small sample pots go a long way.

I've spray primed my foamcore terrain before without much melting. I think the small surface area of the edges combined with very brief aerosol exposure minimizes it pretty effectively.

If you are patient, you can seal the foam edges with a layer of PVA glue before you spray it. The coated/flat parts are safe to spray either way.

That or change your jointing method.

Don't cut all the way through both layers of card. Leave one side intact, so that IT will cover the cut end of the foamcard.

It's a little more time intensive, but it means less work to paint it afterwards.

There are a couple of ways you can solve this one...


When it came to painting this monster here, there was no way I was going to do it with a brush.

Some folks have suggested being careful how you join the corners. That is a good tip, but it creates tons of additional work. You can use a small strip of paper over the joint to cover it (the exposed inside foam) even quicker.

Most spray paint will melt the foam. There is the H2O stuff out there and it works quite well for NOT melting. I've used it before, it's just expensive. I've put that down over the exposed edges of the foam board and then spray painted the rest with regular spray paint and had no problems.

You can go the white (PVA) glue route too. Thin it ever so slightly with water and coat the exposed edges of your foamboard. This takes time to dry and you might miss some places in addition to possibly creating unwanted texture along the joints.

And for those interested, here's the whole process on how I built that cathedral: http://fromthewarp.blogspot.com/search/label/cathedral

appreciate the inpute people. Thanks.