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Hi all,

Does anyone know where I can get a styro foam equivalent in the UK to make hills etc.? I've looked at this thread http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/285100.page and various other forums, but all the links to specific products are outdated and I've not really been able to find anything that describes the type of foam I should get. Is it something like this ? http://www.wickes.co.uk/Celotex-50mm-High-Performance-Cavity-Wall-Board-450x1200mm/p/190546

or perhaps this :

http://www.diy.com/departments/jablite-760115-insulation-board-l1200mm-w450mm-t25mm-pack-of-1/26817_BQ.prd
or this
http://www.diy.com/departments/bq-3278512402-insulation-board-l610mm-w402mm-t60mm/182547_BQ.prd

I've picked the 2 biggest stores near my area though there is also a buildbase. What would be handy would actually be knowing what materials they should be made of.

For example the 2 links at DIY.com are both have the following tech specs:
Link 1;
Brand Jablite
Length 1200mm
Width 450mm
Thickness 25mm
Coverage 0.54m²
Compression strength 0.07N/mm²
Rvalue 0.657m²K/W
Uvalue 0.038W/m²K
BBR Green Guide rating A+ (credit awarded)
Euroclass fire performance rating No performance determined (F)
ODP Zero ozone depletion potential
HCFC HCFC free
GWP Global warming potential ≤5
Material Expanded polystyrene
Standard BS EN 13163

Link 2
Brand B&Q
Length 610mm
Width 402mm
Thickness 60mm
Coverage 0.98m²
BBR Green Guide rating A+ (credit awarded)
ODP Zero ozone depletion potential
HCFC HCFC free
GWP Global warming potential ≤5
Material Low lambda polystyrene

And the wickes link which is also at B&Q here http://www.diy.com/departments/celotex-cw4050-insulation-board-l1200mm-w450mm-t50mm-pack-of-1/307375_BQ.prd
has the following specs


Brand Celotex
Length 1200mm
Width 450mm
Thickness 50mm
Coverage 0.54m²
Compression strength 120
Rvalue 2.25m²K/W
BBR Green Guide rating A+ (credit awarded)
Euroclass fire performance rating No performance determined (F)
ODP Zero ozone depletion potential
HCFC HCFC free
GWP Global warming potential ≤5
Material Foil faced polyisocyanurate (PIR)
Standard BS EN 13165, ISO 9001, ISO 14001

I just want to make sure I get something that fits the job and doesn't release any harmful fumes, dust etc, when cut (though I would wear a mask to be safe anyway)

Thanks for your help !

For making hills? Any polystyrene is fine. Get polystyrene ceiling tile packs from eBay/ DIY stores, or big insulation sheets from DIY stores, spec is not important.

Those boards you posted are VERY thick. 10mm ceiling tiles layered will give you a stepped hill more easily.

Cut with a hot wire cutter, glue with PVA, base on thin MDF/plywood board if you want them to last. Seal with cheap DIY emulsion paint or PVA. Easiest way to texture them is with outdoor textured paint, or just chuck some sand into the coloured emulsion you seal with.

Cutting any plastic with a hot wire will technically give off harmful fumes, but ventilate your room and don't breathe them in.

Hey thanks for replying, I should clarify that when I meant hills I meant the sort of big boards that you cut terrain into as opposed to sticking a few pieces of polystyrene together to form a hill. I probably should have said to make modular terrain (probably based on MDF or plywood as you suggest) where you carve features into the board itself

Go to B&Q, ask for directions to inslation foam section, grab the biggest sheets of whatever takes your fancy, and done. "Specs" for this are pretty irrelevant.

Hi goblinzz, you say that, but I'm lead to believe that styrofoam is an extruded polystyrene as opposed to an expanded polystyrene. I'm not sure exactly what the difference is, but the 3 examples I've listed above, none of them are extruded polystyrene so I'm not sure what is best in terms of use for modelling when it comes to cutting, sanding etc. If there is nothing in it then that's great, but I wanted to make sure before I went out and bought something

Expanded polystyrene is the white, bubbly stuff that you get things packaged in and makes that horrific squeaky noise whenever you so much as look at it funny.

Extruded polystyrene is the same as styrofoam (although that name is sometimes used to refer to Expanded polystyrene, especially in the US), and probably what you want for terrain building.
It's denser, more rigid and so makes for more permanent and long-lasting terrain.

That stuff costs like 10 bucks a sheet or a little more, so it's not the end of the world if you buy a shet, play with it and then don't like it. the pink stuff (or blue, sometimes) is generally a bit better, as it has a bubbly texture, rather than balls, which makes it a little stronger. Considering though, that you're intending to build a big board out of this stuff, and will need to coat it with plaster or glue to protect it anyway, then that aspect is fairly irrelevant. The carving and sanding tools are more important than the type of plastic. I have seen people use literally any type of plastic foam board to achieve what you are describing. Go down to the hardware store, poke them, and find one you like the texture of. If you want, ask them if they have any offucts lying around and if they'll let you take those home to play with. Seriously, you'll establish a lot more going and handling them, than by looking around on line.

ere you go

http://shop.panelsystems.co.uk/craftfoam/modelling-foam/craft-foam-blue.html

Well after a bit more research on types and goblinzz advice on just trying something out I checked my local stores stock of these http://www.diy.com/departments/jablite-760115-insulation-board-l1200mm-w450mm-t25mm-pack-of-1/26817_BQ.prd headed down there and they didn't exist, neither did the next size up which I was happy to test with. All they had was sheets bigger than my car :/

Thanks for the link Bangbangboom but seems quite pricey, especially for getting started and tested things out. I've seen this place mentioned a few times so might try it out http://modelshop.co.uk/Shop/Raw-Materials/Styrofoam/

I might try and head to the store first to get a look at the different types first hand

thanks everyone

Dang, sorry for the wasted trip man, best of luck in your search though!