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So today I just picked up some precut 2 x 2 pink foam insulation squares. I was going to go with a HUGE sheet for $12 but I noticed that in addition to the edges being notched for assembly (which i dont want) that they were all not perfectly flat. The squares (while being much more expensive) are also slightly imperfect. Does anyone know of a way of shaving them down without messing them up ? I mean they are not really bowed, but they do not line up perfectly flat as I would like them to. Originally the plan was to accumulate sets of squares and then I can paint one color on one side and another on the other. For $35 for the 6 tiles I can have green on one side, grey on the other. Then down the road I would get another 6 and do dessert and snow.

Does anyone have any tips when using this kind of material? Or should i just return them and purchase 2 x 2 wooden squares (at least those I can nitpick over until i find a set that are flat enough). We're talking 1/8 -1/4 of an inch sticking up in some cases.

I personally would forego the double sided and get some 2x2 MDF boards and some spray glue to attach the foam board to the MDF as a base. I am doing a trench board in this manner allowing me to carve up the foam and still have a good form and base.

I second attaching them to mdf. Foam alone tend to get damaged and destroyed incredibly fast.

What you could do is buy a big sheet of the thinnest foam and glue some to each side of the mdf. That would still give you the double sidedness you were after but also keep it rigid.

pretty moot though since mdf is cheaper than the insulation foam so you might as well just do each square of foam on it's own mdf square. That way you can sculpt in some detail on the terrain without having to worry about it laying completely flat.

I did take a look at all the precut MDF and wood sections. The tolerances were terrible. Some pieces being up to half an inch over in length or a quarter of an inch to short. Unfortunately I don't own a circular saw to cut my own, and the Home Depot guy had a hard time cutting an 8 x4 board down to 6 x 4. His first attempt left me with a 5'11" 3/4 width which I told him was not acceptable, I would take slightly over 6ft but not under. The saw they used had no guidelines for where the cut would actually hit so precision is not their thing. I think after I hve assembled the table's edge molding I will lay the foam tiles on the table to see how bad it really is. As far as durability, this is my home table and I'll be he only one setting it up so I can always take a little more care, if it was a store gaming table I totaly get what you mean. There is nothing worse than seeing pink foam showing through damaged areas in hills and ruins.

If it's that big of a deal. have him measure to an extra inch out or so.

Realize that most of this stuff isn't high precision. It's a gaming surface, not rocket science. For tiles, get 2x2 panels and texture/paint each side with something durable (sand, concrete patch, etc.). If you stack, you can put foam between them to keep them from scratching.

You can sand foam very easily. You should use a soft backer like a sponge to remove material and a flat backer to make it...flat.

TheLionOfTheForest wrote:I did take a look at all the precut MDF and wood sections. The tolerances were terrible. Some pieces being up to half an inch over in length or a quarter of an inch to short. Unfortunately I don't own a circular saw to cut my own, and the Home Depot guy had a hard time cutting an 8 x4 board down to 6 x 4. His first attempt left me with a 5'11" 3/4 width which I told him was not acceptable, I would take slightly over 6ft but not under.

Plywood should always be oversized a 4x8 sheet should always measure 48 1/8 or greater by 96 1/8 or greater. The reason is because sheets are seldom used whole and normal kerf saw blades are 1/16 wide. If you find short ones walk away but slightly oversized is within spec.
Even if you had a circular saw it wouldn't be more accurate than the panel saw they use at HD, in this case you have an employee that is just really bad at cutting to size. If you made it clear you wanted a 6 foot board and no less and he cut on the material side and not the scrap side he is a moron. Being off by 1/4 only proves he is inept, there's a phrase for this in carpentry.

You should back your foam with at least 1/4 MDF (I/d use 1/2 because i value stability over weight) instead if flattening each piece individually lay them out together and do it as a whole. Were I you I'd ditch the two sided idea. YMMV.

 TheLionOfTheForest wrote:
So today I just picked up some precut 2 x 2 pink foam insulation squares. I was going to go with a HUGE sheet for $12 but I noticed that in addition to the edges being notched for assembly (which i dont want) that they were all not perfectly flat. The squares (while being much more expensive) are also slightly imperfect. Does anyone know of a way of shaving them down without messing them up ? I mean they are not really bowed, but they do not line up perfectly flat as I would like them to. Originally the plan was to accumulate sets of squares and then I can paint one color on one side and another on the other. For $35 for the 6 tiles I can have green on one side, grey on the other. Then down the road I would get another 6 and do dessert and snow.

Does anyone have any tips when using this kind of material? Or should i just return them and purchase 2 x 2 wooden squares (at least those I can nitpick over until i find a set that are flat enough). We're talking 1/8 -1/4 of an inch sticking up in some cases.

The pink foam is good to go with the 2X 2 boards. I do not recommend double sided work with it, though. get a few squares, and use the household paint, mixed in with a little sand, for texture. paint it on with a paint brush, and let it dry.

Say Brown/ and highlighted with grey. Then after that board is basicly done, but you can use a few different tools in your kit for the cutting. then after it dries, theres so many other things you could do that I could go on forever.

You can cut the styro with-

1. Hot wire cutter. Use the hot wire cutter to trim down to boards with a METAL 1 Meter/ 1 Yard long ruler. Set the styro board on the side of the table, measure out the straight line distance with the pencil, with a light indentation, and use the ruler as a line guide, drawing the hot wire along the line. BE VERY CAREFUL, or you'll crap all over yourself on that technique. If your a new guy with the wire cutter, practice first.

2. Jewlers saw. Use the saw to cut the straight line along the metal ruler. After the fact, use low grade sand paper to even out the rough patches with a sanding block. As with the first - TAKE YOUR TIME.

3. X Acto Knife. Not the old number 7. The BIG one. A Number 2, Number 11, or one of the numerous brands of heavy duty snap off blades. THIS is the one that, if you are not careful, will take off your finger, or lay open your hand to the bone. once again- BE CAREFUL.

Use a cutting board underneith the styro, cut away from you, and keep your other hands, and fingers away from the cutting.

Using the straight edge, make numerous small scores into the styro, and be careful not to cut outside of the line. don't be in a hurry, either. cut through the project, then let it get cut, or you end up breaking through the styro boards.


You might consider using the styro for terraign, and making the board out of sheet plywood, 3/4 inch thickness dual ply wood. then use the 4X 4 pieces and use the 2X2 styro for the terraign projects, or if you so choose, use the 4 2X2 styro and make the various terraign things such as hills, rivers, and scoring with the tools onto the styro boards, and mount them on the plywood, or not.


So many things you could do, mmmmmmm..............


Have fun.

Thanks for all the great advice! I think I am just gonna keep a couple of the pink tiles for hills / terrain. I tried laying them all out on the table and each one is gonna require sanding and trimming and if I am going that route I can buy a large 8 x 4 sheet for 1/3rd the cost of 6 2x2 tiles. I am gonna go with thin MDF tiles instead, more durable and I can store enough tiles for 4 different board types in my cupboard.

I am familiar with hot wire cutters. Actually became adept at the old pin and cork method using a candle for heat back 15 years ago when working on train set stuff, so if I get my hands on an electric cutter it should be easy. I also have a jewelers saw ( I used to work in casting).

When the guy cut the board the second time I stressed that a half inch over would be preferable to under cut. As it turns out its 6ft 1/2. Which is fine by me. Funny how the 2x2 foam squares, which are factory cut, don't fit but we are building on model scale not house scale so I really can't complain. I was just trying to cut corners. I think the squares are just a great resource for terrain.

On Youtube there is a guy named eq2templar that has a step by step tutorial on how to make a gaming table... He uses different glues to seal the foam in order to protect it in the long run. He uses the Pink insulation foam and MDF in 2x2 pieces also. Its worth checking out. As far as Home Depot, I used to work there and couldnt stand the lack of knowlede that everyone had, so I quit.

To save money, buy a full sheet and cut them yourself.Foam is easy to cut, from blades to making your own heat knife. Same with your boards underneath. If your spending $35 bucks on foam, you can certainly afford a circular saw. Or again, have some one at Home Depot or Lowes cut the board for you, and specify exactly what you want, that way they dont undercut you.

I'll have to check out that guy's YouTube channel. And I am going to purchase a large sheet and cut my own next time. I wish that I had space for a circular saw, unfortunately I live in a 2 bedroom town house. So no more room for power tools. The only way I could sell the wife on my game table is by clearing ou enough space to store it between a basement wall and our mountainbikes. One day I'll have a house and then I can take over the garage or maybe a large attick.