Railway embankment

Hi All              This is another" bright idea " I had today, but, I said today, as I have got to test it. Someone might have already tried it and failed?? My idea is "Oasis" the green stuff used by florists for flower arranging, it is available on line. The idea involves following tree making tips on "Y M R C", and then sticking the home made trees into the "Oasis" the way it was meant to be used, and it comes in a nice green colour just right for embankments.               ATB  Kevin
Update! Upon further research, I have discovered that there are two types of "Oasis Foam", the one required is for Dry flowers!

Hi Kevin
Looked at this as I have a relative into flower arranging.
Do not know what it is like in the UK but here in Sydney it was cost prohibitive. I found that the local Bunnings (large hardware store) had large sheets of modelling foam (extruded not expanded) for less than a small oasis block. Just not green.
Andrew

Hi Andrew             As I said, I have not tried it yet, it was just an idea that I wondered if anyone else had tried it. I will look into it, and if it works it will not had unnecessary weight to the baseboard.   all the best  Kevin

For some of the scenery on Trevannen (which I will get round to doing some more on soon) I used some of those expanded white plastic trays you get from the supermarkets or chippies. Glue it into place then cover it with green fluffy grass type Hanging basket liners from the local £1 shop. You have to put the odd support in now and again and perhaps if you really want to cover the lot in plaster of paris bandages before painting that brown and then putting the grass on. Works for me. Another way which also worked was to cut some formers out of 5mm foam board and glue them into place the cut strips of 3mm foam board to form a roof over the formers. One it has all dried then cover with the bandages, paint and attach the grassy cover. It is remarkably firm and planting trees etc is easy as you only need to push a hole in with the scalpel blade and pop the tree in with some pva.

Hi Mick                 That is fine of course, but, my baseboards are heavy enough as it is, that is okay if I don't have to move the layout, but you never know?? and I am a bit clumsy, I would like to keep the ( or make them lighter) boards light. And the "Oasis Foam" seems just fine to wedge under the "Ply Framework" of the embankments.                all the best  Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Having read your first post, I now understand what Oasis Foam is. I will add that I replied to your PM prior to reading this. One thing that I do know about this type of foam is that it will disintergrate when exposed to heavy moisture or water. I would aim at either polystyrene or styrofoam for scenery building and avoid the oasis foam altogether.

Cheers, Gary.

Hi Kevin,

Invest in a hot-wire cutter and use the expanded high-density foam (pink or blue, not the white, that's low density and crumbly). The florist green foam is not stable.

Nigel

The pink or blue foam is "extruded polystyrene" Nigel, perhaps the best known make is "Styrofoam".  The white bobbly stuff is "expanded polystyrene" - a common marque in UK being "Jablite".

The same plastic prill raw material but a totally different manufacturing process with "extruding" being far more expensive than "expanding".

The bobbly expanded stuff cuts like butter with a hot-wire cutter.  I've never used a hot-wire cutter on styrofoam but had assumed, being much higher density,  it would tend to melt and stick to the wire leaving a stringy mess.   Just shows - you live and learn.

Incidentally, the expanded stuff comes in a large range of densities from extremely soft to very hard and even a fire retardant version.

As Gary said, Oasis will disintegrate after prolonged exposure to high humidity, sunlight or very dry conditions.  It behaves a bit like the foam underlay from the likes of Peco only faster ……………..

Hi Nigel           Thank you for your help, I floated the idea to find out if it was workable or not.              Kevin

Hi Kevin and Petermac,

HD foam is cut to size at the factory with hot wires. Just a bit slower than the low density foam. Less mess than the kitchen knife. Woodland Scenics do one. And it can be carved with a hot knife.

Nigel

Hi Nigel                       Thank you for the info, while on the subject of Woodland Scenics, I saw a youtube video on ballasting and the contributor claimed that Woodland Scenics ballast was made of "Dried Walnut Shells" not stone, is that correct    Kevin              

Woodland Scenics
http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/category/BallastAndCoal
has this line      ALLERGY CAUTION: Contains tree nut by-products.