Author Topic: Sources for Styrene  (Read 2869 times)

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pnolan48

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Re: Sources for Styrene
« Reply #15 on: August 12, 2013, 09:34:31 PM »
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Besides USPlastics, there's also harborsales.net, which has 0.015" sheets, if you need thinner stuff. Haven't found anyone shipping 0.010" sheets, but I don't use enough of that to worry, and sometimes just use cardstock for thin stuff.

I've been dealing with both for many years. They are inexpensive and fast, and a pleasure to deal with. Make sure you tell them to roll the styrene up, instead of shipping it flat. That alone saves a bundle, as the rolls ship by UPS. You can get good advice just by calling them.

I also buy from my local plastics dealer.

I usually buy 10-20 sheets at a time, so my experience may differ from others. I find 0.020" my best overall thickness, as I can cut it easily with a big digital cutter. I do laminate it for larger hulls. .020 is easy to cut by hand, which I presume you will be doing; when you get to .040, you start needing some pretty strong pressure on the knife to cut sharp curves. I've cut .060 for hull bottoms, but the score and snap technique then takes on a new scale of hand strength.

I figure about $10 per 4 x 8 sheet, less (about $7) when I buy in bulk. Shipping for 10 sheets is about $20, or $2 per sheet. I don't know what happens when you get down to single sheets.


OldEastRR

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Re: Sources for Styrene
« Reply #17 on: August 13, 2013, 04:23:47 AM »
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Quote
I ripped out the joint compound road a few minutes ago.  By taking a three-inch putty knife, I was able to pry it off in large chunks.  I still need to get in there with an X-acto knife


DAMN! They're ALWAYS working on the roads around here! Tearing them up all the time! How the helll are we supposed to drive anywhere?

TrainCat2

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Re: Sources for Styrene
« Reply #18 on: August 13, 2013, 08:47:41 AM »
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DAMN! They're ALWAYS working on the roads around here! Tearing them up all the time! How the helll are we supposed to drive anywhere?

You don't! . . .  You take the train!

This is a Model Railroad Forum you know    :trollface:

Regards
boB Knight

I Spell boB Backwards

dave n

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Re: Sources for Styrene
« Reply #19 on: August 13, 2013, 10:00:01 AM »
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I bought a bunch of 4'x8' sheets of .040 and .020 years ago from a local plastic supplier (3M Plastics here in Cincinnati).  I have scratchbuilt all of my structures, roads, and used 4 of the sheets for my backdrop, and still have a ton left for future projects.  It was the some of the best money I've spent hands down - I think I paid $15 or so per sheet, but it was probably 10 years ago at least.

conrail98

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Re: Sources for Styrene
« Reply #20 on: August 13, 2013, 03:10:06 PM »
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If it's just roads, go to your local Dollar Store and buy one of the "For Sale" or "For Rent" signs and the like they have for a buck. See Jamie's example:

http://csxdixieline.blogspot.com/2010/03/howto-build-modern-highway.html

Phil
- Phil

mmyers

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Re: Sources for Styrene
« Reply #21 on: August 13, 2013, 11:00:31 PM »
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The last long seamless road I built was done with a roll of white vinyl flashing from Home Depot. It is thin but glues down nicely to a thicker base with contact cement. One side is high gloss. Glue this side down. The other side is matte which takes paint well. I've seen it at Lowes as well.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/DuraFlash-10-in-x-50-ft-White-Vinyl-Deck-Flashing-DF-10501/100676248?MERCH=REC-_-product-2-_-100676243-_-100676248-_-N#.UgrxjZK1Epk

Martin Myers

Sokramiketes

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Re: Sources for Styrene
« Reply #22 on: August 14, 2013, 10:35:29 AM »
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Sidewalks and curbs are all different heights so you will be OK.

For sidewalk I've seen specs as low as 4", but we enforce 5" thick concrete sidewalks, bumped to 6" thick through a driveway to handle car traffic.  Expansion joints every 5 feet is good.  Old sidewalk maybe 4 feet wide, newer 5 feet wide.  Multiuse modern paths (bike & pedestrian) minimum 8 feet wide, pushed to 10' within the last couple years here in IL. 

Curb is usually 12" wide (flag and curb) with mountable curb being 3" high and barrier curb being 6" high. 
« Last Edit: August 14, 2013, 10:37:43 AM by Sokramiketes »

Catt

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Re: Sources for Styrene
« Reply #23 on: August 14, 2013, 12:46:02 PM »
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How about .060" x 14" x 40" in black? 20 sheets $20.00.If your in the west Michigan area I can hook you up with the guy that has it.
Johnathan (Catt) Edwards
Sole owner of the
Grande Valley Railway
100% Michigan made

SkipGear

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Re: Sources for Styrene
« Reply #24 on: August 14, 2013, 01:05:33 PM »
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The last long seamless road I built was done with a roll of white vinyl flashing from Home Depot. It is thin but glues down nicely to a thicker base with contact cement. One side is high gloss. Glue this side down. The other side is matte which takes paint well. I've seen it at Lowes as well.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/DuraFlash-10-in-x-50-ft-White-Vinyl-Deck-Flashing-DF-10501/100676248?MERCH=REC-_-product-2-_-100676243-_-100676248-_-N#.UgrxjZK1Epk

Martin Myers

This is what I was going to suggest. I picked up a roll for a backdrop. It doesn't glue like stryene so it doesn't work well for scratch builds but for roads it should be good and plenty of length for seamless roads.
Tony Hines

wm3798

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Re: Sources for Styrene
« Reply #25 on: August 14, 2013, 02:14:07 PM »
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Go to your local ReStore, and get a couple of slats from a plastic vertical blind... 


If you can't scare one up there, I might still have a few thousand feet of it squirreled away someplace.

Lee
Rockin' It Old School

Lee Weldon www.wmrywesternlines.net