I've spent the last couple of days giving thought to how I would make the baseboard for this layout out of pink foam. The first and most obvious was is to get layout sized slabs of foam cut to shape and glued together. Which I dismissed as quickly as I thought of it. I searched for a magazine that I thought I had that featured construction of foam baseboards but couldn't find it. But what I remember of the article the structure was designed for miles of Appalachian forest. I think I don't really need that level of substructure. The next most obvious way to look at the foam is to treat it as if it were good old 2x1 timber or similar. I think the sketch below explains it the best.
Strips of the 1" thick foam would be cut to the required shapes as if it were timber and glued together much as you would glue and screw sections of 2x1, 4x1 or whatever your preferred method of using wood is. I'd then glue pieces of foam where the river and the ground would be this would then give it the rigidity it requires. The exact form of the interior bracing isn't decided but I expect that towards the rear the bracing would have to be taller. Other than that I think it will work. Now to work out how to cut all I need out of an 8' x 4' sheet of pink foam.P.S. I wonder If I could get away with 1/2" foam instead...
Have you seen a copy of MRJ 156, and the way that the foam baseboards are constructed in it?
ReplyDeleteIt uses the foam as the surface, but is very cleverly surrounded by lightweight plywood to protect the edges and provide the rigidity that you are looking for. It really does seem the best combination of materials, and easy to build to boot.
I expect that MRJ isn't widely available in the US, so if you need a copy of the article, let me know and I'll scan it and send it.
I'd definitely like to see the article to get an idea how someone else tackled the task.
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