type of foam question
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I haven't seen green sheets before. The only green foam I've seen is the floral blocks that you use to make flower arrangements out of and that soaks up water. That's not what you want.
Is it fairly dense but still dentable with a fingernail? Any kind of coating on one side or the other? How about thicknesses? Dies it look like it has little fibers running through it, or is it made of pressed fibers? Does it say it is made of polystyrene?
Is it fairly dense but still dentable with a fingernail? Any kind of coating on one side or the other? How about thicknesses? Dies it look like it has little fibers running through it, or is it made of pressed fibers? Does it say it is made of polystyrene?
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if it says Extruded Polystyrene Insulated Sheathing or XPS or just Extruded Polystyrene somewhere on it you should be good to go. The pink and blue boards are solid all the way through as opposed to styrofoam which are small foam pellets compressed together. A blue or pink 2" thick 4'x8' sheet runs me $20 and a 1/2" sheet running about $7 (the 1/2" ones have a thin film on both sides that peels off) if the price is about the same and it's a solid foam board I say go for it! I've never seen or heard of a green board tho. I can't tell you how long I've been searching for a 'tombstone grey' colored board! 
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$20 for a 2" 4x8? Time for me to move! Just priced them out here today. Home Depot had 2" 2x8 pink sheets for $16.40 and Lowe's had them in blue for $17.28. The only place with 4x8 2" sheets was $29.97. Lowe's also had some 1/4" 4x50 foot bundles for $36. That looked like it might work for covering a wall...
Tombstone gray would be wonderful!
(Sorry to hijack your thread, jlb307!)
Tombstone gray would be wonderful!
(Sorry to hijack your thread, jlb307!)
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I feel your pain. I'm just glad I can find the 3/4 inch stuff.
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If you can only find the thinner stuff, it takes more foam but you can glue sheets together. Take some liquid nails and a wide blade paint scraper to spread the adhesive thin and then clamp them together for a while. You can fill any seams with wood putty or joint compound.
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1,143 Posts
Lowes is starting to carry their own foam that is green and 35.00 a sheet
Try the home depot I got the 2" pink stuff there good luck if you have to try a different store try the Reading or the Wyomissing stores
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4 Posts
i live in palm beach county and they have the 2" sheets here at both lowe's and homedepot. they're the white styrofoam boards, also down in broward county there is a supplier of foam and foam products that can sell you foam in any size up to 4 feet thick 5 by 8 blocks. here's their webiste
Foam columns, foam shapes, faux coral - Architectural Foam Supply
they also have a trailer full of scrap pieces (lots of interesting shapes)
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wow daemon kane, that website is amazing. I wonder how their prices are? although it would certainly take some of the fun of building everything yourself
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you can get a bag of foam 24" by 18" by 48" cut up anyway you want for $26.00 + tax. they'd probably ship it to you as well. but to have them make a piece to your specs is outrageously expensive.
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725 Posts
You could just go my route and pick up a sheet of OSB for around $5. Cutout a front and back, then glue / nail 1 X 3's in between them for depth. Pick up some joint compound and patch tape. Patch the curvy areas of your stone and mud over it. Finally seal with drylok.
It seems to be fairly economical approach if you make many or find other uses for your mud and drylok. The only down side is that I have not thought of any cool ways to make letters stick up. So this year they will just be painted on, and maybe down the road repainted to enhance them.
I did make one that will have the letters VACANCY cut out so I can stick some red lights inside. Hopefully that one will turn out the best.
Promise pictures when I get them done!
(Note - this is under the assumption that you are actually looking for foam for tomb stones! But beyond that, consider OSB sheets as well unless you are looking to do some real fancy carving on your foam.)
It seems to be fairly economical approach if you make many or find other uses for your mud and drylok. The only down side is that I have not thought of any cool ways to make letters stick up. So this year they will just be painted on, and maybe down the road repainted to enhance them.
I did make one that will have the letters VACANCY cut out so I can stick some red lights inside. Hopefully that one will turn out the best.
Promise pictures when I get them done!
(Note - this is under the assumption that you are actually looking for foam for tomb stones! But beyond that, consider OSB sheets as well unless you are looking to do some real fancy carving on your foam.)
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The foam or foamcore insulation is used to build a variety of different props - the best usage is for carving tombstones. The pink/blue foam is available in sheets 4 ft x 8 ft and thicknesses and (depending on where you live and if you NEED thick insulation for winter) ranging from 1/2 inch up to 2 inches.
It is a smooth solid piece, unlike the typical styrofoam (the white bead stuff that cooler and the like are made from) and carves and cuts like a dream. You can use a woodburner to carve lettering and recesses, a dremel handtool or bladed instruments.
It's also useful for facades - "stone" walls and the like since it's so easy to carve and paint and lightweight.
Try searching "tombstone" to see what pops up.
I just noticed it says you're in PA - how on earth could they not carry the pink/blue stuff up there? You definitely get the cold winters, so that doesn't make sense. Hope you can find some at one of the big hardware stores. I know that you really have to search it out as no one I asked in the beginning knew what the he!! I was talking about.
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391 Posts
I live in Phoenix area of AZ and I guess there just isn't a need for the foam board. I have called all over the place and gone into Home Depot and Lowe's to no avail. Everyone looks at me like I just grew a 3rd eye when I ask. If anyone knows where I can buy it here please let me know!
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In the past few weeks, I've made 6 short swords for my "pirate army", several dozen planks that were made into signposts, and a barrel that I'm hoping to finish tomorrow. I still need to make block walls leading down the stairway into the basement and carve the bow of a pirate ship crashing through my garage door. I haven't gotten around to making any tombstones yet.
(After making a foam cutter from Garage of Evil's plans, I'm hooked on the stuff!)
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