Cheap Styrene

modelnut · Post by **modelnut** » Sat Aug 07, 2010 11:28 am

Sorry, guys,

I can't believe I asked the same question all over again. But I did ask it in March so maybe I can be forgiven.

- Leelan

Joseph C. Brown · Post by **Joseph C. Brown** » Sat Aug 07, 2010 6:31 pm

You are a married modeler now, so it's understandable.

modelnut · Post by **modelnut** » Sun Aug 08, 2010 10:29 am

The wife says she's got nothing to do with it!

But as distractions go, she'd pretty spiffy

. . .

- Leelan

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Sun Aug 08, 2010 10:12 pm

.060 is pretty good for making bulkheads and internal structures. Or spend another twenty bucks and also get a sheet of .080. Or .188.

modelnut wrote:My local source for FOR SALE signs is going to that cheap super thin plastic. Way too flimsy IMHO. So I need to buy a sheet in the very near future.

Is .060 what you would recommend for basic scratchbuilding? I can always laminate and make it thicker. But if plastic is too thin it is useless to me.

- Leelan

ajmadison · Post by **ajmadison** » Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:14 am

Mr. Badwrench wrote:.060 is pretty good for making bulkheads and internal structures. Or spend another twenty bucks and also get a sheet of .080. Or .188.

modelnut wrote:My local source for FOR SALE signs is going to that cheap super thin plastic. Way too flimsy IMHO. So I need to buy a sheet in the very near future.

Is .060 what you would recommend for basic scratchbuilding? I can always laminate and make it thicker. But if plastic is too thin it is useless to me.

- Leelan

I don't know what all your options are in terms of hardware stores. But I've found .060" thick For Sale signs at Ace Hardware (unless of course that was your local source that's switching over). My real point is that between Lowes, Home Depot, Ace, and Wallyworld, one would hope that one of them still have thick For Sale signs.

I may have mentioned this before, but unless you're building a 4 foot scratchbuild, if you adequately crisscross the internal bulkheads, I've found even 20 thou works fine for providing the internal shape. I start with a profile (overhead or side) then apply bulkheads at right angles to that profile. The profile is usually 40 thou, unless the profile itself (like some sort of exposed bulge or rib) is an exposed detail. On the other hand, my scratchbuilds are also monocoque construction (stressed skin). My oldest scratchbuilds are over 10 years old without any drooping or sagging. Don't over engineer your model, if you don't have to. Construction will go quicker and with less frustration when you make an error.

modelnut · Post by **modelnut** » Mon Aug 09, 2010 2:54 pm

Just found out that my sheet will be ROLLED.

To ship it flat would cost up to $100.

So I will have to unroll it and cut it into manageable sizes.

I hope the curl will go away.

GRRR!

- Leelan

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Mon Aug 09, 2010 2:58 pm

Usually a reverse roll will do it.

Or cut it down & stack it flat w/weights for a while.

Joseph C. Brown · Post by **Joseph C. Brown** » Mon Aug 09, 2010 4:41 pm

Heck, where you are living, just lay it out in the driveway for twenty minutes. It'll lay flay after Georgia summer temps!

Just be smart 'bout it; don't drive over it, and wait till late afternoon. Seriously, twenty minutes should do it fine.

modelnut · Post by **modelnut** » Mon Aug 09, 2010 4:45 pm

That's what my wife said. Georgia heat and weights. Knew I married her for a good reason. Sexy and smart!

- Leelan

Kolschey · Post by **Kolschey** » Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:35 pm

Joseph C. Brown wrote:Heck, where you are living, just lay it out in the driveway for twenty minutes. It'll lay flay after Georgia summer temps!

Just be smart 'bout it; don't drive over it, and wait till late afternoon. Seriously, twenty minutes should do it fine.

Chuckle. Exactly.

1138thx · Post by **1138thx** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:36 pm

Hey Just a note, You can cut these sheets on a cnc or standard mill with double sided tape pretty easily. Just use very high speed and a small sometimes 20 degree single lip cutter . I also coat the top of each pc with 409 just to keep the heat down. Dont cut through though. stay above by about 3 or 4 thoasandths of an inch.
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p201 ... amo001.jpg

Tankmodeler · Post by **Tankmodeler** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 8:41 am

ajmadison wrote: I pretty much build monocoque style hulls. So the skin is also stressed. I start with a .040" center profile. Then add .020" bulkheads that are at right angles to the center profile at 1" (or 2cm) or smaller intervals. <SNIP>

Not to be overly pedantic (OK, maybe it _is_ overly pedandic...), but if you are using frames, bulkheads and skins, you are not building "monocoque", you are building, at best, semi-monocoque. Actually, I'd bet with that amount of framing, especially a main keel bulkhead plus laterals, that the skin is not stressed at all so this would be a simple skinned frame build.

If you made the entire body out of, say, .040 or .060 sheet with absolutely no internal structure, _that_ would be monocoque construction.

Just sayin...

As for what thickness plastic to buy, buy it all. I tend to build frameless style and use, generally, .030-.040 sheet for all but the largest panels, where I will go up to .060. I haven't built anything that needs much of that, but if the panels got any larger and needed more stiffness, I'd start by adding plastruct styrene "I" beams to the inside to stiffen up the panel and allow me to complete the rest of the build (that panel would be semi-monocoque for those keeping score....). For the rest of my builds I use a large selection of .005, .010, .015 and .020 sheet plus just about every size & shape of Evergreen & Plastruct Styrene I can get my hands on.

Plus found objects.

Plus reject crap from work.

Plus stuff I see in train model shops.

And doll shops.

You get the idea...

Oh, and the Polyethylene sheets? Avoid them like the plague. The plastic is softer, doesn't take glue worth a damn (its basically the same stuff CA glue bottles are made of) and doesn't take paint or primer except some relatively esoteric stuff and the Krylon plastic primers & paints which seem to stick to almost anything, but are relatively thick.

HTH

Paul

modelnut · Post by **modelnut** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 2:59 pm

My sheet came in the other day. It's hanging on the back porch in the Georgia heat and humidity.

It does not make a good first impression. It seems a lot softer than any other styrene I have ever used. But it is thicker so it shouldn't be, right? I will cut a piece tomorrow and try it out at a more normal size and try the glue on it. Liquid cement of course.

- Leelan

BROCK UPPERCUT · Post by **BROCK UPPERCUT** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 5:10 pm

i concur with us plastics. i got a .20, .40 , .60 , and .80 shipped for around 80 usd. although they sent it rolled once in a flimsy box. the only one that had a slight bow to it was the .80 .
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.a ... &catid=715

SSF · Post by **SSF** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 10:39 am

I went with US plastics, as I got larger sheets at way less price. I used them in the past and was very satisfied. Check it out:

professionalplastics.com: .030 THICK WHITE HIGH-IMPACT STYRENE
Size: 48" X 48"
Price Per Unit: $20.00 Quantity: 1 Price $20.00

.060 THICK WHITE HIGH-IMPACT STYRENE
Size: 48" X 48"
Price Per Unit: $20.00 Quantity: 1 Price $20.00

Items: $40.00
Shipping: $31.17
Order Total:
$71.17

Note that for the larger sheets (seen below) they wanted 160.00 for shipping!!!!

================

usplastic.com
Same exact styrene, only larger sheets!!
.030" Thick High Impact Styrene Sheet 40" X 72"
Comments: 1 $8.97 $8.97 $8.97

.060" Thick High Impact Styrene Sheet 40" X 72"
Comments: 1 $19.16 $19.16 $19.16

Sub Total: $28.13
Shipping & Handling: $10.34
Shipping Method: via Standard Ground (UPS, USPS)
Tax: $0.00
Grand Total: $38.47

Darthsideous · Post by **Darthsideous** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:15 pm

Thanks for this thread. The local hobby shop is really eating through my wallet. Now that I have a source for scratch building material I can eat and enjoy the hobby. Perhaps this thread should be a sticky.

AbsoluteSciFi · Post by **AbsoluteSciFi** » Sun May 15, 2011 9:37 pm

Darthsideous wrote:Thanks for this thread. The local hobby shop is really eating through my wallet. Now that I have a source for scratch building material I can eat and enjoy the hobby. Perhaps this thread should be a sticky.

That is exactly why I went to plywood for things that are over 1/8th inch in thickness, wood is more workable and SOOOooo much cheaper! Cabinet grade 1/8 inch plywood is awesome for structures, and wood glue is cheap too. making a small structure can be done with plywood too, but at some point the entire thing has to be covered and sealed if you want it to be externally seen; but the cost of filler is a far cry from getting high impact styrene at 3/8 inch shipped...

For things that are smaller or not load bearing, styrene is fine. Otherwise, go with something firm and cheap.

outlander · Post by **outlander** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 12:20 pm

WWW.USPLASTICS.COM is your friend! I buy 0.20" - 0. 60" thicknesses from them for building. This is far cheaper than anyone anywhere that I've found so far. Unless someone's cropped up in the las year since I bought from them last, you aren't going to get it in this size - 40 inches by 72 inches for $12.00 + for 0.20" which is what most model makers use for detail, or "greeblies" on their builds for movies, and T.V. shows. I also buy 0.40" thick styrene sheets for vacuum forming models. I'll reinforce them with 0.20" thick on the outside if I need to cast something in resin. It'd just be cheaper, and easier to buy one sheet of each thickness if you need them, and keep them in the box they came from the supplier in. This has lasted me a lot longer, and has been cheaper than buying locally, and no crap printed on it to cover over. You can also glue it, and paint over it, without worry of chemical reactions as you do with yard sale signs that have something printed on them.

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 11:36 pm

I think you got your decimal one spot too far to the right. 0.20 is more than 3/16", and 0.40 is more then 3/8". Did you mean .020 and .040? The reason I mention it is because if you call USPlastics and accidentally order a sheet of styrene nearly a half inch thick, they will send it to you. And bill you for it.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 11:40 pm

Yes they will. It's also much harder to scribe and pop .40" sheet styrene than it is to do the same to .040" styrene.

darkwanderer · Post by **darkwanderer** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 5:35 am

When I drove tractor-trailer, I used to go into the tank washes and collect the plastic haz-mat placards. Thicknesses varied, but a 12x12 sheet cost me nothing, so I didn't (and don't) care.

DaveVan · Post by **DaveVan** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:54 am

Or you just go ahead and find a plastics supplier and 4x8 foot sheet for about $20.

Yep.....when I lived in Charlotte I'd go to the local plastic commercial supplier. A 4x8 foot of .030 was under $20. BUT...the real deal was their cut off bin. All kinds and thicknesses of sheet stock sold by the pound!!! I'd get ten pounds for about $10!! I am still working off this supply....and still have a full 4x8 on hand. I moved from there in 2002 so I bought a lot!!

TazMan2000 · Post by **TazMan2000** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 12:54 am

I found a source of plastic, relatively inexpensive compared to hobby store prices. Unfortunately they sell them in 4x8 foot sheets. However you can bring a knife and cut them into managable pieces if you don't have a vehicle that can accomodate them. My advice is to do this since quite a long time ago, I bought a 4x8 sheet from the hobby store and it was kept rolled up. To this day that plastic still has a slight curl to it, despite attempts at flattening it out. Johston Industrial Plastics is one supplier. The plastic sheet goes by the name of HIPS. High Impact Poly Styrene.

TazMan2000

MillenniumFalsehood · Post by **MillenniumFalsehood** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 3:04 pm

You sure they don't offer to cut it into smaller pieces, Taz? The place where I get mine will cut a 4'x8' section into 1'x2' pieces for me for a couple of bucks.

TazMan2000 · Post by **TazMan2000** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 5:11 pm

Oh they probably do, but then it becomes more expensive and then that would negate the title of this thread "Cheap Styrene". Plus, I'm to cheap to spend a couple of bucks doing it. I will just lie it down in the parking lot, kneel down on the pavement and cut it into pieces. This way the plastic will pick up whatever crud that was on the pavement, such as gum, oil and dirt. "Voila"...now it's pre-weathered.

Actually, I asked. They said no. Bar stock can be cut but not sheet stock.

TazMan2000

southwestforests · Post by **southwestforests** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:36 pm

Maybe y'all are scratchbuilding bigger things than I do. The .040 is heavy framing material around here - even for a 15inch long 1/48 scale space fighter. Or HO scale and On30 scale train car and locomotive bodies.

Then again, there are problems with my hands and that is the heaviest I want to try to cut.

Burke · Post by **Burke** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 7:19 pm

What should I be looking for when buying styrene?

Ebay has some high impact polystyrene, and there are other like below listed just as styrene. I bougth a bunch of sheet pvc a long time ago but its kinda hard to work with, does sand or glue as easily as styrene does.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WHITE-STYRENE-P ... 4cfde08ad4

Paulbo · Post by **Paulbo** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 7:54 pm

High impact POLYstyrene is what you want.

For those in the Northeast, Modern Plastics is a great supplier. I've bought 4x8 foot sheets and they don't charge for cutting unless you're looking for precision cuts - i.e. I tell them "about half at about 1 foot square and the rest at about 2 foot square" and they'll do it for me no problem. When i got some clear acrylic cut for windows that had to be within 1/16" they charged, but it was nominal.

P.S. If you're stuck with the PVC, try a plumbing supply store for the adhesive they use for PVC pipe. Won't guarantee it will work, but worth a try. (Most likely will not work with polystyrene kit parts for mating the two.)

Burke · Post by **Burke** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 8:07 pm

Cool thanx. Yeah I've used ca with decent results so far on the PVC it's just more time consuming to shape.

rocketrider · Post by **rocketrider** » Sun Sep 09, 2012 4:08 pm

Sign supply companies are a good source of styrene in 4'x8' sheets as well.

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Cheap Styrene

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