Sheet styrene

roadrunner · Post by **roadrunner** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 8:51 pm

How hard is it to work with?Say for example I wanted to make a drydock.What would you recommend?

Primetime21 · Post by **Primetime21** » Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:15 pm

What scale are you working in? You need to use a thickness that looks right for what your doing. It's all pretty easy to work with.

Big Miller Bro · Post by **Big Miller Bro** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:29 am

I find it super easy to work with.

John P · Post by **John P** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:08 am

It's usually a tad softer than kit styrene (the Evergreen stuff is, anyway). That makes it easier to cut and glue.

I find it about the same as cutting out and putting together cardboard or paper shapes like we used to do in school art class.

Here - the whole aft end of this kitbash was done with .020 sheet styrene, just cut out in the right shapes and glued together:
http://www.inpayne.com/models/coventry.html

Same with this one:
http://www.inpayne.com/models/kitbash/t ... iance.html

e of pi · Post by **e of pi** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 12:17 pm

I've always liked that second ship.

Perotis · Post by **Perotis** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:30 pm

Gratz on getting it in FSM!

Bar · Post by **Bar** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:50 pm

roberticus wrote:How hard is it to work with?Say for example I wanted to make a drydock.What would you recommend?

It's super easy.
I made most of the scratches in my gallery with sheet styrene.
This.
These.
These.
This.
These.
And today, i made most of these.
And speaking of Drydocks...

kiwikaboodle · Post by **kiwikaboodle** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:52 pm

Bar, that drydock is looking rather nifty mate!

Bar · Post by **Bar** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:54 pm

kiwikaboodle wrote:Bar, that drydock is looking rather nifty mate!

The little one or the big one?
Bar.

davehal9000 · Post by **davehal9000** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:22 pm

Buy some and give it a try. Grab some rod, angles, strips, tubes, I-beams, etc, and see what you can do with it. Once you start down the path, forever will it control your destiny!

Bar · Post by **Bar** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:32 pm

Consume you, it will!

davehal9000 · Post by **davehal9000** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:05 pm

Scratchbuilding used to scare the hell out of me when I first saw the term used decades ago. Nowdays I don't build even the best of kits without scratchbuilding some form of details to add.

Give it a try. You're going to make mistakes. Fine. Learn from it, and try again. Invest in good tools. A cheap, small miter box, a balsa stripper, a small square and plenty of X-acto blades are a good start. It only gets easier!

holeyfred · Post by **holeyfred** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 11:30 pm

I'm sold, but who's the best supplier of a diverse selection of styrene scratchbuilding products?

Slide · Post by **Slide** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 12:12 am

Evergreen is the best (only one i've ever used).

If you'r looking for an actual outlet... i can't help you there... i don't even have a decent hobby shop in my city.

holeyfred · Post by **holeyfred** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 12:15 am

Yeah, I don't know about your town (Brandon) or province (Manitoba), but Canada sure is a fount of talent, and not just Shatner, Nimoy and Plummer. What about Forever Knight, and even better all of the great music by Devin Townshend. Oh, Canada!

davehal9000 · Post by **davehal9000** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 12:18 am

Evergreen or Plastistruct. There are plenty of online sources to buy either.

holeyfred · Post by **holeyfred** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 12:24 am

Excellent.

big-dog · Post by **big-dog** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:07 am

While I prefer Evergreen you get a lot more Plastruct for the dosh. Evergreen cuts easier but my money goes to Plastruct. It's simply far less expensive.

Slide · Post by **Slide** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:50 pm

holeyfred wrote:Yeah, I don't know about your town (Brandon) or province (Manitoba), but Canada sure is a fount of talent, and not just Shatner, Nimoy and Plummer. What about Forever Knight, and even better all of the great music by Devin Townshend. Oh, Canada!

Actually Mr. Small (Small Artworks) is in Brandon... odly enough i've never met him though...

vaughnwolf · Post by **vaughnwolf** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:37 pm

holeyfred wrote:I'm sold, but who's the best supplier of a diverse selection of styrene scratchbuilding products?

Whatever you do don't run to Evergreen first... check out your local industrial park. Most of 'em have a plastics supply outfit. I get mine in 4 x 8 foot sheets for about $35.00 CDN..... but then, I do tend to build big

Vaughn
http://msfm.seryan.com/vaughn_m.htm

en'til Zog · Post by **en'til Zog** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 8:56 pm

Go to the main site and check out the "Scribe and POP" method of scratchbuilding. Also the photo article on building your own micro-set for photo work.

Evergreen has a great selection of shapes, rods, U-channel, I beam, etc. for detail bits.

Your local plastics supplier (Try "Plastics supplier - rod and sheet") will have the best prices for sheet stock. Ask if they have any "drop stock" meaning bits and pieces left over from custom cutting or fabricating. The prices of drop stock can be really cheap for what you get. Just make sure it's styrene - I got some PVC once that was.... difficult to work with. To put it mildly.

Chacal · Post by **Chacal** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:18 pm

And I would suggest starting small. Build small things, begin with simple shapes, like cubes or boxes. The most important thing to know when working with sheet styrene (at least for me it was) is to cut it and assemble it precisely. Make a cube. Measure it all around. Do all the sides have the same size? Are all the angles square? Did you use the best method for gluing â€“ bang it, see if it breaks easy. When you're happy with yourself, go on to other, more complex shapes.

Bar · Post by **Bar** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:16 pm

Chacal wrote:And I would suggest starting small.

Like this stuff?(Biggest one is 5cm, and the smallest is 2mm)

Bar.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:45 pm

And remember the cardinal rule: Measure twice, cut once

Arklan · Post by **Arklan** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:22 am

evergreen is what i've been using ,though i've got some bakcup plastrut here in case i run out and cant get to a store. its all very good stuff to work with. i've pretty much decided to stop buying kits almost entirely, except for really exceptional ones like coby's galactica.

...and i REALLY need to see about getting me some industrial sheet. anyone know of any places online t order and have it mailed, like, in a rolled up tube?

Bar · Post by **Bar** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:01 pm

Arklan wrote:anyone know of any places online t order and have it mailed, like, in a rolled up tube?

Only really thin stock(5, 10, 15 thou) will be able to be rolled i think(I could be wrong on this), and it would curve the sheet to do so.
Better to find a wholesalers locally, and get it from them by picking it up in your car(If there's no wholesaler, find a local vac-forming company and ask if they will add the amount you need to one of their orders. Usually they will be only too happy to do so, and it will be as cheap as all hell!).
Bar.

Mark Yungblut · Post by **Mark Yungblut** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:19 pm

I picked up several 4'x8' sheets for around 15.00 each. the supplier even cut them into 2'x4' sheets for free.

Arklan · Post by **Arklan** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 10:57 pm

i would go for a local sullpier... but i dont <i>have</i> a car... hmm. well, i got friends. we shall see. ...no garage either... would have to cut it to 2x2 sections asap or somesuch... hmm. blah.

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 5:53 am

Arklan wrote:...and i REALLY need to see about getting me some industrial sheet. anyone know of any places online t order and have it mailed, like, in a rolled up tube?

Professional Plastics
This is where I get mine. I don't know how their shipping works though, you'll have to contact them to find out.

Arklan · Post by **Arklan** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:11 pm

will do. thanks.

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Sheet styrene

Sheet styrene

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