I was wondering if there is any other tool you can use to help form your mountains out of pink foam.I don't have access to a hot wire so i was wondering if there is something else that i can use to form the hills and mountains or to make a decent rock formation.I do have a real nice dremel set but i did not know if you can use that.I have my foam all glued together and i am ready to form the mountains and rock formation but i need to know what i can use instead of a hot wire.Please give me some help with this problem.
In need of some help.
- Thread starter Starman
- Start date
I have used a variety of devices from my pocket knife to hacksaw blades, drywall saws, fingernails, surform tools, sandpaper of various grits, Xacto saw,, you name it. One advantage of a hacksaw blade is that you can bend it to form curved cuts. Others here have mentioned using an old kitchen knife or bread knife.
I use all sorts of tools to carve mountains...A good keyhole saw with interchangeable blades is a good one to start with. You can use it give your mountains a rough shape. Then use a rough rasp (like a file for wood) to further shape them and finally small Exacto saws and blades to finish up the job. Once you've got the look you want, you can put on a layer of plaster or sculptamold to blend everything together and give them a rocky texture. With some time & patience you can come up with something like this....
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starman, here is a video I found on you tube. It consist of 8 videos about 9 minutes long each. If you click on more from this user you can watch all 8. I think his work turned out great.
YouTube - Model Railroad Scenery using Extruded Foam: Part 1
YouTube - Model Railroad Scenery using Extruded Foam: Part 1
Starman,
I friend of mine uses a boning knife (very long and thin) honed to razor sharpness. It avoids all the "foamdust" creation that you get when using a hacksaw.
And as for how to do it - to paraphrase a famous artist: "Remove all the parts that don't look like a mountain."
sign1
Andrew
I friend of mine uses a boning knife (very long and thin) honed to razor sharpness. It avoids all the "foamdust" creation that you get when using a hacksaw.
And as for how to do it - to paraphrase a famous artist: "Remove all the parts that don't look like a mountain."
sign1Andrew
I have a Japanese razor saw. It's very thin and flexible an is good for getting your basic shape. It is designed to cut on the draw, not on the push like most other saws. You cannot rely on this for your final shape though. Once I get the shape I want, I use paper towels soaked in plaster to refine the shape and get some smooth transitions. Then I finish off the shapes and outcroppings using drywall compound and a variety of tools, but mostly a putty knife.
I have 2 bread knives. One very rigid and one very flexible. My sweetie 'let' me have them. The other one is touched [for model use] on pain of ... well pain LOL
Anyhow, I have not used a hot wire, but even so. I have found nothing better then a serrated bread knife for cutting foam.
I hope that helps.
Anyhow, I have not used a hot wire, but even so. I have found nothing better then a serrated bread knife for cutting foam.
I hope that helps.