How do you prep White Styrofoam

The best way I know is to use the blue or pink high density stuff!  The only way I know that "preps" white Styrofoam is heat, it fuses the edges.

I tried some 1" white before I knew I had the wrong stuff, I was a real novice when it came to foam of any sort. I ended up casting it aside because it just made a mess. At some point I might use it to build up a mountain or something, but only if I can con my wife into following my cuts with a shopvac or something.

Matthew,

If there is anyway you can avoid a lot of building with it I suggest you use the high density stuff as John mentioned. Currently going through about 10+ sheets of  4X8 2" and several 1" it's still somewhat messy BUT no where near that stuff.

Larry

I also like the blue or green foam. However you can cut white foam with a hot knife or hot wire foam cutting tools.

Living in Florida at least here in Brevard County I can only find the pink and blue high density foam in 3/4" thickness. The only foam I could find in 2" is the white stuff at Home Depot. I have a pretty durable heat knife for cutting the foam.

This years Christmas display is gonna be 5' x 8' x 60"high. I normally convert the Christmas display into my year round display so I'd like it to be light weight, modular, and avoid making too big of a mess when it comes time to move it.

As the plan looks now, there will be 6 levels with 8 loops. Each loop is either oval or circular on top of cork, laid over a single piece of 2" Styrofoam.

I don't know whether to just paint the Styrofoam and if so with what or encapsulate it in paper machete?

Goggle…. Hot Wire Foam Factory. They will be able to help you with a coating, even weather proof. A dealer for the company sets up at York in the orange hall. One of the products is called Foam Coat.

What you really want to use, if available, is the material called "Extruded Polystyrene."  This is the high-density stuff (I am familiar with it in pink and blue, 2" thick) that is used by the vast majority of hobbyists who use foam for scenery construction.

As all of the other posts state the best way is to use a hot knife or wire cutter. I purchased my Hot Wire Foam Cutter at the April York Show. I have since purchased and table saw and a Pro heat unit. When cutting the white foam it "melts" the little beads and seals the edges to prevent further shedding of the beads. If you cut this stuff with a regular knife you will be dealing with the beads for a very long time to come.

I have the Hot Wire Foam Factory scroll table, it's useful for creating smaller chunks of Styrofoam for stuff like packing and the like, but it's not that useful for large stuff.  However, it does seal the edges nicely of the cheap white stuff.

John,

If you want to do Big Stuff you can get this 24 inch table from Hot Wire Foam Factory

24 inch table

At $249.95 it is definitely not cheap but it does handle large stuff and does so much more then the scroll table.

Maybe some day!

I bought mine used with a hot knife as well for $35, no way I'm spending that much money on one!   I got it just to see if I liked it.  Not the fastest way to cut Styrofoam, cut for some things it works well.

I think you may want to avoid using the white beaded styrofoam completely.

I believe it is a FIRE HAZARD and burns easily!    It may also give off nasty and noxious fumes.

Use the pink or blue stuff.

George

Cut it outside and let the wind blow it to the four corners of the earth or your neighbors yard.  Whichever is closest.

Rick

So, I messed up and posted dupe photos.  I wanted to show my first actual layout (except dept. 56) I made with white Styrofoam at a cost of under $300 minus the trains, but includes the hot wire tools I purchased.  It is all coated with Hot Wire Foam Factory Foam Coat.  The styro was picked up at various furniture stores at no cost.  They were happy to get rid of it.  I put in an operating waterfall that was collecting dust in the garage.