Painting pink foam board - camouflage color

Good post, and thanks. I have learned the hard way as well. Never heard of the primer, though. THANKS. 

Paint the foam with an earth brown latex paint using a wide, inexpensive, disposable brush. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle a mix of green and yellow (or other colors) fine turf (Woodland Scenics) in a random pattern over the paint, using more or less of one color to taste or geographic region. The paint will hold the turf in pace when it dries. For additional protection, you can spray the sheet with hairspray or a thinned out mix of scenic glue to hold the turf in place.

Done - easee-peesee.

I construct terrain with extruded pink foam insulation and cover it with a layer of "Mold-a-Scene" plaster to create realistic contours (hills, river beds) prior to applying paint and other types of ground cover. I don't attempt to paint pink foam. Just my way of doing it...

MELGAR

I use the blue/green insulation foam from Lowes to make the appearance of limestone cuts as seen in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. I have also used it to make bridge piers. 

I always peel off that thin protective covering layer, but don't throw it away. It makes for a great drop cloth when making a mess.

Camouflage is not really necessary when painting the ground. A simple solid earth tone is all you really need, just cover the pink. Variations in color are done with ground cover. I only ever use latex paint for scenery.

Earlier this year, I did a bluff along a section of my layout, using foam for the upper section.

The brown section on the right was just to cover the pink. the other part was carved and painted to be the native rock. I was working from photos.

The brown section was later covered with trees, so you don't really see it.

Richie C. posted:

Paint the foam with an earth brown latex paint using a wide, inexpensive, disposable brush. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle a mix of green and yellow (or other colors) fine turf (Woodland Scenics) in a random pattern over the paint, using more or less of one color to taste or geographic region. The paint will hold the turf in pace when it dries. For additional protection, you can spray the sheet with hairspray or a thinned out mix of scenic glue to hold the turf in place.

Done - easee-peesee.

Do you use flat latex ??o

Yes

MELGAR posted:

I construct terrain with extruded pink foam insulation and cover it with a layer of "Mold-a-Scene" plaster to create realistic contours (hills, river beds) prior to applying paint and other types of ground cover. I don't attempt to paint pink foam. Just my way of doing it...

MELGAR

Same. I just covered it with a thin coat of Hydrocal and continued from there

MELGAR posted:

I construct terrain with extruded pink foam insulation and cover it with a layer of "Mold-a-Scene" plaster to create realistic contours (hills, river beds) prior to applying paint and other types of ground cover. I don't attempt to paint pink foam. Just my way of doing it...

MELGAR

I also went with Melgar's procedure. I used a combination of plaster cloth and joint compound where needed.

Joe

I paint Styrofoam blue or pink board.

Foam board can be painted with spray paint, but it has to be done in fine misted applications. This is a section of the Rockville bridge my son and I made for a class project when he was in 7th grade

Second photo below--I always removed the film and painted with earth-toned latex. I worked ground cover and highway roadbeds from there. Very old photo from February 2010. Just to the left of the mainline crossover a keen eye can see the blue foam in a narrow space left unpainted to show a marked siding centerline. 

Unfortunately, health issues soon stopped progress but trains did, and will, run even in 2020 (I hope).

a

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

The brown section on the right was just to cover the pink. the other part was carved and painted to be the native rock. I was working from photos.

Agreed.  I'll immediately paint pink foam with a flat latex, tannish-gray ground color (the color for my modeled area, yours may vary) just to get rid of that God-awful pink color.  I then lay roadbed and track to get trains running, after which I can take my own sweet time to come back at any later date and do the actual scenery work that I want to accomplish in a particular area. 

I used the pink insulation on my prior N Scale layout.  I used flat brown latex paint and it worked out well.  I am in the planning stage for a new O Scale layout.  I will use the pink foam again for scenery.  I am thinking about using 440 Homasote(good sound insulation) to cover the bench top.  Home Depot and Lowe's stores do not carry it.  I will have to drive to pick it up when I get to that stage. 

Cheap craft isle Apple Barrel water based acrylics and a 2" brush mostly.....inside with the heat on 😉  (large surfaces and rattle cans are a PITA, I'd want a pint/quart cup gun and compressor or brush/roller if over 4'sq.)

It's not like I throw water at it or scrub/ use cleaners. After a month it can handle a little wetness for a while anyhow.

Flat for dry earthy stuff and semi-gloss/gloss for damp/wet/oily looking .

I did do similar on wood though, using up all the "half cans" to create 2d ground cover before 3d cover went down. There were blues, violet, reds, greens, yellows, orange,,browns, white, grey, etc etc. ...just jumbled blotches of color 

....and it beat the heck out plain plywood 

dan 77 posted:

I used the pink insulation on my prior N Scale layout.  I used flat brown latex paint and it worked out well.  I am in the planning stage for a new O Scale layout.  I will use the pink foam again for scenery.  I am thinking about using 440 Homasote(good sound insulation) to cover the bench top.  Home Depot and Lowe's stores do not carry it.  I will have to drive to pick it up when I get to that stage. 

A friend just bought sound board from Lowes that looks like Homasote but is a lot less expensive. I don't know the name but ask for sound board. It is a gray color just like Homasote. I cut the board for Mark on my table saw and was surprised at how little dust it generated.

Joe Fauty posted:

dan 77 posted:

I used the pink insulation on my prior N Scale layout.  I used flat brown latex paint and it worked out well.  I am in the planning stage for a new O Scale layout.  I will use the pink foam again for scenery.  I am thinking about using 440 Homasote(good sound insulation) to cover the bench top.  Home Depot and Lowe's stores do not carry it.  I will have to drive to pick it up when I get to that stage. 

A friend just bought sound board from Lowes that looks like Homasote but is a lot less expensive. I don't know the name but ask for sound board. It is a gray color just like Homasote. I cut the board for Mark on my table saw and was surprised at how little dust it generated.

Good to know.  Thanks.  I will check Lowe's and I will cut it on my table saw too.  Before I had a table saw, I used a box cutter with razor blade...PITA.

dan 77 posted:

Joe Fauty posted:

dan 77 posted:

I used the pink insulation on my prior N Scale layout.  I used flat brown latex paint and it worked out well.  I am in the planning stage for a new O Scale layout.  I will use the pink foam again for scenery.  I am thinking about using 440 Homasote(good sound insulation) to cover the bench top.  Home Depot and Lowe's stores do not carry it.  I will have to drive to pick it up when I get to that stage. 

A friend just bought sound board from Lowes that looks like Homasote but is a lot less expensive. I don't know the name but ask for sound board. It is a gray color just like Homasote. I cut the board for Mark on my table saw and was surprised at how little dust it generated.

Good to know.  Thanks.  I will check Lowe's and I will cut it on my table saw too.  Before I had a table saw, I used a box cutter with razor blade...PITA.

I should mention I have a dust collector attached to the table saw which helps a lot.