Using Styrene

I have never used styrene either. I have thought about using it for turning the woodsided mth rotary snow plow into a steel sided one. I would love to know how people work with it and what thicknesses to use?

I have been using styrene for scratch building for years and love the stuff.  The thickness used depends on what the application is.  For making car or locomotive bodies, .060" is good.  For making buildings, there is a lot of textured styrene out there made by Plastruct or Evergreen sold in 8.5" x 11" sheets.  Styrene can be "scored and snapped" to any size you want, and the cement used actually acts like a welding agent.  It can be heated and bent to curves and will keep the shape. 

Trackhead, are you going to cut up the plastic into little pieces for a coal load?  Or are you going to use it to make a false bottom so you don't have to use so much coal.  By the way, I found that aquarium gravel or the activated charcoal used in water softeners makes great looking coal. 

Tom M., for your use, I'd suggest either .010" or possibly .005" thickness.  But be very careful with cementing the very thin stuff.  If you use too much cement, it can warp the sheet of plastic. 

Here's some things I have made with the stuff:  A car dealership, scratchbuilt Thomas, an AEM7 and an RDC:

Then, there's a series of downtown buildings (not quite finished yet on my layout)

Excuse the X-Wing fighter at the intersection and the Enterprise shuttle craft on the roof...

If you are going to do a LOT of buildng with it, I'd suggest finding a plastic supply house and buy it in large sheets.  Here in the Detroit area, I found a place that sells a four FOOT by eight FOOT sheet of '060" styrene for around $30.  Much cheaper than the hobby shops. 

Wow...good work with styrene....rivaling "Brother Love".  That Olds dealer looks similar to some I remember.  And a scratchbuilt? RDC?  I would like a scale-length RDC-3, and would have to scratch it to get one.   I prefer wood, but had to scratchbuild a gas station with reverse curved roof in styrene.  (well, I use styrene siding over a wooden frame for many buildings, but not to that extent).  

I too am using styrene a lot these days. For sheet, I use thin for things like gussets and 0.040" and higher for wall and structural use. For details and delicate assemblies, I try to size the members in scale. Remember, 0.020" is about 1" scale in O. That makes 0.040 = 2", 0.060 = 3 etc. So a scale 2X4 would be 0.040" X 0.080" bar stock. !/8" angle would be a 6" angle in full size, which could be used for building trusses (like I'm now doing).

I apply solvent using the Touch-n-Flo which gives pretty good control...significantly better than using the brush applicator in the Bondene lid. You can use a small artist brush. I'd also recommend downloading the Evergreen Styrene's Styrene Handbook. It's a little bit dated, but has excellent information of handling this great model building material.

poniaj posted:

I have been using styrene for scratch building for years and love the stuff.  

Those are great-looking models, Jerry. Nothing so advanced for me, but I've done a couple of projects using .005" overlay on .040 or .060" styrene. I added the rivet detail on the .005" sheet, which is a sight easier than pushing rivet detail on the thicker stuff

Poniaj -

I just want a false bottom, I already have real coal. I am thinking to purchase a pack of the .040 and .080

This by the way is for O scale.

Thanks everyone for all the input.

Tom M - You suggested the .010" or possibly .005" thickness, will the .0.40 be to thick for my current

small project?

Styrene.    At one time there was a paper catalog and a very nice (How to) paper back book.