Materials, Tools, and Supplies

High density foams:

This stuff comes in 2x8 foot sheets in various thicknesses (1/2", 1", 1.5", 2", 2.5") Prices vary but you can budget it at $5 per 1/2". (example: a 1-1/2" thick sheet will cost you close to $5)

There are two main types I use here.
One is pink - one is blue
(pink works best for me)

Art Foam Boards

Paper coated white foam.

It normally comes in 2 X 3 foot sheets in 1/4 " and 1/2", but you can find it in 4' x8' sheets too.

Hardboard

Masonite Hardboard is a well established and widely used board product.  It is produced from timber which is reduced to lignocellulose fibres, wet-felted and hot pressed to form sheets.  The primary bond is derived from the felting process and inherent adhesive properties of lignin which occurs naturally in timber.  Hardboard provides a cost effective product and has a wide range of applications.

It comes in 4 X 8 foot sheets in 1/8" and 1/4" thicknesses. (panelling will work too; but costs more)

Sculptamold

Models like clay, sets up plaster hard in 30 minutes. Stronger than Plaster of Paris. When dry it can be sanded, sawed, carved, or nailed. Can be painted with most paint.

It comes in 3lb bags normally but there are 50lb bags available. 3-4 times cheaper in the States than Canada. What the???!!!

Weldbond

It looks like standard white glue, but trust me, that is where the similarity ends. It is a catalyzed polyvinyl acetate. It is white when applied and dries crystal clear. It is a highly concentrated adhesive. It is tacky and will not run like other white glues. It sets quickly and holds strong after curing overnight. The longer it dries the harder it gets, yet it remains flexible! It has an infinite shelf life when stored properly. NASA uses it.

It costs twice as much as normal white glue!

Plain White Glue (P.V.A. type - There are various brands)

I use this a fair amount too. It is not as good as Weldbond but works good if you are using it in mixes or as an additive to coatings.

Acrylic Caulking (there are various brands and colours)

I use this as an additive to coatings. It comes in various colours. It is paintable.

There is a straight "Latex" type too. Acrylic caulking is made of acrylic resins, usually blended with latex and glycol, petroleum solvents and fungicides. Fresh acrylic caulking can be cleaned up with water. This product can cause more IAQ problems than latex caulking.

Toxicity: This type of product formulation contains chemical solvents and resins and is therefore more toxic than latex products.

Plaster of Paris

Plaster of paris is great for quick castings and for making slurries for coating walls and terrain pieces.

Harder types of material are available, (dental stone, mircosil, etc. ) but more expensive. Just add some weldbond to the mix; it will be tough.

Potter's plaster is harder and hydrocal is harder still.

Spray Adhesives

You need a good glue that will not "eat" your foam.

Elmer's is okay, but not as strong as the 3M brand. It is the least expensive, but you pay for what you get.

Acrylic Paints

Hey, you can spend as much as you want on paint. Up to you!

You need some with nice fine pigments for your real small stuff, but.... these examples here all work excellent and they only cost $1-$2

Each brand has different names for their colours and some like the 'creamcoat' brand behave differently. But like I said, these are nice and cheap for experimenting with.