Sintra, Forex or Gatorboard?

[nick_75au]

Sintra, Forex or Gatorfoam board? Im looking at trying some of this stuff out for superstructures, there is also foamcore but it appears to have a clay coated paper as its veneer rather than the waterproof PVC or wood fibre veneer. There's another type called Kapa with polyurethane core which is not as susceptible to solvent attack.
All of these sheets are available for around $80.00 each. per 1200 x 2400 mm sheet (8 x 4 foot)
Is that a good price?
Is there any difference in the expanded polystyrene type board materials like Sintra and Forex.
Nick

[charlie eaton]

Nick, I like Sintra which is expanded PVC. You can mail order the stuff from a company here in the States. It's called Charrrette. It has an online catalog at ''charrette corporation''. Just click on the online catalog. It comes in different sizes and colors. Use medium CA only. Once you have a joint it's there to stay. I was told that epoxy would work but it gives a poor joint. Sintra loves CA. I went to the Boston area store and had to buy a 4x8 sheet but I use bits and peices of it all the time. My ''Cape Islander was built with it except for the hull. Nice stuff to work with and no wood grain to fill.

[keith S]

I agree with Charlie! love using Sintra. Works easily like balsa with out the sealing and ready to paint like most plastics.

[seaphoto]

I like Sintra or the equivalent product from another manufacturer myself. I use it for bulkheads and reinforcements. For decks, I use Lexan.

I have found that Sintra benefits from reinforcement at the joints, either through a backing block, or by using fiberglass cloth and CA to beef up the inside.

[Homeport]

Hi Nick,
We use the Gator board for all of our builds.
It is very light for super structures ,takes paint very well.
The draw back is no curves with this stuff.
Paul
http://www.homeportmodels.com/

[nick_75au]

I take it then that the Sintra is flexible to an extent where as the Gatorfoam is not,

Paul your video on your site is what got me interested, plus an enquiry a few months ago on a 1/48 Perry.

I want to redo the Nexus Tide bridge to start out with and learn how to use the material.

Im still confused as there are many brands all appearing to be the same basic material, are they (already knowing the Gatorfoam is different) .
Ive never seen anything like it before and still haven't actually seen any yet so its all brand new territory for me.
Nick

[nick_75au]

I just found out that Alcan Composites produces closed-cell PVC foamboard under the trade-name Sintra(For US) and Forex for other countries, why do they do that.

Nick

[charlie eaton]

Don't have a clue about the various brand names Nick but it's all the same stuff that Alcan makes. I used 3mm on my Cape Islander and it worked out great. I've built several Dumas kits with Sintra as the sub deck and cabin material. Their's seem to be a softer plastic but works well also. You can bend it fairly well by slowly working it around a little at a time. You can gently heat it to help. No problems with painting it. On my Rangeley the ring at the top of the smoke stack is a ring of 3mm x 1/4'' sintra bent around a 1 1/8'' tube. My ''Potomac'' based on the Lakawanna by Dumas also uses Sintra.

[norgale]

Charlie if the wind blows the superstructure off will it float? Pete

[charlie eaton]

Charlie if the wind blows the superstructure off will it float? Pete

Yes it does, but then you build it so it won't do that. :)

[Greysquirrel]

You can also purchase Sintra here
http://www.foamboardsource.com/sintra-pvc-foam--sintra-pvc-board--sintra-pvc-2-mm.html

[nick_75au]

norgale "Charlie if the wind blows the superstructure off will it float? Pete"
Charlie " Yes it does, but then you build it so it won't do that."

Charlie, why would you make it so it doesn't float :p Ha!

Nick

[charlie eaton]

God question Nick. Sintra is a foam,full of hot air just like norgale so it will float.

[nick_75au]

Tallships232,
I had a look at that Riot art store today, had paper backed foam board for $19.95, 1000 mm X 800 mm and only in 5 mm thick, the material looks promising but the paper (like glossy magazine covers) would not last long, looks like it dents easily as well. Find out Monday about the plastic and gator foam on Monday.
Nick

[charlie eaton]

Nick that foamboard is no good for model purposes. The paper facings are not waterproof and the thin foam has no strength to it. Also most adhesives will disolve it.

[nick_75au]

Hi Charlie ,
I figured that on the foam board, but the principal of the material looks ok (foam covered with solid layer), when I finally get my hands on the proper stuff and play around with it. Basically looking for a replacement to ply which requires a lot less work to get smooth.
Nick

[charlie eaton]

Nick that last sentence discribes sintra very well, strong, easy to use, waterproof, takes paint good, floats, no grain to fill, loves medium ca, etc,etc. The only disadvantage is compound curves. But then plywood doesn't do them either.

[nick_75au]

Ok I went to a sign maker today and was going to purchase some off cuts of foamed PVC which is as I understand the same as the Sintra etc, he had 4 mm and 1mm but it wasn't what I expected, the 1mm was floppy and the 4mm was heavy. We actually use a lot of the thicker stuff (10mm and 30 mm) at work for hatch lids and other bits and pieces. I was expecting something similar to the foam core board I mentioned earlier :confused:
Gator foam appears to be really hard to get unless you want 25 sheets 4 foot by 8 foot.
Nick