# Foam Insulation Base



## McSmithers (Mar 19, 2016)

Has anybody had success with a 1 or 2 inch foam insulation as a base for a track? I am planning to build a 1/32 digital track, thought about using 3/4 inch plywood, but I am getting old and have a bad ticker, and I would love to avoid the weight to make it easier to move. Any comments good or bad would be welcomed. Thanks!


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## theroad87 (Jun 25, 2014)

*2" Foam track base - yes*

A friend built his 4x16 HO track on 2" foam base set atop a 1x2 framework. He anchored the track with silicone sealer. Worked great ... though one racer did put his hand through a spot trying to reach a car.

Pic below of initial set up of a temporary 6' x 20' HO track on 2" foam atop a sawhorse & beam "platform". Don't have a pic of the framework but just 2x4 beams that are notched to lock into notches cut into the sawhorses. Sawhorses were placed 6 to 8 ft apart. The foam wasn't secured to the frame, and the track wasn't secured to the foam, but worked great. (Racers were careful not to bump the foam.)









The sawhorses/beams/foam belong to the same friend. He uses them to set up temporary 1/32 digital layouts too.

I use same type of 2" foam as a cover atop my 3-1/2' x 18' HO track. It's 4" from track/infield surface to the top of my walls so I cut some of the foam into "bricks". I then stack the 'bricks" all over the track & infield, then set the foam covers atop that. It's very sturdy ... I've used it for sorting garage sale & other stuff, building other temporary HO & 1/43 layouts atop it, a temporary work surface (no hammering though), and as a gaming table.

Mike


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## McSmithers (Mar 19, 2016)

Thanks for the quick feedback and the pictures!


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## Dushkwoneshe (Apr 27, 2012)

.
On an *open frame* support for the foam, you could use 1/2" diamond
.081" flattened, expanded Aluminum, to add light-weight bedding for the foam
to help prevent *punch-through*... Would strengthen the table, also...

Kind of expensive... Over $100 per 4' x 8' sheet...

I'd check with a local sheet metal shop for a *good deal*... They may
have overstock from a previous job that they need to get rid of... May
even have a better product for your purpose...

John
.
.


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## TomH (Jan 17, 2006)

I would use 1X2's for framework, 4X8 sheets of masonite for underlayment glued and screwed/nailed and call it done. Might be a bit heavier than foam but if you stayed off of the table it would do the job and be pretty light. Hardboard sheets(masonite) comes in 1/8 and 3/16ths thickness.


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## tabcomary (Jun 2, 2010)

*foam base*

I don't have a designated location for my track, so it needs to be picked-up and stored vertically on a regular basis. I have an 8' x 3' HO circuit done on 1" foam, and I had a 8' x 4' 1/32 oval on 1" foam. They were a bit too flexible on the long axis, so I added a 1" x 8' piece of 1/4" thick underlayment (basically thin, cheap plywood) to each long edge. That added rigidity, and did not add much weight. 

It is still flexible, so the track sections need to be clipped together. I used a blob of silicone seal under each section, and I ran a bead of silicone along all straights and the inside edge of turns. The reinforcement strips were glued on using an adhesive designed for use with extruded foam. I held the strips in place with drywall screws until the adhesive cured.

I use 1/4" thick x 1" wide foam insulating strips around the outside of turns. It's adhesive backing does not stick to the foam very well, so I usually reattach it with silicone.

I gave up on 1/32, so I recently took that oval apart. I removed the track sections with a putty knife. The silicone pealed off of the track sections and the foam base easily.

I have begun to re-use the 4'x8' sheet, starting with a 2' x 4' test layout. For this circuit I am attaching the track with 4 clamps, similar to the clamps used to hang flat mirrors on walls. You really can't screw anything to the foam, so the clamps have threaded holes in them to anchor screws. I have a 3/16" thick plastic strip on the underside of the foam for each clamp. The strips hold the screw heads. This seems to work for a small circuit, but would be awkward for anything much larger.

If I was to join two sections of the foam for use with a single circuit, I would probably make a "joiner" that would attach to the wooden reinforcements on each edge. It may also be necessary to have a plate in the middle of the joined edge to keep the foam sections even. An "H" clip, similar to what roofers use when installing adjacent plywood sheets could also be used. It might also be beneficial to look at some of the techniques used for modular model railroads.

Good Luck!


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