There is Foam Board and there is Foam Board

by nickatredbox | May 27, 2013 | (3) Posted in Tips

I wondered why my scratch builds were never as svelte as brother Bixlers, turns out its the New Zealand Foam Board is lost heavier that what's in the FT speed build kits

6mm Depron

 

That said i have found a New Zealand supplier of Deprom which is very light but need re-enforcement with tape typically

Foamworks

My local supply is around 30% heavier for an equivalent area the FT's. The card is much thicker and better attached to the core then the FT stuff, tah said its way heavier and not much stonger in any usefull measure as they both break if crashed.

It was particulary noticeable on my Fogey which never realy floated like Josh's and needed way more power than a 70 Watt 24Gram Blue Wonder, I needed 120 Watts to get it flying and the Coroplast version was even Heavier needing a 250 Watt motor.

My FTflyer speed build is around 270 grams ready to fly and floats like a butterfly

Some foam board from a speed build kit

 

6mm local supply

 

COMMENTS

toasthall on May 28, 2013
The foamboard they carry in my "dollar store" here in Australia is not great either, the white foamboard is pretty good, but they don't stock it in the larger sheets anymore, instead the stock the black, which is just horrid :( I just ordered 10 sheets of A1 foamboard from an art supplier hopefully its good. I'm tempted to see about shipping some from the US though.
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nickatredbox on May 28, 2013
The Depron and packing tape builds are very light also In looking at doing a baby Cruzer in Depron now should be fun
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Rusty Nail on June 6, 2013
http://www.ikes.co.nz/contact.html in Auckland have something similar.
It is bazicproducts.com USA, thin coloured paper over 3/16inch foam, 30x20inch, for $3.50 a sheet. They have some water damaged in Dominion Rd shop at the moment for $2.
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nickatredbox on June 6, 2013
Thanks for the tip
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sailorJohn on June 1, 2013
This looks like a store advertisment
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rcspaceflight on May 28, 2013
I was having similar issues. It seems that any foam board except Dollar Tree is heavier. I live in the United States but I've always bought my foam board at local craft and hobby shops. There is a Dollar Tree opening soon near where I live so I might, personally, have to make a comparison.
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tekgeek on May 31, 2013
the foam board is made by adams and if you have a Dollar General around they sell the same board there..

Hobby Lobby sells similar board as well
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tekgeek on May 31, 2013
http://www.dollartree.com/school-office-supplies/Desk-Supplies/Paper-Stationery/Readi-Board-Foam-Boards/291c434c427p16450/index.pro?method=search
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nickatredbox on May 31, 2013
Thanks I'll see what the shipping costs are to New Zealand
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rcspaceflight on June 1, 2013
I bought foam board from Hobby Lobby and that stuff seemed heavier than the "Flip-Side" foam board I get from my local craft store. I think Hobby Lobby also sold the Flip-Side stuff. But it cost more so I didn't buy it. I do actually pay more at my local craft store, but it's local. Hobby Lobby isn't for me. $3.99 at my local craft store for a 20"x30" sheet of Flip-Side. If I remember correctly, the Hobby Lobby stuff was $2.49 for a 20"x30" sheet.

Today I saw that the Dollar Tree just opened. Next time I'm in the city I'll have to look. I may have to write a response article to this one comparing all of those foam boards. I know that Target sells Elmer's brand. And I could see what Wal-mart sells too.
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AlexPewPew on May 28, 2013
they may not carry it, only one of the 4 dollar stores near me does. What you can do it order a box of 50 and they'll ship it to the local store for free. 50 bucks for 50 sheets isn't too crazy if you have a friend to spit it with
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nickatredbox on May 28, 2013
Perhaps FT should ship Dollar Tree in bulk could make a decent profit if they buy in volume, one thing is size of the package making it expensive
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wobblygrenade on October 19, 2013
I also live in nz and want to take up this hobby. You seem to have researched nz foam a lot. Which foam do you use and where do you get it from?
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blackfly on June 5, 2013
yes; dollartree, and the paper peels off easy
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gr1999 on October 5, 2013
I live in NZ and i buy my foamboard from Warehouse Stationary. its pretty light and easy to cut/use etc
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nickatredbox on October 5, 2013
Thanks for the tip, never seen it in stationary warehouse down here in ChCh
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kenniffs on November 9, 2013
Go to the warehouse stationary in Blenheim Road, they keep it out the back, 3mm thick in a 32x40" sheet, ask for stock number 59917, $12.98 a sheet.
The paper doesn't peel off cleanly but I usually just leave it on and add more power!
It's just about all I use...
Google "warehouse stationary 59917" and you will find it.
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apnewton on October 16, 2013
I'm going through the same issues in Aus. Depron is the only foamboard that comes close to Dollar Tree. Just ordered some foamboard from Tradewarehouse.com but it doesn't have the smooth skin covering, just the depron core material. It's lighter and more flexible, which may be OK.
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nickatredbox on October 17, 2013
I have used colored packaging tape to reinforce plain Depron which worked well very stiff and light http://kiwitricopter.blogspot.co.nz/2013/02/piper-cub-salvage-rebuild.html
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RobinNZ on October 20, 2013
I have heard from a friend that Uncle Bill's (in the main centres) have foam board at a good price. It is also reportedly lighter than that available at Warehouse Stationery. Worth a look.

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Kiwiflyer98 on January 22, 2014
I use the Warehouse Stationery foam board, I haven't found another company that sells it where I live yet. The foam board from Warehouse Stationery seems lightish and works a with my old fogey that I built.
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nickatredbox on January 22, 2014
i'll take a look see here in ChCh
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bctechnzl on May 3, 2014
Just joined the ranks of those building from plans and alternate boards, I received 5 sheets of Depron foam from foamworks.co.nz
Easy to deal with and have other RC parts and things. The 5mm Depron foam that I received does not peel the same as the Adams board that Josh works so easily, I found I needed to put tape on the outside particularly for A-Joints. Building my first plane after around 15 years!
Nick, the word is Uncle Bills in Porirua has the adams board.

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Scott594 on July 1, 2014
For what it's worth, I've tried 3 kinds, Adams - The quintessential Dollar Store foam, "Ghostline", and Elmers (which may be made by Ghostline or vice-versa)
For price, it's NO contest, a buck a sheet vs 4 to 6 dollars a sheet. I prefer the more expensive foam, 2 types in particular arre very high quality. The Ghostline Black is all black, paper and foam. It's dimensionally uniform, the paper is tight, and stays tight with no special treatment. I built an Old Fogey from it, and it's tougher than many factory foam planes I own. Add a little yeoolw monokote for trim, and nobody ever guesses it's drugstore foam. The white Ghostline is the same in white. both run about $5/sheet in the drugstore, maybe cheaper in Walmart or Staples etc.
The other one is the Elmers, the Dayglow Green in particular. My son and I have been beating a FT Flyer in green all summer. Tough as nails. The green, although only on one side, just lights up in the sun. With the top green, orientation out to 250yds is pretty easy. (past that you're getting dicey to my eyes even with 2m planes)
The Adams has yet to impress me yet (bought $20 worth when I found it in stock), mostly because the paper is lower quality - it has no shine like the others, and is thicker, but weaker. The Adams paper also comes loose much easier than the other brands. I build a FT-22 from it, and it started warping and delaminating before I flew it the 1st time. I was rather dissappointed as that plane is a fair amonut of cutting only to have it fall apart, which it did fairly quickly. Maybe I got bad batch, but I don't plan on using any more Adams for airframes. My time is too valuable, and I take pride in ALL my planes, so a couple bucks more for stronger, nicer looking raw materials is worth it to me. I'm hoping the Adams foam core will be useful as a raw foam in the future (it's 4.5mm with the paper removed), and will try laminating it with packing tape.
This is my experience from building 5 or 6 planes, I'm by no means an expert, I just am trying to pass on my findings.

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crankcaseNZ on July 5, 2014
Thread necrosis here...but for the Kiwi's (and Aussies too I'd guess), Bunnings has Elmers white board 20 x 20 at $8.95 a sheet (they also had the black at ~$13).
Would love to access board for $1 a piece though, regardless.
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Paulshort on August 13, 2014
yes uncle bills does have dollar tree foamboard at 2.46 a sheet same stuff as in speed build kits


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There is Foam Board and there is Foam Board