Dry floral foam blocks in dioramas .

[cocky05d]

Hi ,what type of glue would i need to stick them together ?, also i have read on the interweb that the dust can be a bit nasty ,should i wear a mask when i am slicing bits off it .

Any advice would be helpful .

[pigsty]

Ah, Oasis.

The best glue is probably PVA, though if you check flower-arranging sites you may find some more clues. Oasis is made from foamed urea so it's not likely to be greatly toxic if you breathe a bit in. Might pong a bit. (This is a common misconception, especially with resin. People think the material is poisonous when it's not; although the dust could be a problem for the lungs, like silicosis, you're unlikely to take in enough to do yourself damage It's not as though you're spending all day sanding down car bodywork.)

One other thing about Oasis is that it shrinks with time and becomes very crumbly. I don't know whether it can be sealed and I suspect the flower-arranging world has never found out, as they only need a lifespan of a week or two.

In general I reckon expanded polystyrene is a better bet. It's much more stable and it's definitely biologically inert (the non-foam version is used for yoghurt pots, after all). It might also be cheaper, as it's produced in vast quantities for packaging and insulation.

[wyverns4]

I have used it and found it easy to use. It has to be sealed to stop crumbling and shrinking, for which I used several coats of diluted PVA. The initial coats will soak in, but eventually you will get a uniform, sealed coat that you can then add to. I found it better to cut and gouge out material to get the desired form, rather than sanding which produces rather a lot of mess that gets everywhere!

In general I would agree with Sean that expanded poly is a better material to use, but if oasis is all you have, crack on and show us pictures!

Christian, exiled to africa

[cocky05d]

Hi ,thanks for the advice ,planning to make a diorama using the Tamiya Krupp Protze kit with the officer standing up in the front plus the Zvezda motorbike ans side car with the pig in it ,they are at either ends of a field of glory wooden bridge (first time i have played around with balsa ,lots of fun ) the officer is calling oi where did you get that pig ,i want the foam blocks to make a river bank

[wyverns4]

Sounds like a plan!

Keeps us appraised please, photos, etc...

Christian, exiled to a land without oasis

[cocky05d]

I will try ,i have got loads of stuff to finish off ,i need to get my air brush out and paint some models.

[Badder]

If money is no problem (and I'm talking around a tenner) just build the banks with battons of wood, or polystyrene, and either Polycell's Polyfilla, or their Quick Set Cement. Mix the Polyfilla quite dry (plasticine consistency) then form the bank using your battons as bulk. You can cover with wetter Polyfilla and play around with texture. Their Quick Set Cement does exactly what it says on the box. It sets QUICK! Mix it as per instructions, and keep stirring until it gets to a gravy consistency... then get it on QUICK, pouring it along the bank.. or you can spoon it on. Once it starts to set it sets in seconds, so DON'T make up too much in one go.

Rearguards,

Badder

[PhantomMajor]

i used M3 spray on glue that comes in a can to stick them together

[cocky05d]

Hi ,Badder thanks for the advice ,i have got a lot of ready mixed plaster plus boxes of dry stuff ,going to try the foam blocks first ,Phantom Major i have got some glue in a spray can ,but i think it might melt the blocks .

Just about to post in diorama wip ,,it is called where are you going with that pig.