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pink foam priming


s.e.charles

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it's taken more than a few coats of (Vallejo) paint to rid the pink bleed through. I started with grey primer, then a few different coats of greys, light & dark. in the process, some detail has been lost to my disappointment. but there may be a better way. any help appreciated; thanks.

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I don't know what 'pink foam' is, or what you are using it for, especially as you say 'some detail has been lost.'

What detail?

A clue would be nice.

 

Rearguards

Badder

Edited by Badder
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"Pink foam" also found in other colours, is a relatively hard, closed-cell extruded styrene insulation foam. It's very popular for making miniature buildings: you draw/scribe brickwork or masonry details into the surface with a  knife, pencil or even a ballpoint pen, and once painted it give a superb sense of courses in the surface. I've hit the same problem: priming with any kind of aerosol eats into the surface, (and hence reduces/degrades the engraved detail), despite that fact that the general view is it shouldn't (unlike expanded PS).

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Well, I've been using 'foamboard that is not foamboard but is something similar' to make buildings. It's white, fairly dense and fairly stiff, but has a slightly spongy surface layer Yep, it's ace for scribing mortar gaps/brick/stone patterns into, can be cut easily with a scalpel or large pairs of scissors, and glued with CA.

I have no issues whatsoever when painting it, either with acrylic paints, acrylic inks, or enamels, either before or after the details have been cut/scribed into it.

'Pink foam' doesn't sound like the right material to use for buildings then, if there are problems with painting/priming it. Perhaps it is more suitable as a substrate for raising up ground levels in a diorama?

 

Badder

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
On ‎10‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 10:10 AM, Mike said:

He's not been back on the forum since asking the question, so I guess we'll have to wait until the next thrilling episode of "what pink foam?" :shrug:

I can only imagine the suspense is weighing on you. I got the answer I needed from another forum, but I really appreciate your input.

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On ‎10‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 8:00 AM, Badder said:

Well, I've been using 'foamboard that is not foamboard but is something similar' to make buildings. It's white, fairly dense and fairly stiff, but has a slightly spongy surface layer Yep, it's ace for scribing mortar gaps/brick/stone patterns into, can be cut easily with a scalpel or large pairs of scissors, and glued with CA.

I have no issues whatsoever when painting it, either with acrylic paints, acrylic inks, or enamels, either before or after the details have been cut/scribed into it.

'Pink foam' doesn't sound like the right material to use for buildings then, if there are problems with painting/priming it. Perhaps it is more suitable as a substrate for raising up ground levels in a diorama?

 

Badder

 

 

I am on the cutting edge. no one else ever has dared us this novel approach. well, except for a bazillion modelers worldwide. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pink+foam+models

 

never look left not right, only straight ahead.

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3 hours ago, s.e.charles said:

I am on the cutting edge. no one else ever has dared us this novel approach. well, except for a bazillion modelers worldwide. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pink+foam+models

 

never look left not right, only straight ahead.

 

On 10/12/2018 at 10:37 PM, Badder said:

I don't know what 'pink foam' is, or what you are using it for, especially as you say 'some detail has been lost.'

What detail?

A clue would be nice.

 

Rearguards

Badder

Ah ha! The poster returns!

Hello S.E. Charles,

 

As I said, I had no idea what pink foam was. With no response forthcoming. explaining what it was, or what you are using it for, I assumed you were using if for constructing buildings as surface detailing isn't something I'd associate with the ground itself. For buildings then, a material that loses surface detail and requires priming before painting, doesn't sound ideal to me, However, I am happy to hear that bazillions of people use pink foam for that purpose. I haven't seen anyone make buildings with it here, on BM, but hey, not many people scratch-build buildings.

 

Mitch K, though, does, and has run into the same problems as you, so perhaps he'd appreciate it if you'd share the answer here?

 

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

 

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"Pink foam" is a kind of extruded foam. Used for building insulation purposes. Light blue is another commmon colur. In the model railroad community extruded foam boards are extensively used to build land forms. And there ordinary latex paint, the stuff you use when painting interior walls such as dry-wall, is used to hide the pink colour, before adding various scenery material.  So pick up a can of latex paint at your nearest home improvement store. Much cheaper than any Vallejo colour. If it tends to hide your deatils, dilute with some water and apply several coats.

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1 hour ago, Nick Belbin said:

Or just simply diluted PVA?

 

 

I'm not sure Nick. If the problem is that you need to seal the material, yes. But in this case I thought the problem was to find something that simply covers the pink colour. My experience is that extruded foam does not need much sealing, if any. Or perhaps I just misunderstood you. 🙂

 

Here are some pictures of a diorama base of mine in some early stages. First the plain foam and then painted (one coat only) with a tan latex paint.

 

IMG_1141_small.jpg

 

IMG_1146_small.jpg

 

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I was thinking in terms of a barrier, yes, because I read it as the pink bleeding into the paint and primers the OP was using. I guess your tan latex paint does much the same with the convenience of being close to the final finish.

 

Nick

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20 minutes ago, Nick Belbin said:

I was thinking in terms of a barrier, yes, because I read it as the pink bleeding into the paint and primers the OP was using. I guess your tan latex paint does much the same with the convenience of being close to the final finish.

True. Some paint solvents react with the foam and literally eats it. Other stuff, like marker pen ink, bleed into the foam just like you say and is impossible to overpaint. How do I know? 😀 The latex paint avoids this and at the same time gives a good covering.

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if we're back on serious business, I have gleaned two good cover both from the model gaming community.

 

for delicate work that will only be seen and not subject to abrasion, artist acrylic gesso is a good first coat that will not fill in details. not to be used as a primer, but rather a ground for color same as artists use it. doesn't have to be museum quality; student brands appear to work fine.

 

for scenery (rocks. land forms, rolling hills) which might get an occasional bump & bruise, a coat or two of a product called (in the USA) Mod Podge works wonders. it is thinner than foam coat products, and thicker than diluted pva. unlike pva or matte medium which remain soft when dry, Mod Podge can be sanded smooth without pilling. it can be tinted with any acrylic product, sand for texture, or used straight from the container.

 

both products are also good for coating card models/ components to seal.

 

 

 

 

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