I want to try embossing a brick pattern on some foam core board. How do I remove the covering from the soft centre? I can get the paper off but there seems to be a plastic covering on it too.

Shaving it off with a scalpel is too laborious and isn't leaving me with a clean surface to emboss on.

Anyone know the answer?

Is foam boad really what you want? I've heard of guys pealing the 'skin' off drywall/plaster board. I've heard of guys using dense foam insulation sheets.
This is the 1st time I've heard of this material. I think the foam pockets may be too big to use without some type of spackling.
If that's what you're looking for - try to peal it off. Then apply moisture, let it soak in and rub it off.

If you are dead-set on using foam I would use florist's foam or dupont pink board insulation.

No I'm sure Scott. I know the difference between Foam board and Plaster board. Foam board works-there's been a series of articles on it's use in Mil Modeling recently. Unfortunately I didn't buy the mag I tried soaking it and yes the top layer of paper comes off but the other layer seems to be waterproof.
Embossing it does work but I want to try it on a large wall.
Dave thanks for the suggestion but the reason I'm using the foam core board is that I got it for nothing

Hi Pat

I was following this thread for some time at Military Modelling and it got bumped over to an art type forum discussing this material. I believe that the actual product you are referring to is called "featherboard" made by Canson, now Domino Supplies.

I am not sure if featherboard is still being produced.

There appears to be a key difference between "featherboard" and "foam board. "Featherboard can be easily stripped of its paper and adhesive layer using petroleum, due its high density core. The polystyrene in foam board will unfortunately dissolve if this were attempted.

I may be able to find the link to this thread.

Regards
Garth

Hi Pat
This may be it:

http://www.militarymodelling.com/news/article.asp?a=5030

Regards
Garth

Hi
This is the forum at Westlake Publishing:

http://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?topic=444.0

Regards
G

The stuff you need is called foamex, it's not paper faced, but a foam plastic in a soft plastic faced sandwich. It's used primarily in advertising signs, and you can scribe into the surface to make bricks, plaster rendering, all sorts of architectural surfaces...
Try asking an advertising signwriter for some foamex samples or offcuts, 3-4mm thick will be fine... I saw a guy using an old paintbrush, stripped of its bristles, and shaping the ferrule to a brick shape, stamp the thing into the foamex to make some of the most convincing walls I've ever seen... it was in a magazine, will try and find an online version...

HTH
Rich

Garth Thanks- fantastic links.

Richard I'm not looking for a material- thanks. I have a load of foamcore board (old advertising signs) that I want to emboss a brick pattern on a large wall 20cm x 20 cm approx. I have done it on smaller pieces by slicing the covering off with a craft knife but that won't work on such a large piece.

Pat, is this foamcore board the same thing as mat board for mounting pictures?

No. Mat board is heavy pressed cardboard. Foam board is a sheet of styrene foam sandwiched between plastic or paper.

I would try moisture. Similar to removing wall paper. Peal back the top layer or score it so water gets through. Then paint on some water, wait for it to absorb and then peal or rub it off.

Hi Pat,
I have used foamboard all of my working life.
Moisture will actually be your worst enemy as in the proccess of drying it will also begin to warp.The same applies when painting it.You have to use a water based paint or the paint will very quickly start to eat and disolve the foam.Also to prevent the warping you have to be sure to paint both sides.
As for the look of brick,try leaving the paper on and using a ruler and the DULL side of a hobby knife,score the foamboard.It will leave a permanent indentation on the board.

Thanks Tom I'll try scribing through the paper and see how it turns out.

I guess what I'm trying to say by describing the foamex material that I have, is that there is NO paper on the plastic to remove, it's just bare plastic surface, with enough "give" in it to scribe, or better still, emboss, into the surface.
I don't have alot, but Pat, if you want a sample, just to see if it suits, PM me and I'll mail it over...

Richard

Have you considered cork matting instead of foam board? Cut up and plastered can look fairly convincing.

Stuart

Thanks Richard PM sent


Thanks Stuart. I know all about cork, I have used it, I agree it is fantastic but as I said I have all this foamcore board that I want to try out.

I quote from Emmanuel Nouailler Military Modelling article:

'To remove this the trick is to slip a cutter with a sharpened new blade between the cardboard and the foam at the four corners. Remember that you need to hold the sheet firmly with a metal ruler as the cutter advances...'

And that´s is all he says about it in the issue I have at hand -about making cobblestone. I think I have another one with an article for bricks, but I can´t locate it now- .

Hope it helps

Pat, one of the replies on the finescale forum said to use petroleum to remove the paper. Pat

Pat were you able to make any progress with this? Pat

Well I didn't get around to siphoning petrol out of my tank but I did make some progress. I scored the brick work through the paper covering with the sharp edge of the blade which made the paper come off in parts. Now the board did warp but I'm going to glue it to some plywood anyway. I also got some very thick board to experiment with. I'll take some pics in daylight