Model Forum / General / Railroads / June 2004

Like I said in my post, it doesn't matter because I can't find the stuff. I
can't find it at the usual sources and even places where the contractors go.

So, I was asking for an alternative.

-John
*You are nothing until you have flown a Douglas, Lockheed, Grumman or North
American*

Only partially a line of garbage.  The OSHA things sounds bogus to me,
since I was able to special order some.  The insulation distributors
in California handle it.

But... Home Depot does not... they buy whatever is a half penny
cheaper, and they switched suppliers. They now carry Mansfield
foil-backed white-bead floppy board insulation. Likewise, the one
Lowe's I checked had the same stuff from Mansfield, although I did not
go to the effort to locate and quiz a manager that knew something as
to why.  Anyone in the SF Bay Area looking for either the pink or blue
brand will most likely be skunked. A year or two ago HD did have it,
but no more.  The "found at any home improvement store" comment is....
uninformed :-)  I suspect it has a lot more to do with regional
pricing differences than OSHA.

Anywayz... I went to Minton's Lumber in Mountain View, and they were
kind enough to special order the exact Foamular that I wanted.... as I
type this I sit surrounded by the swirling toxic gasses of recently
hot-knifed styrofoam. The only catches to special ordering: 1)
Distributor requires that you order in minimum 24 sheet lots.  Doesn't
matter if it is 1" x 24" or 2" x 48", you get a bale of 24 sheets. 2)
Pay up front. 3) Wait a week to 10 days for a truck load of other
stuff to be heading from the disty to the lumber yard so that they can
just throw it on... unless you want to pay the whole freight bill
yourself.

-dave

 n6nz@arrl.net (Dave Curtis),
 In a message on 25 Jun 2004 21:22:51 -0700, wrote :

DC> Only partially a line of garbage.  The OSHA things sounds bogus to me,
DC> since I was able to special order some.  The insulation distributors
DC> in California handle it.
DC>
DC> But... Home Depot does not... they buy whatever is a half penny
DC> cheaper, and they switched suppliers. They now carry Mansfield
DC> foil-backed white-bead floppy board insulation. Likewise, the one
DC> Lowe's I checked had the same stuff from Mansfield, although I did not
DC> go to the effort to locate and quiz a manager that knew something as
DC> to why.  Anyone in the SF Bay Area looking for either the pink or blue
DC> brand will most likely be skunked. A year or two ago HD did have it,
DC> but no more.  The "found at any home improvement store" comment is....
DC> uninformed :-)  I suspect it has a lot more to do with regional
DC> pricing differences than OSHA.

And maybe the fact that people are not as concerned about freezing cold
basements...  The most *common* use of the foam insulation here in NE
is to insulate basements, since you can just stick it up against the
poured concrete cellar and then just back fill against the foam.  It is
more common to use fiber glass insulation in the walls and ceilings,
particularly with wood frame construction.  That is, foam tends to go
with masonry construction (it is common to see foam used on concrete
block w/ brick facing type *commercial* construction) -- the foam does
not need studs to support it, you can just tack it up against a
concrete (poured or block) wall and then put something (dirt or bricks)
up against the foam.

DC>
DC> Anywayz... I went to Minton's Lumber in Mountain View, and they were
DC> kind enough to special order the exact Foamular that I wanted.... as I
DC> type this I sit surrounded by the swirling toxic gasses of recently
DC> hot-knifed styrofoam. The only catches to special ordering: 1)
DC> Distributor requires that you order in minimum 24 sheet lots.  Doesn't
DC> matter if it is 1" x 24" or 2" x 48", you get a bale of 24 sheets. 2)
DC> Pay up front. 3) Wait a week to 10 days for a truck load of other
DC> stuff to be heading from the disty to the lumber yard so that they can
DC> just throw it on... unless you want to pay the whole freight bill
DC> yourself.

Sounds like the SF area model railroaders should get together and put in
a group order (can you say 'buying club').

DC>
DC> -dave
DC>
DC>
DC> > You are being fed a line of garbage.  Blue and Pink extruded foam is a
DC> > common insulation material.  Can be found at any home improvement store.
DC> > Just avoid the stuff that has foil on it....
DC> >
DC> > --
DC> > +GF+
DC> >
DC> > SURGEON GENERAL?S WARNING: Books may introduce unfamiliar or confusing
DC> > ideas. In the event of uncomfortable self-reflection, heat to 451°
DC> > Fahrenheit ( 232.78° Centigrade or 505.9°  Kelvin ) and seek television
DC> > immediately.
DC> >
DC> > www.internationalrailfair.com
DC> > www.ete.org
DC> > "Ditch" <goverticl@aol.compost> wrote in message
DC> > news:20040625171329.10857.00000653@mb-m02.aol.com...
DC> > > Well...I currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area...and have had no
DC> >  luck
DC> > > finding Blue or Pink foam. In fact, I have been told that it is no longer
DC> >  sold
DC> > > in this area due to OSHA crap. I don't know if it is true or not, but it
DC> > > doesn't matter because I just can't find the stuff. Even when I am out of
DC> >  the
DC> > > area, no luck.
DC> > >
DC> > > So anyway, is there an alternative that can be used? I am starting my
DC> >  layout
DC> > > and would like to build it so it is light weight, as I anticipate a move
DC> >  in
DC> > > about 18 months. Thanks to all...
DC> > >
DC> > >
DC> > > -John
DC> > > *You are nothing until you have flown a Douglas, Lockheed, Grumman or
DC> >  North
DC> > > American*
DC>    

                                    \/
Robert Heller                        ||InterNet:   heller@cs.umass.edu
http://vis-www.cs.umass.edu/~heller  ||            heller@deepsoft.com
http://www.deepsoft.com              /\FidoNet:    1:321/153

                             

!! Astounding!  I just checked Cupertino HD a week ago, and no pink.
That's the first reported sighting of pink foam in the bay area in
over a year.  Wonder if the return migration has started?  I think
what we need to do is find HD's regional buyer for insulation
products, and find out his favorite brand of refreshment.

-dave