Well the foams and UHU eventually arrived; the local sorting office had 14 delivery staff off due to Covid and around here the Royal Mail deliver for Parcel Force. I have tried both materials and techniques on a couple of small test pieces.
First up was the Depron a soft foam used by aeromodellers to make light weight airframes. Firstly it cuts easliy. I tried scribing some typical Welsh stone work, a look out of the window provides inspiration in the form of the kitchen wall. I tried a variety of tools, including one's recommended on web sites extolling the use of this material. To be brief I did not get on with Depron althought there others who obviously relish working with it.
I will try out it's curving properties as a method of making the lie of the land. Otherwise it's not for me.
Now for Foamex. It is is a denser and more rigid material than the Depron. It cuts and carves well. The UHU Por works well if used as a contact adhesive applied to both mating faces and allowed to partially harden; it has great grab. The test piece.
The scribing was done with my metal work scriber and then with a modified dental tool that was ground the give a wider mortar course. Distressing with 180 grit Abranet works well. However, it still remains what it is - a flat sheet material. To see if I can get away with a minimum amount of carving, I gave the test piece an attack with the artists acrylics.
This photo was taken before flooding in a lighter mortar colour. The wall is at the back of the layout and the test piece is in place on it for consideration.
I will need to build three buildings that were brick, so I next started another test piece to try scribing GW style brickwork.
To be honest, I will not be scribing the brickwork! It is such a boring activity that me brain soars away to far more interesting places and as a result the scribing is a wasted activity. I have instead glued a couple of pieces of South East Finecast brick sheet at the corner and yes, I know it's the wrong bond. I can just get away with my 3D printed windows and doors that push into the wall from the inside as the combined thickness of the Foamex and brick sheet is 3.6mm, just 0.1mm too thick. I won't tell if you won't.
I have already started on the platform and will report back in due course.
Simon