Plasticard for buildings?

[davidrivett]

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend any products / online shops for plasticard?

Type im looking for is easy to manage when cutting almost like a styrofoam. Seen a few modellers online such as YouTube using something similar.

Just bought some plasticard but not ideal for cutting as its too rigid apart from straight likes with a ruler and scalpel

Thanks

David

[Walkingthedog]

As far as I know plasticard is cut with a Stanley type knife using a straight edge if necessary. Cut part of the way through then snap along the line. You can mark a shspe with a pencil and carefully follow the line with the knife and snap as before.

[Mountain Goat]

Plasticard can be either scribed and snapped off at the scribed line rather like glass is cut, but easier, or it can be cut via a mini circular saw or a hacksaw or something similar, though maybe not as neat as scribing and bending to snap at the scribed join.
Very thin plasticard is simply cut through with a knife. Medium thickness is scribed with a knife and bent away from the scribed bit and it snaps. Thick plasticard is easier cut with a saw etc.
I then either file or sand on my mini sander to finished the cut edge. One always leaves a small area to sand down to get a straight edge, rather then try to cut exactly. One can cut exactly the right size but my experience is that if dimentions need to be accurate, the finishing off will make the part too small, hence why I allow for the part to be a tiny bit oversized, and then I will switch my mini sander on or I will get the files out of some abrazive paper like glass paper and rub the part onto it if the abrazive paper is fixed to a flat desk. Whatever works best at the time.
Plasticard is easy to work on and is similar to working on cast resin when one gets the files out, and I often use the two together.

[Walkingthedog]

I noticed lately that they recommend the snap along the line method. I like using it.

[Mountain Goat]

I found I could not do this with 2mm plasticard. 1mm plasticard works fine. 2mm was breaking off or tearing in the wrong places unless one cut into it very deep, where one may as well cut straight through using other methods.

But yes, it is a nice material to work with. A little expensive, though I have not bought any for years so I do not know if it has gone over the £2 a sheet mark (1mm). I would imagine it is more then that now.

[Walkingthedog]

I’m not sure why they suggest snapping it MG. I always used to cut right through if I could.

[teedoubleudee]

I’m not sure why they suggest snapping it MG. I always used to cut right through if I could.

I still do.

[davidrivett]

How do you join the 2mm sheets if making bespoke buildings please?

[brian1951]

Plastic weld works well.

[teedoubleudee]

How do you join the 2mm sheets if making bespoke buildings please?

Butt together and use a strip of the same plasticard 1-2 cm wide as a strengthener and glue with with your usual plastic glue. Hold down with a weight for a few minutes till it dries.