Foamboard in Australia

by apnewton | September 30, 2013 | (20) Posted in Projects

I'm sure everyone outside the US goes through this process.
Get excited about building planes from foam board, try to find cheap foam board, give up and use the expensive stuff, wonder why your planes dont fly, howl at the moon in frustration.

Well I did anyway. We can't get Adams/Dollar Tree foamboard here and most other brands cost about $10 per board.
I made an Old Fogey from Quill FB to learn how to make and fly RC planes but it just wouldn't fly. Out of the hand and into the ground 10m away, too heavy for the 24g motor even with extreme weight saving measures. Tried a more powerful motor but it was uncontrollable.



So I set about searching for the lightest foam board at reasonable prices and here are the results.

Foamboard companies will eagerly send small sample pieces for no charge. My wife is a Medical Lab scientist with access to very accurate scales.



Here are the 95mm x 95mm samples.



Foamboards Aus (http://www.foamboards.com.au)
5mm - Thick clay paper
Weight - 0.41 g/sq inch
Cost - A$ 8.69 single or A$4.20 in box of 50 (25 double size)


Foamboards Aus (http://www.foamboards.com.au)
5mm - Acid free paper, may be difficult to remove
Weight - 0.32 g/sq inch
Cost - A$8.69 single or A$4.20 in box of 50 (25 double size)


Draftex (http://www.draftex.com.au)
5mm - Thick clay paper
Weight - 0.39 g/sq inch
A$7.70 single or A$4.00 in box of 50 (25 double size)


Quill (Officeworks)
5mm - Thick clay paper
Weight - 0.36 g/sq inch
A$10.50 single or A$9.56 in 5 pack


Depron with smooth skin top and bottom (Tates RC Geelong)

5.5mm - no paper covering

Weight - 0.19 g/sq inch

A$13.00 in 900 x 800mm sheets

 

Depron (http://www.tradewarehouse.com.au/more/depron-foam.html)
6mm - no paper covering or smooth skin
Weight - 0.15 g/sq inch 
A$11.80 in pack of 5 (1000mm x 350mm)
A$9.15 in pack of 10
A$5.63 in pack of 40 (20 double size)

Depron from tradewarehouse does not have a smooth skin top and bottom. It is just the core depron material.

Is that good or bad for planes? Well it means the sheets are more flexible, possibly allowing for easier folding and smoother wing shapes, and it seems lighter. Accurate weight coming soon.


Adams/DollarTree
Weight - 0.19 g/sq inch


So the conclusion is.....

Depron wins hands down. Same weight as Dollar Tree and reasonable price when bought in bulk. It's lovely material to work with also. The skinned version is a bit more difficult to bend but definitely worth it for the weight saving. The unskinned version is even lighter and more flexible.

COMMENTS

Coopus2013 on October 12, 2013
haha i go to tates in geelong alot do you fly at belmont in the footy fields?
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apnewton on October 12, 2013
Yes I do fly there. Well I try, very much a beginner ATM. Have you seen Beacon Point Reserve in Clifton Springs? It's enormous and no goal posts.
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Coopus2013 on October 15, 2013
no i havent seen that area, i am pretty lucky as there is 100 acres a few meters from my place. i know this sounds strange but do you own a bixler 2 with tape on the nose?
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apnewton on October 15, 2013
Very lucky Cooper. No my nose is untaped. Just painted it black actually.
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Bents49 on October 11, 2013
Great work i'm from Perth and this is exactly what i was looking for all the same problems you encountered but very glad you sourced me to w.a tradewarehouse in wangara (not far) and get Depron and if you delete shipping ( which is the most costly part getting scratch build kits from the Flite Test guys in Ohio postage to here is far more than the kits ,so thank you Josh B & FT Guys for making those plans available to us all for printing out also .) that weigh out on all the different foamboards for us because no "adams dollar tree bargains here? was so informative THANKS apnewton
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alibopo on October 18, 2013
Hi - foamboard in the UK is a bit variable in weight too. The stuff I've been using is clearly not as light as the US stuff, but I'm still getting plenty of planes flying. My Old Fogey weighs-in at 686g (including a 1000mah battery), which is apparently a bit more than one built from dollar tree foamboard. I'd be interested to know what weight yours is? Once I sorted out some problems with the Old Fogey flight characteristics, my version is a real star flyer. If you've upped the motor power to cope with the weight, I don't see why yours won't fly. Here's typical power to weight ratios for RC models.
50-70 watts/pound: 11-15 watts/100g Minimum level of power for decent performance
70-90 watts/pound; 15-20 watts/100g Trainer and slow flying scale models
90-110 watts/pound: 20-24 watts/100g sport aerobatic and fast flying scale models
110-130 watts/pound: 24-29 watts/100g Advanced aerobatic and high-speed models
130-150 watts/pound: 29-33 watts/100g Lightly loaded 3D models and ducted fans
150-200+ watts/pound: 33-44 watts/100g Unlimited performance 3D models

I'm using a 14A motor with a 3S lipo - very roughly 140w - which is easily enough to make my Old Fogey fly. Unless your weight is significantly more than that then yours should fly - it just might fly a little faster, though mine flies slow enough when I want it to. Have a look at some of my mods and flight videos; 'blustery old fogey' 'surgery on an old fogey' Unfortunately the Old Fogey has some notoriety for handling issues, so it may not have been the best plane to judge your over-weight foamboard experience on. For starters, try shifting the CG forward about 15mm. Living in Scotland where we got more than our fair share of windy weather I think some extra weight has helped with my builds. See my build articles - all these planes are built with heavier than dollar tree foamboard; 'Yes, it's a Smash Drone!' - Wing Envy! Old Fogey Biplane. - Build a Tribewt - 1927 Velie Monocoupe - "Tribewt" maiden - Baby Blender monoplane hybrid.

You can judge how they do from the videos. If you can get it cheaper than the depron, I wouldn't give up on your foamboard quite yet. Cheers, alibopo.

PS - I think your Old Fogey is super cool with the hole pattern wings. :)
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alibopo on October 18, 2013
I've just weighed my foamboard - it's 0.387g/sq inch (that explains a lot), but as I say my planes still fly quite happily.
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apnewton on October 19, 2013
Yes I have made 2 others from Quill and they do fly. I have seen your smash drone, very clever.
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alibopo on October 19, 2013
Hi - great article - especially the detail about the weight of the dollar tree foamboard. Now I know why my builds struggle to be as aerobatic as some of the US equivalents :)
Regarding the Smash Drone - that's a design by Cstence with build articles on this website. Mine's a modified version. Also I did get my Old Fogey flying with the original 8-9 Amp motor, but I needed a pile of coins on the noise to eliminate that terrible rolling effect some of us have been getting with the build. Even with the added ballast it still flew, but looping was never easy and needed an initial dive to get the speed up first. It's starting to make sense now I see how much heavier my (our) foamboard is. However, I also built the nutball and FT Flyer in our heavier board and they both fly just fine. We'll lose out slightly in terms of flight times and very slow speed performance but that's just the penalty of building heavier planes I suppose.
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Adsa on October 8, 2013
I get mine from Linecraft, measurements are 122cm x 91.5cm for $20

Works fine though the only colour it comes in is black however they do sell some smaller sheets in nice bright colours.
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Red20RC on October 21, 2013
Well, I've gone out and bought a load of Depron 6mm from Tradewarehouse, some Quill foamboard from Officeworks and also some from Riot Arts & Crafts.
The Depron from TW is very good but brittle in a crash (as is all depron). The foamboard I haven't built with yet but both feel light enough to get a result. The Quill definitely has thicker clay paper. The Riot is thinner paper and is also cheaper ($9.99 for 800mmx500mm and $14.99 for 1000mmx800mm) so probably the favourite.

Out of interest, did you cut the lightening holes before or after the maiden of the Old Fogey?
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apnewton on October 21, 2013
Holes cut after the maiden and the rebuild and the motor change. Haven't tried a 3 cell LiPo with the 24g motor yet.

Good work with the foamboard purchases.
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Red20RC on October 25, 2013
Thanks!

Well, I have just finished putting together a Bloody Wonder using the Quill foamboard. Nice stuff to work with compared to Depron as it is a lot less brittle. I have to say though that the finished airframe (foam only, no hardware) has come out at 280g (according to the wife's kitchen scales) and it does feel pretty heavy.
I'll put a big motor in it and see what happens but I think it is going to be "go fast or go home" time!

I reckon the Riot Art & Craft stuff will be better as the paper seems a lot thinner.
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Red20RC on November 5, 2013
Just thought I'd let you know the FT Bloody Wonder flew really well!

I was actually pretty amazed as it felt way to heavy but it will even do the vertical take-off thing from standing on the ground.

I actually wrote an article with a little video of it flying but that has been "Pending Approval" for over a week now so no idea when or if it will see the light of day.

I went on to build a Versa Wing (slope version) with the Riot board and it was definitely lighter and also flies well.
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Red20RC on November 5, 2013
Also, if you do want to take a look at it then there is a full post on my blog at www.red20rc.org
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apnewton on November 5, 2013
Excellent blog. Worth following.
Articles seem to take 2 to 3 weeks to go live at the moment, my Synapse wing slope soaring article must be close.

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Red20RC on November 6, 2013
Thanks for the feedback! That's worth knowing about the article publish time. Seeing as though FT have just hit 100,000 users it's no wonder there is such a wait!
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ljeary on October 7, 2013
Not sure if it helps but found some dollar tree equivalent foam board in a local art supply shop $14.95 for white foam board think its 100cm x 80cm Large sheets.
Made 3 planes from it already! little on the expensive side but so is everything here :)
Also found smaller sheets in KMart for $5
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apnewton on October 7, 2013
Do you know what brand it is? I can only find Quill in art shops but that's too heavy. Must check out Kmart, thanks for that.
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ljeary on October 8, 2013
Here's a picture of the stuff.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zyWPRVXERVU/UlOxfJDMvkI/AAAAAAAACCo/QPbBd4jUfrk/w1358-h768-no/IMAG0401.jpg
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apnewton on October 8, 2013
Brilliant, thanks. What's the weight of a full sheet? I'll add it to the article.
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ljeary on October 8, 2013
What I'll do is cut a 95mm x 95mm size piece and put it up here tonight no full size pieces left.. :)
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apnewton on October 8, 2013
Even better!
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saggita on March 18, 2015
hi all..found a shop in geelong named artworx selling a1 size sheets for $6.55..5mm in thickness, probably a tad heavier than depron, but a great price..built old fogey myself and found motor to small..am ordering a larger outrunner to compensate for the extra payload..will let you know the results..i live in ballarat and officeworks up here are to dear..hope this helps..dave..
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Enos on October 9, 2013
Have built a Racer using the foamboard from eckersleys and flies well, mate built one with the foamboard from officeworks and flew well too. Prob depends on the plane as well as the board

Currently building an 80% size spitfire with eckersleys foam so will see how that goes
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sailorJohn on October 7, 2013
Your plane may still have been too heavy but looked really cool with the holes in the wing. Ah, follow the sun!
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Johnny Danger on October 9, 2013
Riot Art & Craft have thisone. Is it a rebrand of any of the ones you researched ? They seem to have a few different types there too.

I'll get a sheet next time I'm in the city.

http://riotstores.com.au/art-studio-foam-board-594x841x5mm-a1-white.html
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apnewton on October 10, 2013
Seems to be a different size overall so maybe not a rebrand. If you get hold of one make sure you weigh it and we can add it to the list. Thanks.
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lincolngkp on December 30, 2013
I bought a couple of sheets of this today and weighed it on the digital kitchen scales. Two sheets of A1 weighed 472g. By my calculations that works at .304g/sq". Just need to find some time to build something with it now. :)
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lincolngkp on October 19, 2013
Cavalier Art in Geelong have good prices on decent sized cuts of foam board.

http://www.cavalierart.com.au/catalog/boards-and-cards/foam-core/foam-core-board-white

I'd be interested to know how it compares for weight with the other products available in Australia. I get painting supplies from them and have always had great service from them. Has anyone tried their board?

Lincoln
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apnewton on October 19, 2013
Cheap prices indeed, but the clay paper boards are generally the heaviest. I'll have to check out a sample anyway. Thanks.
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lincolngkp on October 28, 2013
OK I stopped by the art department at work today and found that they have 5mm foam board from two sources. Deans Art have foam board which has X-Press IT on the box, this would appear to be the same as the board from Eckersleys. I was also able to get my hands on a black 1016 x 813mm sheet of the board from Cavalier, there were no markings on the box so I was not able to find out the brand name. So I took an A3 size of both white and black X-Press It and the Black 1016 x 813 sheet from Cavalier up to reception and weighed them all on the postal scales. Here is what I found:

X-Press IT White A3 71g or 0.37g/sq inch
X-Press IT Black A3 62g or 0.32g/sq inch

Cavalier Black 1016 x 813mm 407g or 0.32g/sq inch

It would seem that the black board does not weigh as much as the white. The white clay board has one side which is smoother than the other whereas the with the black it would seem the same on both sides. I wonder if this accounts for the extra weight in the white board, more clay for a smoother surface. Unfortunately the Cavalier price on the black is almost twice the price of the white. :) I'm thinking it may be worth giving the white a go still as Cavalier's price is pretty good. Powered up according to Alibopo's comments above it may still do the job. I'm keen to give it a go.
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apnewton on October 29, 2013
Excellent information, thanks for that.
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Gree on October 21, 2013
This was my nightmare too. I went with large sheets from eckersleys, but the weight of my plane is quite high. So much so I just stopped building it! This article is very helpful. 5 out of 5 stars. Thanks.
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ljeary on October 7, 2013
Its very light and I made the FT Bloody Wonder out if it and had a 1000 kv motor and it flies perfectly!
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ckafamily on November 11, 2013
Great info,
For those interested in Corflute, I bought the Bunnings Blasck 2.5mm corflute for $11.90 for a 1220x2440 sheet. The weight is 405 grams / sq meter which is bout 0.26g/sq inch. I am going to build a flying wing with it. I will post the progress if it's positive. Thanks for the hard work!
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apnewton on November 12, 2013
That works out very cheap, about $1.50 per normal board size. The weight is good too. Keep us informed.

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lincolngkp on November 11, 2013
I'm interested to know how this goes for you. I had assumed Coreflute would be heavier than foam core not lighter than most of the foam core available here.
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FPVFlyer on October 7, 2013
Excellent article, now I know where to get my foamboard from, I'll be able to build more FT models.
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Red20RC on October 11, 2013
This is very interesting! Thanks so much for posting.
I had assumed firstly all FoamBoard was the same and secondly that it was superior to Depron. I've got a garage full of Depron and was hunting around for FoamBoard to build some FT plans!
I guess I can go print out some plans now...
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apnewton on October 11, 2013
Can you tell me where you get your depron? Depron-australia and Tradewarehouse are not answering emails so I can't judge the makeup of their product yet. Tates in Geelong no longer stock it either.
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Red20RC on October 11, 2013
I haven't bought any for a while. The last time I bought it was from Depron Australia before they had the deal with Tradewarehouse.
What I can say is that the Depron seemed to be of good quality and has stood up well to my building and flying.
I have their 2, 3 and 5mm in White and 3 and 5mm in Grey. The white is a little stiffer and seems to be better for wings etc. The white is perfectly smooth on both sides but the grey is a little rougher to the touch (although still quite smooth). Both have sanded and filled well on the bigger project I have used it them for.
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Capt Buscemi on October 11, 2013
Nice work, my fellow Aussie aviator. I just went with Depron too. A bit pricey at $15/sheet from my LHS, but as you say, a beautiful material. Easy to build with and repair, and remarkably durable with the judicious use of Extreme Packing Tape.
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Bartman493 on October 9, 2013
Thanks heaps for this article. There is practically no options available and I'd never thought to consider Kmart or Office works. Great to know that I can at least attempt some of these projects now.
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Thor24 on October 29, 2013
In Aus i believe that depron is the best way to go at this time! I have so far built the FT from plans with it & is flying very well. planing to build a lot more Flite test designs as soon as i can afford more depron! also with the help of a friend who is into air brushing, we have found that you can paint the depron foam with airbrush paint i believe he uses Createx Colours paint available from - http://www.airbrushmegastore.com . Not only can you paint your aircraft however you like but i have also found that the thin layers ( and i mean very thin ) of paint actually stiffen the final product! will get more details soon!
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Thor24 on October 29, 2013
FT Delta that is!!!!
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apnewton on October 29, 2013
I made a flying wing slope soarer from the Tradewarehouse unskinned depron and it is amazing. Covered with packing tape and reinforced with cloth tape and it's plenty tough enough. Article coming soon.

If you're prepared to fork out $200 or so for a box of 20 double size then it works out to $5.63 per standard sized board. No contetst.
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Enos on November 1, 2013
Another cheap option is reverse garbage if you have in your city. There's one in Marrickville if you're in Sydney and I notice they have foamboard there very cheap
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apnewton on October 7, 2013
Ha, yes it does. All that work only saved about 50g. Old fogey is now a wall display, however my wife has insisted that I build a new one in depron and get it flying, and put a little lego man with a scarf in the cockpit.
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ljeary on October 7, 2013
No but here is a link to the one in the art shop and it when I looked at the kmart one it seemed the same
http://www.eckersleys.com.au/products/white-core-foamboard-5mm

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FlyingSloth on October 8, 2013
That would explain my bloody wonder being so difficult to balance and still want to lawn dart.. Bloody quills...

Just started a Versa hoping for better results but this makes me unhopeful... Might have to look at that stuff you mention Ijeary
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Shufty on January 24, 2014
I made my Bloody Wonder out of Quill foamboard and it balances out pretty easily (I used 6mm depron for the vertical stabs though)
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Red20RC on October 14, 2013
I went into my local K-Mart this afternoon to check out the foamboard in there. Sure enough they do have it but the stuff I found wasn't paper-backed it was more like shiny card.
Even just weighing it in my hand there is no way I would use it for a plane - far too heavy. To be honest I would think a sheet of 6mm balsa or Corflute plastic wouldn't weigh much more.

I did however, just get 10 sheets of 6mm Depron delivered in about 24 hours from Tradewarehouse. Works out about $ 9.20 a sheet (1000x350) with the shipping added on. I'll let you know how it builds...
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apnewton on October 15, 2013
Thanks red20. I have 5 sheets of that same depron on the way too. If it's OK I'll order a bulk pack.
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chap6595 on February 12, 2017
How do you stop the folds from snapping as there is not paper to provide reinforcement?

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Red20RC on February 12, 2017
You don't with Depron, it's really a different style of building. Mostly it uses tab in slot style construction and reinforced joints.
Since this article was written I have been using the foam board from www.foamboards.com.au. It is slightly heavier than Flite Test foam but the cost is reasonable if you bulk buy and you can build using the same techniques as FT.
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Kymmaree on February 11, 2014
I just watched a terrain modeller heat the surface of foam core board 5mm black with a heat gun and peel the paper off like a banana.
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QuantumSponge on December 16, 2013
Awesome thread for the Aussies ! I have also traveled the "where can I find foam board in OZ" road. Looked at a couple of sources, most had sheets that were to small. Tried a local picture framing shop as they use it as a backing in the frame. Bingo! 5mm thick 40" x 60" sheets for $22!

Had not considered there may be a weight issue. Just cut out a 1" sq piece and weight it on my electronic scales. With paper on it weighed in at 0.28g/sq" , paper off it weighs in at 0.14g/sq". That's half the weight!
As a comparison I cut out a piece of 6mm grey depron from a wreck that I have and it weighed in at .11g/sq".

I think the foam board I have is the acid free variety, but I will ask the nice fella at the framing shop what species the foam board is when I go back for more sheets to be certain. Paper didn't want to peel off so I soaked it in warm water for a minute and it rubbed completely off fairly easily. Foam board was just over 5mm according to my digital calipers and right on 5mm with the paper removed.
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rthefish01 on May 5, 2014
Hi Folks,
I'll add my 5 cents worth. Try:
http://www.micronwings.com/index.shtml
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andyg on May 19, 2014
Another option that someone mentioned recently over at rcgroups is this: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=28191325&postcount=22
Essentially "a 20 sheet box of Readiboard will total about $75 usd delivered, working out to about $3.75/sheet usd to your door"
if there are any Brisbane folk here who want to go halves or something, I'd be interested.

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ppofandt on August 20, 2014
I just bought a few sheets of A0 Foamboard from Eckersleys at Harbourtown (Gold Coast) for $10 each. They have stores all over the place or you can order online for bulk orders (20 sheets + postage = approx $110. 50% off special at the time of this post).

The A0 sheet weighs in at 410g. That works out at approximately 0.26g/sq inch - to compare it to the samples in the OP. The paper on the outside is reasonably stiff but not as thick as Foamcore. I'll give it a try in the next few weeks.
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glenby on July 14, 2014
fix a frame at logan road mt gravatt sells large sheets (a0 or bigger) of 3mm and 5mm which is lighter than quill but heavier than adams board. it has a less dense matrix of foam (more like adams board)
$12.50 for an a0 sheet but you get 2 ft deltas out of a sheet at 104% and have enough for power pods to fit. cheaper than eckersleys and officeworks but needs a sharper blade to work cleanly.

just a little note.
the adams board measured in at 4.8mm, quill at 5.3mm and fix a frame 5.2mm

soooooo, when you want to scratch build remember that generally australian stuff is almost 10% thicker (mostly the paper) even though they are all 5mm. the quill and art board paper is a bit thicker as well and makes bends less sharp too (in my brief experience).

I did some test prints today. ft delta and power pod
104% does well for 5mm australian foam (things fit tightly)
66% for 3mm foam (which is 3.2mm).
3mm corflute is around 3.2mm as well.

enjoy
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Gelisob on October 26, 2014
I have information on weight of Kapa and Artfoam, those are available for me here in europe/Estonia.
------------------
Kapa-line 5mm - (1sq inch 0.41g) - 6.4x6.4cm 40.96 cm2 - 2.65g

1 paper layer less on one side - (1sq inch 0.38g) (easy to peel) - leaving matte (hairy?) nonslippery paper on foam
2.45g

1 paper layer less on both sides - (1sq inch 0.35g) -(easy to peel) - leaving matte (hairy?) nonslippery paper on foam
2.25g

1 side completely paperless - (1sq inch 0.23g) - easy to peel - panel very flexible after this
1.50g
------------------
Artfoam 5mm - (1sq inch 0.37g) - 6.4x6.4cm - 40.96 cm2 - 2.35g

paper teared partially off one side - very hard to remove, forget it.
1.95g (1sq inch 0.30g)
------------------
1 square inch is 6.45cm2
40.96 / 6.45 = 6.35

So we divide all results by 6.35 to get 1sq inch gram value.
------------------
Dollar tree is 0.19g per 1sq inch.
Information on the net also says that foam-x (Kapa) also has a weight of 0.37g per sq/inch. Maybe it has easyer to peel paper, will try in the future


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apnewton on October 26, 2014
Thanks for the info. Very useful.
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Gelisob on October 27, 2014
You're welcome. I wish i knew it before i built my overweight fogey (1st plane ever) that crashed straight into the ground on every throw :P If anyone builds from KAPA or other x1.5 x2+ times heavyer board -- WARNING! do NOT try to get away with entry level electronics that josh recommends -- our fatties will not get off the earth so easy.
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PatSouth on November 30, 2014
No weights but Seniors art in Australia has 32 x40 25 sheets for A$155 which works out at about A$2.91 for a dollar tree size which isn't out of this world. Don't know about weight. In the photo the foam appears to be one piece (not a laminate of two) is that the weight problem with quills and others?

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apnewton on November 30, 2014
Thanks for the info. That is very cheap! The problem with other foamboard is mainly the thick paper covering but also the heavier foam core itself. Would be interesting to weigh this stuff.
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PatSouth on December 14, 2014
does anyone know if the dollar tree stuff is two layers stuck together together like most of the Australian stuff? eckersly or quills or even kmart (only the larger stores I found out) seem to have paper then a layer of foam some glue then another layer of foam then paper. maybe $tree has only one layer of the foam that is why it is lighter???
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RodGrant on December 31, 2014
Hey Pat, Just looking at the Seniors page, and it states "Foam Core Board is virtually weightless board made of a polystyrene foam core laminated on both sides with a white coated-paper stock" So definitely double sided. (but probably not weightless by our standards anyway ha ha). As far as the Dollartree stuff, from what i can ascertain it is also double sided (However never physically had my hands on a sheet).
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alricwu0914 on June 10, 2015
Has any one had any experience with Daiso foam board? $2.80 a piece at 450x840x5mm. I've heard it's like depron and I think they don't have paper either. Probably a nice cheap option worth looking into
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sebbo27 on January 5, 2016
Thanks for the information, huge help!
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Disco on July 19, 2015
Hi All,
I've just picked up some foam board from Daiso. It looks like they have both the uncoated stuff (which is labeled as polystyrene), and the paper coated 5mm board. they sell sheets in 400x450mm. I'm going to use it for a project so I will post updates then but i seems pretty decent and pretty light.
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apnewton on July 19, 2015
Thanks Disco
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maxitheawsome on July 28, 2015
hi how would you do the scratch building if it has no paper
woud it be good to thin some pvc glue really thin and add thin kraft paper like in the waterproofing episode of flite test
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apnewton on July 28, 2015
I use tape like Experimental Airlines
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Freakygnome on February 14, 2016
Has anyone had any experience with these guys? https://www.artstoreonline.com.au/framing/foamcore/white-foamcore/cat_1107.html
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jordy123 on February 15, 2016
Order some foam from adams directly in a case. I did this, gives the same result, but you can get different colors.
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jordy123 on February 15, 2016
hi
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bear3103 on February 4, 2016
Well it looks like hobbyking has stepped into help us all with finding foam board now..Just found this,,,http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__1984__58__Hardware_Accessories-Model_Building_Material.html
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apnewton on February 4, 2016
and it's only 20 times more expensive than DTFB and about 4 times what I pay for depron
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Sconegrabber on October 11, 2016
Trying to make an FT spear out of quill stuff. Made one wing but it was a paint to try and bend
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apnewton on October 11, 2016
Might need to remove the paper on the inside of the bend like ExAir does. I wouldn't choose to use Quill FB, too heavy and expensive.
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Knights on September 20, 2016
So has anyone found any new bits of Foam board/corflute that's any better or does it still look like the stuff from Foamboards Australia is still the way to go??
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cdkruger on November 19, 2016
I live in Tumut, NSW and the local craft shop stocks foam board that weighs 2.9g/dm2 which is 0.19g/inch2 for $3 for A2 size. On request he also got me some A1 size boards for $6. The board is great and I've used it to built a 120% Bloody Baron which flies fantastic with a fms4023 motor on a 1060 prop. Goes vertical without a problem. The only problem is it is very difficult to peel of the paper from the board as it is done in some of the FT built videos. I'm considering buying the Dollar tree board from the FT store. With shipping it is $125 (US) for 25 sheets which comes to AU $6.66 per v sheet. Not bad for getting the real thing.
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apnewton on November 19, 2016
Great options, much better than $11 Quill board.
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handstek on October 8, 2016
Check this out on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuqpSlXtHoI
You just have to get some foam boxes from chemists, skip-bins, etc
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apnewton on October 8, 2016
Brilliant solution, some great tips in that video.
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Knights on September 20, 2016
I just put my FT mini corsair on the scales and as the plan states it should weigh in at around 156g without the battery. Now mine comes in as a heavyweight at a monster 350g (foam board supplied from K-Mart) without battery, no wonder it just wanted to dive right into the ground. I suppose I should start looking for a bigger motor and prop but what size should I move too?????
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apnewton on September 20, 2016
Depron is the best option I know of. There have been reports of cheap light depron style foamboard from Daiso Japanese shops but I couldn't find it.
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bennykau on January 16, 2017
Hi guys, I build the FT mini sparrow chuck glider over the weekend, and had to add a ton of clay for the thing to balance. It did not fly well! Im in Adelaide, and visited a number of stores (office works, two art stores and spotlite) and they all stocked the same brand "Canson" foam board. I just weighed a sheet of the stuff and it comes out at 0.41g/inch2, over twice the weight of the adams board!
I am also considering a carton of the real stuff from flite test.
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chap6595 on February 12, 2017
So I just board the DEPRON Board and when I try and do a bend, it just snaps. There is no paper on the outside of the board to provide structure. Should I glue on some paper as reinforcement to both sides? HELP!
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apnewton on February 13, 2017
Need to cover one side with packing tape like experimental airlines
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TonyWony on June 14, 2017
thx you very much i live in vic. Au
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apnewton on June 14, 2017
Thanks Tony, I'm in Geelong
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andrewstory@live.com.au on September 27, 2018
I just built my first ever model (FT LongEZ)

Kmart 5mm Foamboard 640x510mm = 114g $5
That’s 0.23g/inch sq. Which is only 20% heavier than Adams/Dollar Tree (at 0.19g/inch sq)

I found it easy to follow all the instructions with this foam and it glides pretty well! I’d call it a winner.

My 4yr old daughter helped me decorate:
https://ibb.co/fdZmBp
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MortQ on January 15, 2019
Thanks for this Andrew, and others here. Hopefully, my experimentation will be of some use to others who "make do" with various kinds of foamboards.
I have also been looking for affordable options (in country Qld), and have been experimenting with getting the paper off the kind of foam board used at the local framing business. They buy A1 sized paper covered board by the box, and are happy to sell a few sheets when they have enough on hand. About $10 per.
The adhesive is weird - sometimes the paper just falls off, if the board is older and has been sitting out on a shelf (new, it is very hard to remove).
I have tried hot and cold water (both work with lots of rubbing to "roll" the wet paper off), heat (softens the adhesive, and the paper can be stripped off - tends to leave a sticky surface, and hard to do large areas, can melt foam easily).
Then tried a range of solvents, many didn't work at all.
PVC pipe/conduit primer works well, but does dissolve the foam if there is exposed foam. Wet a small rag with the primer, rub over the paper until it is damp with primer, and the paper peals off fairly easily. Doesn't damage the foam if there is no direct contact. The organic compounds in the primer make it very malodorous and you should wear gloves.
The best answer I have found for this type of "art" foamboard is a spray can of Bendix Brake Cleaner (https://www.bendix.com.au/product-range/brake-parts-cleaner-degreaser). I would assume other brands with a similar mixture of solvents would also work - this one was best only because it was on special at the local hardware. At a guess, it would be the light naptha in the cleaner that is effective (I tried both acetone and isopropyl alcohol previously without effect).
Wet the paper all over one side, evenly, with the spray (avoid the fumes!) and let it soak in for a couple of minutes. The paper should then peel off fairly easily, taking the glue with it. I consistently end up with sticky paper and smooth foam about 5mm thick and quite light.
The foam can then be taped (as per Andrew's and Expt Airlines' methods) or laminated with suitable film. It then folds into tubes or armin/FT wings quite well. (I don't have a properly flying model with it yet, still waiting on parts like a motor from Banggoood, but the foam parts I do have assembled glide gracefully to the ground rather than exploring for worms like my first attempts with heavier materials.)
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Babb on September 11, 2018
Building a mini - went looking for light foam board - Kmart A1 size sheets 5 bucks.
They are 0.24g/in so not too bad. No brand, generic made in china.
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apnewton on September 11, 2018
Thanks for the update Babb, I'll check it out
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First officer on October 19, 2018
Hey Apnewton Where do you get your your depron from these days? Im also from geelong and have had no luck anywhere.
Regards James.
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TwoWhiteDogs on April 29, 2019
Thanks for all the info here - great resource that made me think.
Consider this - a 50 sheet pack of flitetest water resistant foam board is USD90. Shipping by post to Sydney is USD86. USD176 is about $250.

The KMart boards are a little smaller (510x640 vs 508x764) and at $5 per board 50 of these are [drum roll] $250!

We know the FliteTest sheets work and so I intend to get me some of that good stuff. It might take a while to go through 50 sheets, but I'd be happy to share the shipment with anyone that's interested in picking up some sheets from the Sydney Hills district.

Just my 2c.

Cheers,
Robert
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TwoWhiteDogs on April 29, 2019
Order placed - on back order.
I'll comment on its quality once it's in.
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apnewton on April 29, 2019
Great thinking Robert. I have a good supply of Depron but when I run out your idea will look like the best solution. I'm sure some of my local Geelong friends will be keen to share a shipment with me. Thanks for looking into it for the Realm

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Mode2man on April 29, 2019
Look forward to seeing what you think of the US sheeting. I am new to the Flite Test and am still enjoying watching the videos.
I am on the Northern Beaches so would be more than prepared to purchase some of your sheets. :)
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Scottnoskis on April 24, 2020
I’m on the Northern beaches. Did you try any of the foam board from around here
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au.contact@gmail.com on July 16, 2019
Hi Robert,
How did you go with that order?
I'd be interested to pick up a dozen or so from Sydney if you have any left.
Regards,
Roman
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crocxcroc on October 1, 2019
I've found a number of foam board suppliers in QLD, Spotlight have 500x770 sheets also Foamboard Australia at Mt Gravatt - Brisbane .(also A1 and 500x770 ) and I think Office works also have foam board both in 500x770 and A1 sizes
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felixmcw on March 29, 2020
You can find cheaper foam board at
https://www.teachersuperstore.com.au/foam-core-board-5mm-white-a2
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apnewton on April 2, 2020
Thanks for the link.
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Macca_AU on October 19, 2020
So new member here long flitetest follower. After the crash of my Tricoper, Want to repurpose some gear for a plane, So planning a Tiny Trainer.
Being an aussie looking for foam board sent me here. An awesome old page.

Went into my local art supply store looking for foamboard. Looked half decent, Grabbed an offcut from them to play with.

95cmx95cm was 4g, and 100x100 was 4.5g which ends up about 0.29g per square inch from what I worked out, 1"sq was too light to measure.

Also had a play peeling the paper off, which worked flawlessly
score and peel worked 1st go no mess to clean, and bevel worked fine as well.

It looks like a single foam core, unlike other Australian stuff I read is 2 layers.

The store was Levers Art Supplies in Wollongong
The boards were unbranded, and at a guess A1 size or larger selling for $10 a sheet.
Will have to go in and buy a full sheet and see if I can get a brand name from them.
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Spamta on June 25, 2022
I am looking for foamboard for Dungeons and Dragons, I am wondering what foamboard has the easiest to remove paper, I live in QLD and hate how much stuff costs. Thank you in advance.
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BjarneStormer on March 1, 2023
I have found peeling didn't work very well, but rubbing with a wet cloth will get off paper nicely (this was spotlight Crafter's Choice foamboard) I suspect Officeworks Larson board would be similar (and cheaper)
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BjarneStormer on March 1, 2023
Hey all, I thought I'd submit some more data:

Officeworks Larson A1
$9.54
206 g per sheet
0.266 g/in2
Or 412 g/m2 (A1 is 0.5 m2)

Spotlight Crafter's Choice A1
$17 (on special for $11.90)
215 g per sheet
0.2776 g/in2
430 g/m2

I managed to build the tiny trainer entire glider configuration from a single sheet of the spotlight board, and it came out at 198g with control rods but no electronics. I widened the nose by 4mm to make sure it fit with the slightly thicker 5mm board vs the 3/16in of the flitetest/Adam's board, as I was finding I needed to remove more than the plans suggested to get the B folds to work. I might have got away with 2mm but it is a reasonable fit as is.

I needed to use a wet rag to get the paper off the nose which worked nicely, peeling was no good.

So I was pleasantly surprised that these 2 are closer in density to the Adam's than the other ones mentioned here.

The glider chuck glides ok with 2 X 550 2s lipos I had lying around as far noseward as I could get them. Although balance was still slightly tailward of the GC marks.

I'll try the Officeworks Larson board for the power pod/nose and sport wing next, it looks to be pretty similar to the spotlight stuff.

Note: This is my first scratch build and will be my first attempt at flying an RC plane, once my electronics arrive.
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BjarneStormer on March 7, 2023
Ok it turns out that although they are very similar in construction, the Officeworks Larson board is a better option, simply because it is pretty close to 3/16 in thickness, compared to the spotlight board which is more like 5.5 mm. So you should be able to build ft plans unmodified with it.
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jirvin_4505 on December 6, 2023
How easy was the paper removal for the Larson board from officeworks?
I have some of the spotlight board. Weight is good however the paper removal is problematic and tedious
I have some genuine ready board and paper removal is almost too easy
Cheers Jeff Sunny Qld
Ps just ordered a sample pack from Foamboard’s qld and will see how this handles paper removal
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Foamboard in Australia