this time just styrofoam, but with some interesting shapes to be the foundation for some dio sets.

ideas for what to make them, and how best to use them?

Here's my first thought on each

These two pieces form together perfectly. My first thought (since I like my dios more movie-set like for photos than I do buildings/playsets) was to turn them this way, and use some grating for ceiling, obviously paint them, and have it be a corridor on a spaceship, or terrordrome, etc...



Obviously an echo base/hoth piece wouldn't be too tough either.



However, flip them over and you get this:



Next two pieces, same thing. They fit together perfect, and my first thought was space ship interior





except, flip it over and same thing


Clearly I can try to paint them and trick them out for dual use - bunker one way, interior photo set the other, but if I make buildings, I may just want to make them permanent builds.

Oh, here those two sets are combined (there are other possible combos also)



If not a bunker or garage, from that angle, almost looks like a launch tube

Sure it's all just styrofoam, but it sure seems like it should be useful, even if more brittle than the pressed cardboard inserts I love so much.

Last were these pieces. Set out the way they are, they seem like they could be building facades for a sci-fi city. Remind me vaguely of Mos Eisley, and I could see using plaster to shoot for that effect.



Forgot the figure for scale, but they can stand with clearance above their head, under the squared off archway. The one piece is huge.

All these came from the same TV box. Yes, I bought it for the TV. But seriously I feel like I should be making something cool with this stuff. Thoughts?

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Wow... that has a ton of potential.

I hoarded so much foam intending to make small dio sets with the piece and threw it all out during our move.

Is it possible to shellac it or something to make it more durable? I'd be more tempted to dive in if it didn't feel like such a fragile substance to work with.

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"Shut down all of the trash compactors on the detention level!"

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the one flipped over with the half-assed grating on top, right? That's the first thing I saw (after the TV of course) once the box was opened.

Better to part them out in that way, or better to build I big base? I don't have specific need for either, so I really want to just make best use.

Dan, yeah, there's things you can use. I might just use vinyl putty, but there's also basically paper mache type things you can do to help solidify it. With foam core, it's not necessary. But this type of foam is pretty brittle

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Been playing the Halo: Master Chief collection and just got to about half through Halo 2: Anniversary. That setup once you flipped it over and when stacked just screams sci-fi garage to me. I almost expect a few of the Covenant Banshee's or Ghosts to be parked in there. Tons of potential.

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Instant Hoth Echo Base.

Just need Dash Rendar running around the place...

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i tried cutting up some foam. i also tried melting some. neither went well for me. let us know what you use and how it goes

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The second one is my favorite. Flipped over it really looks like a scifi building. Just add some greebles like pipes and such, hit it with some gray paint and you have an awesome dio.

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To me, that first pic screams shower room massacre from the movie "The Rock"

I think that you should just finish every surface in your metallic rustcote style and use them interchangeably as whatever you need them to be in the dio shot at hand.

Even the massive space that you have is going to eventually find limits, so you should start focusing on "Utility" pieces to supplement your "fixed" sets on the shelves. Movable and configurable pieces for hallway shots, lockers, the brig, whatever are something that you can use this sort of thing for.

Just a thought.

- R

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That's normally my thought process as well. But this particular batch just looks like it would lend itself so well to the full building treatment.

But to do so the right way would be a more permanent process - and yes, would also take up more space.

All good thoughts gentlemen. Thank you

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Paint newspaper to go around it for whatever you want to use it for........interchangeable and no permanent paint on the styrofoam...

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Big fan of styrofoam as a base for playsets/dios/etc. myself; in fact, I used to be thrilled every time my parents bought some piece of technology when I was a kid. I was usually more excited about the styrofoam than whatever the item was.

There is something you can do to make them more permanent: if you've got a place that does spray-on truck bed-liners, you can usually convince them to spray the foam for you. The end result usually has a bit of a texture to it, but it's durable as hell and doesn't melt the foam. We used to use it on pieces I carved from the much more fragile carving foam, and it made them extremely solid. I never had to do the negotiating myself (my boss at the time would take them to a place near his house), but from what he told me, the people at the bed-liner place would usually just quote an arbitrary price based on how big the pieces were, and then the bartering commenced. I've been hanging onto some pieces of styrofoam in the garage that I plan on doing this to, but I haven't gotten around to doing so. It's pretty effective, though, so if you find a configuration for those pieces that you're happy with, you might want to give it a shot.

How well does that bed liner material take paint?

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There is a great foam cutter from Dept, 56 that comes with various wires for gouging out foam, from sharp edges to rounds and ovals. I use it all the time on that type of foam to make rough hewn stairs and such.

Another alternative to surfacing would be using Creative Paperclay to cover it, and while it is still moist, use a Xacto to carve everything from textures to writing into it. When it dries, it will be quite durable but retains the light weight. Others use joint compound, but dealing with the fumes from it can be a bear. Or, if you're feeling really inventive, you could cover it in Creative Paperclay, or the joint compound, and go to the stamp section in the craft stores, and use stampers to emboss the surface with all manner of things. In the cake baking section, there are also clear plastic sheeting with embossed textures from stone to brick to crosshatch that can also be used on the surface to do large textures.

Another avenue could be covered ruins. First large paint it with a small foam roller and a tube of Liquitex acrylics which come in the large tubes or bottles. Roller the entire piece in black or dark brown. Then dry brush some medium gray or tan, then over that with light gray and tan. Once dry, then get some Woodland Scenics flock in your choice, and a bag of fresh lichen for later. Picking a nice tube of deep green, use a natural sponge to dab the green on liberally, then powder on the flock. I find that this makes a far better adhesive for flock than PVA, Elmers, or even Woodland's own adhesive. Flock it up in random patterns, then hot glue the lichen pieces on the floor areas here and there. Instant ruins in overgrowth. Add some talus or street pebbles for extra detail. Vines are as easy as thread or twine covered in acrylic paint and dipped or rubbed into a paper plate of flocking.

The double stacking image looks great, for a bunker or hangar, surely.

The front non-broken piece on the steps could easily become a glacial outpost. Just a good coating in the three paints needed (white, light blue, white drybrush), then covered with some artificial snow before it dries. Just needs searchlights and a flag. You could do icicles on the cheap using cut blister in a rough jagged pattern, then drybrush or spray on some flat white. Though you can get the professional grade ones now since the season is here.

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