Corrugated Cardboard how or would You use it?


B

Bushel86

Member
Hey all,
So I was wondering, I have 5/8" thick corrugated cardboard, sitting in a shed, they are roughly 4'x4' sheets, I have around 50 or more sheets of this stuff. never truely counted. This stuff is super rigid. This has lead me to think how can I use this for my layout. I just finished my benchwork on my around the room layout. And it got me wondering, What if I used this to build up the base of my layout. What i mean is the benchwork has a plywood top, then adding the cardboard, then foam on top of that to give me the height without having to buy a ton of foam. or expensive 2 inch foam (adds up when you need a few sheets) and since I am modeling low wetland. 2 inch foam is really to high for the area I am modeling. since in real life the area is only 10' above sea level at its peak. with most area being only a couple feet above high tide. So really 1 inch foam is really all I need between water and the top of the ground. But i thought about adding this cardboard under the foam to add height for a little more visual interest. even though to scale it be to high. But I don't know. just thinking and wanting to know what you guys think.

It also made me wonder, what about using this stuff with out the foam on top? I have use cardboard in the past under track when the cork was too tall. and never had a problem even after ballasting and scenery with it degrading or anything like that.

And what about using it as a base for diaorma's?

Since i need to either use this stuff or haul it off since i need to make room in the shed. What are some options I could use it for?

Thanks.
 
From my experience, use it only for storing stuff and change the box every few years or so when it starts smelling musty.
When ya go to trains shows and about one third of the vendors are people who are tryin to sell their uncles 027 Lionel train set that has been stored in the attic for the past few decades, ya notice right away the musty odor throughout the venue.
Well, you'll get that same smell in your basement over time if ya lock it in under a layout of scenery. Get it wet with any kind of liquid and it'll break down even faster for ya.
Now, I'm quite sure someone else will chime in here to tell us all that the card board they have under their scenery has been there for 40 years and doesn't smell.
So, ya have a choice: take that advice and risk having to tear out your scenery in a few years if your cardboard just doesn't happen to be the same chemical brand as this other guy, or avoid it all together.
 
Thanks for the reply, I never thought about the smell. However If it is under foam and only used as a filler, I don't see how it would become musty just due to the fact it is locked between other mediums. and any moisture that would get to it would be minimum I would think. But Again I could be wrong. My layout isn't in a basement but a small bedroom So the humidity and moisture aspect will be different compared to a basement. But I do understand what you are saying. and I have to admitte I don't know how old this cardboard is, it came with the shed, but I have had the shed for a year now. and I don't notice any mold or musty smell from the cardboard. But You raised a good point I hadn't considered. However I also should point out that this type of cardboard from what I have researched has been used in insulation for sheds and in some places houses. So While I Have never used it before or know much about it. It is something to consider for sure.
 
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If you're using it under a layer of foam, it might be OK. But I myself wouldn't necessarily count on it not to absorb moisture from scenery materials and start to warp, or pick up a musty smell as Ken posted.
 
I have in the past used it for contour layers & fillers on dioramas, and i think if you seal it properly with the glues and fillers you should not have a problem as that stuff can collapse & fragment all it wants because you already have the plaster & glue support. Although i cannot see sealed cardboard rotting away anytime soon.
Would not use it as an acual baseboard though. A mountain in layers covered with glues filler or plastercloth yes, but not a baseboard of any kind or sub layer for it.
 
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I think one of the biggest issues, I see when it comes to using it, and this goes as well to the smell issue, how is it being used? if it is getting wet or getting high amounts of moisture constantly, How much air is it getting. if it can't breath, and there is no air exchange then yes it will mold and degrade, and start to smell. esp in a basement where air exchange is minimum. But if it Has the ability for air exchange then it degrading or smelling I would think would be minimum just do to the fact it would be able to breath. but the same logic if it is sealed and not getting air but also not getting wet or where moisture is not a huge concern then it should last a long time I would think? correct me if I am wrong.

Just based on biology Everything that is rotting is being eaten by bacteria and bugs, that is what Produces the Smell. if you prevent what is creating the bacteria and bugs that cause the issue then you preserve the cardboard. and I think it again comes down to how is it being used, and what measures are in place for your particular situation?

So would you use it in a basement that has moisture issues, vs a basement that does not have moisture issues, I think you can for either its just how much preventative measures you are will to go. and even if carboard gets wet a few times based on using scenery techniques, I can't see How it would cause it to rot especially if it is sealed between your scenery glue and plywood or foam base under it, Because it still would be getting some air in order to dry.

But again I am not disputing the fact that even under the best circumstances that things don't turn bad due to some unforseen issue. But I do think we look at things and say it didn't work for this reason or that reason. I think sometimes its not about something not working but more as to what application contributed to it not working in the first place? But this is just my thoughts and thinking out loud and by know means do I think I am right. I am just trying to Open a discussion as to the point of How it has been used before and the conditions its was used in, that contribute to its failure or success.

Does it mean I am sold on using it, No. But I also am not sold on not using it, so its Something I think we should really think about. Maybe I am wrong and this has been discussed in detail before. Idk.

I do know as an experiment once when I was building a plywood aquarium I wanted to test Drylok out as a waterproofer. So I took a shoe box, used painters tape and taped all the edges and then painted the inside of that shoe box with 3 coats of drylok. and It held water for months, it sat outside on the porch in case of failure. what eventually failed was the wieght of the water and the humidity on the outside of the box failing structurally. but even after the failure of the outside it still held water, I then taped it from bowing out for another few weeks until I threw it out. ended up ising drylok on my plywood tank. What is my point. That cardbard can be used in different applications, if the proper needs are met.

Forinstance what about if you painted the top of the cardboard with any paint, that will act as a Preventive measure of it absorbing to much water with scenery is being placed. I mean most of use paint the base boards anyway for ground foam. at least that how I was taught. So again I could be completely wrong. So please tell me if I am. I just want to be sold one way or the other on using it or not.
 
Is the place you are building in always moisty? What is the climate where you live? If you live in a warm & dry place it should not be an issue.
If it is in an unheated basement, a shed or in tropical climates then that could be a problem.
 
dgrafix said:
Is the place you are building in always moisty? What is the climate where you live? If you live in a warm & dry place it should not be an issue.
If it is in an unheated basement, a shed or in tropical climates then that could be a problem.
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I live in Nw GA. But No its not a basement, just small room in my house. I'm still running the A/C right now in december. Humidy inside my place is relatively steady throughout the year.
 
If you want to take some humidity out of the air, fill a hessian sack with rice and leave in the corner. (trick i learned in asia lol). It works a bit like silica gel in a package) Much cheaper than a de-humidifier/AC :)
 
dgrafix said:
If you want to take some humidity out of the air, fill a hessian sack with rice and leave in the corner. (trick i learned in asia lol). It works a bit like silica gel in a package) Much cheaper than a de-humidifier/AC :)
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I don't stress about humidity its not a problem inside. I still running my a/c because I like a certian temp in my house. and after heat stroke twice in my life. Anything above a certian temputare becomes way to hard to tolerate. It's why I hate living in the south.
 
I know a guy that just finished rebuilding his small portable layout recently. He had originally used corrugated cardboard extensively in the scenery construction. But about a year ago, noticed a bug infestation throughout the cardboard. Yeeccchhhhh!!! Not a pretty sight to behold upon discovery! :eek:
 
When I read the headline to this thread I thought, yeas corrugated cardboard makes a great model ploughed field.
Then I read that there is 'tons of the stuff'.

Oh well! Back to my coffee.
 
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