# Gator-Board outdoors?



## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Has anyone used Gator-Board (aka Gator-Foam) for modeling buildings outdoors? How does it hold up, especially to hot weather?


----------



## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Not sure about gator board, but I've used its relative, Gator-Plast, which is foam covered in .010" styrene sheet. (See my review of the Precision Products barn kit in the current GR.) It seems to hold up very well to our conditions out here, though--fortunately--we haven't had to test it against golf-ball-sized hail yet. It's not cheap stuff--between $60 - $80 for a 4' x 8' sheet, but it's a dream to work with. I just picked up some neat tools at Hobby Lobby for cutting foam core. They're on clearance right now, so get 'em while the getting's good. I haven't had a chance to use them yet, but I'm looking forward to getting a chance to play with them over the winter as I add some structures for Neelyton. 

Later, 

K


----------



## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray,

It appears that no one else has an opinion so I'll give you mine.

Yes, I feel that it would work just fine as an outdoor building material. A few years ago, I built a church out of 1/2" Gator Board. It was a fantastic material to work with. It machines just like wood. I used my table saw, router and drill press in the construction process. I would make sure that all edges are covered or sealed in some manner.

Here are pictures during the construction and when completed. The exterior is covered with seveal types of Precision products styrene sheets.



















Although I don't generally leave my structures outside, I'm confident they would hold up just fine. As an experiment, I took a 4"x4'" piece of Gator Board, painted it, and threw it out on the layout. It got blown about for 2 or 3 years but, when I finally picked it up and brought it in, the material showed no deterioration. However, the paint was a little faded.

I hope this helps.

Doc


----------



## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks Doc! Nice job on that church.


----------



## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Where or what did you use or where did you get the roof material????? I am using a Fisker and using aluminum for my roof on my train station/warehouse building now. Regal


----------



## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Ray.

Regal,

The roof and sides are styrene sheets from Precision Products. They make a whole line of embossed sheets for modeling. The ones I used simulate shake shingles. Appliedimaginationinc.com has a web site showing the products. It's been a while since I bought any. Someone on MLS indicated a while ago that one of the other largescale mfg's. (Ozark?) was carrying them.

Doc


----------



## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I bought a dozen sheets of it from Micro-Mark to build a roundhouse, but never got around to doing it.

I did cut a piece about 1.5 inches wide from one end of a sheet and put it outside to see how it faired. I just stuck it into a chainlink fence near my deck in the back yard. It remained there for several years.

The only major damage came from visitors jerking it out of the fence then asking "What's this?" They would then jamb it back in to the fence, but not 'delicately' like I did. It did bend and crease when treated poorly.

The surfaces, which I did NOT treat in any way, darkened a bit but did not deteriorate.

The foam core did shrink (from sun/ultraviolet light, I assume) at the edges, forming a concave edge like this:
_______________
) ( 

It receded about 1/8 inch in several years in the sun, rain, sleet, snow, 100+deg heat and sub-zero cold. So I, too, would recommend the edges be covered by something (a good coat of paint should do).

I have now lost the section of board I placed out there. I have no idea where it went. I know it fell off the fence a few times and got burried in snow and leaves many times over the years it was out there, but this spring I could not find it, I remember putting it in the fence (again) last fall after finding it on the ground, so I assume it blew away in a winter storm.


----------



## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

Kevin,
What tools did you get at Hobby Lobby? I would like to find better tools than I am using right now on foam.
JimC.


----------

