Which is better for backdrops, masonite or sytrene?

[bbussey]

All,

I have to budget/schedule the backdrop for the first section of the layout.  I need the backdrop in place before I can anchor the sections to the wall.  The backdrop will have to be 15 inches high by 14 feet long.  What is the preferred medium to use these days, Masonite or styrene, and what are the pros/cons of each?  Both are available in large sheets if one looks outside of the hobby genre, so that isn't an advantage/detriment.  I'm leaning toward the styrene because I can buy it in one piece in whatever thickness desired and it is easier to bend, but I'm not adverse to using the other.  Thanks.

[Chris333]

I have used styrene before and loved it. Easy to cut with a knife. I bought the .060" stuff for inside a shower and used the smooth backside. 

The new layout uses a roll a metal flashing. It is about 37 feet long with no seem. I guess it could dent easy, but I don't plan on wacking it.

[DKS]

Of the two choices, styrene, hands down. Masonite has issues that any wood-based product bears, in particular expansion/contraction. Plus it's tough on tools. Styrene is stable, easy to work, easy to bend, etc.

[Sokramiketes]

Daryl Kruse will say aluminum flashing also.

[conrail98]

Daryl Kruse will say aluminum flashing also.

I've seen his and a few others use this as well. It's in 14" or 20" widths (as well as 10 and 8, but you were looking at 15") and roll of 50' is around $30,

Phil

[bbussey]

I like styrene myself.  U.S.Plastics as well as other manufacturers sell long lengths for extremely reasonable prices, which would alleviate the need to hide seams among its other advantages.  I think that's the route I will take.  Thanks.

[wm3798]

I used masonite to enclose my little helix, but that's mostly because I had some laying around.  Although I do like that I can easily screw framing into it and know that it has enough structure to it to make it work.

Lee

[bbussey]

I'm going to use Masonite for the fascia on the front for added strength, but the styrene for the backdrop will be a good solution for me.

[SkipGear]

You can get rolls of styrene flashing for under the eaves of a house for a reasonable price. Even Home Depot carries it, but you have to order it.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?keyword=duraflash&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

It is available in 10" -24" widths and 30 or 50 ft. rolls.

The hard part might be letting it relax and flatten out.

[Zox]

I think the DuraFlash is vinyl, not styrene. At least, out of the 12 DuraFlash items, eleven explicitly say "vinyl," and there's no evidence that the twelfth item is different.

And if it's vinyl, it's probably not rigid enough to act as a backdrop or fascia without being glued to a substrate.

[pnolan48]

Having used both over the years, .060 styrene is my choice. Probably not as strong as masonite, but dimensionally stable and easier to work.

A 50' roll is pretty cheap, and readily available, and can be shipped (cheaply) anywhere, even Gakona, Alaska. Four by eight sheets can be rolled and shipped anywhere. I used to get three or four of different thicknesses, have them rolled up, and throw them into the trunk to get them home. Plastics supply houses have all sorts of materials beyond styrene, so a visit to one was well worth the time for me. I used 4 x 8 sheets, cut lengthwise into 16-inch strips, because I just could not deal with the weight of the rolls, and didn't mind a seam every 96 inches. The seams are easy to finish and make disappear. 4 x 8 sheets are about $16-20.

[pnolan48]

Wow! Saved this even though the ice storm caused two power outages while sending. The Firefox browser is amazing.

[Rossford Yard]

I believe styrene is better, having seen it used, but I use masonite because I don't want to devote a week or more to finding sheet size styrene.  I tried several suppliers, but the one we had used before closed up shop and no one in DFW seemed to know where those sheets could be found.

For that matter, in DFW, finding 2" foam and homosote are getting to be problematic.  Good thing that part of the layout is done for me.

[seusscaboose]

I'm going to use Masonite for the fascia on the front for added strength, but the styrene for the backdrop will be a good solution for me.

my solution as well

the facia is important when people lean against the layout...

[sirenwerks]

I don't know if this is a possibility but I would think you could get a roll of styrene or another usable plastic through a good plastics company. Most locales have one. Hence getting the resilience and workability of plastic and the seamlessness of aluminum.