You'd be surprised just how rigid and strong foamboard is. The use of lots of pieces actually can make it a lot stronger than a piece of foam. Also, one large block is a lot more difficult to carve to the same quality as can be achieved by other means

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http://bdhobbymadness.blogspot.co.nz/

May the wind under your wings bear you to where the sun sails and the moon walks!

i totally agree.. i guess if i ever wanna carce it would be on ice =D keke yup.. well its strong enough.. i've been using this foam for years =D

Donuthare, HaldirVarian and,Blue Dragon you have all done good work. I think we can agree that with the correct tool set we can get good results with Ice or Oak. Is foam core strong enough? You tell me. Will it survive in the back of the pickup the trip from Atlanta to Lancaster PA for Historicon if it rains? How about the grand baby's Buss Light Year?The cat?

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

It definately survives the cat.

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http://bdhobbymadness.blogspot.co.nz/

May the wind under your wings bear you to where the sun sails and the moon walks!

hehe yea mine would surely survive my dog =D keke.. HHm.. maybe perhaps someone shud start a helms deep made out of clay eh =D

Some of my friends have other Hobbies.Sheet metal and fiberglass have been suggested by my auto restoration club friends.The RC car and plane hobbyist have suggested vacuum form.. I only do auto repair casually so I do not have the proper tool set for sheet metal. Fiberglass would not be a problem. I have been thinking about building a vacuform machine. That will have to wait to I have completed the repairs on the shop. Porcelain concrete or hydro-cal is probably the way I am going. I will use Hirs Art molds to cast the blocks. I am going to use a wood form so I could make a roller like Castle Works and roll the brick pattern into wet celluclay.There are so many way to go about this. I have enjoyed following your progress.

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

at my workplace i realise tat i've got suppliers who supply my company with plastic molds.. maybe if its possible to get a 3d dimension of helms deep its possible to get them to mold out the whole castle.. but than again i bet it would cost like a bomb.. =D

This model is fantastic. Keep up the great work HaldirVarian.

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TO9G - 2010 Isengard

The insulation company I do business with has a computer driven machine that could cut it from a block of foam. It must be some kind of laser cutter.The hot wire cutter they use is huge.They can cut it any size you want from huge blocks. They also make giant letters and other shapes for advertising bill boards, like the Giant Cows and Shoney's Big Boy.
If we had the money to have one made then we would miss the fun of making it.
Looking for the next update.

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

Looking great so far! Still have a keep like that somewhere half-finished burried under dust, cobwebs and garbage... I guess I'll never get to finish it (unless I move to a bigger house... and get some more space to work).

Good luck with yours! Can't wait to see further progress mate!

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CMON-gallery

This is verging on necromancy, but I'm just wondering how high your walls are. I'm building my own Helm's deep, and yours is a real inspiration, so I'm hoping to see more of it!

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http://napoleonicstrategybattlegame.yolasite.com/