Perfic Panels (PP)
have a high-density polystyrene foam core with a super white high impact polystyrene skin on both sides. They are weatherproof, waterproof, UV resistant and are easily cut with a hobby knife ( a #11 blade is best), scissors or hot wire. Always rest the
PP
on a wood or plastic cutting board, so you can cut right through the
PP
. Use a metal ruler or straight edge and
cut the edges nice and square (unless you are doing some fancy angular
construction).
Use pieces of scrap PP
to cut 2" triangles and use them as corner
braces to strengthen the building and ensure that corners are truly
square. Likewise, use diamond shaped braces for the wall/roof connections
and 1" wide strips to stiffen large flat areas of walls or roofs,
as shown in the diagram. Just use a little Omni-Stick glue on the
edges of the braces and stiffeners when installing them.
It's Quick'n'Easy.
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
for Perfic Panels
:
FOLDS: Perfic Panels
can be bent to produce a smooth rounded corner. Before bending, scribe a groove on the back of the
PP
with a Ball Pen. Try not to break the surface skin of the
PP
. It can then be easily bent with a nice straight line.
CURVES AND CYLINDERS: Perfic Panels
can be curved or rolled to produce semi-circles and cylinders down to a 1" radius. Before bending, scribe parallel grooves on the back of the
PP
with a Ball Pen at ¼" spacing. Try not to break the surface skin of the
PP
. It can then be easily rolled around a circular bulkhead to form a curved wall or a cylinder suitable for a tank.
BUTT JOINT:
PP
are sold as (approx.) 16" square panels. This is for convenience of packing, shipping and retail display. If you need larger pieces for a model, two pieces can be easily joined with a BUTT JOINT. For added strength we recommend that a 1" wide flange strip be installed. Also a vertical stiffener can be added to the joint assembly.
WEIGHTING THE BUILDING:
PP
produces a strong but very light model structure. However, if your model buildings are for outside use, they will require to be weighted down to prevent them being blown away. There are many ways to achieve this:
Scrap metal weights, blocks of wood or stone can be installed inside the building during construction. Secure them firmly to the base.
The building can be mounted on a larger (heavier) piece of plywood, which can be painted to suit the surrounding terrain or to add detail to the building approaches, such as a path or roadway.
The building can be mounted on another piece of
PP
, or strips, extending say 3" from the building. When the model is in place, cover the extensions with gravel. Do not cover with earth or sand, as rain will splash them onto the building faces.
