
Ask HN: Do you make physical prototypes? Of What? - wand3r
I am very visual and prototypes help me design things. For largeish projects I have been having trouble finding material; most recently to model a small building and roof redesign.<p>I was thinking about how great it would be to have home Depot materials at 1&#x2F;8 scale but have only found pretty expensive balsa wood at local craft stores.<p>Is there a Lego type product that is meant to be representative of real world materials?
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wand3r
I'm curious if anyone would actually be interested in 1/8 scale:

\- plywood

\- 2x4s and 1x3s

\- currogated metal

\- PVC Piping

\- roofing material

\- garage door & track

I am thinking about biting the bullet and buying materials and milling my own
as well as experimenting pouring concrete in small amounts and maybe making a
drywall type material. Idk if other people would even want this, or similar
stuff; but it's like $100 for some lousy balsa wood stuff and for that money;
I'd rather cut and mill wood myself w/ calipers for proper scale

Edit: I also mean a bulk set to actually make something large. The bulk orders
I have seen of full sized material go to a job site are for example; 2x4s
arriving as a pallet of 104 pieces of lumber (stack of like 13 8 beams high)
which could lay a lot of 16" on center walls. Each piece at AC Moore/hobby
lobby is at best about 0.50 so just that is like 50 bucks!

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joezydeco
I know a good number of designers that will print out 2D elevations of their
design (at scale), then spray-tack* it to 1/8" or 1/4" foam core.

Use an exacto knife to cut the shapes out of the foamcore, then assemble with
glue, small tacks, paper hinges, etc.

* [http://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Super-77-16-75-fl-oz-Multi-Pur...](http://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Super-77-16-75-fl-oz-Multi-Purpose-Spray-Adhesive-77-24/100067550)

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wand3r
You don't have a pic or link to a design by any chance? Curious what they
built and how it came out

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hector_ka
You can use foamcore ,or isolation foam from Home Depot

