What a sweet thing to say!

I'm glad you found it helpful. I stumbled on the wire brush technique out of desperation when I had only one weekend to build a set, and every other method I tried was just too darn slow. Best of luck with your stone wall project!

Glad you find it useful!

Thanks and glad you found it useful!

Sure, I don't see why not. But I really don't think you need to be that precise!

GREAT IDEA

I'd use drywall screws to screw the foam directly into the drywall, or you can attach them by screwing through the drywall into the studs. You should put small washers around the screw heads on the face of the foam. The washers will keep the screws from sinking, and they will prevent your panels from ultimately pulling away from the wall. To disguise your screws and your seams, you can caulk over them, and then simply paint over them once the caulk is dry. Depending on the look you're going for, another way to disguise the seams is to cover them up by putting a fake "stud" made from 2x4s, 4x4s, or garden bed railroad ties in between your panels. You can see how this looks at the very end of my video on painting faux stone walls.

@@dpvideos3364 Bloody brilliant. Keep these videos coming!!!!😍 I might just take the plung and actually try this!!!🤣🤣🤣

That's a great question. I’ve never carved them in high-relief, so this is just a guess. But I believe the foam panels are available in thicknesses up to two inches. The thicker panels are more expensive, but probably not any more so than the cost to buy several thinner panels to glue together. So I’d try using thicker panels first. Using thicker panels would also save time over trying to piece thin panels together. But if you do decide to glue thinner pieces together, I think caulk is a great idea. Silicone caulk is my go-to for most gluing projects. I've never tried liquid nails, but that would probably work, too. Just make sure you don't use anything that will melt the foam. For outside use, exterior paint should work fine. But someone commented that if you want to make them more durable, you can seal them with truck bed liner. Please post a link to photos when you’re done with your project. I’d love to see how your more deeply carved stones turn out.

I first made these for a set which was used indoors.

I used my walls for a temporary set. But you can use them for just about anything, and for a more permanent installation if you harden them.

I don't think this will work with EPS foam. Any brand of XPS foam should work.

Sorry, I haven't had time to get Part 2 up yet. But here's a quick rundown: You will need: * Two cans of (NON-ACRYLIC!) flat paint, one BLACK and one WHITE (cheap latex paint works just fine); * Paint roller or paintbrush; * Sea sponge; * Plastic Tarp; * 3 Paint trays (or something else to mix your paint in). Put the tarp on the floor and lay out your panel. In the 3 paint trays, mix together 3 shades of gray: light, medium, and dark (almost black). The lightest shade will be for mortar and highlights, the medium shade for the face of your stones, and the darkest shade for texture. (1) Paint the entire panel with the lightest shade of gray and allow it to dry. (2) Paint the face of the stones with the medium shade of gray. It's OK if the lighter gray shows through in places as this will add texture. Allow it to dry. (3) Dab on the darkest gray with the sea sponge (however you like, there's no right way). Let it dry. When they're done, they should look something like this: drive.google.com/open?id=0B0t8_n_tbxanZENoN3M2R3Q3WWs Thanks for the "like," and good luck with your painting!

Are you just looking for a picture to use as a pattern? If so, try here: drive.google.com/open?id=1no3PzQxAGDpCkCIf3dnZvQrgGvWx5hi8

I haven't tried it, but I don't think it would very well. White Styrofoam (expanded polystyrene) has a different composition than extruded polystyrene (the pastel-colored panels which I used). My guess is you'd just end up with little white Styrofoam beads all over the place, and the texture of the mortar wouldn't look very good. But if you give it a try, please post and let me know!

DPVideos OK thanks for the tip. I'll let you know how it goes :)

I'm not sure how well they would hold up outside, but if you paint them with exterior paint, they'd probably be fine, at least for temporary use. For example, I think a lot of Haunted Hayride attractions make exterior sets out of rigid foam insulation like this. I think your main challenge with using them outside is that they are lightweight and somewhat flimsy - a good wind could take them right out. You'd need to make sure they are securely attached to something immobile and solid. Also, they are easily scratched and damaged. There are several techniques for hardening them, which I haven't personally tried. The tool of choice seems to be "Monster Mud." See here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rq-fmNtmnMe-l4U.html www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=225861 If you do use them outside, please let me know what, if anything, you do to harden them, and how they hold up.

Thanks for the info and quick response.

I used 1/2 inch thick, which is the cheapest and is plenty thick.

Great thanks.

I didn't use it on the floor. If you're going to walk on it, I don't think the foam will hold up very well unless you harden it some way. I've never hardened foam, but this forum has some good suggestions: www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=225861 It includes a link with instructions on how to make "monster mud": www.madcityhaunt.com/blog/guide/monster-mudding-your-tombstones/