"HELP" Looking for Cheap Foam Sales in West Australia

jd7792

Senior Member
Hey guys,
I'm brand new to this forum and was hoping someone could direct me to cheap foam (Depron or Dollartree) outlets in WA.

While on the subject, can you let me know what is the difference between these 2 foams and which is your preferred for scratch builds?
Thanks for any help
 

lobstermash

Propaganda machine
Mentor
Hi JD, finding cheap foam is not easy anywhere in Australia. The best I've done is a sale at an art shop at $5.99 each for A1 sheets.

Depron, dollartree and foamboard etc. are all the same stuff, being pumped out of factories in China. Someone needs to start up an online store called 'FoamKing' and get it to us through a few dozen less middle men! Unfortunately in the meantime you'll have to make friends with some arty people and see what deals they can do you. The cheapest I've found outside the sale mentioned above is about $7 a sheet (shipped) from a Sydney based online shop, but you have to buy about 20 sheets to get it to that price.

In the meantime, unless you're desperate to make these scratchbuilt planes (and the Funbat is a cracking plane FYI), I'd just get airframes off places like Leader Hobby or Hobbyking. They're lighter, cheaper and better quality than pretty much anything you can make yourself. Don't get me wrong, scratch building is a lot of fun and quite rewarding, but until us Aussies can find a cheaper source of foam it doesn't tick the cheap box (yet)
 

jd7792

Senior Member
Thanks for the reply "LM",

There is a company over here in WA that sells Depron sheets. The company is called, wait for it..... Yes its called "Foamsales"...Go figure! Anyway they sell the 6mm sheet in a 1000mm x 700mm white sheet for $20 a sheet. The company is only a short drive from where I live, but I thought that seemed expensive when most builds seem to need more than just one sheet??? I got the impression that it should be a lot cheaper from reading various forums. But I guess, from your comments, that it must only be cheaper in the States and around Asia. I agree that there should be a company selling it cheaper here, which is why I posted the above query. I have a Sky Surfer which I bought from the US on line, in fact it's the second one I've bought as the first one had a very strong misunderstanding with the ground on its first day of flight and was so badly smashed that I just ordered a second body and transferred the electronics over. I just think that the building side of the hobby would be a really rewarding aspect.

Now that you have advised that the two foams are in fact the same thing, I'll hunt around some more and see what else I can find. If I have any luck I'll be sure to let you know.
Thanks again for your help.
JD
 

jd7792

Senior Member
Thanks heaps for that it has given me a few ideas to follow up on. If I have any luck I will be sure to let you know.

Have you ever bought anything from Hobby King in Australia? If so did you find costs to be comparative to buying from USA?

All the best
 

lobstermash

Propaganda machine
Mentor
The Australian Hobbyking warehouse is much cheaper than the US warehouse because of shipping (<2kg is $8.99 and >2kg is $13.99). Shipping typically only takes 2-3 days from ordering to delivery. The International (Hong Kong) warehouse can be pretty cost effective for lighter items too, but delivery takes patience (7 working days for non-battery orders from the main warehouse, 10 working days for JIT items and about 14 working days for batteries).
 

jd7792

Senior Member
Well sorry to say that the ideas that you gave me lead me down a very long lonely garden path. I was hoping to give you some good news but it may have to be a case of just buying the stuff off Ebay, I notice that you can buy bundle packs reasonably cheap. If I lived on your side of the country I would suggest a buddy buy up and split it down the centre, but once again thats a problem being all the way over here in the west.

I couldn't believe it when I went to Clark Rubber and they had never even heard of Depron or Dollar Tree.

Anyway keep me in mind if any other ideas come to life.

Regards

JD
 

bmsweb

Site Moderator
I couldn't believe it when I went to Clark Rubber and they had never even heard of Depron or Dollar Tree.

Ha ha . . . I know the feeling. I had that problem a few years ago and it drove me nuts. In the end I purchased both 3mm and 6mm Depron from one of the Hobby Shops here in Melbourne . . I think the 6mm will $18 per sheet.

I'm in Melbourne BTW

Cheers
Paul
 

lobstermash

Propaganda machine
Mentor
$18??? Ouch. Try an art or picture framing store and you should be able pick it up for around $10-12 for an A1 sheet (6mm).
 

Non Action Man

Nose Landing Specialist
the only place that seems to sell it in SA is a under floor heating place. I got some 6mm there for $20 a sheet, the price comes down a fair bit if you buy it by the box. Thats what our RC club does, and I think its like $12 a sheet then.
 

jd7792

Senior Member
Hi Guys,

Well it took a lot of work, not just type and find, more like a criptic game of find the treasure!
But I have finally found a place here in Perth that will sell Depron foam at a reasonable price, and Lobstermash my friend they will post aroun d Australia!
6mm 1000 x 700 (Wht) - Single sheet $15ea, 10 sheets $10ea and 20 sheets $9ea. As I am in WA and happy to pick up I didn't get the postage rates, but tghe fella I spoke to implied it was dirt cheap saying he could post it to me if I wanted.
The company is Trade Warehouse Direct P/L Unit 28 Inspiration Business Park, 9 Vision Street Wangara 6065 Ph: 1800302511.

It still isn't as good as our luck US brothers can get but from what I have found it is about as good as we can get here in Aus.
 

jd7792

Senior Member
Their webpage is:-


tradewarehousedirectpl.wangara.homeone.com.au/

I spoke to a bloke there "Dave" only a couple of hours ago and first impressions were, can't wait to buy from him, seems like a genuine kind of guy.
 

Matty

Junior Member
Hey Folks,

I came to the same website through another website depron-australia.com

I can't see the 100x700@$15, it seems like they only sell the half size version for that price and advertise the 100x700 for $225 at 20 sheets. Price seems ok, a good deal for a club.
 

pagedm

Junior Member
I found the foam board (paper each side of white foam) at OfficeWorks, it is the same as what Flitetest buy from the Dollar Tree outlet. Only problem is, as you guys have said so far it seems a bit expensive at $10.50 for a 700x550mm sheet.
I will keep searching but as a previous postet suggests it's almost just as cheap to buy an EPO plane from HK :eek:

A cheapo store chain in Sydney called Hot Dollar carry a lot of art and craft stuff so they might be worth a try, also Lincraft and Spotlight might be worth a try also, will let you know if I find anything.
 
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pagedm

Junior Member
I found cheaper foam board at an art supplies store call Riot Arts & Crafts, they have quite a few stores around Australia, http://riotstores.com.au/location

They have 594 x 841mm (A1 size) for $9.99 and 800 x 1000mm for $14.99

Not a lot cheaper than OfficeWorks but certainly better value with bigger sheets
 

robschonk

Senior Member
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