Ive been reading in the magazine about scratchbuilt details made from styrene, what is styrene and where can i get it?
Styrene is what plastic models are made of. The styrene in kits are molded to a particular shape, while bulk styrene is analogous to dimension lumber and plywood available at DYI stores.
You can buy sheets, rod, tubes and other extruded shapes, as well as a plethora of surfaces like corrugate, board and batten, sidewalk and square tile. It is also available in white, black and clear.
Check out Evergreen, to see what is available.
Is there any place i can get it without having to order it?
Check your local hobby and art supply stores. Otherwise, you’ll have to order online.
If you head on over to the sign department in your local hardware store you should be able to find some pre-printed ‘No Trespassing’, ‘No Parking’, etc done up on sheet polystyrene.
Yup, the same stuff as sold in Evergreen, Plastruct, or the plastic distributor.
Picked up a couple of 8.5 x 11 (+/-) No Tresspassing signs at the local Lowes for about a buck each. The stock thickness is about 0,028 inches according to the caliper – or close enough to 0.030 sheet goods sold by Evergreen to be interchangeable
Find a plastics distributor in your area. You can get styrene in a variety of thicknesses and shapes for a lot cheaper than the hobbyist brands like Plastruct, Evergreen, etc.