You're right, Frank, I never would have guessed cedar. Great tip, though.
Thanks to everyone who replied.
- Doug
-------------- Original message --------------
From: Frank Pittelli <[email protected]>
>
> Doug Conn wrote:
> > Oh ! I see now. Ron, is this what you were describing, too ? Sorry, I
> > misunderstood. I guess it would be like this, then, where I sand away
> > the blue areas
>
> Yes, grasshopper - the pebble is getting closer.
>
> > What material is a good choice ? I don’t think foam would work for
> > vacuforming. Even I use fiberglass, I’d like a mold that survives more
> > than one use.
>
> By far, the best choice is .... wait for it .... you'd never guess it on
> your own .... but the winner .... and all around best choice is:
>
> Cedar Fence Boards
>
> Cedar is relatively cheap, cuts and sand easily, the dust does not fly
> in the air (it actually freshens the air in the workshop) and accepts
> any filler and sealer you want to use. Cedar is very light when
> compared to other common woods and it forms a very smooth surface when
> sanded, even across the grain. Unlike balsa (which is also much more
> expensive), the sawdust drops to the floor instead of floating in the
> air. In fact, if you sweep up the sawdust and put it in a plastic
> container, you can mix it into any resin as a thickening agent to make a
> nice sandable putty (it's called "wood flour" when used like that). So,
> after shaping the plug, you mix some epoxy or polyester resin, throw in
> enough cedar dust to make a "mayonnaise" consistency and then smear that
> over the surface. When dried, you can sand that just like wood filler
> and finish the surface as smooth as you want.
>
> I've personally made two large scale sailboats using cedar:
>
> http://www.pittelli.com/schooner/photos/ships/Frank/Wasa/
>
> http://www.pittelli.com/schooner/photos/ships/Frank/Junk/
>
> and I've found it to be the best softwood to work with for
> non-structural components. (Popular is my favorite choice when a
> hardwood is needed for strength or durability.)
>
> Styrofoam is a workshop nightmare, especially in the winter when static
> electricity will cause it to stick to everything. Unless you have the
> right tools, it is harder to work with than wood and less forgiving. You
> cannot make a sharp angle or detail in styrofoam like you can in wood.
> Worst, when you push on it, it compresses and then rebounds, making it
> very difficult to get a smooth contour. We (not just me) tried using it
> for numerous large scale boat molds in the early warship days, learning
> with each bad project that wood was the proper plug-making material.
>
> Frank P.
>
> >
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