We have started using Star Board for some projects. It's about 2-3X the cost of cabinet plywood, but needs no laminate treatment to look and hold up well, even in sunlight and weather.
Star Board is a plastic sheet material that's available in many colors and thicknesses, with a very finely textured surface, almost like a sand blasted surface. It saws and machines much like wood. Routing it goes well if you take light cuts, but when making dovetail joints or deeper cuts it seems to be very grabby, sometimes pulling the router bit into it very suddenly, almost like what happens when you climb cut but this happens when routing in the proper direction. Considerable caution needs to be taken when using a router freehand with it. Gluing it is difficult. So far, the only glue that seems to work well for us is 2 part epoxy, but pocket screws and wood screws hold very well in it. The finished exhibits that we have made using it are holding up very well to some fairly rough treatment, much better than cabinet birch with laminate surface treatment. It's sometimes amazing, the amount of damage that a 3-12 year old child can do, even when they aren't trying to cause damage.
I was just wondering if anyone else has had any experience working with Star Board.
Attached are three views of an oceanographic submarine exhibit that was recently built for a children's science museum using Star Board for almost the entire build. The sub is not designed go under water, even though the Star Board would hold up well in water.
Charley
Star Board is a plastic sheet material that's available in many colors and thicknesses, with a very finely textured surface, almost like a sand blasted surface. It saws and machines much like wood. Routing it goes well if you take light cuts, but when making dovetail joints or deeper cuts it seems to be very grabby, sometimes pulling the router bit into it very suddenly, almost like what happens when you climb cut but this happens when routing in the proper direction. Considerable caution needs to be taken when using a router freehand with it. Gluing it is difficult. So far, the only glue that seems to work well for us is 2 part epoxy, but pocket screws and wood screws hold very well in it. The finished exhibits that we have made using it are holding up very well to some fairly rough treatment, much better than cabinet birch with laminate surface treatment. It's sometimes amazing, the amount of damage that a 3-12 year old child can do, even when they aren't trying to cause damage.
I was just wondering if anyone else has had any experience working with Star Board.
Attached are three views of an oceanographic submarine exhibit that was recently built for a children's science museum using Star Board for almost the entire build. The sub is not designed go under water, even though the Star Board would hold up well in water.
Charley