what to use for giant "cork" board?

[Eli the Bearded]

My daughter wants a giant pin board. There are online "tutorials" on how to make one with sheet foam insulation covered in cloth. That's the sort of design she would want. I'd rather not buy the styrofoam sheets, as I'm not keen on the foam mess from them. And since it won't show, real cork seems like an expensive way to go.

I have seen a compressed paper pulp product, like particle board but softer, and colored like newprint, used for this sort of thing in the past. I just don't know what it is called or who sells it.

Searching online I found a UK product called Sunseala that seems very similar. It does not seem to be available in California. Lowes and Home Depot have plenty of sheet styrofoam and MDF but I don't see that paper-pulpy stuff.

Looking to cover about 7' x 7' with whatever I use. What's the product I should look for?

Elijah

------ recently spackled a lot of holes and repainted

[Spalted Walt]

Perhaps Homasote? (sound-proofing board)

[Sonny]

Hows about plain cardboard (double ply), attached to 1/4" luan. Large she ets can be had, for free, from furniture or appliance stores. Smear a lit tle glue between the sheets and tape them (edges butted) against one anothe r. Cover with fabric and frame. If/when the cardboard becomes too perfo rated (similarly as the styrofoam mess?), and that should take a good while , simply replace with new.

For more support, you could apply thin (Muslin! Usually about $1 a yard) f abric on top of the cardboard and finish with a few coats of BLO (or lacque r or shellac), i.e., that's what "oilcloth" is, then apply your finish fabr ic (after the oilcloth dries). The oilcloth topping/sealant will be less likely to break down, as the plain cardboard/styrofoam may. You could eve n apply the oilcloth between the cardboard plies, rather than on top.

Check with your local school district, see if they will be replacing chalk/ pin boards anytime soon.... salvage the old ones.

More info for your daughter's consideration: Just a thought.... No matter what product/backing you use for the pin board, plan your finish fabric topping, in that, you are not likely to find a 7' wide piece of fabr ic without a sewn seam. Plan your design to make the seam (or seams) part of the design, as best you can, otherwise the seam(s) may be unsightly. Maybe apply a gimp trim, to cover up any unsightly seams, if need be. The n again, maybe a seam won't matter, at all.

Sonny

[J. Clarke]

Spalted Walt suggested Homasote--that's my first thought as well. If you can't find that, another option might be acoustic ceiling tiles.

[DerbyDad03]

Have you looked at Dow Foil Backed Tuff-R insulation boards?

You used the term "styrofoam sheets" but that could cover lots of different materials, if used generically. The foil backed Tuff-R is made with closed cell "High-performance polyisocyanurate foam core"

I made an attic pull-down stair insulation box from the 2" foil backed Tuff-R insulation and it is some pretty sturdy stuff. Take some push-pins to the home center to see how well they hold.

If it's going to be covered with fabric, it might be the way to go.

[Eli the Bearded]

That's the stuff, thanks. And sound-proofing will be a nice extra, even if it's not for the whole wall.

Discount Builder's Supply "will special order", and I like them. Good local non-chain option.

Elijah

------ suspects shipping from a Menards would not be cheap

[pyotr filipivich]

J. Clarke on Mon, 27 Nov 2017 22:25:32

-0500 typed in rec.woodworking the following:

I made a lot of panels using that stuff. Of course, it was part of the job, but - acoustic / ceiling tile material can be gotten in large sheets.

[Eli the Bearded]

That is an option I had not considered. I was vaguely thinking foamboard (used in art projects), but cardboard would be cheaper. Now that I know what the stuff is called (Spalted: "Homasote"), I won't need to go to that length.

Already have a chalk board from when they went to white boards. I don't think the bulletin boards ever get replaced.

This is the easiest part.

A) I already have[*] bolts of thin fabric wide enough. B) I already have[*] bolts of very stretchy fabric in 5' widths. C) Both my daughter and wife own their own sewing machines and can handle making a seam look intentional. D) Whatever method gets picked, my daughter will do it herself. (That's the real reason it's easy.)

[*] I have in the sense that my wife has it in her unused fabric stockpile. My wife designs sewing patterns, and my daughter is learning costuming (theatre tech). She was just complaining to me today about people unable to correctly cut a 6' wide curtain remembering the extra needed for hemming.

Elijah

------ thanks to Burning Man people, San Francisco has great bulk fabric options

[Puckdropper]

Eli the Bearded wrote in news:eli$ [e-mail]:

If you can't find Homasote, ask a model railroad shop or club in your area. Homasote is often used for model railroads; model railoaders like how it takes and holds track spikes and nails.

Puckdropper

[John McGaw]

Search some more. This popped up when I googled for "homasote", an old-school sheathing material. I'd imagine Lowes has the equivalent.

[John McGaw]

That was my first experience with the stuff -- back in the late 1950s when my father built a platform for my train stuff. It was also popular because, when used with the big 'O' gauge trains, it dampened the noise quite effectively -- plywood would have just been a big sounding board.

[notbob]

Lee Valley sells something they call "Tree Leather". Kinda sounds like it might be what yer looking for.

That 'compressed paper' stuff is NOT new.

I bought a pair of saddle bags fer my Harley Sporster, way back in the

90s, mainly cuz they were so cheap. Turns out the reason fer the low price was, they were made of some kinda compressed paper, not 'latigo' leather, like I originally thought.

Those bags, despite losing a coupla' cheapo paper 'straps', lasted way longer than I expected. I eventually sold the bike (about 10 yrs later) WITH those same bags (yes, I informed the new owner). Those waaaay cheapo "paper" bags were oil/gas soaked (iron-head Sporster) and scuffed/scrapped, but still did their intended job and held their original shape. I was forever amazed! ;)

nb

[Steve]

Homasote's great for backing up dartboards, too-- nice give, easy to find, cheaper and generally thicker than cork, and won't ruin your steel tips.

[Electric Comet]

why not just cork squares over thin ply

the foam insulation is lighter of course

not sure what homasote is made of but some of the backings are not bug proof

that is to say moths and other things will settle on it