Mark Sawyer
3-Aug-2004, 20:47
I was making a batch of lensboards a few weeks ago, and was searching for what material would be best. Hmmm, what would be available, fairly cheap, durable, good-looking, easily workable with woodworking tools, and wouldn't warp with humidity changes?
I searched the forum here, and found some okay suggestions, like plywood (though it splinters easily) and masonity (though it flakes apart sometimes). I was at a freind's house and asked him about it, but he had no better suggestions. But I looked down, and noticed he had a pretty nice hardwood floor. AHA!!!
To make a long story short (oops, too late), if you're looking to make lensboard, go find some nice hardwood flooring. There are a bunch of styles available everywhere from Home Depot to little mom'n'pop flooring stores, in everything from real finished hardwoods to synthetic laminates like Pergo (which I went with). They're designed not to warp, tough enough to walk on (!!!), and most of the ones I looked at were about the right thickness. I'm quite happy with my Pergo lensboards; not real wood, but real tough and look pretty good. (I went with a dark cherry finish to match my old 2D.) If you're hardcore, go with a real hardwood flooring. Too good a discovery to keep to myself.
I searched the forum here, and found some okay suggestions, like plywood (though it splinters easily) and masonity (though it flakes apart sometimes). I was at a freind's house and asked him about it, but he had no better suggestions. But I looked down, and noticed he had a pretty nice hardwood floor. AHA!!!
To make a long story short (oops, too late), if you're looking to make lensboard, go find some nice hardwood flooring. There are a bunch of styles available everywhere from Home Depot to little mom'n'pop flooring stores, in everything from real finished hardwoods to synthetic laminates like Pergo (which I went with). They're designed not to warp, tough enough to walk on (!!!), and most of the ones I looked at were about the right thickness. I'm quite happy with my Pergo lensboards; not real wood, but real tough and look pretty good. (I went with a dark cherry finish to match my old 2D.) If you're hardcore, go with a real hardwood flooring. Too good a discovery to keep to myself.