Lightest, Cheapest, Fastest To Assemble Panels?

[Saqa]

Old topic but just a thought that might do the trick for someone else maybe :/ How about the plastic board (cardboard corrugated types) that the sign writers and real estate mobs use?
Wont that stuff make quick and light partitions?

 

[PAR]

Yes, it will, but little sticks to it. In fact, I have several pieces around that I use to mix up thickened epoxy on, knowing I can pop off any cured remaining goo. These boards aren't load bearing and are simply melted down recycled milk jugs (and other stuff), extruded into this corrugated product. It could be used in a rabbit or track type of attachment system, but typically it needs to be mechanically fastened and these don't hold well.

 

[Mikeemc]

I'd just get two old sheets of glass or mirror , like for free on Craigslist. Wax real good lay up some resin (pint) get some cloth fiberglass or what have you, lay it up , press the glass sheets together , let it set , split and there's your panel. Make it any color or design . Cheap and dirty , but looks good. Make it as thick as you like , put the door skin in the middle and it's sealed and finished at the same time. I like Piggy Wiggly bags in mine please .

 

[UNCIVILIZED]

A decent enough "jig" for making cabinetry "panels" can be assembled from 2 sheets of (smooth type) formica covered particle board or plywood, joined at a 90 degree angle, with a smoothed fillet at the joint. Cover said fillet (cove) with clear plastic packing tape needs be. Then wax up the panels, & you can use it to laminate most of the cabinetry & furniture panels found on interior boat joinery. Using whatever you like as core.

Or, if you want to get fancy, use some MDO with Platen Molded glass skins onto it instead. Along with the appropriate degree of stiffeners on the backsides of your MDO panels so that they don't shift shape at all if/when their moisture levels change. Though this is less of a problem with MDO than a lot of other panel materials.

 

[WindRaf]

 

[Saqa]

I have a few non structural partitions to make up to wall off lockers, heads and make stateroom doors.

Ant tips on the lightest weight, cheapest and easiest/fastest assembling material to use for this? A good surface is required. This is the interior.

Yes, it will, but little sticks to it. In fact, I have several pieces around that I use to mix up thickened epoxy on, knowing I can pop off any cured remaining goo. These boards aren't load bearing and are simply melted down recycled milk jugs (and other stuff), extruded into this corrugated product. It could be used in a rabbit or track type of attachment system, but typically it needs to be mechanically fastened and these don't hold well.

Par, I would never claim to be an authority on anything boat building, I just haven't been around boat building as long as you guys. But I do like to make things over buying premade things and my location places a lot of resource limitations so working around things has become a habit

That is why I wouldn't dismiss the suggestion of the sign board off hand as an option that hints at matching the needs without expanding some mental energy on working around some drawbacks that are immediately obvious to you

Requested in original post:

1- Non structural partitions; The sign board material is non load bearing as you pointed out. Does it need to be load bearing to be used as non structural partitions?

Would two panels back to back with the corrugations cross aligned like ply increase structural performance? Double sided self adhesive tape seems to hold the material snug to each other quite well as doesn't loose tack when out of the light. Hot melt glues work really well on it too

2 - Light weight; The material is lighter then similar thickness ply

3 - Cheap? It is cheaper then cheap ply

4 - Easy fast assembly? If you can set up to use it then its quite easy and fast. Hot glue ( not the cheap $1shop stuff) or double sided tape to laminate together to the thickness or strength you need. It does come in various thickness with the common one being 4mm

To attach a partition to a wall or similar. Best is to use two sheets stuck together. Cut it with 45 degree bevel/mitre edges. Stick sheets together so the edges have a groove like a'v'. The vee will become a pocket for glue. You can use thick epoxy goo or even cheaper use purbond. These don't really attach to the plastic but they push inside the open corrugations in the vee groove to form a lock when cured. Purbond works great as it expands when curing. That glue bond to the boat and lock to the board gives usable strength over the length of the board edge. The only not so easy part is cutting mitre edges if you not setup for it

It is also easy to make a crate core with it if you setup for cutting. The same material can be used as skin over the core with hot glue

5 - Good surface? Its already a washable smooth surface that doesn't require finish and can be had in a number of colors too. Adhesive backed vinyl sticks to it with awesome bond even when used outdoors. When more money is available get some really cool teak or whatever prints done at your local sign writers or just get some wood look vinyl from the hardware

Is it a material to be dismissed for the use requested? Expanding thought doesn't really cost much and just might help someone out there

 

[PAR]

Corrugated plastic sheeting is about the same as cheap plywood in cost. I don't dismiss this stuff, though I have a good bit of experience with it and it's smooth, but broken up with grain long extrusion lines, every 1/4" or so. It washes well, but stains easily. It also dents and kinks with very modest impact or pressure. Some adhesives work on it, like cyanoacrylate and PVA's. It also expands quite a bit with temperature variations. I've used it as a release barrier in molds and laminates. In this application it could be made to work with fairly closely spaced reinforcements or supports. This thread has several possable options in regard to light, cheap panels.

 

[Saqa]

Fair enough, maybe there are different grades amongst various brands. The stuff I have used for shop fitting at exhibitions and trade shows seem quite durable. Drywall fasteners can be used for handing frames and such and can take some good weights. That was many years ago though so I am not sure but I think its a plastic board called corflute. Used to be about $6 a sheet. Sandstone texture satin vinyl on it worked a treat

 

[PAR]

If I could get it for $6 a sheet, I'd use more of it, but the only supplier, where I can get full 4x8 sheets has a minimum purchase requirement, which means I'll have a life time supply. I think there's more than enough options offered in this thread to get something done fairly light and fairly cheap.

 

[DennisRB]

A mate (who rarely posts here) is building a 40' infused foam and epoxy cat. He has been using BALSA plywood for non structural panels. Its exactly the same to work with as regular ply but much lighter and stiffer (as you can go a little thicker) while still being much lighter. I believe the outer layer is a hard wood for minimal weight gain but extra strength and surface durability. Not sure on the cost, I assume its a little more expensive than regular ply. I plan on re doing some of the panels on my boat in it.

Windraf posted a pic of what looks like end grain balsa with 3mm ply skins. That would be overkill and expensive probably for things like draws and doors etc. Would be super stiff though.

 

[PAR]

Balsa is an option, though the initial OP's requirements include cost and assembly ease. I think if a panel needs to be made up, laminated, maybe requires some veneers too, the costs and assembly ease rise dramatically. Maybe cheap big box foam with a PVC sheet glued to it's faces or possibly home cut veneers, but again the assembly thing rises up again. Maybe making a big mold with a faux wood grain in the bottom and pouring in two part polyurethane, which when cured will pickup the wood grain look. Simply cut, install and paint. there's a lot of options and the clever boat builder will usually find a way around these types of "problems", which are indicative of boat building in general. A boat builder has to be an inventive, creative SOB, mostly because they're too cheap to buy the good stuff

 

[DennisRB]

Seems to me the balsa plywood would be almost exactly the same to work with as regular ply? I could not find the supplier online. I will have to ask where he got it and what it costs, though I remember the price was reasonable when he told me. I am talking about a pre made product here. No laminating it all together.

 

[PAR]

Baltek panels are common here, though there are other suppliers, I've found they rival foam cores and pre-finished NidaCore panels and several times the cost of plywood. The last time I priced these panels, I figured it would be cheaper to make them up myself (by a large margin). I can get the balsa on 48"x24" panels for about $3.50 a sq. ft., though this isn't cheap either. I can get 4'x8' sheets of NidaCore for about $100 (3/4"), but it'll need a laminate on each side. With all our inventiveness, plywood is still tough to beat, when everything is considered.

 

[DennisRB]

That price difference is bigger than I thought. Our plywood is not exactly cheap here though either. I found a few large 20mm MDF shelves and a MDF book case on my boat. That stuff weighs a lot. I think it will be worth the cost just to make life easy. I am also fascinated with the concept of laminating higher density XPS, but that is a lot of work and would not exactly be cheap either.

 

[waikikin]

That price difference is bigger than I thought. Our plywood is not exactly cheap here though either. I found a few large 20mm MDF shelves and a MDF book case on my boat. That stuff weighs a lot. I think it will be worth the cost just to make life easy. I am also fascinated with the concept of laminating higher density XPS, but that is a lot of work and would not exactly be cheap either.

Dennis,
You gotta get rid of that book case...... books are heavy!
6mm ply can be good in lots of spots for minimum effort & really not so heavy for the odd shelf with a fiddle/stiffener along the front.

Jeff.