If coated with a waterproof sealant, could Lauan plywood sheeting be used for mods on a car ?
A 4 foot by 8 foot sheet weighs in at just a few pounds, is fairly flexible, and can be cut with a box cutter - and costs less than $15.
( The main issue i would think of would be warping. )
I'm trying to think of the most eco-friendly way to skin a frame.
Aluminum can be recycled yes, but there is still the pollution from mining and manufacture of the product.
Fiberglass is a no-no, and I haven't been able to find any aluminum sheeting online that is already recycled. Besides, it's too expensive !
I used to have access to loads of free used Coroplast, but that is no more. :-(
Getting back to the Lauan sheeting, I found out more about where this stuff used to originate from. Lauan plywood is from the rainforest of the Philippines, and until the Eco groups got tough with places like Lowes' and Home Depot, most of this stuff was coming from these areas.
Not Eco-Friendly and just the opposite of what we need !
Now that they have been sued, Lowes is now carrying Lauan sheeting that " Contains no tropical hardwoods " and is " Plantation & Sustainable Wood Source " from Patriot Timber.
What i find truly ironic is that it originates from China despite the " Patriot " name and the prominent American patriot logo.
So Aerohead, please feel free to advise me on whether this stuff can be used for something that has a lot of complex curves. I know you did your bumper in wood and got fantastic results, and i was wondering if this stuff could be used on something such as a boat-tail if installed in sections. How can you be sure that it does not warp ?
My car is dead now, so no boat-tail for me, but I'm just daydreaming here.
BTW, for the artists out there, this stuff is excellent to paint onto. A 4' x 8' canvas would cost hundreds unless you made it yourself, so you can save tons of money over the long run. I have a 4' x 8' sheet of the stuff just waiting to be painted on, and at $ 15 a sheet, there isn't that pressure to create a masterpiece because the canvas is so expensive !