Ren board is about $10 a board foot, and comes 2 to 4 inches thick and 16
or 20" wide by 5 feet long. We use it every day at work. Ren 450 is about
45 lbs per sq. ft. I carved all the gingerbread around my victorian home,
and after 10 years I saw no paint coming off. I used the small cutoffs that
we throw out because it" just too exspensive. but the lighter stuf is
proporthionally cheaper. They make 20# and 12#, but the 12# is just too
soft and porous. Dan
Rick Cook wrote in message
.net...
Andrew Werby wrote:
"Rick Cook" wrote in message
ink.net...

Has anyone carved this stuff? I ran across a sign-maker on the web who
uses it extensively for hand-carved outdoor signs.

See:



http://www.danthoniadesigns.com/dd/u...?source=LeftMe
nu

It looks like it would be cheaper and more stable than wood outdoors and
they're working it with hand tools.

--RC


[There are quite a few varieties of high-density urethane; some are quite
expensive, like Renshape from Ciba. They do carve easily, but I'm not
sure
about long-term exposure outdoors. If you know of a source that's cheaper
than the common softwood species, please post it here. This material is
favored for CNC carving, since it's grainless and cuts cleanly; I could
use
some myself...]

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com


When I said cheaper than wood, I meant hardwood. I don't normally carve
softwoods, even for signs.

Since I live in a tree-deprived area I pay about $5 a bf for carving stock.

How much is the stuff you're familiar with?

--RC

--RC