Plastic cutting boards

[Leather Man]

Those of you that use the plastic cutting boards for casting molds, is it necessary to remove the texture from the boards? If so how do you do it?
Thanks
Ben

 

[BigShed]

Those of you that use the plastic cutting boards for casting molds, is it necessary to remove the texture from the boards? If so how do you do it?
Thanks
Ben

I haven't removed the fine texture from mine, all that happens is that your blanks have a fine texture on the outside that gets turned off anyway.

 

[PenAffair]

Yep same here, comes out fine, although I do need to do a little banging on my first mould, as I think I angled the sides in a little

Russell.

 

[ElMostro]

You don't HAVE to remove it but I do and it makes the Alumilite release easier. I carefully run the pieces through my jointer before I cut them to size and take a very, very light cut.
EUgene

 

[workinforwood]

Melamine works great too, and is much cheaper. You do need to wax it with some paste wax..alumilite sticks to it, although not fiercely, it will beat off if un-waxed, less work if you do wax it.

 

[jskeen]

I use the bottom of a lone star 12 pack. it's almost exactly wide enough to get 6 blanks out of, and you just cut it 2 inches longer than you want your blanks, then fold up and tape one inch on each side. Reinforce the corners with some tape and pour away. After it sets up you can pretty easily peel the paper off, as the plastic coating on the beer carton makes it impermeable to the resin. Or, just do like I do and run it through the bandsaw paper and all, then mount it on the lathe and turn the paper off.

I guess soda boxes would work as well, but then, I don't drink soda

 

[dogcatcher]

Soda cases work better for casting concrete stepping stones! Throw a few leaves in before pouring and they add neat texture.

Marvin