Green is More than Just a Color…

Certified Green and non-toxicAt Coastal Enterprises, green is more than just a color. It’s a vigorous nod toward Earth’s future. As part of an ongoing commitment to environmental health, Precision Board Plus HDU is formulated with eco-friendly, “Green” urethane components, making it Certified Green and Non-Toxic.

Because of this formulation, Precision Board has achieved a certified “Carbon Balance” of 3 to 1 and a “Rapidly Renewable Resource Content” of 23.9%.

This major environmental improvement has also allowed a tighter cell structure which results in more chips and less dust when cutting and machining.

At a Glance Green Facts:

  • Non-Toxic
  • Certified Green
  • Carbon Balance of 3:1
  • More Chips and Less Dust
  • Rapidly Renewable Resource Content of 23.9%

What Does This Mean For Me?

Chips and dust from Precision Board are not harmful to employees working with the material.  We are asked this question a lot by shop foremen and female employees (who plan on getting pregnant).  Precision Board has been tested by an outside lab per the ‘Chronic Health Hazard Requirements’ of ASTM D-4236 and found to be “not hazardous or toxic.” It is also considered not hazardous by the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910, 1200).  More information is available on our Safety Data Sheet (SDS).

Precision Board is formulated with 23.9% Rapidly Renewable Resource Content.  The USGBC defines this as “building materials and products [made] from plants that are typically harvested within a 10-year or shorter cycle.”  Coastal Enterprises shares their goal of reducing “the use and depletion of finite raw materials and long-cycle renewable materials by replacing them with rapidly renewable materials.”

Meeting Green Building Standards

Precision Board Plus also assists in meeting LEED requirements for obtaining USGBC and ICC 700-2008 building credits.

LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community is built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environment quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy & Environmental Designs”.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

The ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard™ is an ANSI-approved consensus standard that provides criteria for rating the environmental performance of residential buildings including detached and attached single-family, multi-unit and renovation projects. It was developed as a partnership between the National Association of Home Builders and the International Code Council.

Ready to Try Precision Board Plus HDU?

You can request a sample, get a quote or call our experienced technical staff at 800-845-0745.  Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to get a monthly blog roundup packed with tips, tricks and info on Precision Board.

Cloud Buster – Part one

This was a very fun project for a new ride at a local theme park. It’s a drop tower and we proposed the name Cloud Buster. All of the other rides feature a cartoon character and for this one we came up with the idea of a porcupine shooting his shotgun at the clouds. The porcupine’s name is Buster. I did a quick sketch to clarify the ideas in my head and to also establish the typestyle we would use on the sign. This quick scribble was about 6″ tall and only took a few minutes.

I imported the quick sketch into EnRoute and used it as a template to create the lettering vectors.
I then took a screen capture and used that as a template to do the illustration which I would use for presentation to our client.

When I was ready to proceed with the sign (later that afternoon) I opened the vector file in EnRoute once again and created the outlines for the sign. But before we could go further the design needed a little tweaking.


I’ve marked the problem areas on the screen capture below. I wanted to eliminate the ‘windows in the background layer of the sign. These were in the ‘U’s”   There was a large negative space between the ‘L’ in cloud and ‘T’ in Buster. This was easily fixed by lengthening the bottom stroke of the ‘L’ a little and stretching out the top stroke of the ‘T’.  I also stretched out the bottom stroke of the ‘E just a little and eliminated the narrow lines between the ‘E’ & the ‘T’.
Once everything was adjusted or eliminated I was ready to proceed once more.
The porcupine character was a simple egg shape which was scaled to suit the size of the letters. Once I was happy I made sure the size of the sign was correct. In this case I wanted it to fit on half a sheet of Precision board and it turned out to be just under 40″ wide.
We started by selecting the lowest border layer of the sign and creating a flat relief that was half an inch thick. I then hit render to make sure I had the result I was looking for.
This base relief was then modified by selecting the original relief and the next layer vectors of the lettering outline. I typed in a height of 0.3″ and then hit apply. I again hit render to make sure I had achieved the result I was looking for.


I then selected the base relief and the lettering to modify the base relief once more. I again entered a value of 0.3″ and hit apply. Once again I did a render to make sure I achieved the result I was hoping for.

I wanted a slight texture on the letters. To do this I imported a bitmap called ‘splotches’ from my original TEXTURE MAGIC collection. This was positioned over the relief and then I selected the bitmap, the base relief and the lettering vectors. The APPLY bitmap icon lit up and I opened the application. I then entered a value of 0.2″   The thing to remember is that whites will raise this amount, blacks will do nothing and greys will do something in-between depending on their light value. 
I also used the dome tool to add dimension to the egg relief as a separate relief. Once again I did a render to make sure I had achieved the effect I was looking for.
At this point I wanted to dome the lettering. To do this I selected the base relief AND the oval vector I had drawn around the sign. Using the dome tool I entered a value in the ANGLE box. In this case it was 8 degrees of angle. The oval and this angle value determine how much the dome will rise.
The top view of a render won’t give you enough visual information for this operation. You need to check the from t elevation to really see how much things have domed up. I knew I was close because I have used this command many times. Things looked pretty good although I did tweak it a teeny bit to fit within the material.

As a last step I combined the two reliefs.  I then duplicated the relief. I used the delete relief tool to make this a vector once more. This would be a second piece which I would route for the back of the sign. I created a vector shape which I would hog out to accept the structural steel. The two small square boxes on the bottom of the upside down ‘T’ would be cutouts. I created a relief in these areas which effectively made a ‘T’ shaped hollow in the back piece. A welded steel frame would be inserted into this hollow space. Two legs of the sign would protrude out of the back of the sign for mounting.


I arranged the two pieces, flipping the back upside down to fit better in as small a space as possible. This was arranged to fit on a 4′ x 4′ x 2″ thick Precision Board. I then tool pathed the reliefs. The first pass was a 3/8″ ball nose bit with a 50% overlap. The second pass was a 1/8″ ball nose bit and an 80% overlap.
I also tool pathed an offset cut around the two pieces and inside the two little squares in the back of the sign.
Here’s a shot of the MultiCam starting the second pass with the 1/8″ ball nose router.
And here’s a shot of the two pieces fit together, fresh off the router. Something weird happened as it cut the sign as it did a cut line across the ‘T’ and ‘E’. I’m not sure what happened but no matter for it is easily repaired.
I cut and fit the steel 1″ square tubing and then tacked everything with the pieces of steel placed in the cuts of the back of the sign. I then carefully removed the assembly and welded it up solid. A quick blow of the air hose to get rid of the dust and debris and we were ready for gluing. We use Coastal Enterprises’ PB Bond 240…. a one part urethane glue. It’s a simple matter of spreading the glue, spritzing it with a fine mist to activate it and then dropping on the top piece. We like to use a mechanical bond as well so I screwed through the face of the sign using 2″ screws. These holes are easily patched later as we get ready for paint.
We then welded the sign to a temporary working stand using those back protruding tubes. This will be allowed to set up overnight. Tomorrow I’ll do a little quick carving and then do the sculpt of the porcupine figure. Stay tuned…

Published with permission from precisionboard.blogspot.com. Source.

Whoa, go, whistle and ring controls

Each evening and some time on weekends I sneak back out to the shop to work on my personal project – the little rail truck for the Persnickety and Doodle Railway. Progress has been rapid of late but there’s a whole lot of pieces to fabricate and then weld in place. Cables need to be hooked up and tested, fastened permanently in place and then adjusted to work perfectly.

There have been a LOT of pieces of sheet metal and plate to cut for this project. In the picture below there are more than seventy different plasma cut pieces of steel visible. There are hundreds more custom designed pieces in the vehicle. The MultiCam CNC plasma machine has been getting a good workout!

In the first shot below I have hooked up the throttle. It was the last of the controls to be done. In the picture the throttle is the lever nearest to the pickup box. The large ratcheted handle on the running board is the Johnson bar. This controls the variable speed transmission. Pushing the bar forward moves the truck in that direction and pulling it back reverses the vehicle. The top forward lever is the brake control, complete with ratchet and T handle. Pushing it forward activates the disc brake on the rear axle. If I leave the ratchet engaged it acts as a hand brake.

On the other side of the driver’s cab is the sidecar where my little passengers will ride. Between the cockpits are two noise levers which can be easily reached by either occupant. The rear handle operates the bell. Simply pushing and pulling it swivels the bell and the more vigorously it is pumped the louder and more frequent the noise. I suspect this is going to be very popular with the little ones. The forward lever is a little harder to reach (by design). Pulling it back controls the whistle lever and activates the antique brass whistle which is powered by compressed air. The five gallon compressed air tank resides under the truck seat. It is VERY LOUD! 

With the controls now all installed and functioning it is time to design, fabricate and install the brackets for the gauges and the whistle. Stay tuned…

Published with permission from precisionboard.blogspot.com. Source.

IAAPA EXPO trade show booth almost ready

We’ve had our trade show booth for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions EXPO in our show for a number of weeks now. Each time we have a few spare minutes we work on it. Our goal is to have it finished in plenty of time for the show – without having to burn the midnight oil or have to do a rush job getting ready. The show is too big an investment and far too important to do that.

Since my last post here on the blog we’ve done a lot of work. Many routing files have been prepared and we’ve routed two or three sheets worth is signs and display pieces for the booth. Lots of steel has been cut and welded into place as well. We added new wings to the booth to stretch it out to twenty feet wide. This will allow us more room to meet with those who drop by and show our work much better than the crowded booth we had last year.

Once the frames were all welded up we fastened on the plywood. Then the hundreds of faux rivets were glued on. Some 25th anniversary medallions were added to the structural steel centre posts.The holes in the centre portion were patched and then a coat of textured primer was applied. We opted for a slightly warmer blended background colour with lots of aging. 
It was out with the green and in with a metallic copper for this year. The bright copper colour was aged down with some faux green patina. The ship in the moon logo was repurposed to go in the centre this year. This mean reworking the mounting base and the building of a stand.
The dimensional lettering was routed from a full sheet of 2″ thick 40 lb Precision Board. It then got a coat of FSC-88 surface primer to add a subtle texture to the tops of the letters. We then applied there coats of each colour for extra deepens and durability.


Once the lettering was mounted to the display things really started to come together. Everything was looking pretty good but we had lots more to add to good effect.

As good as the lettering looked painted we knew it would jump ten times more if we added real 23K gold. And we were right. It added so much class to the booth. There is nothing like real gold. The textured, dimensional letters looked fabulous with the gilding.
Some old samples were given a fresh coat of bright coloured paint. This sample was first created about e

ight or nine years ago when I was learning ENRoute and the ins and outs of running the machine. Sporting it’s new colours it looks even better now!

The ogopogo submarine model also got a fresh coat of paint. 



New shelving was cut with the MultiCam plasma cutter and welded up. We still have a few details to finish up. I need to design and route a border for the cork board on the right side. On the left we’ll create some texture sample board which will go behind the viking ship. (brown paper marks the spot.) And in the centre panel we’ll mount a couple more small samples. Then we’ll go over the whole display from top to bottom and give it a good clean and touch up any small dings before we package it up and send it on the way to Florida. The trade show is coming fast!

Published with permission from precisionboard.blogspot.com. Source.

Ten Tips for Tooling with Precision Board

With its roots in Aerospace, Precision Board Tooling Board is specifically engineered to meet the demands of a broad range of tooling and tool making applications. Both PBLT Tooling Board (for low temperature applications up to 200 F) and PBHT Tooling Board (for high temperature applications up to 300 F), possess excellent machining characteristics and dimensional stability for tool making. To help maximize your use of Precision Board, here are ten tips for tooling.

1. Using the correct speed and feed settings for the density of Precision Board you will be machining is crucial. This will allow you to achieve optimum chip load. Having the proper chip load allows the cutting tool to move in and out of the material quicker, which will prolong the tool life and leave a smooth edge. Read our updated speeds and feeds blog for the latest information.  Be sure to also check out the excellent database LMT Onsrud has for choosing the right bit for the right material.

2. If using Precision Board in an oven or autoclave, ensure that temperature ramp up does not exceed 1˚F per minute. This will allow the temperature to be evenly absorbed during heat expansion, which will reduce the possibility of internal stress and warping.

Precision Board Tooling

3. When ramping down the temperature after autoclave or oven curing, temperature ramp down should not exceed 2˚F per minute. This will allow the tool temperature to drop slowly so contraction does not cause internal stress and cracking in the thinner sections of the tool. In thick tools with thin webs or sections, cool down should be even slower. Prior testing is always recommended before heat cycling on actual tool.

Precision Board Tooling

4. Instead of laminating thinner sheets together to form a large block, consider using a custom block. By providing a drawing to Coastal Enterprises, a custom-sized block will be made in the rough shape and size of your tool. This will allow you to purchase less material, eliminate assembly and reduce machining time.  You can get more details in our recent custom bonded blocks blog post.

Precision Board Tooling
5. Precision Board does not outgas. When a typical polyurethane tooling board is heated, it outgases, which releases byproducts that keep the composite laminate adhesive from curing. This will ruin the composite laminate and can damage the urethane tool.

Precision Board Tooling
6. For higher temperature applications, Coastal Enterprises offers Precision Board High Temp PBHT. PBHT is a “closed cell” rigid polyurethane tooling board made specifically for applications of up to 300˚F continuous exposure. PBHT is available in a wide range of sheet sizes up to 5′ x 10′ (and thicknesses up to 24″) and several densities.  It can be cut or bonded into a variety of shapes for final machining or shaping.

7. Make a master tool with Precision Board for Production Tools. For production runs it is better to use the Precision Board tool as a “master tool” to reproduce “production” tooling. This method allows for multiple production tools to be made from one Precision Board master. This is a very effective way to make lower cost, faster completion, production tooling.

Precision Board Tooling

8. Use high strength EP-76 Epoxy to bond Precision Board sheets to make larger sections. Precision Board can be easily bonded with high quality epoxy adhesives. Coastal Enterprises makes a very easy to use, machinable grade, high-strength epoxy called EP-76. It machines, sands and carves very smoothly.  The durometer hardness and machinability of EP-76 can be adjusted and closely matched to the Precision Board densities by adding PB Granules as outlined in the PB EP-76 HDU Adhesive Product Data Sheet.  Contact Coastal Enterprises for more information and helpful bonding tips.

Precision Board Tooling

9. Use a mold release that is compatible with your resin system to ensure neither the mold or the tool are damaged.  Mold releases are designed to be used against all tooling surfaces so that after cure cycle, the composite part can be released and removed from the layup tool without damaging the tool or the part. Care must be taken when choosing a release agent to be sure it will not outgas during the composite heat curing cycle and affect resin cure. Always test a sample part to verify mold release compatibility with your chosen prepreg or composite laminate.

Precision Board Tooling

10. Hold down (or “dog”) Precision Board to the vacuum table or oven support fixture during heating & cooling. Due to the internal stresses that are occurring in the tool during the heating and cooling part of the cure cycle it is important to hold the Precision Board tool flat. However, due to the differential of expansion and contraction between the Precision Board lay up tool and the support structure it is crucial that they be allowed to move independent of each other. It is always a good idea to securely, not excessively, hold PBLT and PBHT tooling to the machining table to support the piece during ramp up and ramp down. Dogs, or equivalent, every 2′ +/- is adequate. Remember not to over tighten which will restrict horizontal expansion and contraction and possibly damage tool and composite laminate.

Our PBLT and PBHT lines of Precision Board are available in the widest range of densities and sheet sizes & thickness to match the performance requirements of the specific tool you’re building. Individual blocks can be easily and permanently bonded to create specific shapes and thicknesses, approximating the general shape of the tool.  Coastal Enterprises offers a full line of companion products specifically designed for Precision Board Tooling Board to assist with your project. Check out our Adhesives and Primers & Fillers.  Request a sample today!