FYPON feedback needed.

[Chuck Keysor]

Hello Shopbot Friends:

I am starting to design a Victorian end gable relief carving. It is triangular, about 3 feet high, and almost 12 feet long. Based upon many past threads, I was planning to make this from PVC.

Last summer Sam Harbold had recommended Versatex as having the best machining properties, then Azek. So I had planned to use Versatex if I can source it locally.

My customer said he had been talking to City Hall, which has to OK this project. For some reason the City Inspector said, "Oh, if you are making this out of Fypon, it will be OK." So the customer suggested that if I made this from Fypon, things will go easy with the City.

The only Fypon I had seen, was foamy lightweight little decorations. So I looked on their website, and they do sell PVC in large sheets. But I don't want to use a material that I haven't investigated, or which I know nothing about.

The panel I will make will use both 2 1/2D and 3D carving. Does anyone have experience with Fypon PVC sheet stock for doing 3D and 2 1/2 D carving? I won't use it if it is badly viewed, or if I can't get any feedback at all. But I told the customer I would ask!

Thank you for your help, Chuck

[bleeth]

Chuck:
I wouldn't get too hung up on the fact that the inspector used a particular brand name. If asked "why Fypon?" he just might say that it is simply a brand name he knows but any PVC will do!

[Brady Watson]

Fypon is just the brand name and tells little about which Fypon product is 'approved' in your situation. They make both PVC and polyurethane stuff. Both are completely different.

In terms of PVC, I've found in my own experience the quality of these brands for CNC routing ranked accordingly in overall quality:

Palram
Komatex
Sintra
Ex-Cel (quality has improved over the years...used to be absolute worst)

YMMV

-B

[Chuck Keysor]

Thank you Dave and Brady for your replies. Brady, I have added your material recommendations to my hand-written note book of Shopbot notes! Thanks, Chuck