Sign Foam III vs Precision Board

[nick]

Hey Guys....what is the real difference between the two?

[ernie_balch]

Signfoam comes in 10, 15 & 18 lb density. Precision Board can be bought in various densities up to 40 lbs per cu foot. Either material works well with a router.

We buy signfoam because our distributer delivers. To get Precision Board we would have to drive a couple hundred miles or pay shipping.

[chodges]

From our experience, SignFoam III has smaller granules than Precision Board. I don't know if this is the correct description, but Precision Board is coarser when you machine it - especially if you sandblast it, than SignFoam III.

Most times, this really doesn't make a difference, because we almost always prime & paint either material.

Other than the fact that Precision Board is a little less expensive where I live, this is the only difference we have encountered.

[joewino]

Both Precision Board and SignFoam have improved their products lately and both are much smoother and less gritty/dusty.

I'm not sure if the manufacturing process is the same but they seem to have the same properties. Precision Board just recently introduced a new "Plus" line (I think that's what it's called).

Just my opinion, but Precision Board has a much prettier rep.

Also in the mix is Corafoam by Duna, USA. Their product is made my a different process and doesn't produce the dust or grit that the others seem to be plagued with. Corafoam seems to be smoother and more dense than the others. It holds detail perfectly and finishes like a dream.

The only negative point is that it is hard to find distributors.

[tuck]

Agree with Raymond, Corafoam is the best if you can get it. Even the 10lb. will work for most applications I'm told, but so far my local distributor does not carry the 10lb, only 15.

The 15lb. is so dense that you need to use an upcut spiral bit to pull the chips up for your dust collector when routing, else wise all but the most powerful dust collection system is rendered ineffective because the dust (chips), just pack down if using a down spiral or straight bit. The Corafoam also requires no priming. Some folks may prime it, but I've found that to be an unnecessary step. These are the main reasons I pay a little bit more for the Duna Corafoam.