Wood substitute for low budget paneling

Cineruss

Active Member
I have a theater set that is going to require 1 x 4 lumber placed side by side length wise edge to edge with about an inch space between the edges giving a look of panel grid of vertical boards on a flat. This is going to require around 30 boards that make the cost prohibitive. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to recreate this without using wood that would keep the expense down?
 
Scenic only you can use foam and then paint it to look like wood

Could go super cheap again only if this is a scenic piece and wrap and glue cardboard around a stick of 1x4 30 times then do what you need to do.

Projections is always a good goto granted you would need all those piece to make it happen.
 
I have a theater set that is going to require 1 x 4 lumber placed side by side length wise edge to edge with about an inch space between the edges giving a look of panel grid of vertical boards on a flat. This is going to require around 30 boards that make the cost prohibitive. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to recreate this without using wood that would keep the expense down?

The expense is why people paint things instead of using real materials. Knotty pine painted on luan-covered flats:

DSC03844c.JPG
 
Using rips of a sheet material instead ought to cut your cost in half-ish if it can be made aesthetically acceptable. What's the finish treatment?

I was wondering about that as well...

Though truth be told I would probably just rip 2x4 studs in half to get a bunch of approximately 1x4 nominal planks. Fifteen 8' 2x4's would run a little less than $50 around here. A bandsaw would be ideal for the ripping; most 10" table saws would be (barely) capable of doing it in one pass as well.
 
Scenic only you can use foam and then paint it to look like wood

Could go super cheap again only if this is a scenic piece and wrap and glue cardboard around a stick of 1x4 30 times then do what you need to do.

Projections is always a good goto granted you would need all those piece to make it happen.
FOAM..Thats good..totally forgot about foam..thanks
 
I have a theater set that is going to require 1 x 4 lumber placed side by side length wise edge to edge with about an inch space between the edges giving a look of panel grid of vertical boards on a flat. This is going to require around 30 boards that make the cost prohibitive. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to recreate this without using wood that would keep the expense down?
@Cineruss I'm a decrepit old, long retired, IA and IBEW geezer who's spent his entire working life in sound land lighting.
THUS I'm most assuredly NOT anyone to listen to; that said, since I own an excellent Milwaukee router with 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 inch collets and a selection of tired old mortising and V-groove veining bits, if I was volunteering my time for an amateur production, I might be tempted to purchase a 4 x 8 sheet of something cheap 'n cheerful, clamp down an 8' straight edge and route a series of 1/8" deep grooves, neat and parallel across the panel then cut 'er up to suit.
There you have it, my devalued two Canadian cents from up here North of Donald's walls.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
@Cineruss I'm a decrepit old, long retired, IA and IBEW geezer who's spent his entire working life in sound land lighting.
THUS I'm most assuredly NOT anyone to listen to; that said, since I own an excellent Milwaukee router with 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 inch collets and a selection of tired old mortising and V-groove veining bits, if I was volunteering my time for an amateur production, I might be tempted to purchase a 4 x 8 sheet of something cheap 'n cheerful, clamp down an 8' straight edge and route a series of 1/8" deep grooves, neat and parallel across the panel then cut 'er up to suit.
There you have it, my devalued two Canadian cents from up here North of Donald's walls.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
Another good idea. I will have to take a good look at these. The set has 3 hollywood flats that are 12' x 14' so I knew using wood planks would send the budget sky high.
 
Another good idea. I will have to take a good look at these. The set has 3 hollywood flats that are 12' x 14' so I knew using wood planks would send the budget sky high.
@Cineruss Three flats, each 12' by 14' for a total of 42 lineal feet of 12' tall flats OR 36 lineal feet of 14' tall flats. Even this retired sound and lighting geezer's appreciating the magnitude of facing you're hoping to make convincing from the POV of your front row of patrons.
All the best with your project; why am I suspecting you've been voluntold by your significant other?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
@Cineruss Three flats, each 12' by 14' for a total of 42 lineal feet of 12' tall flats OR 36 lineal feet of 14' tall flats. Even this retired sound and lighting geezer's appreciating the magnitude of facing you're hoping to make convincing from the POV of your front row of patrons.
All the best with your project; why am I suspecting you've been voluntold by your significant other?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
OMG you must be psychic. I am a lighting and scenic designer but yes, my significant other got me into this as a volunteer
 
You might consider painting if using a graining tool. Also look at faux wood finishes at YouTube.
 
If this is purely scenic for a wall treatment, then by all means use 1/2 or 3/4" Extruded Polyethylene foam < Blue or Pink Foam>. If it needs to look grained or old, save yourself some painting time and lightly run a wire brush <handheld not powered> down the length of the strip. Brush it with whatever your dark color is going to be then top coat with your light color. I'f it's a worn look, go heavy with a couple different types of wire brush or use a sander to profile the edges and faces.
 
If this is purely scenic for a wall treatment, then by all means use 1/2 or 3/4" Extruded Polyethylene foam < Blue or Pink Foam>. If it needs to look grained or old, save yourself some painting time and lightly run a wire brush <handheld not powered> down the length of the strip. Brush it with whatever your dark color is going to be then top coat with your light color. I'f it's a worn look, go heavy with a couple different types of wire brush or use a sander to profile the edges and faces.
Yes, I have been looking at this option. This will be placed on hollywood flats 10' x 12' but will have to come off after the play without a mess. I am looking to have them appear as a wood texture but painted light gray for scenic projection to appear on the surface of the wood. I am seeing 1x4's is just too cost prohibitive. What type of foam do you use in this case?
 
Yes, I have been looking at this option. This will be placed on hollywood flats 10' x 12' but will have to come off after the play without a mess. I am looking to have them appear as a wood texture but painted light gray for scenic projection to appear on the surface of the wood. I am seeing 1x4's is just too cost prohibitive. What type of foam do you use in this case?
@Cineruss Back in post 12, the flats were 12' x 14''; NOW the flats are smaller, 10' x 12' ? Did they get wet and shrink?? ( or have you been voluntold new info'???)
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard
 
Yes, I have been looking at this option. This will be placed on Hollywood flats 10' x 12' but will have to come off after the play without a mess. I am looking to have them appear as a wood texture but painted light gray for scenic projection to appear on the surface of the wood. I am seeing 1x4's is just too cost prohibitive. What type of foam do you use in this case?
Hmm, Yeah, I'd still use Blue foam, or Pink Foam. I would NOT use styro-foam; I only use that in very specific scenic circumstances. If recycle-ability of the flats is tantamount then use strips of Double stick Carpet tape <several 2-3" long> along the length of each strip of foam. If you are not roughing up the surface of the foam then you may want to brush on a coat of 4# Shellac to act as a primer for whatever paint you coat the foam in. It will keep the latex paint from peeling. You could use VSSSD but that would probably leave too much texture and would ramp the costs up.

Do not buy the foil backed foam that they sell at a lot of home stores. Get the stuff that is raw foam on both sides. You can usually find it at home stores, sometimes Insulation suppliers will have a better price and larger sizes; like 10 or 12' long sheets. When Ripping foam always be careful to make sure your saw and run-off tables are clear and clean. If you get cock-eyed at all the blade will grab the foam and sling it right back at you. When that happens it can burn the heck out of your fingers and it hurts like hell when you get hit. Only have 1/8" of blade above the surface of the foam, you want to use as little of the blade as possible.
 

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