Belegarth

I was wondering what everyone's opinion is on the best material to make boxes with. I was thinking of 4# plank foam but that might be too hard. #2 is always safe but I was thinking it might breakdown too quickly. What do you guys think?

4# "Puzzlemat" has become the standard for a lot of folks. You can buy it in packs at harbor freight, it is supposed to be as flooring for work benches and such.

What have been people been using for longer runs, on reds and the like? The puzzlemats I've seen are like 22x22. Are they just staggering them like bricks?

Voldemort wrote:What have been people been using for longer runs, on reds and the like? The puzzlemats I've seen are like 22x22. Are they just staggering them like bricks?

Yup. Just make sure that you don't have any seams overlap.

So puzzle-mat is the best or the easiest/cheapest to work with? I have access to all the tools to make routed boxes out of whatever I need and in whatever size I need it. Considering this it seems easier to use plank foam as it won't be in multiple pieces when I need to assemble it.

Plank foam is, arguably, easier to use, and a more sure source for high quality 4#. However, it is roughly 1.5x more expensive, assuming you are buying a single sheet and need to have it shipped within the US. I haven't found that using puzzlemat pieced together has strcturally weakened my blades, though it seems to be firmer on the flats than the 4# from foamforyou.
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Thurat wrote: I haven't found that using puzzlemat pieced together has strcturally weakened my blades, though it seems to be firmer on the flats than the 4# from foamforyou.
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I can attest to that. Got flatted by a min-red with the puzzlemat. Partially dislocated jaw. Couldn't chew right for weeks. It also later caused micro-fractures on my thumb and wrist. Later beat the offending user to death with my shield.

Tyranastraz wrote:I can attest to that. Got flatted by a min-red with the puzzlemat. Partially dislocated jaw. Couldn't chew right for weeks. It also later caused micro-fractures on my thumb and wrist. Later beat the offending user to death with my shield.

Ouch. I have found that buying the cheaper stuff from Harbor Freight or Big Lots tends to produce this lower quality (or perhaps just different?) foam. The Gold's Gym puzzle mat that I recently purchased doesn't seem quite as bad, and if you take the time to firmly squeeze the flat with your palms (not digging your fingers in!), it does appear to soften it a fair bit.

Stuff that hit me was from Big Lots. Avoid it. Like the plague. Even after we pressed it, beat it against things, and laid bricks on it, it laughed at our folly...so I burned it.

Tyranastraz wrote:...so I burned it.

And then it gave you cancer, just for spite.

Nah, wore a working gas-mask. I then peed on it to put it out. Foam=Dominated.