How Do I Cut Gator Foam Board

GENERAL:
The ideal cutting of Gatorboard is done with equipment normally used in woodworking, but it may also be cut with hand tools also..

POWER TOOL CUTTING:
CIRCULAR SAWS - Since Gator board is wood like, it may be cut with normal table saws.
For best results consult your tool supplier for specific recommendations.

BAND SAWS - Gator board may also be cut with a band saw, however,
the blade should be thin with the finest teeth possible.

ROUTERS AND SHAPERS - Irregular cuts and shapes may be cut on gator board with a normal wood router.
The tool should have as many wings as possible with positive rake
hook angle and face shear for smooth, clean cuts.

HAND CUTTING:
While gator board can be cut by hand, the strength of the face surface makes it difficult.
If there is very much detail in the pattern to be cut, other methods of machining are more desirable.
For straight cutting by hand, best results have been achieved with knives with thin, short blades
LAMINATING/GLUING
SURFACE PREPARATION:
Contact Cement Adhesive - Because of the nature and application of contact cement, no special surface preparation is needed. The gator board surface should, of course, be kept clean and free of any oil contaminates as with any other surface to be glued. If adhesive is solvent base rather than water base, caution should be taken to avoid contact with the foam core as the solvent can cause core to deteriorate. Sufficient open time must be taken with solvent based contact cement to avoid solvent penetration of the facer. Water based contact cements are recommended.

Other Adhesives - The panel surface must be sanded in the area where gluing is to occur. The sanding "breaks" the laminate surface and allows for more adhesive "bite".

METHOD OF APPLICATION:
Roll Coater, Spray, Paint Roller, Paint Brush

We also cut custom sizes-any quantity , email or call for cost.

PAINTING:
Gatorboard needs no special preparation before priming or painting. The surface should of course, be kept clean and free of any oil contaminates as with any other surface to be painted. If the surface has become lightly soiled or scratched, it may be hand sanded with a silicon carbide dry paper 180 grit or finer. After sanding, be sure to clean surface well to remove any dust particles. For optimum results, we recommend that the surface be sealed with a good primer.

TYPE OF PAINT:
Acrylic Base Enamels (Water base and oil base)
Oil Base Lacquers (Solvent base)

Caution should be exercised, however, when using oil base or solvent base systems, not to allow paint to make contact with the polystyrene foam. These types of paints are likely to attack and deteriorate the foam core.

METHOD OF APPLICATION:
Any of these common methods of applying paint may be used:

Spray Coating, Roll Coating, Brushing

Spray coating normally offers the best all-around results with smoother, more uniform coverage.

DRYING:
Drying by oxidation and evaporation is preferred. When it is possible, allow the freshly painted gatorboard to dry the length of time suggested by the particular paint manufacturer.

If forced drying by hot air ovens is used, sufficient flash time should be allowed in order to prevent blistering of paint. This is usually approximately ten minutes. Oven temperatures must be controlled to a maximum of 180 F for 1 1/2 minutes to prevent deterioration of foam and possible warpage of the gatorboard panel.

PHOTO MOUNTING

GENERAL:
Black, White and Natural gatorboard has been successfully used by photo mounters for several years

SURFACE PREPARATION:
The surface should be clean and free of any dust, trash, oil or other contaminates prior to mounting. gatorboard may require lightly sanding of the surface for a good adhesive "bite". If you sand, take extra precaution to remove sanding dust prior to mounting.

DRY MOUNTING PRESS: (Heat Method)
Maximum temperature not to exceed 1 80"F
Maximum pressure not to exceed 15 PSI. (Panel Pressure)
Maximum time not to exceed three minutes.
Panels in excess of 3/16" thick should be placed in the press and pre-heated prior to mounting.

For best results contact the supplier of the laminating material for their recommendations.

PRESSURE-SENSITIVE MOUNTING:
The choice of films is "the most important" consideration when using pressure sensitive film for mounting photographs to gatorboard. Before using any pressure sensitive material, please contact the manufacturer for recommendations concerning the use of their respective laminating materials in conjunction with gatorboard.

For best results the use of equipment specifically designed to apply these pressure sensitive films should be used.

When using pressure sensitive films, gatorboard should be at room temperature in order to achieve optimal results.

ARCHIVAL MOUNTING:
Gatorboard is a combination of polystyrene and a polymeric impregnated veneer. because of its unique composition, there are no conservation normals that specifically apply to gatorboard.

Conservation mounting requires special materials to ensure that the art to
be preserved will remain undamaged in the future.
Many major museums have successfully used gatorboard to mount exhibitions for many years.

Testing at both room temperature and 150 F resulted in out gassing at the parts per hundred million range only.
The base paper used in gatorboard are in the acidic range, however,
the saturation process reduces the mobility of the acid.
For long term storage, protection should be provided from ultraviolet light.

CAUTION: Since long term results are not available, use with care.

WARPAGE:
Gatorboard panels are manufactured flat and graded for flatness prior to packaging.
However, like other panel products they may bow under certain conditions.
Potential for bowing is much greater in the thinner panels and in full 4' x 8'
unsupported panels especially on panels that are treated differently
on one side than on the other, i.e. laminating materials to one side only or
exposing one side to a higher heat source or humidity than the other side.
We suggest that similar precautions for controlling bowing be taken with gatorboard
panels as would be taken with any other panel product.
For extremely critical applications, we recommend using 3/4" or thicker.
With panels that are covered over 60% of the surface area,
it is advisable to similarly coat the opposite side.

SCREEN PRINTING

GENERAL:
Gatorboard panels are rigid, lightweight and easy to handle.
Widely used in the screen print industry the suppliers of equipment
and inks can provide you with specific recommendations to achieve maximum results.

SURFACE PREPARATION:
For optimal results in screening on gatorboard panels, we recommend that the panel be sealed with a clear sealer prior to the base coat. The surface should, of course, be cleaned and free of any surface contaminates (i.e. oils, dust particles, etc.) prior to sealing. If surface has become soiled or scratched, it may be lightly hand sanded with a silicon carbide dry paper 180 grit or finer. To avoid clogging of screens be sure that loose dust from sanding is completely removed from panels.

DRYING:
Drying by oxidation and evaporation is preferred when it is possible, to allow the freshly printed gatorboard to dry the length of time suggested by the particular ink manufacturer.

If forced drying by hot air ovens is used, sufficient flash time should be allowed in order to prevent blistering. . Oven temperature must be controlled to a maximum of 180 F for 1 1/2 minutes to prevent deterioration of foam and possible warp age of the gatorboard panel. When using ambient drying racks, drying time is usually approximately ten minutes.