Wood Made From Plastic?

Synthetic lumber is essentially plastic wood. It is often made from recycled plastic products and turned into the many varieties we find on the market. The downside is its cost. It is expensive to produce.

The variations in products range from pvc lumber, plastic capped deck boards, high density polyethylene, and other product brands such as Trex that use composite formulas.

One of the catches with ordering or purchasing these products is the board lengths. All too often it can only be found in longer boards such as 16 ft or so. If you can find shorter lengths and that is what you need consider yourself lucky.

The difference between something like pvc and Trex is easy to explain. Pvc is purely plastic while composites like Trex utilize a mix of plastic and wood. The idea is to create weather resistant wood like products for exterior home use.

Composites which have wood dust mixed in offer more durability than plastic alone. Wood dust and fibers can act as a binder helping to prevent splintering and cracking. With this also comes better load capacity and strength. This offers many benefits over standard plastic pvc.

Most often these products will be used in decking or similar structures. Yet this does not mean that they cannot be used for other purposes. Indeed there is an application for wood art with these plastic woods albeit more limited in scope.

The benefit to using these synthetics for exterior art is the weather resistant component to them. Note the word resistant, it does not mean weather proof. There are some issues we need to bring out about these products that the companies do not advertise.

Weathering, Cracking, And Mildew

Some are better than others in their longevity. Pvc for example being purely plastic will suffer more as seasons cause the material to expand and contract. This weathering effect over time will impact the integrity of the pvc. Along with fading of color you will begin to see cracks and splinters.

This in turn will cause the pvc to become more brittle. Once the integrity of the material is compromised it can create safety issues around the home if not addressed. Much like a rotted board these pieces will need to be removed and then replaced.

One of the more popular brands in recent years has been from Trex although there are others like them. These brands are of the composite formulas. As it is a composite of wood and plastic it has more resistance to cracking and splintering. They also infuse the material with a fade resistant property to help retain color over time. Yet this product does have its issues.

I have witnessed composite boards grow mildew like it is a farm. I am accustomed to seeing mildew on deck boards and homes. Yet nothing compares to some of the growth I have seen on composites. Why this would happen at these locations I am not aware of. Yet a solid mass of black layer across the boards seemed excessive. Note that this is not always the case but a curious anomaly I have run into.

For those who who wish to paint Trex I have also witnessed difficulty in paint bonding to the product. Extra precaution was taken by those involved to ensure that the boards would accept the paint. Yet after multiple attempts the composites simply would refuse to allow bonding to take place. This too is an odd anomaly which is periodic at times.

The only conclusion I could come to in different products I have seen may come back to the formulation used in making the boards. It would be interesting if these companies could give more information based on what users have encountered. It may also be that with time some of these issues have been worked out.

These alternative wood products are not the be all end all of exterior maintenance free design. It further becomes complicated if it has mildew on the surface of the paint while there is difficulty in bonding. Ensure you follow proper procedure in surface preparation to prevent headaches and give you the best advantages for success.

There is no doubt that they offer a longevity that pressure treated lumber cannot match. Over time they will retain not only integrity but their appearance will remain aesthetic to the eye. They simply are not perfect. Little can escape weather or the sun.

Cutting, Shaping, And Joining Plastic Wood

For the most part these alternative wood types can be cut and shaped with most of the tools we use daily. Saws will have no issues and they can in fact be planed. This tooling includes electrical hand powered tools as well as standard hand woodworking tools. It is rather surprising that they are this easy to use. Yet there are a few differences to be aware of.

When it comes to sanding they tend to gum up the paper rather quickly. It is best to use a mill file or plane to work some of the finer points. Router or cnc bits have no issue in cutting and finishing so this too is an option for some functions.

With a cnc one my want to experiment with speeds and feeds yet there should be little issues. The main concern here is not causing distortion from heat and melting or burning. Keep in mind that a cnc spindle can produce some serious speed and adjustment may need to be made with how fast it moves across a surface.

The next major different between regular wood and plastic wood is that these alternative woods cannot be glued. Any idea you may have in using glue to hold boards together for panels will not happen. Alternative fixture methods must be used in the form of screws or bolts. Panel making becomes a challenge as typically these boards are used in decking.

Traditionally wood panels are made by gluing and jointing in such a way that it is seamless. The joint would disappear and not be visible. With composite wood this will not be easily achieved. Yet there is a way to create a panel if desired.

Tongue and groove options are available which will allow for a panel to be cut and joined. In this way engraving art can be applied to the panel for exterior display. Just be aware that tongue and groove will not allow for seamless integration as the gap will be visible.

If one wishes to use bolts you can make plugs with a plug cutting bit. Here you can use a bolt as a fixture then plug the hole to help keep the appearance clean and neat. This technique is most often used in furniture making yet can have many other useful applications.

A little trick to use with these plugs is to apply heat with a heat gun or soldering iron. This will help close the gap between the plug and the wood. Once it is sealed a little trimming with a hand plane or blade will make it clean. In this way designs you create have that professional touch and feel.

As you can see there are some different challenges which these plastic woods present to their use. With these differences there is nothing which is not too difficult to handle. It may take a little rethinking of design and construction for us regular wood guys to achieve that extra step of professionalism in appearance. The end product can be well worth the effort.

Which Material Is Best For Art?

If you are wanting the appearance of wood for an art like display in carving or exterior decor you have a few options to use. Plastic capped, or also uncapped composite decking boards are favorable. The one issue with the capped version is that often it is best used where cut end edges will not be exposed for aesthetic reasons.

These composite boards are a mixture of wood dust and plastic. They will serve far better than the pvc counterparts. Another alternative is high density polyethylene or HDPE. The one issue with this material is that it is a consistent color throughout. If you desire a wood appearance with grain for art then this would not be the best option.

Nevertheless HDPE is often used in furniture and offers a higher resistance to weathering than other materials. The one issue when it concerns art is that without grain features it will become difficult for any carving to be prominent. This material essentially becomes an accent, border, or is mixed in for creating decor designs.

It is important to realize that these composite materials will not display art the same way as standard wood. By design they are made to accept decking stain which is often semi transparent or solid stain. If one is looking to use wood art in a similar way as I do in my work know much will have to be altered for use in these composite woods.

The challenge with carving and engraving will be creating the necessary contrast for the art to be visible to the eye. If this is not achieved the artwork will blend in with the surrounding board stealing away the beauty of the work. There are ways to achieve this yet I do prefer to keep some secrets of my trade craft to myself alone. It will require some creativity but it can be achieved.

In general be prepared to use semi transparent stains or solid stains. Paints will work as well. Pickling or stressed finishes do well on these boards especially for artwork. Despite some of these challenges you can create some beautiful pieces for your home.

What Art Designs Can Be Achieved?

This lumber is great for creating many cool things. With router or cnc applications designs can be cut out with speed. 3D free standing models can be made for decoration from animals to fixtures for plants or pots and even candle holders. More functional art can be created for hidden electrical outlets, hideaway boxes for keys, or whatever the mind can imagine.

With so many colors available some have made use of the wood in toy creation, bird baths, deck features and of course furniture. It offers far more flexibility in use than wood albeit at the cost and sacrifice of the natural beauty which real wood possesses.

Signs are easy to produce as well as letter cut outs. A board can be re-sawed on a bandsaw and then the letters cut out from each re-sawed piece. This gives double the millage for the same board. Magnets can be installed on the back of these cut out items and used to hang on metal features such as grills or outside fridges and freezers.

The material can make a great alternative arts and crafts medium. Even with its limitations in beauty as it lacks a lot of what natural grains and stain can offer it makes up for it in durability. Often these composite materials are seen from a structural vantage point in decks or porches. A bit of creativity opens new possibilities.