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brandon:
$400 seems VERY expensive for laminate... Hell, you could gild that thing in real gold leaf for that! You might want to check this out... http://www.gildedplanet.com/compoleaf.asp

somunny:
The Samples of Doom...

So, the laminate samples arrived today from Wilsonart. They're covered in a plastic, protective film, which is nice. Both are 5" x 8", which is a pretty generous size considering what I've received in the past. One is has a polished gold finish, the other is brushed. This stuff is difficult to photograph so bear with.

Each style has several pros and cons as far as the project is concerned:

Polished:

Pros -

most closely resembles the finish of the screen used Ark
mirror-like finish is amazing
fingerprints don't show up as much as I would have thought

Cons -

mirror finish may reflect too much of the surroundings, thereby ruining the effect
fingerprints still show (see pro)
scratches are very noticeable

Brushed:

Pros:

No fingerprints
Scratches not as noticeable
Does not reflect

Cons:

Not even close to the movie Ark finish
Appears somewhat dull

This is going to be a hard decision. The main factor worrying me is that the polished lam will reflect everthing in the room around it and turn it into a hodge-podge of colors (it's literally like having a golden mirror). While the brushed sample appears dull (technically, I would call it satin) it also looks more "yellow-gold" in color due to it not reflecting anything around it.

The durability aspect doesn't really bother me as the stuff it pretty tough. I scratched both samples with a screwdriver but I think they will do just fine under normal indoor conditions. Just keep your zipper tucked in!

--- Quote from: brandon on February 07, 2008, 11:17:10 am ---$400 seems VERY expensive for laminate... Hell, you could gild that thing in real gold leaf for that! You might want to check this out... http://www.gildedplanet.com/compoleaf.asp

--- End quote ---

I knew it was expensive going in and I think the laminate will prove to be far more durable than the gilding. I'll probably end-up having some parts gold electro-plated, though.

--- Quote from: RetroBorg on February 05, 2008, 02:54:19 pm ---
--- Quote from: brandon on February 05, 2008, 12:35:46 am ---J/K :D I like it! I'm actually surprised that nobody has thought of that before!
--- End quote ---

Not quite.

--- End quote ---

Like I said in my first post, I knew the name wasn't the most creative but I like it. Hopefully Ray B. won't see this thread. I'd hate to have to pay him royalties. ;D

Everyone else, thanks for the kind words. I'll be cutting some templates out this weekend.

Knievel:

Cool project, I'm a big Indy fan. :)

I'll throw my 2 cents in here as I work with laminates all the time including the metal ones.
I would go for the brushed one, for the reasons you have mentioned. Fingerprints on the polished one will drive you mad.

It will also be a miracle if you don't scratch a piece or 2 during the build.
They won't be noticeable on the brushed but will stick out like a whip-scar on the shiny stuff.

Also are you purchasing the laminate from a distributor? Home Depot, etc can have quite a mark-up on this stuff.

somunny:
Knievel, the more I think about it the more I lean towards the brushed. My original vision was based around the polished finish which is why changing now is such a difficult decision. I'm still toying with the idea of using some of both finishes as they do compliment each other pretty well.

--- Quote from: Knievel on February 08, 2008, 04:21:22 pm ---Also are you purchasing the laminate from a distributor? Home Depot, etc can have quite a mark-up on this stuff.

--- End quote ---

The price I was quoted was from a Wilsonart distributor. There's one near me in Tempe, AZ.

Knievel:

Didn't think about a mix of the 2, that could work.

Yea that price sounded right, just checking. :)

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