racie35,
My book mark page is so long that Microsoft has asked me to stop.
I keep everything that might some day be of use. Now I have to learn how to put it into folders.
Chainmaker,
Hope you don't mind my "If I were doing it". If you have a Windsor Plywood Outlet or some other really good plywood seller I would get Crezon Board which is a paper covered plywood sign board. This is made to be painted and will give you a very nice finish. Not inexpensive but quicker in the long run.
My second choice would be any plywood that has a perfectly smooth knot free finish. You may be able to find a plywood made from Baltic Birch which is very smooth or Chilean Pine which is also a smooth, knot free finish.
Lowe's or Home Depot should have them. To get a really smooth paint finish I would give them a 220 and then a 320 grit finish sanding then a coat of primer that is compatible with the paint you using. Then just sand the primer and paint like you would a car finish. Automotive primer and paint will work well on wood.
For the curved parts on the front I would use sheet metal. Bends easily and of course takes paint very well. You can find bendable plywood at any good plywood supplier. It's often called wiggle wood and you can get it so the grain runs vertically or horizontally.
The only draw back to using wiggle wood is that it is rotary cut from the log on huge lathes and the grain is ruptured so it needs a lot of sanding to get it smooth or it needs to be filled with a filler and then sanded. You can use it to back the metal on the side car it you use a very thin metal so it acts like a veneer. To attach the metal to the wood Windsor Ply wood and many on line stores sell a glue that comes in sheets. You set a clothes iron, not your wife's, that you bought from a thrift store, on the recommended heat and place some brown paper or an old T shirt under the iron and literally iron the sheet metal or veneer on the wood. You just have to move slowly and after you have done an area use a roller to make sure that you have driven out any air bubbles and made sure the bond is tight while the glue is still hot.
It's just an option but makes the job better.
Hope this isn't overly confusing to you or anyone else reading it. I tend to forget that though I've done this work for over half a century, other people haven't and I tend to make it sound like it's no big deal but for the person doing this for the first time it seems pretty interesting.
Steve.
