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Do It Yourself Whiteboard

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Re: Do It Yourself Whiteboard

#21

Post by jamesbritt »

hablahaha wrote: post #20
stevoyoung wrote: post #12

I'm not sure if this is the same material but I've used what's called "Showerboard" to do this. It was $7 a board if I remember correctly. I put some particleboard behind and made a nice wooden frame for it. In terms of "erasability" it's more than acceptable for the cost of it. Basically if you erase something within a few day it erases fine with minimal ghosting. If it's longer than a few days then you need to eras…

The article actually says not to use Windex, it strips the surface. I'm wondering if Expo whiteboard cleaner has the same effect. We use Windex so I'm guessing that for us at least, it probably has something to do with the ghosting getting progressively worse. I really like what you've done with your setup, that black moulding looks really sharp.

I had a similar setup at a small company a few years ago. We first "primed" the surface by intense scrubbing with that Expo cleaning. This made it easier to wipe later on.

We also used Tabasco sauce for tough marker residue.

It's worth experimenting with different brands of markers and different colors to see what ends up easier to clean if left around for any length of time. If you really want something lasting, take a picture.

(I have a laptop-sized whiteboard I use like that: sketch out stuff, if it looks good, snap a picture to save it.)

Re: Do It Yourself Whiteboard

#22

Post by hack_edu »

mey wrote: post #16

We tried this at our work, where we use whiteboards extensively. I am not a fan. You spend a lot of time trying to make them clean over a 2 year period. It's annoying to be constantly replacing them. We have moved on to http://www.ideapaint.com/products/ideapaint and are really happy with the result. Cheaper then traditional white boards and better then the Showerboards. The room we tested it in currently has had it…

IdeaPaint does not compare. It more reminiscent of a white truck bed liner than a writing slate, even when installed by their contractors. It gets the job done for silly after-hours doodles but its simply not as precise as a real glossy whiteboard when it comes to legibility and ease to clean.

All of our old traditional whiteboards mysteriously appeared after a few weeks.

Re: Do It Yourself Whiteboard

#23

Post by stevoyoung »

hablahaha wrote: post #20
stevoyoung wrote: post #12

I'm not sure if this is the same material but I've used what's called "Showerboard" to do this. It was $7 a board if I remember correctly. I put some particleboard behind and made a nice wooden frame for it. In terms of "erasability" it's more than acceptable for the cost of it. Basically if you erase something within a few day it erases fine with minimal ghosting. If it's longer than a few days then you need to eras…

The article actually says not to use Windex, it strips the surface. I'm wondering if Expo whiteboard cleaner has the same effect. We use Windex so I'm guessing that for us at least, it probably has something to do with the ghosting getting progressively worse. I really like what you've done with your setup, that black moulding looks really sharp.

I've used Windex for over a year now. For me, there is no difference between the center of the board (lots of windex) and the very edge of the board (no windex).

Re: Do It Yourself Whiteboard

#24

Post by stevoyoung »

jamesbritt wrote: post #21
hablahaha wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article actually says not to use Windex, it strips the surface. I'm wondering if Expo whiteboard cleaner has the same effect. We use Windex so I'm guessing that for us at least, it probably has something to do with the ghosting getting progressively worse. I really like what you've done with your setup, that black moulding looks really sharp.

I had a similar setup at a small company a few years ago. We first "primed" the surface by intense scrubbing with that Expo cleaning. This made it easier to wipe later on. We also used Tabasco sauce for tough marker residue. It's worth experimenting with different brands of markers and different colors to see what ends up easier to clean if left around for any length of time. If you really want something lasting, tak…

Tabasco for cleaning? Sounds like someone accidentally got their hot wing fingers on the board and discovered it cleaned it nicely.

I completely agree with the markers. Finding the "good" ones made a big difference for me.

Re: Do It Yourself Whiteboard

#25

Post by mey »

hack_edu wrote: post #22
mey wrote: post #16

We tried this at our work, where we use whiteboards extensively. I am not a fan. You spend a lot of time trying to make them clean over a 2 year period. It's annoying to be constantly replacing them. We have moved on to http://www.ideapaint.com/products/ideapaint and are really happy with the result. Cheaper then traditional white boards and better then the Showerboards. The room we tested it in currently has had it…

IdeaPaint does not compare. It more reminiscent of a white truck bed liner than a writing slate, even when installed by their contractors. It gets the job done for silly after-hours doodles but its simply not as precise as a real glossy whiteboard when it comes to legibility and ease to clean. All of our old traditional whiteboards mysteriously appeared after a few weeks.

If you are going cheap, my lower bound is ideapaint, but I agree there is a reason good whiteboards are still sold :)

Re: Do It Yourself Whiteboard

#26

Post by gamegoblin »

stevoyoung wrote: post #12

I'm not sure if this is the same material but I've used what's called "Showerboard" to do this. It was $7 a board if I remember correctly. I put some particleboard behind and made a nice wooden frame for it. In terms of "erasability" it's more than acceptable for the cost of it. Basically if you erase something within a few day it erases fine with minimal ghosting. If it's longer than a few days then you need to eras…

It's $12 at my local Home Depot for a 4' x 8' piece -- I once covered an entire room's walls in it for < $100. Whiteboard room. It was great.

Re: Do It Yourself Whiteboard

#27

Post by angersock »

gamegoblin wrote: post #26
stevoyoung wrote: post #12

I'm not sure if this is the same material but I've used what's called "Showerboard" to do this. It was $7 a board if I remember correctly. I put some particleboard behind and made a nice wooden frame for it. In terms of "erasability" it's more than acceptable for the cost of it. Basically if you erase something within a few day it erases fine with minimal ghosting. If it's longer than a few days then you need to eras…

It's $12 at my local Home Depot for a 4' x 8' piece -- I once covered an entire room's walls in it for < $100. Whiteboard room. It was great.

Trick we used is to go and also buy like 3/8 chipboard and then liquid-nails the melamine to it--that gives it enough stiffness to prop up on things.

Re: Do It Yourself Whiteboard

#28

Post by mczepiel_ »

We've wall mounted many Ikea Torsby table tops (53 1/8x33 1/2") and really enjoyed the streamlined look and hassle free cleaning. Best whiteboards I've ever used. There's actually a white backing behind the glass so everything is easy to read.

For $80 it's much more affordable than actual whiteboards while clearly outperforming cheaper alternatives.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90154644/

Re: Do It Yourself Whiteboard

#29

Post by chrismeller »

joshdance wrote: post #8
joezydeco wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seconding the awful. Besides being hard to erase and leaving ghosts behind, this stuff does NOT cut easily. The finish is very thin and will chip like crazy when you try to cut it.

hardpanel or IdeaPaint?

Which of the two would you be cutting?

Re: Do It Yourself Whiteboard

#30

Post by cdr »

I found 3'x2' "Board Guys" magnetic whiteboards while browsing through Target, on sale for $11 each. Two 3x2 is good for me personally, although 3x2 boards would probably not be for an actual office. Good material, backed, framed, magnetic and a tray. There's something to be said for not DIY sometimes.
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