I’m not ashamed to admit that from time to time, I make a mock-up of a project before I work with the finish material. Trying the piece first in an easy-to-work, lightweight, low-cost material usually saves time, reduces struggle and frustration, and produces a better finished product. For example, I’ve built mock-ups of specialty furniture and countertops to help my clients better visualize the final results.
The material I find most convenient to use for this type of work is Tuff-R Celotex insulation board. It comes in foil-faced 4×8 sheets, costs about $7 and weighs nearly nothing. I’ve tried other sheet goods, but none works as well. Tuff-R’s combination of foil faces and semirigid polyisocyanurate foam permits clean, crisp cuts, straight or curved, to be made with a sharp utility knife. The foil surface readily accepts layout lines. The cuts maintain their edge without shredding, and I can cut the material into acute angles without the tips breaking off. I’ve never used this stuff for insulation, but it sure makes good patterns.
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