Originally Posted by
cindyg19
I have a suggestion. I visited a shop that was closing and asked for the boards. I was able to get a bunch of them free. See if any of the shops near you, or shops that store items in a similar way, would be willing to give some to you. It never hurts to ask.
I have a whole lot of reasons why I don't use regular bolt reels. If you leave them full size they take up twice as much space height wise as the little foam core boards and they're a whole lot thicker. If you decide to cut them, they're way harder to cut than the foam core boards. I do not care if they're free. The foam core boards only cost .16 cents to make since you get 5 full size and one half size board from each sheet. I can cut the dollar store foam core boards in just a few seconds with my rotary cutter and a ruler. Cardboard isn't nearly as sturdy width wise as the foam core boards. The foam core boards are uniform, the bolt reels are not all the same. I don't have a "shop" nearby but I do have a Dollar General a few blocks away.