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Hi Dan,
Regardless of the size of the holes, we definitely use decks of different materials (plastic, wood, etc.) that are correct, scale representations of the prototypes. It just takes a little extra work to ensure that as much trapped air can escape as possible. Actually, as long as the amount of trapped air is consistent from dive to dive, it can be dealt with.
Wood does present some challenges since it does want to absorb water, which can have some unpleasant side effect like swelling, warping, etc. To minimize these problems, soaking the wood in a slightly thinned epoxy is a good idea. Thinning to help slow the curing and to make it easier for the wood to absorb the epoxy.
-Jeff
Regardless of the size of the holes, we definitely use decks of different materials (plastic, wood, etc.) that are correct, scale representations of the prototypes. It just takes a little extra work to ensure that as much trapped air can escape as possible. Actually, as long as the amount of trapped air is consistent from dive to dive, it can be dealt with.
Wood does present some challenges since it does want to absorb water, which can have some unpleasant side effect like swelling, warping, etc. To minimize these problems, soaking the wood in a slightly thinned epoxy is a good idea. Thinning to help slow the curing and to make it easier for the wood to absorb the epoxy.
-Jeff
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