At my church (built in the 1800's), the pews have 'wood' rosettes on the side:

front.jpgside.jpgbottom.jpg

We are missing quite a few, so I am looking into recreating them. Originally I was going to get a 3D scan made and CNC route replacements out of a piece of hardwood, but when a couple were found it the closet, it appears to be sawdust+glue and a smooth coating. I don't trust the stability of additive rapid prototyping, so I think I will make a mold of the rosette and duplicate it that way.

I'm wondering a couple of things:

1) What kind of modern-day materials (glue? resin?) could I use to recreate this?

2) Does anyone know what kind of process would have been used to make these? I don't know if they are original or not. The back looks like a rough MDF - but finer than a Sauder chipboard.

I hope this isn't too off-topic!