I have never covered a board with fondant for fear of having it split with even a slight movement/ bending/buckling of the board. Do you always use an extra-thick board to avoid this problem (if it even is a problem!)? Thanks...

I always use thick boards. I purchase the foam core at craft stores that are 1/2" thick and cut them to the size i need. Or i buy the cake drums at craft store(silver) they are 1/2" thick or i tape together 4 cake boards and cover them with white freezer paper. Taping these cake boards make them at least 1/2" thick. They don,t bend or cause the fondant to crack, etc. hth

I learned the hard way to have a non-bending cake board when I made my first 3 and 4 tier cakes.  I was new at the hobby and thought the Wilton Silver Cake Drum would be plenty.   Wrong! 

The ONLY time I use the Wilton silver cake drums now are for single tier round cakes that are not larger than 14". 

For everything else, I either use a glass platter or 1/2" foamcore.

Thanks...I was on the right track. I always  use foam core for anything bigger than, say, a 9x13.Problem is that they are often just a shade too big to go in cake boxes. I've gotten to the point that I only use the single Wilton boards for simple transfers or temporary storage - they're just too lightweight to be very useful. Thanks for confirming what I was thinking.