In the case of the TMS-20 the strip method I used better suited the shape of the hull. The vertical mold is a bit more complex. One method is not better then the other. I would have had to heat the foam to get it to bend in such sharp angles and I'm not in favor of that. When I build the 34' cat I'll use the vertical method.

Part of it is the builders preference and how complex is the shape of the part. I have compound curves that bend on two axes that is pretty hard to do in just one plane. Try to do that with a piece of paper then think of a more ridged material as a 4 x 8 sheet of material. What are you comfortable working with, how elaborate of a mold, the shape of the part you are building are factors also.