Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Tim Tim Third question of the day - must be getting in the swing of things! By the way, thanks to Duncan for the other replies.
I don't know how I have managed over the years - I just have a small piece of pine shelving that I use as a building board. I really must do something about that.
Not that it's not big enough for the stuff I have built (wingspan no more than 24", at a guess). No, it's just too hard to get some pins in, and I also complete one part and have to jig the plan around to do the other bits etc etc. It's a nusiance.
Years ago (notice how often I'm using that phrase? Yes, I'm worried about it now!) I heard of some special building board, but of course I could never find anything suitable in my local model shop. If I ever went looking for anything and couldn't find it I seemed to end up buying yet another 1/72 Spitfire/Hurricane/ME109/etc., just to make it look like it was a successful shopping trip........
Long-winded post to ask for advice on a building board. Number one: what material? Also: what size/weight etc.
While I'm on, I have these quite nice map pins for pinning down work, and I have found baking paper to be effective at keeping glue of plans. Any other basic requirements?
Cheers,
Tim |
*** Tim for the best building board copy the Guillows one that is sold in the States,it is made from balsa which is the best material to use for small models as pins push easily into it,it will cost a few bob to produce but once made will last for years and many good models,follow these instructions and get down to your local balsa supplier to find the best balsa for the job,here goes-
1/ First you will need three sheets of 36 inch long,by 4 inches wide half inch balsa planks,pick the hardest ( not difficult these days) and straightest that you can find,next pop along to your local DIY store and get them to cut a panel of MDF offcut to the size 12 inches by 36 inches by half inch,while you are there buy a tin of 'Thixofix' adhesive which is a contact glue which has a slideability built into it,this is ideal for our purpose.
2/ Take this lot home and place the MDF onto a flat surface,coat the board with the contact adhesive,and then one side of the balsa,leave for about 15 minutws to gel off and place the first balsa panel at the edge of the MDF,press it firmly along the edge and make sure that it is well stuck down,now run a bead of PVA glue along the very edge of the balsa plane and then mate up this to the existing board,once again press firmly into position,then follow with the last piece of balsa.
Allow this to dry overnight and the next day add two cross pieces underneath the MDF panel at the ends,any straight timber will do about 1 inch square perhaps,if that lot warps then I will be most surprised as the whole lot should be solid.
You will now have a building board that will allow you to build the most flimsy of structures without any warps,and it will last you a lifetime.
These boards are a pleasure to use.