Allan Bennett Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 I've just received my SLEC building jig kit, and they recommend using the type of plastic-faced shelving (e.g. Contiboard) that you can get at most DIY stores. It seems to me that this will be difficult to push pins into, if I so wish, so I'm wondering if ply is a better bet. What's the experience of our builders here? What material is the best all-rounder taking into consideration rigidity and stability in varying conditions, as well as practicality? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Manzur Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 I use MDF liners over my bench. Have to use a small hammer to tap the pins in but means I can be liberal with my habits knowing the next project will get a fresh sheet. You can also use a builders plastic protective film which is self adhesive and cost effective. Easy to draw plans or reference points on the MDF then apply the film. Edited By Tony Manzur on 07/12/2015 08:29:37 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Conti board is good for the building jig, which is what you use to set your fuselage straight and true but the jig is not great for general building. For a general building board thereafter you would need something easier to push pins into. Folk use many different techniques. My building board is a sheet of MDF with cork tiles glued to the whole surface to make pins easier to push in. Edited By John F on 07/12/2015 08:29:20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 I have a solid mdf base framed under with softwood and topped with Sundeala pin boarding. It is used a lot for trainset bases as it takes and holds pins well and is sold for that in my local model shop. You can also buy it from timber merchants in full sheets. We use it at work for notice boards - funny how the offcuts from an 8x4 sheet are allways the right size to build on!! When I started building I used offcuts of plasterboard. It will last for a build or two, but is cheap as chips and does the job. Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bennett Posted December 7, 2015 Author Share Posted December 7, 2015 Wow, thanks for the quick replies. I take the point that the SLEC jig serves a different purpose than a general building board, so I'll go with Contiboard or equivalent. I already use 1/2" ply offcuts for general building work, but the idea of topping it with cork tiles or Sundeala board sounds good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Yes, formica clad chipboard covered with two laters of cork tiles. Last time I wanted cork tiles the local stores told me "No one uses them now" Never mind. You can buy them on EBay very easily.Self adhesive type is best, as evostick stinks. Alternatively you can buy good spray impact adhesive. I use two 48" X 12" borad so I can build two wings at the same time. Then move the boards of the bench and get on with the fuselage while the wing glue is drying. One of my secrets for fast building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn Johnston Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 I just typed, and then lost, a big long post I was trying to say that I would ALWAYS choose 'Sundeala' board; available from railway model shops. Some prefer plaster-board. I've heard some use glass, if you need to have it dead flat. I find MDF too hard to use pins with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn Johnston Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Note: I bought a 4' x 8' board of 1" ply. I then cut it lengthwise at 2'6" wide, and glued the remaining piece underneath in the middle. So I now have a 2'6" bench thats mostly 2" thick and absolutely dead-flat. Then covered it in Sundeala. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Skilbeck Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 I got my sundela board from a local timber merchants, but check first they don't all stock it. My workbench is an old worktop (from when we had the utility room redone) with a sundela board on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo565 Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Plaster board, 4 x 3 is around £3 at B&Q Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Not tried it myself as I use cork tiles but some people swear by laminate floor underlay (fibreboard type) as a top surface for MDF etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Posted by Allan Bennett on 07/12/2015 08:00:24: I've just received my SLEC building jig kit, and they recommend using the type of plastic-faced shelving (e.g. Contiboard) that you can get at most DIY stores. It seems to me that this will be difficult to push pins into, if I so wish, so I'm wondering if ply is a better bet. What's the experience of our builders here? What material is the best all-rounder taking into consideration rigidity and stability in varying conditions, as well as practicality? If you're referring to the fuselage jig then you don't need to stick pins in it. It's just a means of supporting the L-shaped brackets that you use to set up the stringers, formers etc when constructing a fuselage. I've had mine for years and I also used it to build the hull of my Thames sailing barge earlier this years. I just stuck the backgroundsquare matrix on a piece of mdf (25mm) stiffened by 2 lengths of wood on the back to keep it straight and level. Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormB Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Like Jim, I use plasterboard, the thicker stuff for walls not the lighter for ceilings. Cheap enough to have several concurrent surfaces to speed the build and to throw it away every year. Needs to be fully supported on your bench top or flat building table. It does blunt the pins after a while though Norm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban8 Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Was thinking about a second building board, so after seeing this thread I thought I'd take a look around the web. I find the Conti/cork option works well for me but I came across this on a model railway forum for those thinking about Sundeala. Never used it myself so one pays one's money etc............ "Sundeala is board made from 100% waste newsprint - it is essentially compressed paper-mache. It is designed for notice and pin boards where its ability to accept pins is an advantage. As a product, it is very unstable to atmospheric moisture and warps at rates that Captain Kirk would be proud of. It is dreadful stuff, totally unsuitable for model railways. I have lost count of the number of people I have had to help out of their 'Sundeala Disasters'. No matter how much the stuff is braced, it ALWAYS find a way to warp, sink or bow and it is particularly good at curling at the edges which for model railways is a disaster at board joints because a hump results. The use of Sundeala as a baseboard material is the 'Peco way' of building baseboards. No-one else does it this way because of its unsuitability. Fortunately, the stuff isn't available (to my knowledge) outside of the UK which at least means that layout disasters are confined to the UK!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 When we had our windows changed I saved a 2 X 4 glazing unit and laid a same size sheet of plasterboard on top. The plasterboard takes the pins and the glass keeps it perfectly flat. A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bennett Posted December 7, 2015 Author Share Posted December 7, 2015 I've had experience with Sundeala board on my model railway, and this year replaced it all with 1/2" ply because of its warping, sinking, bowing, etc. So I won't be using that as a building board any time soon -- though it may have a part to play if it's laminated onto the back of my building jig. After doing the fuselage I could then unbolt the brackets, turn the board over, and use the "soft" side for pinning down the wings under construction. It's beginning to look like some reasonably thick mdf is the simplest, with backing strips if necessary. Thanks to all who've given suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Parker Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Hi Allan, Over the years I have tried several different types of building board, from an off cut of 3/4 WMP ply, plasterboard covered ply - for me the pins did not seem to hold to well. Twenty years ago I made my workshop (took over a bedroom) and my building area is a 7' x 3' x 3/4 WBP ply laid on a framework of 3 x 2 timber forming a cupboard below with 1/2" acoustic board screwed onto the ply, i have been very pleased with it and it is still going strong with the same piece of acoustic board as it started out with. Earlier this year i made another smaller one in the attic using the same construction but this time I used a cheaper alternative to the acoustic board which is known as "bug" board used in construction joints between brickwork can either be bought either in sheet form or strips, I found it too soft and broke easily especially when try to get through the attic hatch. The reason for the second bench was that I was going to re-locate to the attic, but this has been cancelled . However, using it now due to other building projects going on in the house. For my SLEC building jig I used contiboard and it is over 20 years old. Regards Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted December 7, 2015 Share Posted December 7, 2015 Another one for plasterboard I use a SLEC jig too, on 18mm Contiboard, for fuselage construction but, as the fus sides are normally initially constructed flat on the bench, I still need the plasterboard for that and the flying surfaces! Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin 216 Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 I'm with Jim B&Q 4x3 plaster board cheap and easy to replace, mine is fitted into a purpose made bench. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bennett Posted December 8, 2015 Author Share Posted December 8, 2015 Even though my title says "building board", my question was mainly about the SLEC building jig, so thanks for all the replies. My building board is currently an offcut of 1/2" ply, which works well for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Another vote here for plasterboard! I have a simple workbench made up of kitchen worktop about 6' long. a 4 x 3 sheet of thick plasterboard on top. No need to fix it down. Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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