Stephen Belshaw Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 A search, both here and on Google, tells me this crops up frequently but with nothing definitive for what I'm looking for, so apologies for repeating the question. After a long break from modelling I'm busy resurrecting a Twin Star, a Graupner Cherry and building a Graupner Match. None of which require pins, balsa cement or greaseproof paper to lay over the plans! But I also have a Sonata glider kit that I would like to start on so need something to stick pins in to. I like the look of the SLEC balsa building boards but the cost of geting it out to me is as much as the cost of the board, so I need to make it myself. I have two options in terms of what is readily available and both would go down on to 18mm particle board. I can source 4mm thick cork sheets, which are too thin on their own so I would need to double/triple/quadruple up on the thicknes. Perhaps a bit of a faff. I can also source balsa 1M x 100mm x 19mm thick, I was thinking I could join these to give me a 1 metre x 300mm or 400mm board which would be plenty thick enough. My question is, as it differs from the SLEC building board in not being end grain, would it be as robust, hold a pin as well and could I rely on it being straight and true? In short, has anyone used this method? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcaddict Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 plasterboard works for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 Plasterboard - cheap, easy to cut, takes pins and to bring it back to top condition you can always wallpaper the surface (too much faff - replace it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Shailer Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 Yes lve used plaster board for years, would use anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Duncker Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 Consider a slab of marble try a salvage yard for an old bit of bedroom furniture or a damaged piece of granite worktop. This will not warp unlike MDF or ply. Glue on cork tiles and you are good to go. That is what I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Belshaw Posted November 24, 2018 Author Share Posted November 24, 2018 Three nil to plasterboard so far. Any balsa board users to even up the score? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Belshaw Posted November 24, 2018 Author Share Posted November 24, 2018 John, how thick were your cork tiles? I already have the base material, it's just the top for sticking pins in I want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levanter Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 Double layer of cork tiles on 19mm multiply and five boards of varying sizes. My boards get plenty of abuse and plasterboard would not stand up to it. This is my biggest board stored and clipped vertical on the back of a cupboard door to stop warping. This side is the SLEC fuselage jig and the other is cork covered. Six years old and going strong. Levanter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Belshaw Posted November 24, 2018 Author Share Posted November 24, 2018 Levanter, may I ask what thickness your cork tiles are? A very well organised cupboard and a nice looking gold top in the corner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 Plasterboard is the stuff and it's handy to have a piece for fuselages, another for wings and a couple of smaller pieces for tailplanes etc. Small screws can be used to hold down wing spars much more firmly than pins. Plasterboard offcuts big enough for modelling can often be seen in builders skips! Just make sure they are flat though and always ask permission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Belshaw Posted November 24, 2018 Author Share Posted November 24, 2018 Chaps, I know plasterboard is well regarded - it came up frequently on my search, but I'm interested in hearing of experience with cork and my possible method of using none end-grain balsa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levanter Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 Stephen Two layers of 4mm with the joints staggered. The corks tiles are self finished so paint, glue, water and anything else I can think of throwing at them wipes off easily. The cork is also kind on the blades and razor saw when I can't be bothered to go and get the cutting mats for a quickie. I also have a 1.2m IKea plain white kitchen table that is cork topped. It was not dead flat but a couple of steels screwed on the underside fixed that. Levanter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Stainforth Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 Glass for me, but if you try pinning that it's "hell on the thumbs" (Dave Platt)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Belshaw Posted November 24, 2018 Author Share Posted November 24, 2018 Posted by Levanter on 24/11/2018 20:23:44: Stephen Two layers of 4mm with the joints staggered. The corks tiles are self finished so paint, glue, water and anything else I can think of throwing at them wipes off easily. The cork is also kind on the blades and razor saw when I can't be bothered to go and get the cutting mats for a quickie. I also have a 1.2m IKea plain white kitchen table that is cork topped. It was not dead flat but a couple of steels screwed on the underside fixed that. Levanter Thanks Levanter, that's just the sort of feedback I was hoping for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Harris Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 I use 2 layers of 9mm thick pin board glued onto an 18mm mdf base, it's served me well over several differing sized building boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 Presumably even if you use plaster board you still need something dead flat to support it? My current build was done on a sheet of MDF with 50x25 mm (2"x1" battens screwed to the back to keep it flat. It has my SLEC fuselage jig stuck to it (Like Levanter's but not so clean!) but I used a sheet of steel and used wooden blocks with 6mm magnets inset. I bought the steel and accurate hardwood blocks at Cosford earlier this year. Much better than pins in cork tiles, which I find have a tendency to pull out if you don't take care. Very impressed with it. I suspect my box of pins will get a lot less use from now on. Geoff PS Levanter: I notice a set of yacht rigs in your photo. What yacht are they for? I built a Rhythm 1 metre before I started aeromodelling and raced it for a few years. Sadly the rigs in their rig box haven't seen daylight for a long time but I can't bear to part with the yacht. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel newby Posted November 24, 2018 Share Posted November 24, 2018 I use a sort of fibre board I bought from a builders merchants years ago. Thkes pin etc no problem. I sit on a flat table so no problems. Everything is true. I like the idea of plaster board except the plaster /chalk will spill from the ends. Nigel N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 Geoff. Yes you still need a true dead flat table or bench. I know this has been mentioned many times before, but worth bringing up again, a good way is to get an interior flat hollow core door, these are usually made flat and true, reasonably light to handle and cheap for the length of time it will last you. You can either make a bench out of that or secure it to the top of an old one that you're not happy with. Then cut a piece of plasterboard to fit the door and place on top. This gives the best of both worlds. You will always have a true flat bench for many years, protected by the plasterboard, and the 'pin friendly' plasterboard will give long service, as well as being easily and cheaply replaceable when necessary. Nigel Yes you are right about the the raw edges spilling chalk, I run a length of 2inch ducting tape folded over the edges, ...... also another bonus, when one side of my plasterboard starts looking a bit tatty, I turn it over and use the other side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel newby Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 Ronaldo, you sound like a Yorkshire man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 Ha ha ha. Tha's reet there lad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levanter Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 Hi Geoff They are the large and medium rigs for an International One Metre. I also have a couple of obeche masts for another yacht that is awaiting repair after being attacked by a Rottweiler. Yes - Seriously! Funnily enough the hull was in the bath yesterday checking for leaks (none found in the hull) as I have an urge to get it back on the water this winter. We sail in bays and harbours so it gets a bit rough sometimes and water always seems to find its way in somehow but now I know it is through the deck. Levanter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 You can buy Cork tilexs 10mm thick on EBay. They work very well for me. They are self adhesive but I find that they can fall off melamine covered chipboard shelves that I use as the board. These are 48" X 12". I also have a 800X 600mm board for very wide wing parts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted November 25, 2018 Share Posted November 25, 2018 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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