Building board

[Wrench]

Getting back into building sailplanes after many years away I needed a new building board to which I could build woodies with and use pins. I've read many threads on the various forums and never thought any were really good. Ceiling tiles seem to be a big hit but when I looked at them I found them lacking.

Here's what I did. I went to the local big box store and bought a 36" bifold closet door. I removed the hinges and ended up with two 18x80 ish building boards. They are almost dead flat and only show .1 degree of warp from one end to the other. They are not pin friendly though. Back in my youth I built on a desk top in my Dorm room I remembered having a long piece of cork about 1/4" thick and 3' long.

I searched the net and couldn't easily find anything like it. After days of looking I found what I needed at McMaster.com, They sell 1/4" thick 12 x 36 sheets for about 8$ each. I ordered 5 sheets and this gave me two building boards with the sheets laid end to end. I rechecked and found the cork very stable on measurements. Now I can build both wings and the stab at one time.

This cork pins very easily and holds up well. I suspect the cork will not move around from the humidity as much as the balsa does so that is not a concern. Even if I have to replace the cork every few years it's still cheap enough.

[StevenatorLTFO]

I don't know if it gives me as good of a surface to work on, but I use 2' x 4' ceiling tiles, turned upside down.

[cfw]

yup, i've got 2 cieling tiles on a solid core door that is my workbench.

I didn't like the hollow core doors like the interior or closet doors. they wouldn't withstand enough weight or pressure. (sometimes i have to stand on my bench...)

[Monster Mash]

I have always used drywall cut to the size of my work bench. It is flat, takes pins great and makes a good cutting surface.

[bobthenuke]

I bought a balsa building board from either Tower or Hobby Lobby; I've had it quite a long time and don't regret buying it. It's absolutely straight, about 5 foot by 2 and when it gets a little messed up with glue splatters and the like I take my two foot sanding bar and lightly clean the surface.

I've used ceiling tiles and the like in the past, but I've found this to be the best in all the years I've been building. MHO, of course.

-bob

[Mark Miller]

The best surface for a building board is Homasote. You can get it at your home improvement store or lumber yard. It is a pressed cardboard product which is easy to push pins into but harder that ceiling tiles. Lasts for years and is pretty cheap.

Mark Miller

[jcstalls]

So Mark, is this Homasote apply to a main board like a solid or hollow core door?

Thanks,

Jared

[cfw]

There's a bunch of different types of Homasote, which are you using?

http://www.homasote.com/products/

[mtnmnstr]

I don't know if it gives me as good of a surface to work on, but I use 2' x 4' ceiling tiles, turned upside down.

I use this method also, But I added from Michael's craft store. Sheet cork 1/4" x2'x4' rolled up, Spry77 and done.

I recently switched over to a metal sheet with magnets. I have one plane on it now. I'm like'n how it's work'n.

Gene

[rogerflies]

My favorite building surface is glass. I use weights and masking tape to hold things down. I also use CA or Titebond to put little alignment blocks where I need them. They can be removed with a sharp tap when I'm done, and a razor blade gets rid of the residue.

The cheapest weights are rolls of pennies. You just return them to the bank, and get your money back.

Roger

[KickAce]

I use foam board glued down to a flat board or door and the glue down cork tiles that you can get from OfficeMax or simular type of store... A bit expensive but if you really want the pins to stick in and have the surface last for while, well I don't think that you can do better than these cork tiles... The foam board is used because the cork tiles are only 1/8" thick but do a great job holding those pins in...

[Mechanic]

This guy has an interesting one. Pretty nice if you do a lot of stuff.

http://www.airfieldmodels.com/

He has a section on a magnetic building board system. It looks pretty versatile.

[ChuckA]

I don't use pins anymore. About 15 years ago, I picked up a Magic Magnetic Builder for half price after a trade show. The magnetics, weights, and tape are all I need. I have a lot of weights but the most useful are the 30 inch long flat iron bars I used to hold down foam blocks when I use to cut my own foam wing cores and several old laptop computer and UPS batteries.

[Thermaler]

I used to use a fiber board that was used in buiding house. It came in 4 x 8 sheets brown or black. The brown was the best, same thing my Dad built on. The black came in two grades, one had splinters of wood and the other was a slightly rough surface minus the splinters both with a coating of some kind. All three flat as could be needed back then.
If anybody can tell me the name of the brown stuff I might be able to find some and replace the ceiling tiles I use now with mixed feelings.

Joe

[N2856S]

Celotex. Is this the brown sheeting you are looking for? http://www.knightcelotex.com/pages/sheathing.aspx

[kzimmerm]

The best surface for a building board is Homasote. You can get it at your home improvement store or lumber yard. It is a pressed cardboard product which is easy to push pins into but harder that ceiling tiles. Lasts for years and is pretty cheap.

Mark Miller


I've used Homasote as a building board for years. I use sheetrock screws to screw it onto a gypsum filled door that I ripped down to be about 30" wide. I would use the screws to counter sync themselves below the surface of the homosote. I then sand off the "mushroom" remains caused by the screw.

Homosote is very durable and is easy to drive pins into.

Kurt

[Thermaler]

Celotex. Is this the brown sheeting you are looking for? http://www.knightcelotex.com/pages/sheathing.aspx
That is the stuff, THANXS!!! Now to find a supplier locally!!

Joe