I have used kitchen counter top covered in like a plastic covered foam board but it's not very durable and pins come out easy, what's the best thing you've found?

I use a 30"x78" flush panel door with a piece of what my local timber supply call"pin board" on top.It's a hard fibrous board,3/8" thick,takes and holds a pin well.I cover it with decorators lining paper as the surface is absorbent and can swell if you have a dammit moment with glue etc

I used to use a flat, plastic covered shelf from a DIY store with some 13mm cork sheet stuck to it using contact adhesive.

These days I just use a Great Planes building board!

I have seen several folks talk about using a flat panel door, covered in metal so that magnets could be used in the building process.

Sounds like a great idea and something I am going to look into when I re-organize my hobby room.

If they ever get them back in stock, Guillows balsa building boards. I've got one 36" and one 48". Had them for several years now, still flat despite a few house moves and they sat in storage for several months back in 2010.

One good trick I learned - mine can be hinged together. I sit them on my building bench, prop one up to a wing's dihedral angle and build the complete wing out from the dihedral brace and centre structure. Beats the heck out of joining a pair of completed wing panels - took me long enough to figure that out too.

Tower Hobbies do something similar in balsa too.

D

I use the same as Stuart Annat, except I paint the fibre board with two thick coats of latex house paint and drape it over with plastic sheet from the dressmaker's shop (blasted cyano spills!). That method has served me well for years. Recently I collaborated with the forum sponsor to get a building jig/ building board laser cut- to be used for smaller projects- with the ability to tab two or more boards together for longer or wider projects. These will get dense cork sheeting just like DeeBee's board.

I like 2'x4' ceiling tiles.

They can be stood on their long side and stacked against the wall so that while I wait for the glue to dry on that board (say a wing), I can work on the fuselage on another 2'x4' piece.

What type of ceiling tiles....like the styrofoam ones?

I use a magnetic building board. It's infinitely adjustable and it's the last board I'll ever need.

Originally Posted by rbwindover

What type of ceiling tiles....like the styrofoam ones?

I think they are made out of some kind of compressed paper product? All the ones I've seen seem to be made of the same material.

Originally Posted by rbwindover

What type of ceiling tiles....like the styrofoam ones?

The regular commercial ceiling tiles are made from a funny sort of fibrous compressed material. It tends to crumble easy if heavily handled. But it's just the right sort of stuff for building boards to hold pins well. I believe that the old term for this material was "donachonda board".

I like to glue the ceiling tile material to a piece of 3/4 MDF board. The MDF is normally very flat and stable while the CT is a bit too flexible on its own. As a sandwich it's fantastic. These boards will work out for a long time and after some two or three dozen projects when glue spotted and chunked out so badly that they are ruined can be easily discarded and replaced with a clear conscience. I'm not normally a big fan of spray contact cements but for joining the ceiling tile material to the MDF it's the perfect product. Otherwise the ceiling tile would soak up FAR too much contact or other glue if applied with a brush or trowel.

Keep the tile and MDF away from water. THis includes water based glues. Bad things happen when either material gets near water.

I use a hollow door and then a Great Planes building board over that for pinning.

My building board warped a bit but I've had some pretty dramatic humdity swings here so it's just become something I check before I begin building.

I'd like to move to a magnetic board but I haven't found a decent piece of metal here.

-Mike

I use a hollow core door covered with a sheet of drywall. It takes pins well and is a true surface providing the door is good, also it's cheap,readily available, and easy to replace when need be.

Jess

sheetrock

because it costs 3 bucks for a massive sheet. you can be completely un-caring with them and you're out nothing

Solid core door with 3/32 metal top for use with magnets. Spills or glue scrape up easy and as stated earlier, it is infinitely adjustable. Last board you will ever need. Frame needs to be strong. Here it is in action with an electric foam job.

John