Originally Posted by TheNightowl

I gotta say, I MUCH prefer having a surface that takes pins readily. Trying to push pins into an actual wood surface is something I tried, but it didn't work for me at all. I like my ceiling tiles. And, after all, they can be laid on TOP of any flat surface. I've never had a problem with one of them not laying flat, even if it is a bit warped when I first bring it home. Lay it out, and after a couple of humid days, it's not sticking up anywhere. (But I tend to tape the edges down anyway.)

And they're handy to cut. I get 24 x 48 inch Armstrong acoustic tiles, which have a flat back, and if I need something longer than 48 inches, I can cut off a section of another tile and just lay it next to the first one, as long as the underlying surface is large enough. (I have a counter in my house that is a little low for building, but is exactly 2 feet wide and 8 feet long.) There may be some projects that isn't enough space for, but I don't think I'll be building any of those.

Nightowl

Take a hollow-core door and glue some foam-board to one side with 3M #77 spray. It takes pins great and you end up with two work surfaces; one hard for covering and setup work, and one soft for building / pinning... JUST FLIP IT!!!



One the building area thing, I really feel for the folks with small spaces, as I went from an entire one-car garage as my workshop to 1/2 of a small den in my new apartment in Colorado.

Hi Don

I would like to try the Dominoes instead of the wood splitting pins , where did you get yours and they look plain or our the white dots on the down side ? thanks. The brite red looks good.

Don

Hey Don...

Also, a stupid question. Do you wax those dominoes, or cover them with anything? In case you get a little sloppy and stick one to your work?

Chris

Don
Can't resist being the wise@ss....
I now see why Pokey isn't finished....
you keep using the dominoes for your 42 games!!!
G

I'm gonna get you, you old coot ...

Don, Fishy,

Yes, these are just regular old dominoes...dots down...doesn't really matter. You can get them just about anywhere they sell board games. These are heavy bakelite and I never had a problem with glue sticking but they are old and used and have finger oils on them. A new pack may need some light hand lotion or something just in case. There are varying degrees of quality and weight so get a good set.

Cheers,

Don W.

Don, do the dominoes provide enough weight? If you had a successful O3 build I would assume they do....

Great idea!

PP

Hey PP,

Yes, they work great. I actually have 2 sets and stack them when I need a little more weight. If you think about it, when you like have a dominoe between each rib holding down your trailing edge sheeting, the weight and distribution of that weight is ample and even. Things lay very flat. I also use them between my clamps to apply a wider area of pressure for like webbing and other clamping. Also for leveling blocks and such.

Don

Great idea! I think I'll try that on my Allegro Lite build.

Hey Froggie, great to see you!


PP

I would caution everyone about using hollow-core doors. If you use much weight, you can end up with a concave building surface and curved wings... Other than that, they're great...

I use a solid core door and a magnetic building board for my workbench. No pins.

Cool TJ, where did you get the board?

Two "what Ever Straight Wing Building Tips"

What ever is used for a building board, a must tool is a metal yard stick or longer, placed on the board length wise and crosswise to check for flatness prior to ..... each build. I use a six foot steel rule for checking the length span of the board.

What ever tip spar material you chose, If your trying to reduce wing tip panel weight by using light weight tip spars instead of spruce, use it on both the top and bottom tip panel spars. I.E., a top spruce spar and bottom balsa wood spar, regardless if the construction is open or D-Tube, will produce an upward curved tip panel if you fly in a humid area. A winter built wing in a dry basement can have a whole new look to it in the Spring time.

If you live in a humid area, check the building board for straightness prior to each build.


Ray
Sky Bench ... Woodys Forever
http://www.skybench.com

Originally Posted by dwells

Cool TJ, where did you get the board?

I must confess, that's what I used to have before moving after Hurricane Katrina. I forgot that I use a different bench now. I bought it at either Lowe's or The Home Depot, I don't recall which. I asked if they had any that were marred on one side, usually you can get them to reduce the price on it if one side is bad. I do remember having a difficult time finding some that weren't already in the casing or pre-drilled for a knob, but eventually I found one.

My current workbench is two layers of 3/4" MDF that is 30" wide and 8' long if I remember right. Normally it is more prone to warpage (I do live in a high humidity area) and I've had to shim it in a few spots with balsa sheet scraps. It's layed over a steel, 4 level shelving unit that was seperated into two shorter units. My only problem with it is that it's too low for me and it hurts my back to stand at it too long. I usually end up on one knee in front of it. Eventually I'd like my benches to be at 42" working height.

What about the magnetic board?

The magnetic board is a Great Planes Magic Magnet board. I believe it's 48" long by 12 or 18" wide. I got it years ago as a Christmas present and it's a little lacking for fixtures and magnets, but I make it work. I've seen some nicer, more complete ones that I'd like to have, but they get pricey quick. I'd like to have a magnetic board as big as my bench, but that's a winning lottery ticket away yet .