What kind of building boards do all you folks use out there? I am thinking about making a magnet board. Anybody have any experience with them?

I use two balsa building boards. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...06/ai_n8902522

Guillows, Tower Hobbies, Hobby Lobby all sell them. They're flat. You could have a peice of sheet metal cut the same size. and just let it lay on top.

Here is another good article.

http://airfieldmodels.com/informatio...oard/index.htm

The Easybuilt system is a good way to try this method.

http://www.easybuiltmodels.com/b04.htm

I have used it for several years, and supplemented the basic set with odds and ends of plastic components from Great Planes (see at tower hobbies), e.g, right angle braces, dihedral braces.

For an underlying building board, I use a particle board shelf from the hardware store. The galvanized sheet is just secured to the shelf with masking tape.

It takes a little getting used to, building with magnets. You have to figure out little strategies and gadgets to do jobs that come naturally to pins. But it becomes second nature after a while, and at a certain point you stop reaching for the pins.

Another change. Instead of gluing and placing, magnet building encourages complete pre-assembly, and then gluing the abutted joints with penetrating aliphatic glue. It is easier to build light this way.

I never use pins anymore. Magnets are "non-invasive", and perfectly conserve the strength of the balsa.

mcg