Building Table Surface

[Vincent Judd]

I used to go to Lowes or Home Depot and buy an individual ceiling tile to put on top of my building table.  I could shim it to make it nice and flat and it was easy to stick pins into.  I stopped the other day and the store I was in did not have individual tiles for sale, you had to buy the entire box.  Couldn't find anyone to ask, maybe you can open one of the boxes for an individual tile, not sure. 

Just wondered what everyone was using as a top for their building boards these days.  I looked at the pink insulation foam, but you had to buy a huge sheet of the stuff and cut it down to size.

Thanks

Vince

[gene poremba]

 The last few C/L models I built I used rods, so the building board wasn't as critical. However I'm building a R/C model for the Vintage R/C Society event and build on top of 1/2" drywall  on top of my oak building table. I like drywall sheets, they are inexpensive, pins stick easily in it, and can be shimmed perfectly level with sheets of paper. Been using drywall since the early 70's.......Gene

[Peter Nevai]

As mentioned Drywall is cheap but there again you have to pretty much have to get a 4 X 8 sheet which may be way more than you need to deal with. As far as ceiling tiles are concerned it just depends on the size you wish to cover. With the 2 X 4 sizes you can get it by the square foot or in cartons of 3+, at a reasonable cost. The 2 X 2 size, you usually need to by it by the carton. There are 4 X 4 sized tiles however those are for commercial use and those are not usually carried in your home improvement big box stores.

[Vincent Judd]

As mentioned Drywall is cheap but there again you have to pretty much have to get a 4 X 8 sheet which may be way more than you need to deal with. As far as ceiling tiles are concerned it just depends on the size you wish to cover. With the 2 X 4 sizes you can get it by the square foot or in cartons of 3+, at a reasonable cost. The 2 X 2 size, you usually need to by it by the carton. There are 4 X 4 sized tiles however those are for commercial use and those are not usually carried in your home improvement big box stores.

So where are you buying these 2 X 4 ceiling tiles?

[Mike Griffin]

Vincent Home Depot and Lowes should have the 2 x 4 ceiling tiles.

Mike

[Mike Griffin]

I have pretty much gone to using the magnets to build with now.  It is a very good method to build a model.

Mike

[RogerGreene]

I use 5/8" drywall on a 30" hollow core flat door. Pins go in easy and the drywall is flat. My friend next door needed the drywall I cut off. So a win-win situation.

[Steve Thompson]

I have used a 2x4 ceiling tile backed up with 5/8 particle board for about 15 years.  When not pinning, I flip it over for a hard bench surface.

The tile was free.  Saw in the dumpster at the lumber yard (I did ask).  It was brand new but had a corner busted off.

Old used ones get bowed and soft, it seems.  Best to start with a fresh one (from the dumpster).

[Allan Leonard]

I have pretty much gone to using the magnets to build with now.  It is a very good method to build a model.

Mike

Sorry Vincent I don't mean to get on a sidetrack but I have a question on the magnets Mike. Are they true to 90 deg on all corners?

[Mike Griffin]

Yes they are Allan.  I can post my video again for you if you like.

Mike

[Gordon Van Tighem]

I got a free desk from a hotel that was redecorating (very solid), I set a panel of beaverboard (old type of wallboard, sturdy, but friendly to pins) on top. I also have a piece of glass that fits the top, from an old coffee table.
G

[Dave Harmon]

I used to go to Lowes or Home Depot and buy an individual ceiling tile to put on top of my building table.  I could shim it to make it nice and flat and it was easy to stick pins into.  I stopped the other day and the store I was in did not have individual tiles for sale, you had to buy the entire box.  Couldn't find anyone to ask, maybe you can open one of the boxes for an individual tile, not sure. 

Just wondered what everyone was using as a top for their building boards these days.  I looked at the pink insulation foam, but you had to buy a huge sheet of the stuff and cut it down to size.

Thanks

Vince

Hi Vince....
That exact thing happened to me....
But....there were some opened boxes of ceiling tile so I grabbed 3 of them and talked the manager into selling them.
They work great.

[Mike Griffin]

[Rick Wetzel]

Vince, you can get an insulation product known as "homasote" at Lowe's or Home Depot. I've used it for years and it works well.  It always helps to start with a flat surface to anchor the homasote to. There are usually reasonably sized pieces and the Lowe's I go to will cut them to a specific size if you ask, so I suspect that would be an option at most of their stores.

I've also tried building with magnets as Mike Griffin mentioned below. I'm building one of the RSM Ringmasters and the magnets are working great.

Good to see you are building Vince!  Hope to see you soon.

Rick

[Vincent Judd]

Vince, you can get an insulation product known as "homasote" at Lowe's or Home Depot. I've used it for years and it works well.  It always helps to start with a flat surface to anchor the homasote to. There are usually reasonably sized pieces and the Lowe's I go to will cut them to a specific size if you ask, so I suspect that would be an option at most of their stores.

I've also tried building with magnets as Mike Griffin mentioned below. I'm building one of the RSM Ringmasters and the magnets are working great.

Good to see you are building Vince!  Hope to see you soon.

Rick

Nice to hear from you Rick.  Check your PM's.

[Tom Luciano]

I also have been building on homasote for 45+ years. I have a full 4x8 sheet  for a bench.

Tom L

[Skip Chernoff]

I use homosote as well.

[RknRusty]

I put a 3/8" thick glass on top of my 4'x8'x1/4" marine ply table top. Then some 2x4 drywall squares taped together on top of that. I shim under the glass to eliminate a slight sag in the center.
Rusty

[Gary Dowler]

About 12 years ago, I ordered a balsa building board from Guillow's.  It was made in Miami, FL. (Solarbo?) They came in two sizes, I ordered the largest size.  The information is in a folder in each kit. Worth looking into.

As to "homasote", it is pressed newspaper and was at one time used as siding for houses/apartments built in a hurry during WW2. There used to be a row of them near my house. All now torn down. Now it is sold as "mattress support" in some hard ware stores or lumber yards.  In model railroading we use it as roadbed to lay tracks on. 

Ah, a fellow model railroader!  Greetings!

Gary

[Fredvon4]

Do not look for Homosote in the deep south...from Dallas to San Antonio I have not yet found a Lowe's or Home Depot lumbar guy who has ever head of it

Got frustrated moved on... Magnets, Glass, Granite, Zapp/Hot Stuff....no more pins

[dave siegler]

Homasote is available in Texas. 

http://www.homasote.com/wheretobuy?distance=5&search=&State=TX&City=San+Antonio

The 440 sound barrier works well. 

I can get it at my local Menards in single sheets.  Works better than anything I have ever used. 

[Dave Harmon]

Ah, a fellow model railroader!  Greetings!

Gary

My Dad did HO trains and he called the track bed....cornbed.
Could it be the Homasote stuff??

[Fredvon4]

dave thanks for the link..I had a fried in SA I used to visit a lot.... 2.5 hour drive each way... the Lowe's and Home depot I stopped in at never heard of the stuff so I gave up

While I know it is a preferred method to pin to a board...I just moved away from that method

I do like my flat plate and magnets but they are also a pain in some respects....especially for smaller wings with cramped rib to rib spacing...with the iron side plates on a magnet they are too powerful to align, and without the side plates, not firm enough to hold the balsa part nice n tight

Way back I screwed up a perfectly fine purpose built Balsa building board by spilling a LOT of Hot stuff on it.... made it worthless in 0.06 seconds... lots of smoke and no new sharp pins would ever again stick in it again.... ripped it down length wise and ran it in my wood working 12" planer hopping I would not damage a good set of blades... took off 3/32 by 64ths and still did not get down to usable area so gave up

No Virginia I was not building on it, so did not have my waxed paper down...simply spilled a 4oz bottle of Zap Hot stuff opened while putting on new tip after clearing the screw cap....dumb expensive old man mistake

My understanding is there are still places make the good flat butcher block Balsa building boards...but they are pretty pricey....last I found was in the UK and shipping with the high price nixed my plan to replace mine