I haven't built a complete kit in many years, so I was wondering what's the best, most flat and easy to pin surface. I have a hollow core door and was thinking about topping it with cork, or ceiling tiles, or drywall. Any and all suggestions are welcome. I searched and came up with very little info. Thanks

I am using a ceiling tile. Works great. Also allows me to move a project if I need to.

Mojavegold,

I use Homosote...its 1/2 inch thick, white on one side and grey on the other. The commercial application is for sound barrier and also for ceilings. It comes in 4X8 sheets.

Also, if you could get a peice of old pool table slate to build off of it is the best. Put the Homosote on top of the slate. Definitely flat...really flat.

Level is level....but flat is more important.

Tom

You can buy Homasote at these stores

Westwood Building Materials 15708 Inglewood Avenue
Lawndale, CA 90260 310-643-9158 8.5
Southland Lumber 8710 Aviation Boulevard
Inglewood, CA 90301 310-641-8150 13.1
Charles G. Hardy 15723 South Vermont Avenue
Paramount, CA 90723 562-634-6560 14.9
Ganahl Lumber 10742 Los Alamitos Boulevard
Alamitos, CA 90720 714-527-2285 17.6
Stock Lumber 6641 Santa Monica Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90038 323-469-1951 22.5
Topanga Lumber 506 Topanga Cyn Blvd
Topanga, CA 90290 310-455-2047 27.0
Stock Lumber 640 North Victory Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91502 818-842-2177 28.5

Sheet Rock, Dry Wall, Plaster Board is cheap readily available and works pretty good

Lay it on a hollow core door across a couple saw horses

Thanks to all of you for the great info!! I think I will give the homosote some serious consideration. I'm starting a balsa usa 1/4 scale cub build next week, so this info is very handy. Any thoughts on 1/4 inch thick cork tiles bonded to the door surface? My only concern was that they wouldn't all be the same thickness. Also, I was thinking about using wax paper over the plans, like we used to do way back when. Unless there is anything better out there.

Check out Great Planes' Plan Protector. Works great and is clear.

http://www.greatplanes.com/reviews/gpmr6167-rcr.html

I would not bond anything to your door. You're going to want to replace the surface at some point.

Good point. Thanks for the info. I was also thinking of bringing home some release film from work. It's made for carbon fiber work.

I bought the Plan Protector from tower hobbies pure crap! everything stuck to it

I'm going to bring home some release film and test it out. If it works with epoxies and CA, I have a winner. We use it for vaccuum de-bulking of carbon fiber layups and it peels right off the surface.

x2

Cieling tile glued to a 3/4 MDF board, stupid flat and stiff, drill small 1/4" holes through the board and into the bench before gluing the tile down, in the holes, mount 1/4 dowels that match the bench holes. Now it can be dropped into the bench and lock in place, but lifted up and put aside if you need the bench back.

All very good ideas. I'm picking up a sheet of homasote tomorrow and mounting it to a hollow core door. Should work very well. I also got some of the professional quality release film and will test it with CA and epoxy tonight to see if it will work.

Ok, so I brought some high tech release film home today and did a couple tests on it. The CA had absolutely no effect on it. Matter of fact, it just sat on the surface like a drop of water and didn't even cloud the film, or leave a residue. Next, I mixed some epoxy and spread it on the film, let it harden, then removed it. It popped right off!! This stuff is gonna be great for building kits on. Gotta love the space program, good things come from research. Check out the pics. First pic is the epoxy on the release film, second is me holding that same puddle of epoxy after it hardened.

Is that film for sale to the general public?

As stated above, flat is far more important that level. Hollow core doors are never flat. They have almost no structure inside them and the main surface will warp in a short time. A solid core door is a good place to start. Also the pool table top is awesome. I use a 4x8 foot granite slab, but it was costly. If I had not moved from California to Illinois during the time when homes were worth millions in Caalifornia I wouldn't have it.

The solid core door, followed by a piece of 1/4" thick glass will yield a surface that will deliver many years of quality builds. Place the ceiling tile on top of the glass and door and you are good.

Not all doors are created equal.

When selecting a door, stop off at the tool department first and pick up the longest metal straight edge they have.

Then check each door with the straight edge in length, width and corner to corner. When you find one that's close, check it again at several places in length and width. Do the diagionals in several places too.

If you don't find a door that's flat, go to another building center and check their doors.

Dave

I know it's quite expensive. I'll ask for the brand name at work and get back to you. It's only sold in industrial size rolls. Sorry for the late reply, but I had a crazy weekend and I built most of the 1/4 scale cub fuse.

You got that right. I went through 10 doors before I found a flat one. Got it home and it was sway backed the next morning. So I shimmed the center and got it flat again. When I build my wings I'll go get a solid core door. Or I could build my wings on the pool table, but the wife might kill me...

Here's a link for the release film, it's called FEP and only comes in rolls. It's the violet colored film .001 thick. Might be worth getting a bunch of your buddies together to buy a roll. This stuff is amazing!

http://www.richmondaircraft.com/file...rsivjgwlaf.pdf