Im just starting to gather things for my very first build...
Ive heard lots of suggestions on both, the door, and the ceiling tile... if you build on something OTHER than these two things, please chime in... wed like to know what your building on...

Id like to know which youd prefer...

You can give me the PROS and CONS...

If this has already been done, forgive me...

You can visit my "pre" building thread here...
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_90...tm.htm#9035247

Actually, the hollow-core door and ceiling tile are often used together.

You need to start with a hard, FLAT surface. Most people suggest a hollow-core door because they are easy to find and relatively inexpensive, but a piece of counter top, or ANY good, flat surface will work fine.

Some people like to pin parts to the plans (I prefer to use weights and some use magnets) so laying a ceiling tile on top of your table will allow you to push pins into it.

hey Minn... thanks for the info... ive followed several of your threads and glad to have you around here to help us new guys out...

although i already have a hard flat level surface (pic attached), im looking to purchase what will lay on the surface...

thanks!

The choice is yours. If you want to use pins to hold things down, lay a ceiling tile (or something similar) on top, or you can use weights.

That looks like an excellent building surface, so you wouldn't need a hollow-core door (unless you wanted to make it bigger).

About the only thing that needs to be pinned to the table is the wing spar. If that were my building table, I would get a piece of plywood (the kind with at least one smooth, finished surface) and lay it on top (good surface up of course). You can even make it slightly larger if you like, but I wouldn't over hang the edges by more than about a foot.

Then, to hold down the spars, I like to use those clips that are made for holding electrical wires to studs in houses (See pic)

They will leave two holes in your plywood top, but... big deal. They hold a lot better than pins and you don't have to have a soft, mushy work surface that pins will push into.

Minn... thats good info... thanks...

ive actually got some of those electrical clips in my shop... not sure theyre the right size for the spar, but ill check...

id like to assemble all of one wing 1/2 before i apply ANY glue... being my first, i wanna make sure its perfect before i glue anything... so, would i not need to have something (pins) to hold my ribs up? or will the spar hold them up fine without me having to place pins on both sides of the ribs in order for them to stand up?

maybe im getting ahead of myself and will know this more when my kit gets here...

HURRY UP UPS GUY!!!

I took one of the doors (hollow core) from a downstairs room when I lived at home-been using it for years and years. I pin everything to it using a good quality hobby pin-makes everything nice and straight and it won't budge until I want it to. I also use a couple of the big white tables,-3.5ft. by 8ft. to lay out my wood, glues and other supplies when building.

Hi, good morning neighbor, been a while since I've been through
El Dorado, use to call on a hobby shop there many years ago when
I was a sales rep for Dealers Hobby Dist. out of Dallas.

The desk that you have is a great start to a building table, just
make sure it is absolutely level. My preference is 2' x 4' ceiling tiles
to build on as it easier to push pins into than a lot of other materials
like plywood, my building table is made from a solid core door which is
more stable than a hollow core one. I made a frame to support it and
fitted 2 x 4 legs with bracing. I'll snap a pic of it later today and post it.
I also have one of those balsa building boards that is available from different
sources, I beleive mine is a Great Planes 3/4 x 16 x 36, they also make a 48"
board as well, and they aren't that expensive, I've had mine for several years
and use it regularly.

BTW if you decide to use the 2' x 4' ceiling tiles and need more than one, tape
them together with paint masking tape, works great to hold them into posiition
on the building table also.

Bill D.

Also, no matter what you use for a surface, remember to put wax paper between the parts you are glueing & the surface of your board. If you don't,everything will be glued together. ( My first build I ended up with a wing-half that had 4 ceiling tiles adhered to it.)

I went with other...something I don't see mentioned here:

SOLID core door.

The key to a good build table is flat, flat, flat, flat. Without a good solid framework, hollow core doors can sag, warp, and twist. No such problems with solid core doors.

I also used to use a Solid Core door. Now I have 3/4" MDF thats 8' x 2'- 6", but I also have an old Great Planes magnetic board (thin steel sheet) on a portion of it and a piece of glass I lay down for cutting film on. Eventually, I'd like to go the way of Dave Platt and have a large tempered glass surface. The advantage of that is that you can tack glue right to the glass and also use a grease pencil to mark on it, and it cleans up with a single edge razor. I've never liked using pins, ever.

you know... now that you guys are mentioning glass... when i first got into this hobby, almost 10yrs ago, the guy that built my very first ARF (a .10 sized tiger) used a mirror to mix his epoxy on... i had forgotten all about that... after the epoxy was dried on the mirror, hed take a sharp scraper and just scrap it off into a trash can...

i guess this is good for mixing epoxy?

and you say to use a piece of glass to cut covering? glass or mirror?

thanks for all the help guys!!!

The reason I recommended a hollow core door in TinmanJones' (Don) other kit thread is primarily because a hollow core door is a reasonable combination of two things: very low cost while delivering a flat surface.

Having said that, I built all my RC airplanes on an old hospital solid core door that was not only huge and heavy, it was incredibly flat. In spite of whatever type of heavy hardwood it was, I could push T-pins into it - although my fingers would get sore.

I've never used ceiling tiles. My only concern is they wouldn't be flat enough. For me it's all about having a flat, level surface to build the airplane on.

I gave away the hospital door many years ago and I haven't built a kit since. But, if I were to start a kit tomorrow I'd buy a hollow core door. If it started to sag I'd flip it over. If it reached a point where it wasn't level I'd toss it.

Don - I don't know the price of solid core doors. If it's not that much more money maybe you should get a solid core. If you do, when you're at the store go to the level section, "borrow" a long level and have the salesperson open the door box so you can check that the door you're buying is perfectly level and flat.

I'm sure everyone's suggestion will yield positive results for you.

Edit to add: I mix epoxy on Post-it pads, usually with toothpicks. The top Post-it gets peeled off after use, and so on.

I use glass, but a mirror would work just as well.

I like to lay a sheet of drywall (sheetrock) on top of my bench; I've had better luck with the drywall holding pins firmly vs a ceiling tile. Plus you can get big sheets & it's cheap to replace when I get globs of stuff glued to it.

I built my work bench out of a 4' x 8' sheet of 3/4 plywood. Then layed a 4' x 8' piece of 1' foam on top of it, it is a very dense foam. And for my wings I use the GP building board, thats what seems to work for me. I am on my third kit and havent had any problems with my set up yet. Like others have said it boils down to personal preference and just making sure everything is flat and level.



john

I always wanted to build like Dave Platt. Glass and a bunch of weights.

Brian

I do my building on a solid Oak door with a Great Planes balsa building top (I have the three sizes so can do multiple building at the same time). This provides a smooth and flat surface that takes pins. Ceiling tile is fine for awhile..I just didn't care for the "breaking up and replacement" routine, which is only personal. You have a nice start with the desk, however, I've found that many times I want to walk around the building table to work on something from a different angle. I purchased a couple of those 30" by 72" brown top/metal framed folding tables that I lay my solid door/balsa building board upon and I adjust the height of the building surface via oak dowels in the hollow table legs. Lots of good ideas here...try a couple and find the combination that works for you. Have fun building!!

Soft landings.

Joe

I built mine out of two pieces of 12 inch by 6 foot soft pine glued together and have four braces screwed onto the bottom to keep it from warping. I ran my board through an over head sander until it was level then a plainer, it's very flat. I mostly use pins or weights so it has served me well for about 12 or 15 years, been a while. I have removed the bottom braces a couple of times and resurfaced it over the years. Didn't need to but I go over it with a filler then resurface it to remove any nasty old epoxy and glue. Old school but it works for me.

Gray Beard....ain't NO one gonna grab your building board and run off with it!!!

Soft landings.

Joe

Work bench top is a solid core door 4' x 10' and I use sheet rock cut to the size needed.

Sheet rock pins well and is disposeable when both sides are used up.

R. C.

yes sir... TONS of great ideas here... almost too much for me to take in all at once...

as far as my building desk, my shop is big enough that i may move it out from the wall some once i start building if i need to get to the other side... i figure thats something that will take care of itself over time...

i mainly need to figure out what im gonna use on top of that desk... thats really my next purchase...

i looked through the doors at Home Depot, but just like this thread, theres just too many ideas and variables for me to consider and choose from... LOL

hhhmmmmmm (shrugs)

all yalls ideas are awesome... keep em coming...

Like a couple of others here I prefer a 4' X 8' piece of sheet rock. Holds the pins quite well and is surprisingly forgiving of those knife cuts you inflict from time to time. My bench is made with a sturdy 2 X 4 frame and 3/4 plywood surface, topped off with the sheet rock. The sheet rock seems to last forever and it can be turned over when you tire of the cuts and gouges.

BTW: A simple addition to your bench that comes in handy, is to attach an electrical strip along the edge just below the surface. These strips are close to 8' long and have receptacles about every foot or so. You always have a plug handy no matter where you are working on the bench.

Regards

TinmanJones
I always like to build on float glass using weights and also use the flat steel plate on top of the glass using magnets. I also use those sticky notes of various sizes for mixing epoxy as they stay put when you are trying to get a dab or a dob on your applicator and then when hardened you just toss in the trash.

thank yall for more great ideas...

as for the electricity, i got that all hooked up today... not necesarily with an electircal strip per say, but with enough plugs to around me to plug in several things...

After this long it's pretty ugly too!! Names and phone numbers with measurements writen all over it in marker pin, just really nasty looking but I like it. Epoxy mixing, am I the only one that eats pudding cups??? When you see me in posted photos now you know what caused all that bulge, getting empty mixing cups!!