Should the whole surface be "soft" so I can push pins into it, or do I only need a smaller area that's soft and the main area hard surface?
E.G Big hard-surfaced area where I assemble the wing/fuse and a small corner that's sheeted with something soft to pin needles into when build tailplanes etc...

your buiding board shud be as big as you can store it, in between models. you need it big to build a complete wing on it, at least 1/2 of the wing. how big is the fuselage? building board shud be large enough for it. a card table is NOT big enough. it shud all be soft, not just a small area dick

Well I have a desk that I thought to expand by laying a 1M x 1.3M MDF on.
If I need the whole area to be soft I guess I can lay something else on top of this MDF sheet, like cork or bathroom rubber carpet?

...Looks like I'm going to the hardware store, Horrray!

Edit: Medium Density FibreBoard http://www.design-technology.org/mdf.htm

Just don't use the cork bullitin boards u see in the US I tried one & it warped before I finished the ist wing half.

I figured a MDF covered with a thin corksheet,

Hi, I have a 10ftx4ft work surface that I have on hinges on one wall and it folds up against the wall inbetween building prodjects. it is a 2x4 base with 3/4"plywood and for the worksurface i use 1/16th inch thick popular. it is soft enough for pinning and can be sanded to remove excess glue. I allso have a 4ftx4ft Island work table made the same way on casters for setting up the wings, it is the same hieth as the larg work bench. when I,m not building I fold up the 10ft bench against the wall and on the under side I have installed racks to store the fuse and wing. all my tools and building materials are kept in the bace of the 4x4 work Island that rolls out of the way.

Yes, your whole surface should be soft to accept pins if you choose to build with pins.

As stated above, it should be large enough to build at least half a wing. A common surface is to use 2' x 4' ceiling tiles on top of MDF. The MDF gives a stable foundation, and the ceiling tiles give a soft surface that will hold pins well. I've heard of people using soft pine as their pinning surface too.

Another method that I've started to use is to build on top of sheet metal using magnets. You can find information about this on Caffeemans' excellent web site about building at www.modelairfields.com.

Scott

This is the link for Cafeenman's article on buildng with magnets

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

Whoops!
Sorry for the incorrect link.


www.airfieldmodels.com is the correct address for the website.

Scott

Paul has some VERY good information on his site. Information about how to do this or that and information on using magnetic building tables. Paul has an article on his site about MY building table which has proven to be THE MOST VALUABLE TOOL that I have.... Take a look

[link=http://airfieldmodels.com/information_source/how_to_articles_for_model_builders/tools/magnetic_building_board/jeff_cottrell.htm]Magnetic building table[/link]

Pins can easily be pulled out or moved. With this system that I have, you're gonna break something before you move it accidentally.