I'm looking for a good surface to build on. I have a real flat, solid, 1.75 thick table with a formica. I'm thinking of using either sheet rock or styrofoam insulation, the pink or blue stuff on top of the table. Each has its pros and cons. 1/2" sheet rock would easily conform to the flat table top, but it would be hard to pins things to although once pinned they would stay pinned. The styrofoams might not conform to the table top as well, but would be a lot easier to pin into. Any body have experience or comments about these choices?

I use Blue Foam over a thick piece of glass, If you weigh down the corners of the foam it will conform to the table top very nicely. You have to be careful with the foam, it is very easy to crush and distort.
Anthony

I use sheetrock on my table and it works just fine. Good sharp pins slip right in and stay put.

Use ceiling tile turned upside down (so the holes don't show). Use 3/32" cork over that. You can glue the whole thing together with 3M77 spray contact cement. When the cork is badly damaged, simply strip it off and lay down another piece. If the tile gets damaged, it's easily replaceable, too.

Dr.1

I use 16 guage cold rolled steel and use magnets instead of pins. I was inspired by two things, the Great Planes magnetic buildboard, and more importantly, Paul Johnsons' website www.airfieldmodels.com.
It was not the least expensive option for building, but I plan on having my table for a long long time. There are photos of my first 2' x 4' steel board, and my new 4' x 8' build table in my photo gallery.

Scott

I have been using a hollow core door cut to fit my table for 20 years. Every 7 - 8 years it gets so full of pin holes it becomes unusable so I replace it. Works for me.

I have a very sturdy table that's 2' x 8' x 8" thick that I purpose built for model building out of 5/8" plywood. ( no it's not solid wood lol, sort of an eggcrate structure, very rigid and dead flat ) I topped it off with a half sheet of homasote. I like the homasote a lot. it's a compressed paper board thats just right for holding pins. Should be available at just about any home center anywhere.

Just another suggestion, I use Gattor board, avail. through art supply shops, 1" thick, it has thin paper/syrene surface with a dense foam centre, as with any building surface, make sure your subsurface is dead nuts flat and true.

Cheers Rick

I don't use pins either, I hold things down with weights (A sock filled with uncooked rice works very nicely)

i have three items to build on.the first is a hollow core door for average size models for use with pins for making stabs,fuselage etc.the other board for scale craft and large gaasrs is a solid core door with a 1/4 sheet of glass on top.this is perfectlly flat.i tack glue parts to this no pins.this is great for zirolli and brian taylor designs.the trhird item is mounted on the solid core door for building wings of almost any shape or size,an ajust-jig.this is monted high enough you can build small parts under it.to bad the ajusto-jig has ceased production probably due to the arf flood.also have the fuselage jigs but they only work well on slab sided designs.

If you go to a lumber yard you can sometimes find a damaged hollow core door cheap. I bought my last one for 5 bucks. It had a hole in it towards one edge.

I've used sheet rock for years. Build on one side --- cover on the other. When it gets bad go to Home Depot and get another broken piece for almost nothing. Pins work fine in it, just remember when you get it the size you want -- TAPE the edges, if you don't you may be running around with white stripes acrossed your belly. I also go to a new home construction or cabinet shop and get the sink cutout ( formica ) and use it on the side to cut a lot of stuff on. ENJOY !!! RED

saramos,
I use the same system. Originally I had a hollow core door which I put ceiling tile on top of to pin too. But then I built the [link=http://www.airfieldmodels.com/information_source/how_to_articles_for_model_builders/tools/magnetic_building_board/index.htm]magnetic building board system at www.Airfieldmodels.com[/link] and I won't ever use anything else again. I have 3 sizes of steel sheets I use, the main building area is 24"x72" and I have 2 smaller sizes I use for building smaller components on, 12"x36" and 12"x24". This is by far the easiest, fastest, and best way I have found for building planes. It does take a bit of time to get it set up and may be a little expensive for some (total cost on my system was approx $250), but IMHO it's well worth it.

that's my 2ΒΆ worth.

Ken

sheetrock, works great and is cheap enough that i dont feel to bad when i ruin one with spilled glue or a few to many cuts of the knife.