Model Forum / General / Models / April 2009

I'd suggest moisture resistant MDF - the green one
Use a couple of stiffners along the 5 foot dimension.
Seal with varnish.

Bob

Peter Fairbrother heeft ons zojuist aangekondigd :

I would prefer exterior 18mm plywood. I used what I had, 18mm chipboard
as base, MDF for the stand and wood for the arm. Just make sure the
wire is, or can easily be set square in 2D. A parallel guide and some
holes for cutting circles make it work easy.
Dirk

Don't know what your budget is but I have been considering Jabroc for
the likes of metal spinning formers. I'm pissed off with maple and other
woods  changing size with humidity and the Jabroc is supposed to be very
stable .  I want to find something that is easier to form than metal but
is stable, a number of current spinning formers are in steel or aluminium.

UK dist for the stuff is http://www.permalideho.co.uk/hydu.html

I made a simple one for a single job about 3 weeks ago - 22mm MDF
about 16 in long with the wire 2in above the surface (to slice some
polystyrene packing pieces).  It had a pretty average sort of spring
tensioner on the wire.  I now have a banana shaped baseboard where the
MDF has bent.

By the way if you want some resistance wire I've got about half a
kilometre of the stuff.

carton making formes (for cutting cornflake boxes from sheets of
cardboard)are made from 18-24mm cabinet grade plyboard (the stuff with
13+ layers which are about 1.5mm thick each) - it is INCREDIBLY stable -
formes are usually required to a tolerance of about .2mm  - which might
not sound much to an engineering group, but it's f*ing close for wood.

It's available in 8x4 sheets - might be about 60! quid+ per sheet.

If you have any carton printing companies in your area, you *might* be
able to cadge an offcut big enough.

For ecomomy, can I suggest a visit to your local IKEA.  They do 'spares' of
doors and shelves, basically bits left over, usually £1 or £2 depending on
size.

Various thicknesses and finishes, usually very flat and nicely smooth finish
on one side (often holes on the other though).

MH