Q-52: As a beginner, I’m trying to set up an appropriate building area in my basement where I can build, assemble, and cover my model airplanes. Is there anything that you would consider important as I plan this new shop facility?
A-52: The most important item in my basement shop is a perfectly flat building board manufactured by Paul K. Guillow Inc., Box 229, Wakefield MA 01880, (781) 245-5255, www.guillow.com. It is referred to as the BALSA WORKBOARD. It is available in two sizes. I like the larger Model WB48, which measures 48 inches long x 14 inches wide x 1 inch thick. The cost is $28.98 plus $9 shipping within the USA.
The board is made from many scrap pieces of balsa that are cemented together and then precision sanded to a perfectly flat surface on each side. I usually get about two years out of one side, then I flip the board over, getting another two years on the opposite side. Because the balsa is relatively soft it is quite easy to push modelers pins into it to hold various airplane parts in place until the cement dries.