I’m sure most of you model builders have your own way of supporting a model while it’s being built or painted. I have a stand I made that I’d like to share with you. It’s really worked out well for me. I basically took a piece of hardboard, ~ 10 x 7 x 1/2 in thick ( of course you can make it any size you want), drilled out quarter inch holes about one inch apart over the entire board ( I scribbed lines for the hole patterns so the holes would be uniform), looks like a piece of swiss cheese. I then cut from quarter inch wood dowel several “post” in two and three inch lengths. These post can be moved around to any given hole to accommodate whatever model I’m working on. I usually use four at a time, supporting the model from under the wings, fore and aft. I sometimes take rubberbands and wrap around two of the post to help support narrower pieces such as the fusalage w/o wings attatched. You can roll the rubberbands up and down the post to help level,stabilize, etc the piece you’re working on. It really works great. It keeps my hands off the model as much as possible, it’s sturdy enough to keep the model stable when gluing, you can rotate it to see all sides/angles, rightside up or upside down doesn’t matter,whichever you need. Best of all it cost maybe a buck, actually mine cost nothing to make since I had the makings for it already. I’ve also built one for the paint booth. The only difference is this one has a center pin ( recessed bolt) on a block stand so I can swivel or rotate the part/model 360 degrees to get to all sides without physically touching anything. Like I said it works like a champ. Best non-investment I’ve ever made in my days of model building. Feel free to ask for help or clarification if any of you decide to build one for yourself.
Not trying to sound computer illiterate here but how do you send a picture? Don’t see anything on the forum that tells what to do to send or attach a picture. Believe me, I’m a much better at modelling than I am at running a computer
I use Photobucket. You can set up a free account at www.photobucket.com and browse to where the picture is on your computer and “upload” it to your account. After that, under your picture is a series of URL links…copy and paste the bottom one into a reply here and it should be there…email or PM me if you need any help…
Hud, great minds must think alike. You have managed to actually build your stand, while I’m still working towards it. I think I’m a bit scared of the drilling!
This is the pattern I’m going to do. I have a 13" diameter turntable I built out of 1/2" MDF board and a simple turntable stand I bought at the local hardware store. The holes are spaced 1" apart with a 1" gap down the center lines. I’ll be using the same 2" & 3" dowels, though I’m going to cut mine at an angle to create a V when they are lined up. I’m building two of them, one for the spray booth and the other for the build table.
By the way I’m hosting my pics the way Jeeves suggests in his post!
I guess great minds do think alike. I like your turntable idea. Had I thought about round instead of rectangle I would have probably done the same, particularly for the paint booth. I understand the concept with the “v” cut that you’re using. Good idea also. I cut small bits of rubberband to fit the top of each of my post to act as a non-skid surface. The “v” should work as well. Don’t know if you plan on making your paintbooth stand where it will rotate 360 but it’s easy enough to make so. Just add a nut/bolt/washer to the center. I recessed the head of the bolt on mine so as not to get in the way of anything. Of course you’ll have to have something to bolt it to. I used a block of wood ~ 4x4x6, good and solid, plus I added rubber to the bottom to keep it from sliding around if it ever decided to. All in all a very useful tool. Enjoy your project and don’t fear the drilling. Just draw your grid out and go to it!
Thanks Jeeves for the info. I’ll give it a try. BTW, the drawing from bgrigg is basically the same idea as I used, just round instead of rectangular. If I get these pics going I’ll post 'em anyway. Thanks again.
I was going to use a square piece, until I walked by a shelf in the hardware store and they were selling pre-cut rounds for $5! My spraybooth stand has a turntable under it, so it rotates quite nicely! I actually have to jam an old eraser under it so it doesn’t spin around when I’m airbrushing!
I was talking to a friend of mine who has a drill press, he’s gone on a trip until next weekend, but that will allow me to drill the holes uniformly at least.
Seriously though, pegboard is usually a pretty soft material and the holes go right through, with Hud’s method the holes don’t go through the material and you can rotate the stand while the model is on it. You could maybe put the pegboard on top of another stand, but 1/4" is a bit thin. Perhaps doubling it up? I must think on this!
I’d like to throw in what I did years ago that worked for me, maybe something from it will help others. And yes… I took the easy way out LOL.
I bought a 24" x 48" sheet of peg board (smallest at my hardware store) and 2 lengths of wooden dowels that fit the holes snug (3/8" x 36" ?). It’s been 20+ years so bear with me guys. [:I]
I made my own turntable for spraying - an 11 1/2" diameter circle (12" wide pine board),
one for the base and one for the top.
I used a lazy-susan bearing from the hardware store between them.
On the top, I doubled the thinkness of the pegboard.
I cut 1" to 3" lengths out of the dowel in 1/4" increments (at least 4 of each size).
I also kept in my hobby box those big pencil erasers (the kind you put over the worn out built-in pencil eraser) and rubber bands. I would use the erasers on top of the wooden pegs to help keep the light weight parts from sliding around when spraying (although with cans).
I had enough pegboard left over I some for a glue-up station and some for another small parts spray station.
For easy cutting of the pegboard.
First cut 12" off the 24" side. So now you are left with a 24" x 36" piece and the 12" x 24" piece you just cut.
Now cut the 12" x 24" piece in half so you now have 2 - 12" x 12" pieces.
Stack the 12" x 12" pieces on top of each other using two sided tape or hot glue and now stick 3 to 4 pegs in the holes.
Now that the holes are lined up, draw and cut your circle.
You can attach everything with hot glue or screws, so in the future you can replace the pegboards if you wore out the holes too much.
I even kept blocks of 4" x 4" 's handy so if I needed to raise things to a better viewing angle.
Quick question about the “v” thing, for some reason I can’t wrap my mind around it. Do you mean that you will drill the holes either less than or greater than 90 degrees to the surface of the wood so that the dowels, when inserted, don’t stand at 90 degrees? Or did I just make that up? That might actually be kind of useful, too, now that I think about it because then gravity can hold something in place. Just curious
The “v” shape thing came from another modeler, bgrigg, I believe and I’m think he’s referring to the pegs or posts that are used. I’m assuming he’s cutting the tops (ends) of those at an angle to help hold the work. Your interpertation may be correct and I don’t see why your idea wouldn’t work. My pegs are straight cuts that fit into the holes I drilled, which are 90 degrees to the surface, i.e. they’re straight up and down. With the tiptops of my pegs having a piece of rubberband glued to each and the rubberbands I use around any two pegs holds my model in place just fine. Hope this helps. Good luck if you decide to make one. They’re really easy to construct and the variations are numerous.
That was me! Hud has it right though, I’m cutting the dowel tops at an angle so that when inserted into the board (which has holes drilled at 90 degrees, or as close as my drill lets me get to it) the top slopes to one side. The idea being that when inserted properly the dowels will form a valley to hold the fuselage using gravity. I am currently experimenting with various angles to find one that works ideally. I am also going to have straight cut dowels to hold up the wings or car bodies. I also plan on buying a mess of those rubber erasers that attach to pencils to reduce scratches. Here’s some pics
The first one showing the basic pattern. I ended up buying a new board, they were selling for $1.98, and I bought a length of dowel for $0.75. W00t, big spender!
This shot shows how the dowels “hug” the fuselage.
Side view
It works pretty good as is, the angled cut dowels allows me to hold the model at an angle if need be.
Might have to hit the workshop in the morn’ and cut me up a few more pegs w/angles. Like the idea. Looks like you survived the the drilling process Nice job. Think we need to look into marketing these things? I know your project will make your model building easier. Sometimes it’s the simple things that makes it all better. Have fun!
Hah, I decided to drill the holes myself using my cordless drill. It took a LOT longer than I expected it too, and some of the holes aren’t precisely lined up. I find it doesn’t really matter as there is enough “give” in the unit to adjust for such things.
There is a company that sells a metal turntable with some pretty fancy looking jigs. They retail for $99.99 US but are almost always selling for $69.99 on sale. I spent less than $3 CDN, if we had a drill press and could cut the time drilling down enough, could we sell enough at $29.99? I’d want to upgrade the wood to a MBO board with white melamine one side for the top. Make it look a little nicer. Between the two of us, we could be unstoppable!
I find I don’t need the lazy susan on the build table. It rotates with very little effort and is very secure. In fact I can put the stand and model at 45 degree angle before there is unwanted movement. I drilled a couple of holes in the bottom so that I can secure it with short dowels to the existing turntable in my spraybooth.
I think I’m gonna build me one as above and do the fun-tack/clay thing. That’s sounds like a darn good setup. Too bad I don’t have a drill press; it sure would beat trying to use the cordless to try and drill all these holes. I’ll have to look into pegboard too with a support backing. It might be nice to save the elbow-grease.
I’d definitely mount the pegboard onto another board of some sort. Pegboard is pretty flimsy stuff until you get into the larger thicknesses and then it’s still flimsy. Plus it will warp if it happens to get wet enough. More food for thought Enjoy your project.
