Gantry style building board dimensions advice

[davec]

I’m planning on making a gantry style building board for an upcoming fully framed model project and wanted some advice on minimum dimensions.  I’d like the board to be big enough to do all the necessary work and take full advantage of the t-tracks and gantry, but no larger as I’m hoping to be able to carry it to club meetings reasonably easily.  I see a lot of people here have used these types of building boards and was hoping to get some advice about 3 measurements:

 

·         Minimum distance between widest part of hull and center of t-track.

·         Minimum distance between center of t-track and edge of building board

·         Minimum distance between highest point of hull and lowest point of gantry cross piece

 

Thanks!

Dave

[mtaylor]

What kind of advice are you looking for?    The catch is from I've seen is that there is no "one size fits all" for a build board.  It basically depends on the size of the model.  

[davec]

I'm trying to sort out how much space I need around the model.  Model will be a 1/48 6th rate, so likely ~7"x27" hull size.  I'm trying to sort out the amount of room I to the side of the model, the best location for the t-tracks, and how much clearance over the top of the model I need for the gantry.  I want to make sure I build big enough to take advantage of the fixtures, but small enough that it is easy to carry in the car.  The swan books have clear recommendations for a plain building board (32"x11").  Seems adding the t-tracks would require more width, and I'm trying to sort out how much.  There are some great examples of gantry building boards on MSW, but many of them are very large and don't look like they are meant to leave the workshop.

[Mike Y]

Would strongly recommend to make a cardboard mockup - of your biggest midship frame (with keel included) and the gantry itself, with a mock height gauge. It is the best way to feel the dimensions and see if you would be able to transfer dimensions to the hull from your bluprints.

 

Was too lazy to build a cardboard mockup when designing a display case, used CAD instead. Payed for it dearly, the proportions were a bit off and it ended up too big in real life. 
With the gantry / buildboard a cardboard mockup should be really easy to make!

[Pirate adam]

My build board for Crocodile is 36" x 16".  This is for a 6th rate 114' 3" on the gun deck.  The nice thing about this size is pre-finished melamine shelf boards are readily available in this size.  You can see in the picture that I have pasted the framing diagram to the board.  That gives a good indication of how much space will be available around the hull (I would heartily recommend doing the same or at least making a paper mock up based on widest frame and length of ship as per Mike's recommendation).  Believe it or not in real life the centerline of the framing diagram is right in the center of the board.  I would probably make another 6" longer if I was to do over again.  You can see the stern is getting a bit close to the edge.  I went with the t-tracks closer to the edge vs. closer to the model.

 

I originally had in mind to do a build board that could be used later for a 4th rate ship, but the size was going to be a hassle for something that might never be used.  The nice thing about the size I have is it is easy to move around for cleaning, putting in back seat of a car, whatever.  It will surely start to get heavy once the hull comes together.  You may consider putting some handles on the ends.

 

Adam

[davec]

Mike - building a mock-up is a great idea.  I'd still like some advice from people who have used the building boards as I'm not sure I know all the things to try on the mock-up

 

Adam - If I can get by with something 16" wide, that would be great for portability.  It looks like your t-tracks are around 12" apart, which would let me use the gantry design in Ed Tosti's book on the Naiad.  The TFFSM books suggest having the board be 8" longer than the length of the hull.  As that doesn't depend on the gantry or the t-track, I'm planning to use that to determine the length.  I'm starting with a 48" shelf, so I can shorten as much as I need to. I want to make sure I have adequate width next to the hull for height gauges and such, and it looks like you have that with your 16" board.

 

Many thanks!

 

Dave

[No Idea]

This is my building table and I can let you know the dimensions when I get home sometime next week 

I’ve not actually had a chance to use it yet as my workshop has been completely taken over but that’s about to change 👍

 

[jpalmer1970]

I also agree that trying some sort of mock up is a great idea before you commit. With my board the dimensions mostly relate to the size of the squares I made to use in the t tracks. I wanted the squares to be able to reach the centreline so they could hold the sternpost etc. The t tracks also then needed to be far enough away from the outside of the hull for the squares to be used outside the hull also. Eventually I will make a gantry with uprights the same thickness as the squares. I then left plenty of space outside the t track so the base of the squares could sit safely on the board.

 

My board isn't going to be transported about but I think it is a good idea to have as large as board as you can manage to transport. Good luck with the build.

[davec]

No Idea - I was watching while you were posting about your developing your building board.  It is amazing, and I'm very interested in how it works for you.  I think I will go with a more traditional building board as they seem to be adequate for the building of many amazing models and reasonably easy portability is a priority for me.  The distance from the parking lot to the room at the maritime museum where the club meets is far enough that size will make a difference.

 

J Palmer - you are working with the kind of building board I am planning, and again, I will probably mock something up.  I am interested in how much of the space lateral to the t-tracks you think is essential.

 

I actually bought a melamine shelf last winter when I started thinking about this.  I wanted to use 3/4" for rigidity and at the time the widest one I could find locally was 15 1/2".  I was about to arbitrarily just make my board this width, but saw the local hardware store is now stocking 23 1/2" x 48", which I can cut down to whatever size I need.

 

Again, thanks to everyone for their input.  This is really helpful.

 

Dave

[davec]

I'm probably overthinking this (my standard).  After some further thought, I think I will work off the plans in Ed Tosti's Naiad book (20" width).  He uses a 48" board, which is longer than I need. The Swan Class books suggest 8" longer than the length between perpendiculars.  The contract for the ship I am considering says 116'2" for "Ships's Extream Length" which is a little more than the length between perpendiculars.  This would give me a 37" length.  At 3.5 pounds per board feet for 3/4" melamine over particle board, this would give an 18 pound melamine board.  The reinforcing wood underneath will add a few pounds and the model itself should be fairly little in comparison.  something this size and weight (under 25 pounds) should be adequately portable for a few trips a year without compromising building.  I'd appreciate any thoughts or warnings before I start cutting wood.

 

Thanks!

 

Dave

[druxey]

I'd really question the need for melamine. I use either ⅝" or ¾" quality ply with several coats of gesso, well sanded between coats, to provide a level surface that will easily take pencil marks. (Gesso both sides to prevent warping.) The board is stabilised from beneath with two inset longitudinal  1 x 2 pine boards on edge, well screwed down.

[davec]

Hi Druxey - I hadn't thought much about the material and had planned to go with the melamine because a lot of the gantry boards here use it as does the book I was working from.  I tested a piece I have, and the melamine sees to hold a pencil mark well.  When I looked at plywood at my local hardware stores, I'm not sure it will give me as level a surface even with reinforcement underneath and a lot of sanding.  I could go with birch plywood from woodcraft, but it would be much more expensive and only slightly lighter (3 lb per board feet instead of 3.5).

 

Many thanks!

 

Dave

[druxey]

Gesso fills grain and levels uneven surfaces. After several coats that have been applied and sanded, the surface is as smooth as one might wish.

[Gregory]

2 hours ago, davec said:

When I looked at plywood at my local hardware stores,

Hi Dave,

Just browsing and noticed your comments about plywood.

 

I have been using this stuff from Amazon, and it is the best plywood I have ever used, while costing a fraction of the "furniture grade" stuff available at places like Home Depot or Midwest.

 

Thick Basswood Sheets for Crafts Unfinished Plywood Sheets

 It's available in a variety of dimensions and quantity.

 

It says 'Basswood' and I believe the very thin outer layers are basswood.  For your purposes, a few coats of varnish may be in order.

 

[davec]

My concern isn't ability to sand the plywood smooth, it is to get it to be a flat surface.  The 2'x4' birch plywood at home depot and lowes is pretty warped - looks like it gets stored standing up.  Even screwed to a pine frame, I worry it will still not be flat.  Gregory - I have some of the plywood you recommend, which I agree is good stuff and use for a lot of things.  For the building board I need something thicker (at least 1/2" if not 3/4") and larger.  If Birch plywood has advantages over melamine I can splurge and buy a sheet from woodcraft, which looks better quality.  Are there other advantages to birch plywood over melamine? - it will cost about twice as much and there will be a bunch of sanding and painting to get the smooth white surface that the melamine shelf comes with.

Edited October 14 by davec

[Gregory]

I would vote for melamine.  I personally would not buy the Woodcraft product if I could not hold it in my hand.   Do you have a local Woodcraft or Rockler?

 

Sorry to belabor the point, but there is some of the ply mentioned above in 1/2" (12mm).  I only see 12"x12" so that may not be a good working size.

 

Have you considered doubling up some of the 1/4' using Titebond or similar?

 

PS

I see this:

Baltic Birch Plywood 12 x 24 x 1/2 Inch

...  As well as some other choices.  Don't know how the price compares to Woodcraft.

 

I think bigger sizes is where you will encounter warping issues.

 

 

Edited October 14 by Gregory

[Desertanimal]

Plywood will never be as flat as a manmade product, in this context. I would definitely go with mdf or the melamine board. There is no side benefit from plywood, birch or otherwise. 

The benefit to melamine is glue comes off easily. My 2 cents..

 Chris

[druxey]

Have you considered MDF (medium density fibreboard)? It is flat and warp-free.

[davec]

Druxey, Chris, and Gregory - many thanks for the continued really thoughtful and helpful comments.  This has gone in a different direction than I originally intended, but the material discussion is also tremendously helpful.  I used MDF for my last 3 building boards and it worked well.  Locally I can only source melamine covered particle board as shelving, and if I needed something wider or longer than the biggest available shelf, would definitely use MDF again.  MDF is about the weight (around 3# per board foot for 3/4") as plywood or melamine covered particle board and cost as the melamine shelving.  I've used melamine shelves for the bases for my mill and lathe and the protective coating has held up well.  I think I may go with it for the coating.