Ive just read the story from Pelle Soeborg in a special issue titled Build Big and Small Industries for your model railroad. We all know Pelle is a prolific modeler but I am a bit stunned that he glued his scratch built parts for a cement plant to his cutting mat and switched to cardboard instead.
If this has been addressed before, because the article/book is 3 yrs old, so be it.
If it hasnt, and others are having this issue as well, try putting a pane of clear glass on your cutting mat and build on it. The grid shows through so the spacing and angle lines can be utilized and you wont glue your fragile parts to the glass.
In addition, he said he couldnt find glue to bond plumbing tubes. All he needed was pvc primer and the appropriate pvc cement. Ive used 2 1/2 inch pvc for grain silos on my own layout. After they are primed and painted, the glue cant be seen.
Hi santafejeff. I use a glass sheet too.
Something else I find works well is a plastic sleeve from Evergreen Scale Models that their plastic sheets come in. Any polyethelene sheet will do as long as it will lay flat but is still flexible. I use weights to make sure that the structure is flat as well.
The advantage to the polyethelene is that it can be peeled off a bit at a time. That puts less stress on fragile assemblies.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Wax paper works as well.
shane
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
NVSRR Wax paper works as well.
Rich
Alton Junction
I have not noticed styrene cement bonding things to my cutting mat, or I should say, if it is bonded it is very lightly and easily undone
But I have noticed that if the cement gets on the mat it tends to melt or remove the "grid" that is printed/painted on the mat's surface.
Dave Nelson
Lastspikemike Two types of plastic plumbing pipe PVC and ABS require different solvent cements. Self healing cutting mats are polyethylene which is solvent resistant.
Two types of plastic plumbing pipe PVC and ABS require different solvent cements.
Self healing cutting mats are polyethylene which is solvent resistant.
Hi Jeff
Been modeling on the glass table for years and it works great as everything stays true and flat. Nothing sticks to it that a sharp blade doesn't take care of when you're done.
But if you have to use T pins to hold something together, the shiny side of railroad board upwards on top of foam works well.
TF
I picked up scrap polished granite that looks brand new still after super glue, all the solvents on the market, paint and aerosols. Nothing sticks to it. Nothing. But sometimes I'll work atop mdf boards that I draw a few gridded lines on. Solvents don't stick to that either.
As a lot less fragile than glass, I like your granite idea Northside
you can get cutting mats at the $ store now.
I seen that rrebell. They're awfully small but I suppose one could back tape two or more together with thick packing tape.
Track fiddler Hi Jeff Been modeling on the glass table for years and it works great as everything stays true and flat. Nothing sticks to it that a sharp blade doesn't take care of when you're done. But if you have to use T pins to hold something together, the shiny side of railroad board upwards on top of foam works well. TF
A piece of plate glass with buffed edges maybe 10'' x 12'' with that blue shelf perforated non-slip material under the glass, my wood worktable is covered with thin sheet metal in the work area. The glass needs to be replaced or flipped every, maybe 10 years or so. Sharp blades and dental picks can scratch the glass over the years. In 43 years I have never had one of those green ''shelf healing'' cutting mat. Maybe it's time for a change.