Can someone suggest where I can purchase a  flat building board through which we can put the pins easily. Flatness is important . Assume a half wigspan of 36 inches and 4 inch chord.
Is there a place in Mumbai to buy it ? Mail Order possible from else where ?

try MDF (medium density fiber) boards....they are reasonably flat and are available at hardware stores selling wood fittings.........another option(and the best one) is to buy MDF doors that come pre-made, also availaible at the same store.....you cannot get anything flatter than these doors that lets pins pass through it..

enjoy building, happy holidays

Hi Bilal. Thanks so much for the suggestions. Probabaly go with flat door someday. Can you givea  couple of Trade names of MDF boards. What comapny MDF should I ask for ? By the way, good to see that you are lover of scratch building. Refreshing to see this. I too have been doing this for so many yaers. I have had only 2 ARf in my whole career , nice ones though.

i suggestion can be a bit different.. but works for me...!!

top your table with a glass slab (around 5mm thick) top it off with around 3-4mm thermocol.. glass gives a flat top and thermocol gives a chance to pin.

u can remove the thermocol for final alignment. and assembly...!!

My suggestion is , that you can use large drawing board used by architect  or purchased the notice boards material from any plywood store in any size. These boards are flat and you can use pins easily.

Thanks Everyone. Glass and Airchetect Board should give me a  true flat scratch built. Thank you very much.

Free flight,
Sir, I have a drawing board(the one suggested by Mjet) but believe me it might look that it would accept pins but driving a t-pin through a drawing board, is yet another task....you'll end up with sore thumbs and fingertips.

In fact I have tried every suggestion posted here, from Vishvesh's thermocol topped glass sheet to Mjet's drawing board to ceiling tiles to MDF boards.....and in my experience, mdf is your best bet.....or still better, get yourself a used door

regards
Bilal

@ free flight,  may be you can brief a bit what you are intended at.

everyone has his board as per his comfort..

i use glass on table top what aerovishava is using, for cutting and joining.
Wherever i require pinning task, i also work on drafting( large drawing board used by architect-Mjet) board as well.
Drefting board is made up of pine or some similar density soft wood which is adequate for above purpose.

As far as pinning problem is concerned, what bilal is facing(even i used to face) , i use "Board pins" instead of "thumb pins".Refer images.

MDF boards are much softer than the drafting board. You wont be able to work with pressure on it..

Once again thank you all for your input. As in various walks of life we discover several solutions to same problem. But One is right for you if you define your needs well. I now want to use the expeiences you have kindly shared and go for glass with thermocol. My need is being flat to build true and straight. Pins must be easily pushed in to hold parts and allow glue to cure. I do not use Cyno type glue as it gives me severe allergies. So PVA glue like Fevicol on a thin toothpick is all I use. Strong but not too much.

Thank you all once again.

Free Flight.
Sir, its good that you found what you were looking for..........here is a request, do share your build here on the forum,  preferably a build log.....info on scratch balsa builds is quit rare on our forum, you look like an experienced modeller so your knowledge would help nowbees like me

regards
Bilal

Hi Bilal, Most defintely. My pleasure.

You will have to find a fit between softness (for pinning) and hardness (for cutting). My dad was an architect so I'm privileged to use drafting boards. Two setups have worked for me:

1. MDF with a 4mm glass top on it (much smaller in size), so the pins can be pinned to the MDF and the cutting can be done on the glass. I have to be careful with the glass as it is thin and breaks. I have already broken two. The reason for a thin sheet is that it can be inserted even after the drawing/coro has been pinned to the top. one can make adjustments

2. Home made drafting board with a sheet of mica laminate glued on top, again slightly smaller so pins can be put at the corners and cutting done on mica. This leaves scratches on the mica in the long run so its turns ugly after a while

3. You must be having a reason to use pins. I mostly use 1 inch cellotape or packaging tape pasted crossed for holding things down, *on all 4 corners* and nothing really budges. I have fat butter fingers

All the best

GS

Girish sir,
can you post a pic or two of the first setup you've suggested?....its sounds promising.

Regards
Bilal

Sure bilal, at work now, when I reach home. Will post pics