Pins for construction

[Ian Jones 19Participant @ianjones19]

I've just started building my first boat, and I've rapidly come up against a problem with glueing together two parts that are made of 3-ply birch and that have to be pinned together while the glue sets. Well, how on earth do I get pins to hold in 3-ply birch – that stuff is quite hard and I simply can't get the pins to go far enough into the wood to hold in place. I'm using dress-making pins at the moment, just because there are already lots of them in the house (there are quite a few bent ones now, too). Is there some kind of modelling pin that's strong enough and fine enough to be pressed into birch?

TIA

[Ian Jones 19Participant @ianjones19]

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Ian,

Yes it's almost impossible to drive a brass pin through 1/16" 3 ply, unless your really lucky !!

The answer is to drill a pilot hole to get the pin through the ply and tap it home into the base material, I favour obeche or spruce maybe which is slightly harder.

My current build is on here as a Sea Queen, I use a .3mm drill or the similar imperial size and a tack hammer.

Failing that use an old type school compass to make a hole through the ply, I hope this helps, what are you building ??

Regards Ray

[Ian Jones 19Participant @ianjones19]

Hi Ray,

Thanks for your reply. I should have thought about drilling a pilot hole – I suppose I got a bit fixated on the idea that I should be able to just pop a pin in. I had a go at drilling a pilot hole and found that a 0.5mm or 0.6mm drill gives a hole which is a nice tight push-fit for the pins I’m using, so rather than just drilling a pilot hole I can drill right through and then just push the pin in. At the moment I'm still constructing the framework, which is a bit fragile and I'm not too sure about tapping anything with a hammer, so this seems like a good compromise. This woodworking malarkey is rather new for me, my previous modelling experience has been with RC helicopters, so I’m used to working with metals, composites and plastics, but not wood.

I’m building an Aeronaut Classic speedboat kit – not very adventurous by the standards of most people on this forum, I think, but I just wanted to try something quick and straightforward as a starter project. I already have a Swordsman kit waiting for when I finish the Classic.

Thanks and regards

Ian

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Unless you are bending something that really doesn't want to be bent, masking tape can be effective at holding joints fogether if stretched tightly at 90 degrees to the glue line.

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

You could try heat on the planks from a hot-air gun And pre-bend them a bit. Doesn’t have to be exactly the right curve, but putting some curve on them lessens the tension of the piece compared to an un-bent bit and makes thebit much easier to hold against the frame or whatever.

Ashley (sorry to include so many technical terms)

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

Whatever you do don't use those coloured glass headed pins that you wil find in your partners sewing box. If you apply pressure the glass fails & you push the pin into your finger.

I use very few pins now. Spring clamps, weights and tape do the job.

[Dave Cooper 6Participant @davecooper6]

I do use the coloured glass-headed pins from time-to-time, but, always insert them with a pair of long-nose pliers.

Green for starboard and red for port…..A much safer option is the 'T' top pins available from model suppliers. These you can insert with your fingers.

Yes, weights, clamps, clothes pegs, tape etc. all have their uses too. Not to forget a very small drop of Cyano (Super Glue) gives a useful temporary hold pending something more permanent.

Happy (and safe) modelling,

Dave

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

Ian

I bought Wig Pins from Amazon. Two sizes, 50 of each in clear box. Cost under a fiver..

Tim

[Ian Jones 19Participant @ianjones19]

Thank you all for replies, I must say I wasn't expecting to get such a lot of responses to my question! It's great to see how helpful people are on this forum.

I've been experimenting with using masking tape instead of pins where I can, that seems to be working well for simple joints where not much pressure is required, and where I can't use tape I've been drilling holes to push the pins into.

Regarding different types of pin, I'm afraid the pins I "borrowed" from my wife are indeed the glass-headed type, so I've been pushing them in using a small piece of plywood – the thought of having one of those things shattering and ending up in my thumb is too horrific to think about. I've just ordered a pack of pins with large plastic heads from Nexus, they look like a much safer proposition.

So, it's all going well so far.

Thanks again everyone.

Ian

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Then there is always a nail gun!

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I was going to suggest that, Richard, but the nails are steel albeit zinc plated and if left in the hull may rust if water gets to them! However it’s the easy way to hold stuff together.

i use a staple gun that takes 15mm Brad nail strips. I can make a boat box in one go by tacking it all together with nails and then just wait for the PVA to set.

ALSO…as I paint the boxes with emulsion, I dab some red oxide paint on the nail heads first as sometimes a bit of rust forms underneath the emulsion.

Ashley

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