Fabricating pink foam pinning boards

[exoticimports]

I'd like to consolidate a number of distributed discussions into one, please.

Before we start: yes, I know you use balsa, basswood, pine, etc. I use balsa currently. Let's keep on topic.


This is what we're discussing:




Here are my questions:

1. What router tool is best to cut the slot? What speed? ie how to avoid bad edges.

2. On the one shown (for larger specimens) what depth is the slot for correct pin height?

3. Has anyone removed the clear plastic facing and used the raw board?

4. The blue foam IIRC is denser. I wonder if it might be better, at minimal additional cost.


Thanks for your insights on above and more, even if you've stated it elsewhere.

Thanks,

Chuck

[Paul K]

Jul 2, 2021 3:22:14 GMT -8 exoticimports said:

I'd like to consolidate a number of distributed discussions into one, please.

Before we start: yes, I know you use balsa, basswood, pine, etc. I use balsa currently. Let's keep on topic.


This is what we're discussing:




Here are my questions:

1. What router tool is best to cut the slot? What speed? ie how to avoid bad edges.

2. On the one shown (for larger specimens) what depth is the slot for correct pin height?

3. Has anyone removed the clear plastic facing and used the raw board?

4. The blue foam IIRC is denser. I wonder if it might be better, at minimal additional cost.


Thanks for your insights on above and more, even if you've stated it elsewhere.

Thanks,

Chuck

Hi Chuck
Here is the link
collector-secret.proboards.com/posts/recent?q=Spreading%20board&page=3

[trehopr1]

Hi Chuck,

Paul would be the go-to guy for specifics on the manufacturer of these type boards.

I had a friend of mine cut/ size mine in two different batches. Half of my boards are pink but, the other half are blue ones.

The pink boards are a "decent" pinning surface however, the blue boards are denser and for that reason still better (preferred).

The thin film which may or may not cover the board (depending on the brand); can be left there until it becomes too pinholed. Then you can just tear it off and throw it away as the bare board is perfectly good to use as such.

Also, keep in mind not to make the groove too shallow. My friend made (his own) 1st batch of boards too shallow and after just a few spreadings decided he had to re-groove all of his boards again to avoid spreading issues with his leps.

Hope these suggestions help a little.

[58chevy]

I didn't realize there was a difference in density between the pink & blue foam. I use the blue, and it works great. I do not cut a groove into the foam. Instead, I cut two strips and glue them on top of a third strip that is a little wider than the upper strips placed side-by-side. I leave a gap in the middle for the body of the butterfly or moth to rest. It is easy to make several boards at a time with varying groove widths. I use an Xacto knife to cut the strips. It makes a smooth, accurate cut that easily slices through the foam. I usually remove the film after cutting and before gluing, but the board works just fine if the film is left in place. I use Scotch spray glue, reinforced & held in place by sewing pins at the corners until the glue has dried. I haven't tried it yet, but plastic model airplane glue (polystyrene) might do a more permanent job of holding the strips together. Regarding the pin depth, you can glue a second piece of foam underneath the large base strip. Since insect pins easily penetrate all the way through both layers of foam, you can set the pin depth to whatever you want. No need to worry about groove depth.

[exoticimports]

Thanks 58, that was very helpful. Good ideas.

Chuck

[jwa121]

I rear Saturniidae and I set my fresh specimens on white Styrofoam boards. The Styrofoam boards I use are the kind sold for insulation. I create a smooth service for the wings by covering the rough Styrofoam with a sheet of white paper (cut slightly smaller than the piece of Styrofoam so that the paper lies perfectly flat).

I use a scalpel to slice out a slot in the (papered over) Styrofoam for the body of the moth. To get the maximum out of a given piece of Styrofoam, I use paper sizing templates. I set the first specimen in a corner of the new Styrofoam board. Then I measure the set specimen. I use the measurements to make a simplified paper sizing template of the set specimen. The sizing template is a square of paper that covers the wing area of the moth and includes the slot for the body of the moth. I position the template appropriately, near the already-set specimen, and trace out the body slot for the next specimen.

Previously-slotted boards tend to accumulate and can be re-used a few times. The paper sizing templates accumulate as well and can be used for other, similarly-sized species. I acknowledge that having to first properly position and then cut a body slot for every specimen you set on a new piece of Styrofoam can be irksome. And to minimize wing droop I find that I have to keep moths on the (flat) Styrofoam for 2 months.