Portable modelling tray

[Paul Willis]

One of the features of Missenden weekends is perusing the various "glorified tea trays" that participants have bought along to the courses.

These perform an obvious feature of keeping the soldering iron burn marks from Missenden's table tops, and preventing the escape of quite as many components to the realm of the worshipping of the Great Carpet God (hallowed be our knees).

My own work tray is based on a Citadel/Games Workshop product intended for miniature figure painters. There is a reasonable A3-ish sized working area, and some shelves and holes for storing brushes and the like. Sadly, it's been out of production for quite a few years. When I became aware of them, I haunted a well-known auction site until one that was unmade came up.

However, whilst looking at the website of one of the etching companies that I use, I learned that Grainge & Hodder have launched a range of laser cut products. It includes this work tray, which is very similar to the one that I use:

https://www.graingeandhodder.co.uk/product-page/a3-worktray

I haven't seen one of these in the flesh. It may nevertheless be just what someone is looking for as a portable place to do a bit of modelling.

Cheers
Paul

[LesGros]

. . .
However, whilst looking at the website of one of the etching companies that I use, I learned that Grainge & Hodder have launched a range of laser cut products. It includes this work tray, which is very similar to the one that I use:
https://www.graingeandhodder.co.uk/product-page/a3-worktray
I haven't seen one of these in the flesh. It may nevertheless be just what someone is looking for as a portable place to do a bit of modelling.

I obtained one of these a few years ago for Swombo. She uses it as supplied; for herJewelry making.

It has the virtue of being lightweight. The shelf could easily be customised with holes for paint Pots, glue and such; this modification would be best achieved before assembly.

The downside of the light weight ply, is that the work platform has a fair amount of "give" in it; due the the way the sides are joined to the base. However, this is easy to remedy with the addition of suitable thickness support strips underneath to to stiffen the base, and transfer any tool pressures to the table surface.

Cheery,

[MickRalph]

That looks identical to the one I purchased a month or so ago from Squires. They do the A3 one without a mat at £19.99 or with a mat at £26.99. They also do A4 with or without a mat. They are in the "new for 2021.22" catalogue. Squires prices are post-free, with a minimum order of £15.

Mick

[garethevans1986]

https://www.graingeandhodder.co.uk/product-page/a3-worktray

I haven't seen one of these in the flesh. It may nevertheless be just what someone is looking for as a portable place to do a bit of modelling.

I have one of these, nice and lightweight, easy to build but my only gripe is there is no support under the front centre/middle of the tray which is easy to fix by gluing a piece of wood/offcut underneath.

Thanks
Gareth

[grovenor-2685]

That looks identical to the one I purchased a month or so ago from Squires. They do the A3 one without a mat at £19.99 or with a mat at £26.99. They also do A4 with or without a mat. They are in the "new for 2021.22" catalogue. Squires prices are post-free, with a minimum order of £15.
Mick

Very hard to find on their website, I gave up.

[ChrisMitchell]

Similar products supplied via Amazon…

A3:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gaugemaster-A3 ... C90&sr=8-6

A4:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modelcraft-WTA ... C90&sr=8-5

Regards, Chris

[Terry Bendall]

The downside of the light weight ply, is that the work platform has a fair amount of "give" in it;

my only gripe is there is no support under the front centre/middle of the tray

The answer of course is to make your own. A simple woodworking job which will probabley cost a lot less than buying a kit. A piece of 10mm or 12mm thick MDF or plywood for the base would remove the identified problems. I made something similar about 45 years ago which included a low voltage lamp and a couple of power sockets which made it even more useful just using available offcuts of timber that I had in the wiorkshop.

Terry Bendall

[Winander]

Very hard to find on their website, I gave up.

This is it http://www.squirestools.com/files/2022% ... 0Lines.pdf. page two

Same Modelcraft manufacturer as Chris Mitchell's second Amazon link.