Profil 2,5 x 4,8 mm

A heavier cross section for load-bearing elements

A rectangular cross section of roughly two and a half by five millimeters is among the heavier profiles of the range. It is not used for fine details but where an element has to carry a load or hold its shape without support: for joists, posts, structural stiffeners and the frames of large surfaces. In 1:35 scale it corresponds roughly to a wooden beam, in smaller scales to a girder.

Where it is useful

• Beam structures of buildings, bridges and scaffolding in a diorama
• Internal stiffeners under large flat parts, so that they do not bow
• Fence posts, railings and the supports of shelters
• Base frames under a model, where stiffness is needed

Working the material

At this thickness, scoring with a knife alone is no longer enough. The cleanest cut comes from a fine saw guided in a square, after which the edge is leveled on abrasive paper laid on a board. It is glued with a thin cement for polystyrene; with larger mating surfaces it pays to apply the cement from both sides of the joint.

Anyone building wooden structures can refine the surface before painting by drawing coarser paper along the profile, which creates a suggestion of wood grain. One piece measures 35 centimeters in length.

Choosing between the profiles

• Reach for this size for load-bearing elements, because thinner profiles bow under load
• For visible strips choose a more slender cross section instead, because this one would look coarse
• For long straight runs, check the profile by looking along its length, because the material tends to be slightly bowed

When building structures it works well to glue one wall on a flat surface first, let it dry and only then add the perpendicular elements. A structure built all at once almost always twists.