Wooden match sticks?

[SAL Comet]

Has anyone tried using wooden matches as beams, etc. I thought about it today when I was lighting the stove out in my barn with those "kitchen matches" It looks like they would scale out to about 8"x 8" or 9"x 9" in HO. If nothin' else they cheap, 69 cents for a box of 250. They also seem to be very consistant in thicknness. I figure one of the scratch building wizards here at the Gauge has tried using them. I'm guessing they would need to be cut to the desired length, stained and then glued?

 

[Fred_M]

Yep, I have used them, toothpicks and bamboo skewers. Trouble is they are too short most of the time for beams and such. They are a bit big for fences even in O. They are great to learn on, but real basswood strips and scale lumber really aren't a break the bank commodity, so I use them anymore, mostly stripwood. And good spot! Keeping your eyes open for a "can I use that" is what its all about! Fred

 

[ak-milw]

I've used them for piles of old lumber, made shed frames from them . I don't go and buy them just to use for building, but when I get some from lighting the stove I clip the ends of and keep them for special purposes where uniform size is not important!!

 

[billk]

Watch out for the waxy coating some of them seem to have - it doesn't glue or stain worth a darn!

 

[Freelancer]

Check the local craft store, I found a bag of "mini-sticks" from Forster @ Roberts Craft. It's a bag of 500 sticks that are 2 5/8" long for $2.49. I was going to use it to fill a lumber yard, and load some flat cars. The matches may be cheaper but at least these are all pretty much the same length.

Freelancer

 

[vanda32547]

Don't discount the use of wooden coffee stirrers either...

Morning All,

I have used wooden coffee stirrers to build trestles in the past and they work great and stain well too!

Here is a picture of my old layout with a shot of that trestle. Also I have included a link to a picture of my new layout where I have again used that trestle. http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=11895

Regards,

 

[MasonJar]

If you need longer beams, look for the fireplace matches. They are often 8"+...

Andrew