BAYKO Floors

BAYKO Floors were always a key component in building good quality models, particularly large ones.

Plastic moulding, particularly pre-war, wasn't the most exact of sciences. Dimensions could vary widely, probably thanks either to cooling problems after parts were released from the mould, or to variations in the amount of material fed into the mould in the first place.

This may not be noticeable to the naked eye, but, if you don't believe me, try lining up a few Bases, particularly if you bought them at different times, differences of ⅛ inch [3 mm] are not unknown - just look at the image [left] supplied by Gary Birch.

Combine this with the comparatively flimsy gauge of BAYKO Rods [75 thou = 1.905 mm], and this could lead to instability in large or complex models.

This was recognised as a potential issue from day one - Floors were the solution.

Acting as floors, ceilings or flat roofs in models, they realign Rods and ensure a much more robust, stable structure.

The formula was a success from the start, the only issue being a tendency to chip or break under the influence of careless hands - or feet!

BAYKO Floors were made from Paxolin, very similar to the material used, in more recent decades, for electronic circuit boards. I understand from Gary Birch that Paxolin is a particular brand name for S.R.B.P. - 'Synthetic Resin-Bonded Paper', the resin being none other than phenol formaldehyde.

Pre-war Floors were thicker than later versions and had square corners, post-war were thinner and, almost always, had rounded corners, but the basic format was unchanged.

For some reason, lost in the mists of time, Plimpton never published part numbers for Floors, so I assume they never existed.

Floor sizes were remarkably consistent throughout BAYKO's 30 year life, though the war caused varying periods when different sizes weren't available.

The largest [15 x 23 holes] was only produced for the first year or so, presumably being either too vulnerable or too expensive to produce.

A strange size [11 x 8] only existed in the sheltered world of sets #20 to #23, from 1938, so they too are not very common. The very similar [11 x 7] was introduced at the same time, but lasted to the end after reappearing in 1948. The only logic that I can think may be behind this is that the two Floors together covered the same area as the standard 11 x 15 hole Floor.

"Extension Floors 5 Hole" [15 x 5] were introduced in 1935 and reintroduced in 1949, then dropped from their sets by MECCANO, though they were still available separately - being allocated part #B102.

An additional size [13 x 9] became available in the later 'New Series' sets, then again, from 1947 onwards in set #2 and larger.

"Extension Floors 6 Hole" [15 x 6] were also available virtually throughout, from 1935 at the last.

The other floor dimensions are detailed below - please remember that BAYKO was produced before 'Metric' measurements took over from their 'Imperial' predecessors : -

► Pre-war floors are -

1/32nd of an inch

= 0.793 mm thick

► Post-war floors are -

1/64th of an inch

= 0.397 mm thick

► Pre-war holes are -

5/64th of an inch

= 1.984 mm diameter

► Post-war holes are -

3/32nd of an inch

= 2.381 mm diameter

► BAYKO briefly tried -

7/64th of an inch

= 2.778 mm diameter

In my opinion, the pre-war holes were too small, contributing to the damage done to Floors even through careful use. The short-lived big holes were a failure - they were too loose.

One of the quirkier aspects of BAYKO Floors is the changing names used for the different sizes. The table below is based on information collated mainly from BAYKO manuals in their various guises. One minor detail, the manual references in the table below, relate primarily to the set contents lists. The names for floors were then often perpetuated via the floor plans for models in later editions of the manual.

This entry [below] is strange, even by the standards of other BAYKO Floors! I suspect that the "Large Floor Divided (3 sections)" actually comprises 1 x Small Floor [15 x 11 holes] and 2 x Extension Pieces [15 x 6] which, together, are the same area as a Large Floor [15 x 23].

For completeness, shortly before the war put an end to BAYKO production, 2 sizes of Floor, Small and Medium, replaced Tie-Bars because no metal was available...

How much flooring should you use when building larger models?

There isn't one single answer to this, but, after a fair amount of experience building large BAYKO models, I wouldn't go more than six bricks in height without putting in another layer of Floors, particularly if the model will have to survive the rigours of travelling to and from exhibitions.

BAYKO Rods

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