DIY: Whiteboard

Time for a new segment! Helmut of Hardware's DIY corner - hooray!

Today I'll show you how to put up an enormous double-sided whiteboard for up to a fifteenth of the price! Here's mine, set up and already in use:


Please ignore the bizarre paint job on the wall behind... it's a long story. The main thing is that this is a 2400 x 900mm whiteboard, of which I made two for less than $65! (Australian)

All you need is a drill, a few common fixings and some elbow grease (although I needed a jigsaw as well).

STEP 1: The board

Proper whiteboards are usually made out of porcelain or hard coat laminate, and are very expensive.

My board is simply particle board with a Melamine surface. However, you can't just use any Melamine - you need a particular smooth finish, or the ink dries in the miniature creases. (See Step 4 for Pros and Cons of Melamine)

Bunnings doesn't sell any smooth finish Melamine off the shelf, but it was a simple matter of asking at the Special Orders desk and they were able to order me something called Velvet Melamine. It arrived the following week.

I purchased a colossal 2400 x 1800 mm Melamine board for about $55. There were also smaller, cheaper boards available, but I was being greedy ambitious. Admittedly, I was barely able to get it home.

STEP 2: Putting it up

Size:
First of all, I decided to cut it in half with my jigsaw. 2400 x 900mm was a much more manageable and pleasing size, which meant that I could reach the whole board and wouldn't be wasting any of it - as well as having a second board which I could sell on or swap out later should it become damaged or marked.

Also I couldn't fit it down the stairs, so... that was a consideration.

How to attach to the wall:
Melamine sheet is double sided, and I really wanted to be able to flip it around later. This meant I couldn't just screw it up tight to the wall. I also didn't want to just lean it up against the wall either.

What I decided to do was 'sit it' on three or four strong screws, fixed into studs.

(EDIT: That line underneath isn't a crack, just careless pencil work marking out the stud)

Finding the stud:
If you don't have a stud finder, like myself, you can knock and 'hear it out'. This takes a lot of practice to get any accuracy and I certainly didn't have any of that. However drilling a few tiny holes in a row will eventually tell you exactly where it is. Of course, this does leave you with a few tiny holes in a row, but the way I figure it is if you ever take down the whiteboard which is covering those holes, you'll have to patch up the screw holes anyway - it's almost no extra effort to fix a few extra holes.

NOTES:
- Leave the screws sitting out about 20mm (as pictured). That leaves 10mm for the plasterboard, and 20mm for going into the stud.
- Make sure you pre-drill the hole, or you'll have a hell of a time getting the screws in.
- Make sure the screws are all the same distance from the floor, or you'll end up with a crooked whiteboard.

10g x 50mm Pan Head screws - pack of 10 for about $3.50

Holding it in place:
There are two things you can do to stop it falling down or tipping, while still allowing you to swap it over. I did both. First there is a little toggle.

These toggles are used for holding fly screen windows in, but with a nail, it's pretty easy to put on at the top of your whiteboard. Just twist to release.

The second is a metal plate, which you can slide the whiteboard out of.

Both of these options cost around $5.

STEP 3: Adding a shelf

This is an optional step, but since I found a cheap shelf kit for $1 and since I'd already found the studs, I thought why not add a shelf to hold all my markers and cleaners? Or indeed, a range of different items:

STEP 4: Using the board

Now Melamine is a cheap alternative and does have its downsides, but with some care it can work just as well.

First of all, I found it didn't erase as well. If you just use a cloth or normal whiteboard eraser, it will leave smudges - or worse, not erase anything. Cleaning products help a little, but with some testing, I found wetting the area with a small spray bottle of water works better than anything.


I also recommend using good quality markers, as the cheaper ones (especially the red and greens) can stain over time. These are the ones I use:


Because I often use it for art, you'll notice I've gone with markers that give me a variety of lines. I tend to fill it up quickly, so I've bought some small pens to allow for maximum space saving.

Also, permanent marker really is permanent on Melamine - so go carefully.

Now when I wake up I have my chore list, and things I need to remember for that day. As well as a large area for brainstorming and drawing. As a highly visual person, I find it invaluable.

Feel free to ask me any questions about my confusing instructions! And if you have any good tips for dealing with whiteboards, or brainstorming... or anything really, feel free to comment.