Bakelite cabinet grille rib rebuild

[Yorkie]

When I built radio control model boats in the 70s and 80s, birch ply or a planked hull was invariably the method of construction. However, nowadays, if not GRP kits, hulls are mostly built of balsa. When I first discovered that, I thought it odd as weight isn't such an issue with boats as it is with 'planes, but strength is. However, Balsa - especially when treated with dope, diluted PVA or paint - is surprisingly tough and has found wide favour with model boat builders. Let's face it, in Robert's Ekco, the original Bakelite spars didn't wear too well. The only way the balsa spars are likely to come to grief is by accident or abuse, which would be just as fatal for Bakelite. A nice bit of lateral thinking to use materials which wouldn't ordinarily come to mind. - it wouldn't have occurred to me - I'd have probably have opted for beech, ash, iroko etc, which may well have needed steaming to get it to flex. When it comes to circular Ekcos, I'm content to defer to Robert's experience with many such sets.