BAYKO Tie Bars

In this context, we just need to remind ourselves that BAYKO and Plimpton Engineering were right at the leading edge in terms of rapidly advancing plastic technology. Resultant dimensional inaccuracies of plastic BAYKO components, coupled with the use of comparatively flimsy Rods meant that sections of BAYKO buildings often benefited from additional support.

On a large scale this support was provided by Floors…

…but more localised issues were resolved using Tie Bars.

Binding Strips were, arguably, Floors, given that they are made from the same material, Resin Bonded Paper. However, as the clear intent was to secure short sections of wall, I think it is more logical to group them with the Tie Bars.

Binding Strips were included in sets from 1935 to 1938, initially in the #6 sets, then also in the slightly restructured sets #1 to #5, and their supporting conversion sets.

However, that's not quite the whole story as far as BAYKO Binding Strips are concerned.

One look at the image [left] will tell you that there are two different versions of the Binding Strips.

The standard, more familiar type is shown [left, above] and has larger holes at each end, which I can only assume were used as part of the alignment process to enable accurate drilling of the rod holes.

The other Binding Strip [left, below] comes from a #1 set with true red and white bricks but which has the rare dark cherry red Small Roof, intermediate between the early brown and true red roofs.

This dates them as being from 1937, but their comparative rarity strongly suggests that this was a short lived experiment.

Binding Strips were also available separately, probably until the war, but certainly no later.

Curved Tie Bars [right] were short-lived, introduced in 1938 in sets #20 to #23 to 'control' the [wayward?] new Curved Windows and Bricks. They were never, to my knowledge, used elsewhere.

Their short shelf life indicates that, while they clearly worked, at least with straight Rods, there were easier ways to achieve the same ends without manufacturing a specialist component and carrying an extra inventory item.

The Curved Tie Bars were made from bare mild steel, with the blank and holes being stamped out, separately.

For some reason, Curved Tie Bars seem to enjoy a near mythical status in some circles!

Straight Tie Bars were introduced in the same sets but survived for the rest of the life of the product…

…or so I thought…

…however, there is a growing body of evidence now emerging, that Straight Tie Bars were also introduced into the range of standard BAYKO sets, not long before the switch to 'New Series' sets, almost certainly during 1938.

This was as replacements for the much more cumbersome [and presumably expensive?] Binding Strips which never recovered from this treachery by their fellow Tie Bars!

Two pieces of evidence confirm that this occurred : -

The image [above, left] shows the parts listed in a #2A conversion set, probably dated 1938 that clearly mentions Tie Bars but does not make any reference to Binding Strips. It is possible that this conversion set was a little later than 1938, as they were available right up to the war.

The image [right] is of a bag, typical of those in which the Floors were supplied in the sets of the day, which carries a label which reads : -

If you click anywhere on the image [right] you will be able to see a larger view of the label which I have cleaned-up somewhat.

Thanks to Robin Throp for this image.

Initially, like the Curved Tie Bars, Straight Tie Bars too were in bare mild steel and I've a few from the early days made from copper, and again with a thick copper coating.

There was a brief experiment with a thin version of the Floor material [Resin Bonded Paper] and even some which appear to my untutored eye to have been lacquered, before standardising on cheap steel with a bright protective coating.

Straight Tie Bars survived through the rest of BAYKO's production life, as a concept anyway, individual Tie Bars weren't always that lucky.

Straight Tie Bars could be used to support 2 columns of Bricks and Windows [e.g. above a Bay Window] as well as their primary alignment role.

The second Tie Bar from the right [above] appears to show evidence of a slight central crease [not uncommon] which may have been either a deliberate attempt at strengthening the Tie Bar, or, more likely, as an accidental result of wear and tear of the stamping tool. You decide.

The BAYKO Straight Tie Bars were stamped out, from sheets of metal, in two separate stages [Ends and Holes]…

…this example [left] proves it! Though this 'SHORTIE' would actually have needed three stages! [Ends 1 & 2 & Holes]

It never ceases to amaze me just how much easier it is to glean useful info. from good, old fashioned cock-ups than from the good stuff!

Square Tie Bars [or Corner Ties, or Corner Locking Plates] were introduced a few months later, in 1939, in the 'New Series' sets and survived for the rest of the product's life. They started out life manufactured in bare mild steel, though fairly quickly introduced the bright, 'chrome' coating which ultimately won out.

There was a brief experiment, early post-war, with painted metal Corner Ties (beige, on one side only) which, it has been suggested, may have been pressed from a job lot of cheap tin-plate - from MECCANO perhaps?

Another flirtation, this time with Floor-like material, i.e. Resin Bonded Paper or Paxolin, dates from around 1940, but was probably also used post-war. Just a detail, the Paxolin used here is significantly thinner than that used for making standard Floors.

There were also periods, again around the same time, when material shortages lead to 2 circular discs, diagonally opposite each other being stamped out of the Square Tie Bars, presumably then sent for recycling to reduce overall metal usage, and, again, there is a version which appears to have been lacquered. This lasted for a few years, probably only stopping when the stamping tool had to be replaced.

The photo [right, above] includes two blanks, without holes, suggesting that manufacturing was a two stage process, the blanks having skipped part two! Photo courtesy of Robin Throp.

Finally the image [left] is a form of composite. It is cut from a copper sheet which has the cream paint on one side, [a la Tin Plate] and a thin [zinc?] coating on the other, but you can now see the copper peeping through. This Corner Tie Bar image is shown here courtesy of Brian Salter.

It's easy for me to postulate that material shortages around the war were undoubtedly the trigger for something which happened to BAYKO…

…here, at least, is unambiguous, documentary evidence that Plimpton adjusted their product offering to take account of material shortages.

This label was stuck over page 3 of a 'New Series' set manual [right] and clearly states that replacement Small and Medium Floors were included instead. It's important to remind ourselves that, although undoubtedly 'New Series', this manual is actually immediately post-war. It reads : -

“Owing to the impossibility of obtaining the necessary steel for these, we are substituting a Special Floor which can be fitted over the top row of bricks before fitting roof, thus locking the building together.” All sets got a Small Floor [11 x 7 holes] and all but set #1 also got a Medium Floor [13 x 9 holes].

One point to note is that it was only the Straight Tie-Bars which were replaced by Floors, Corner Ties were still supplied as usual, though these were often now also in Paxolin.

A word of warning, the names of the different sizes and shapes of Floors, were not consistent over time…