Preprimed 1X4s are available at the home improvement stores and are not heavy at all. You can cut them down if you never plan on making a quilt anywhere near 96" wide. I use blue painter's tape to hold my back and top perfectly straight on the boards before I start rolling. You could use try using noodles if your quilt isn't any wider than the length of the noodle. I prefer the boards because they stay where I put them while I'm pinning the sandwich.