Best Plywood to Use for Layout Construction


O

Omaha Road Man

New Member
I did a search and couldn't find a thread specifically on this. What is the best plywood to use for a layout? Keep in mind I will be using a subroadbed too, either homasote or foam, haven't decided yet. I've read how some people insist on using birch, but that stuff is about $60 a sheet! I've also heard lauan suggested, and that is about $30 a sheet. The current layout I'm planning is not that big and while I'm not rich I'm not strapped for cash either, so if I had to use top shelf plywood it wouldn't be that big of a deal.

To summarize:
Does using high qaulity plywood make that big of a difference generally? Or do people who insist on the expensive stuff use it for making the 'cookie cutter' style benchwork? If just building a flat shelf layout is it okay to use a lower quality plywood, assuming its not too full of knots/warped?
 
I used construction grade 3/4" pine plywood for 3 reasons:
  • It's cheap
  • Its sturdy and light weight
  • It'll be covered

The fact that benchwork is generally covered with scenery and fascias means you shouldn't really care what it looks like so the construction grade stuff is fine.

Having said that, if money really were no issue I would have gone with luan or birch since its really beautiful wood and probably a lot less prone to warping. In the end what swayed it for me was the fact that I wanted to spend the big bucks on locos and a DCC system so went with the cheaper wood.

Of course lots of people are going to say that cheap wood will warp over time and cause you head aches in the long run. For me this is not too much of a problem as I have built my layout in sections as soon as a section start to warp I'll rip it out and replace it. For others though this might not be possible / feasible.

At the end of the day you want something that is strong and sturdy and not warped. That's the most important thing.
 
I'm with Nephthyr on this.
I used to get the expensive GIS ply but soon realized that any "flaws" would be coverd up anyway. I tried a sheet of cabinet grade once but didn't see any great benefit from it and the cost was over the top.
I now get 3/4" CG and get it ripped into 3" strips for framing and use 1/2" to 3/8" CG for the base.
 
Birch plywood is wonderful stuff, but I agree it's overkill for this application. B-C grade softwood plywood is probably a good compromise. It will have one smooth face and the price is usually reasonable. CDX grade is too rough in my opinion. If you have a choice, go for the plywood with more plies.
 
For my first layout, I used 5/8" G1S whatever-it-was subflooring plywood, and added a single layer of 1" blue extruded foam. I could have used 1/2", but it would have been more springy when I got up and moved around on it during the scenicking process.

Now I use open frame from ripped 1 X 4 clear spruce with joists, risers, and MDF spline roadbed. Terrain is formed with cut-to-fit aluminum window screen hot glued along the edges to the splines or the framing members. Then a ground goop was slathered over top of the screen.

-Crandell
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I used 7/16 OSB board and 2 x 4`s for framing and just had to joist up the middle for strength and its pretty sturdy and was 13.00 a sheet. I have also found that the hot glue thing dosnt really hold up that well so i started using liquid nails snd ya cant knock that stuff loose with a hammer hardly!
 
OSB board and 2 x 4 here as well. i probably would have used something else but i already had that stuff laying around.
 
OSB and 2x4`s

I had to buy the OSB board but all the rest came from some shipping crates that a bunch of roller doors for a mini storage place that was being built by me and they were FREE they even brought them to me . The 2x4`s and the 4x4`s that i used or the legs were all oak and in good shape all i had to do was pull the nails and cut the boards to length. I figured that down the road all this was gonna be covered when i finish it and make it look professional any way so why pay for it when you can get it for zilch!:D

Crandell : Explain ground goop? what did you use for this ? i been looking into paper mache like substance but not real sure how it will work out.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The thinner you go, the more support you need; eg: 3/4" ply use 24" centres, 5/8" ply use 16" centres on your framing, 3/8" ply use 12" centres etc. With OSB, I'd get support even tighter...

I cut the curves along the grain of the majority of the plys; eg: 5/8" has 5 plys, three along the 8' length and 2 along the 4' length of the whole sheet

you can also save a few $$ by getting floor sheeting which is unfinished on both sides.

just some suggestions
 
I have a 24'x32' layout and I used 2x4 metal studs on 12" centers and 2x4s made into a rectangle for legs with plywood corner braces. I then used whatever 1/2" or thicker plywood I could find. I then glued and screwed down homasote for sound. I used 2" foam for areas that need grade or ponds or whatever. Then used chicken wire and drywall mud soaked newspaper for mountains. It is all solid. If you can get thinner for cheaper then double it up if needed.
All that said if i were doing say a 4x8 layout I would recommend 3/4" with any grade plywood. And put the money in the best 2x4s preferably douglas fir.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top