Trussrod
Well-Known Member
Building your bench work.
Hi Richard, [From one Californian to another]
I've been reading everything that Rex, Joe & SpM have mentioned and I'll have to agree that they've given you some very good advise. I'll try to add to it a bit with a few other pointers.
I'm also building a new layout using the L girder method with 2x2 legs and casters but I was thinking early yesterday that a T-Nut and either a cariage bolt or even a hex bolt with a smoth head and a jam nut would be best for leveling rather than casters and probably cheaper too? I screw everything together using dry wall screws and I add a extra point here, if you predrill the holes and even counter sink them a bit before driving the screws in there's almost no chance of spliting anything as long as you don't have the torque setting too high on the drill/driver. By predrilling with a bit slightly bigger bit than the shank of the screw in the threads it alows the screw the most grip as compared to just driving it in which tends to split the wood especially if tightening into end grain.
I also use cardboard strips and forms to generally shape the hill sides, ontop of this I use crumpled up heavy weight grocery bags I attach in a variety of ways. These crumpled up bag often give a very pleasing rocky effect on their own. Next I mix up some Hydrocal and water to form a thick soup type of mixture and I dunk some fairly decent paper towels into the mixture and then overllay that on the brown paper bags, this then, once dry gives you what is refered to as a, 'Thin-Shell' base for your scenery. It very light weight and yet very durabled. Then once almost dry you can start applying your rock castings or they can be done later by slightly wetting the area where the rock casting will be applied, you then hold the slightly moist fresh casting aginst the surface so it adheres good and conforms to the surface for a very natural look.
Another point is that it's very easy to make your own rock castings molds yourself by buying some latex rubber and after findiing some rocks, clean the surface/s you want make the molds of pretty good and paint the surface with Latex being sure to push the ends of the bristles into all the cracks and crevaces real good, when the first coat is dry give it a second coat, once dry you can peal the new mold off the rock, check it for any left over fragments and it's ready to use!
Mix up some Hydrocal in a thinner consistantcy so it will run into the smallest spaces, you can use an acid brush or something similiar to help to ensure that all the cavities in the mold are filled and let it set-up until it's almost dry, but just slightly moist and then press and hold it in place for about a minute or two after weting the surface where it's to be placed slightly with a spray of water to ensure it will adhere good. Now to get a different affect using the same mold turn your mold 180* for an entirely different look to it.
I'll provide some pictures a little later of my bench work, had to charge my batteries, and how I tie the two sections together along with how I brace everything to form a very sturdy frame work. I also don't attach anything to the walls, I just put a piece of foam on a couple of the ends of the boards to bump against the wall for pading.
I also use 1/2" plywood for the sub road bed and try to keep my riseres, 1x4's, about 12" to 14" apart for a good solid feel. Sometimes you'll find it necessarey to lean on the trrack so something substantial like plywood is well worth it! Also I keep my road bed base about 5" wide so I can place a screw on both sides of the roadbed so it's axcessable if I later want to adjust the height up a bit.
HTH
Hi Richard, [From one Californian to another]
I've been reading everything that Rex, Joe & SpM have mentioned and I'll have to agree that they've given you some very good advise. I'll try to add to it a bit with a few other pointers.
I'm also building a new layout using the L girder method with 2x2 legs and casters but I was thinking early yesterday that a T-Nut and either a cariage bolt or even a hex bolt with a smoth head and a jam nut would be best for leveling rather than casters and probably cheaper too? I screw everything together using dry wall screws and I add a extra point here, if you predrill the holes and even counter sink them a bit before driving the screws in there's almost no chance of spliting anything as long as you don't have the torque setting too high on the drill/driver. By predrilling with a bit slightly bigger bit than the shank of the screw in the threads it alows the screw the most grip as compared to just driving it in which tends to split the wood especially if tightening into end grain.
I also use cardboard strips and forms to generally shape the hill sides, ontop of this I use crumpled up heavy weight grocery bags I attach in a variety of ways. These crumpled up bag often give a very pleasing rocky effect on their own. Next I mix up some Hydrocal and water to form a thick soup type of mixture and I dunk some fairly decent paper towels into the mixture and then overllay that on the brown paper bags, this then, once dry gives you what is refered to as a, 'Thin-Shell' base for your scenery. It very light weight and yet very durabled. Then once almost dry you can start applying your rock castings or they can be done later by slightly wetting the area where the rock casting will be applied, you then hold the slightly moist fresh casting aginst the surface so it adheres good and conforms to the surface for a very natural look.
Another point is that it's very easy to make your own rock castings molds yourself by buying some latex rubber and after findiing some rocks, clean the surface/s you want make the molds of pretty good and paint the surface with Latex being sure to push the ends of the bristles into all the cracks and crevaces real good, when the first coat is dry give it a second coat, once dry you can peal the new mold off the rock, check it for any left over fragments and it's ready to use!
Mix up some Hydrocal in a thinner consistantcy so it will run into the smallest spaces, you can use an acid brush or something similiar to help to ensure that all the cavities in the mold are filled and let it set-up until it's almost dry, but just slightly moist and then press and hold it in place for about a minute or two after weting the surface where it's to be placed slightly with a spray of water to ensure it will adhere good. Now to get a different affect using the same mold turn your mold 180* for an entirely different look to it.
I'll provide some pictures a little later of my bench work, had to charge my batteries, and how I tie the two sections together along with how I brace everything to form a very sturdy frame work. I also don't attach anything to the walls, I just put a piece of foam on a couple of the ends of the boards to bump against the wall for pading.
I also use 1/2" plywood for the sub road bed and try to keep my riseres, 1x4's, about 12" to 14" apart for a good solid feel. Sometimes you'll find it necessarey to lean on the trrack so something substantial like plywood is well worth it! Also I keep my road bed base about 5" wide so I can place a screw on both sides of the roadbed so it's axcessable if I later want to adjust the height up a bit.
HTH
