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First off, is there a glossary of terms somewhere on the site or can someone point me in the right direction - there are quite a few terms I am unfamiliar with being used by everyone and I would like to speak the same language
Term question: Is bench work the foundation or table the layout sits on?
If so...
Materials:
I notice while browsing through the threads and looking at the pics of the wonderful layouts everyone is building, that the primary material for the bench work is heavy plywood (heavy meaning greater than 1/4").
I would think that between a foam base and plaster, a thinner, lighter material could be used without it bending or flexing. Am I incorrect?
Even for elevated track riding along a plastered mountain or hillside seems I could use some 1/8" material for the bottom layer.
I ask because I want to make my layout modular and be able to move it, pack it away relatively easy as needed.
Thanks in advance.
Thoughts?
First off, is there a glossary of terms somewhere on the site or can someone point me in the right direction - there are quite a few terms I am unfamiliar with being used by everyone and I would like to speak the same language
"Basic Model Railroad Benchwork", Jeff Wilson, Kalmbach publishing will fill you in - Probably more than you want
If you're doing a flat layout, plywood is cheap & strong. Then we move to the so called "cookie cutter" approach where the plywood gets cut and bent. Then there's L-girder/open-cell that's a bunch of "boxes" tied together, possibly at different heights - No plywood tops.....
Term question: Is bench work the foundation or table the layout sits on?
Yep - It may incorporate a heavy plywood top if you're doing a flat layout or may be a frame on which a sheet of foam sits etc.
If so...
Materials:
I notice while browsing through the threads and looking at the pics of the wonderful layouts everyone is building, that the primary material for the bench work is heavy plywood (heavy meaning greater than 1/4").
I would think that between a foam base and plaster, a thinner, lighter material could be used without it bending or flexing. Am I incorrect?
No - Many folk put a sheet of foam (the blue or pink stuff) on their benchwork frame, then lay the roadbed (typically cork) directly on that - No plywood required. The advantage here is you can dig it out for rivers etc. [and it's obviously lighter.]
Plaster OTOH is not a "structural" material - You want your rails solidly mounted (one way or another) before doing anything with plaster.
HTH, cheers,
Ian
Ian, Thanks for the quick response.
I found the book and ordered it - thanks
So, if I understand correctly - since plaster is not structural so to speak, if I prop up the track with a lightweight sub layer I should be good to go - example something about 1/16" in thickness to cut down on the over all weight of that module?
I did mine with 3/4" pine plywood and 1x4s. I chose B grade ply and the highest grade 1x4s (no knots). I used 2" drywall screws, three per joint. It will hold me on top of it easily. It is extremely heavy and overbuilt.
Get the Jeff Wilson book first. It will give you ideas.
Then, when it comes to buying lumber, don't go cheap. Get quality, even if it costs more. Birch plywood is lighter weight than pine (I didn't realize that), and stronger. If you go birch, you can go as thin as 3/8". If you have a table saw or a neighbor with one, you can rip (cut it in the strips) it so you can take the place of the 1x4s for the frame. Plywood done right will keep its shape and dimensions better than regular dimensional (1x4s for example) lumber.
When my layout is reconstructed, I will reuse as much as I can, but instead of using 3/4" ply on top, I will keep it open grid style, and rip the ply to make my subroadbed. Everything else will sit on blue Dow Squareedge foam. I'm doing so because I used Woodland Scenics roadbed on foam only, and find that the roadbed isn't strong enough to keep flex track from pulling out of alignment on curves, and have nothing to nail the track to.
I used 1X4" clear spruce milled lumber, and I ripped those down their lengths to split them into 1X2's which later became cross bracing and cross-members on which to place the risers for my spline roadbed. If you are going to use the extruded foam as a base, you would want the 2'X8' lengths if they are available to you reasonably easily.
If you get foam sheets thicker than 1", you would only need the odd joist below it for support. If you are worried about a knee through the tender nether surface, then get 1/4" plywood, or even doorskin or something as a protective surface between any framework and the foam. You don't want cost and you certainly don't want weight if you intend to move these.
I think the recommended book should really help.
Thanks Trey and Crandell,
Once again you guys are tops
and your advice is much appreciated.
I just got my scenery kit today and think I'm going to start a thread for my project.
The only thing I didn't see (or don't remember seeing) in the Jeff Wilson book is the easy spline method. I'm still not quite sure what it is and how it's something that would work for me.
BTW, if you rip your plywood to make the frame, go thicker than 3/8" for that. 1/2" or bigger.
Remember in constructing your module sizes that you are planning to move it. 16' or even 8' long modules in some places will not easily be carried into or out of your train room if you have hallways and doors with weird angles or whatever.
... I'm doing so because I used Woodland Scenics roadbed on foam only, and find that the roadbed isn't strong enough to keep flex track from pulling out of alignment on curves...
Holey-moley! Really?
That blows my plans right out of the water!.....
Hmm.... I'm surprised, but will certainly bear that in mind when the time comes - Thanks for sharing.
Cheers,
Ian
I'm doing so because I used Woodland Scenics roadbed on foam only, and find that the roadbed isn't strong enough to keep flex track from pulling out of alignment on curves, and have nothing to nail the track to.
What did you use to attach the track to the roadbed? I'm planning to use flextrack on straights and marry that to regular curved track sections when it comes to loops and curves. I'm not sure if I'm going to lay the track right on the foam yet or use a cork roadbed. Back in the '70's, even when I laid flextrack directly on plywood, I found many pieces still moved, but that was probably my inexperience. I don't have any more experience than I did then, but there are new materials and techniques now and I'm hoping they will work for me.
First I used the cheapest DAP Latex caulk I could find, but since it wasn't Adhesive Latex caulk, I didn't figure out why the caulk wasn't holding anywhere. It certainly was, though, easy to pull up.
Next I tried the Woodland Scenics foam glue, and it held everything down nicely, for a while. My curves are 24" or so, and over the course of a year, I've found several areas that were kink free (and soldered before laying) were developing kinks. I could put pressure on the sides of the rail and move it in and out of alignment, not very much, but enough that a derailment of a 6 axle loco would occur.
I'll do cork next time. If I do a radius under 24", it will be sectional track.
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