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 Posted - July 04 2010 : 9:24:45 PM
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starting out. Reading lots of books, internet, etc. Thinking of an 4 x 8 attached to a 4 x 7 going 90 degrees. and will fit in a corner. Accessability??
Lot's of doodles, sketches Been reading the story of the Gorre and Daphetid and would like to incorporate some of the ideas of his first layout
Max radius will be 22, some 18
Going with 1 x 4 or maybe 1x3 with 1 x 2 L girder on top as support beams. 2x 4 legs in front. attach to wall in back
.What do you think about height? Eye level more realistic but harder to get to center to work on
After i have the base made need opinions. Have read numbers of way possible--i.e 1/2 plywood, cookie cutter, or 1 inch foam I'm thinking 3/8 plywood with 1 inch foam or maybe two pieces of 1 inch on top of the plywood.
My thinking on the plywood is in case i want to brace myself when stretched out over the 4 ft spa, i won't put my hand through the foam. I like all the articles that show foam as later a couple of quick slices and one has a river or gorge.. Also the earth isn't flat so foam can be contoured, shaped, sculptured to give rolling landscapes and track beds
Also I like foam as i can tack down my track temporarily, no cork road bed. I can play around and move easily and make trial runs. when everything gives me warm and fuzzies than glue down the cork
Also with foam if i want to create an elevation just slice a road bed , lift it and tack it If it doesn't work push the foam back down flush
will be buying the lumber next week
any ideas
am i going on the right track--excuse the pun
fred in Grand Rapids, MI
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Posted - July 04 2010 : 11:20:34 PM
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My layout is built on sheets of 1.5" insulation foam. I've also used 2" foam on some projects. If you're going to use the foam, buy the more expensive blue stuff. The pink stuff is all brittle and flaky. The plywood probably wouldn't be a bad idea either
As for the height, you want it high enough that it's not awkward to work on, but not so high that you can't reach the insides. My layout is about 4' off the ground. I find that's a good height for me.
Make sure to post pics of your progress
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Posted - July 04 2010 : 11:46:05 PM
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quote:| starting out. Reading lots of books, internet, etc. Thinking of an 4 x 8 attached to a 4 x 7 going 90 degrees. and will fit in a corner. Accessability?? |
Might want to design a lift-out in the corner for accessibility. Put a mountain there or something that can be put on a removeable piece. -Jerry-
quote:
.... need opinions. --i.e 1/2 plywood, cookie cutter, or 1 inch foam I'm thinking 3/8 plywood with 1 inch foam or maybe two pieces of 1 inch on top of the plywood. |
Overkill! Unless you're doing much rolling hill scenery. Again, why not start simpler, then work up to more sophisticated scenery? If you bite off more than you can chew, you may get discouraged. Just a thought....
On the material, Google Image search Homasote model train, and check it out. It's like a 1/2 inch thick cardboard material, easy to cut and screw to, yet soft enough it won't make your trains rattle and echo like on plywood. It's tougher than foam, yet softer than plywood, some of my train club friends have done their layouts with it, and our club layout is exclusively Homasote for easy of working on and with. Home Depot carries it. Don't think Lowes does, though. Can get it in 4x8 sheets. It's a more modern material that really eliminates the need for the plywood/foam combo. Have I used it personally? No, I don't have room for a layout, but I have pieces I was given by one member, I was going to do a shelf-type layout, still haven't done it. But it's worth investigating for ease of use. -Jerry-
quote:| My thinking on the plywood is in case i want to brace myself when stretched out over the 4 ft spa, i won't put my hand through the foam. |
Homasote is sturdy enough that you won't. And you can put foam pieces on top of it for contours and hills. -Jerry -
quote:any ideas
am i going on the right track--excuse the pun
fred in Grand Rapids, MI |
Yes, definitely you are. Foam over homasote may be the best combo, because you can do the same thing with the homasote as you can with the foam, ie attach the track temporarily, then move it if need be. You wouldn't be able to stand on it, like Plywood, but it'd be sturdy enough to lean on if necessary.
Keep going with it, sounds like you're giving it good thought, asking for ideas and suggestions, instead of re-inventing the wheel. Good to learn from OTHERS mistakes, so you don't repeat them. Keep us posted, and check into Homasote. :)
Jerry in Virginia
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - July 05 2010 : 07:59:40 AM
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| A good height for your layout is 4 ft. You can make it higher or lower - but most local club layouts and the ones i have built have been 4 ft to 5 ft high off floor
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Posted - July 05 2010 : 12:24:50 PM
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i bought the book Basic Model Railroad Benchwork and it discusses all the sheet goods possibilities pro and cons including Homasote. They even suggest cutting road bed from sheets of Homeasote. There is also a road bed called Homeabed.
I just happen to work at Home Depot and previously 15 years with a major hard board company as a plant manager Homasote was a competitor in some areas of building products. It's been around for a hundred years, one of the first to use recycled materials
Price wise 3/8 S 1 S plywood is less.
I like the blue foam suggestion over the pink
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Posted - July 05 2010 : 1:44:57 PM
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 guess I'd better look for Model Railroading for Dummies book
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Posted - July 06 2010 : 11:33:08 AM
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A word of warning about Homasote: if your layout is going to be in a space that isn't conditioned or isn't a "finished" space, it can have problems. Humidity changes in the garage made my old 4x8 layout that was finished with a top layer of homasote over plywood have all kinds of sags and rises in the track. Nothing too severe, but I'm sure the plywood underneath was what prevented it from getting worse. As for being in "finished" space, my mom's potted plants would always come in every winter, bringing numerous bugs with them. My layout always had tons of the tiny little beetles you find in old books all over it, eating away at the cardboard buffet. They attracted spiders, and eventually the cats got fleas on it  and the railroad was abandoned.  Let's just say I bought a lot of EZ track.
I go with foam these days, for weight and portability reasons more than anything. (That old 4x8 was HEAVY!) Plus, if my portable shelf layout pieces ever wind up in the garage or storage, it doesn't provide a home and a meal for any critters.
--Rio Grande--Thru the Rockies
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