The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[davefoxx]

Phil,

I don't think that cross brace would add much.  With each leg secured by multiple screws into the L-girders, there's little worry about those legs racking in the direction perpendicular to the L-girders.

As for racking in the direction parallel to the L-girders, I pondered that stretcher at the bottom, but, at least while construction goes on, that's just one more thing to trip over.  At this point, I really do think it's overkill anyway, but, I can alway add it later, if the table needs some more beefing up.

Thanks for the advice,
DFF

[crrcoal]

Coming along nicely Dave!! Gotta say watching your progress is really motivational!

[John]

That's some nice looking NScale benchwork there...

[davefoxx]

Well, with my Dad's help this morning (I needed his truck), I was able to purchase the 1/4" lauan plywood and 2" foam sheets needed for the layout's tabletop (i.e., subroadbed).  Before I can install the subroadbed, though, I had to build the yard extension, including a new set of legs, which I finished just a few moments ago:



With that, everything from the L-girders down is built and installed.  Next up will be cutting the lauan plywood and fitting it to 1"x2" frames that will become the tabletop but removable in sections that I can get out of the basement.

DFF

[davefoxx]

I just didn't have it in me this evening to begin cutting plywood, so I lugged the plywood and foam sheets to the basement and plopped them on the layout, so I could JFRT!



This bodes well for me, because it gives me some perspective of just how much larger the actual track plan can be as compared to the Kato Unitrack loop that I have been using to play with my new HO rolling stock.  Yay!

DFF

[OldEastRR]

Construction engineering: triangles, not squares. Every two pieces of framing joined either horizontally or vertically at a 90 degree angle should have a third piece from the end of one framing piece to the other, or as close to the ends as possible.
Alternatively, a solid sheet across the area inside the 90 degree angle formed by the two framing members serves the same purpose as a third leg (tabletop grid construction).
Vertical or angle supports should be attached at every joint between horizontal members, whether the joint is butt end or perpendicular.
These rules are especially important if the structure is designed to be moveable. These rules will ensure maximum stability of extremely high tolerance to shocks.

[Lemosteam]

The structure only needs what it needs to support the load.  Anything beyond that is a waste of materials, and time.  If the structure experiences "parallelogramming" while in use, braces can always be added later.  This is not supporting the load of a house nor gale force winds, unless of course Dave has Mexican earlier in the day!

There is such a thing as over-engineering.

[wm3798]

I dunno.  We've lost him to HO scale.  What does that stuff weigh?  I mean, it's GIGANTIC.  I guess on the upside, he'll only have room for one engine, two boxcars and a caboose.  Unless he wants structures, too.  Then no caboose for you!

Lee

[Kisatchie]

I dunno.  We've lost him to HO scale.  What does that stuff weigh?  I mean, it's GIGANTIC.  I guess on the upside, he'll only have room for one engine, two boxcars and a caboose.  Unless he wants structures, too.  Then no caboose for you!

 

Wait... Noooooo, Dee.


Hmm... I'm officially
changing to HO...

[OldEastRR]

The structure only needs what it needs to support the load.  Anything beyond that is a waste of materials, and time.  If the structure experiences "parallelogramming" while in use, braces can always be added later.  This is not supporting the load of a house nor gale force winds, unless of course Dave has Mexican earlier in the day!

There is such a thing as over-engineering.

Whole nother ballgame when the structure is meant to be wheeled around. Active loads v. dead loads. No need to use flanged steel or massive 8x8s, but adequate bracing will keep parts of the layout that aren't meant to flex from doing so or joints that are supposed to stay square and tight do so. I have a 7' x 11' kidney bean shaped layout you could tackle like a linebacker and it might quiver. I had a layout with legs everywhere, very little cross-bracing, and if you bumped it anywhere all the cars on the opposite side of the layout fell onto their sides.
Just saying be very sure about building a layout frame because it's for all intents impossible to make major changes once the layout is sitting on it. There IS a lot of weight going on top of that nice framework that is nice and level NOW without anything on it.

[davefoxx]

I've got no concerns about the construction of my benchwork.  Any more and it's becoming overkill and just adding weight.  It's solid enough that adding the pair of casters under the yard extension, due to an unlevel concrete floor, caused a caster in the middle set of legs to be suspended in midair.  Nothing a shim couldn't fix to level the table again.  But, that should show that the table is plenty sturdy.

As for weight, there will not be a lot of weight on the table.  Once I get the construction above the joists, it's going to be the same materials as what was on my previous HCD layout.  Mostly 2" foam for subroadbed and landforms.

DFF

[Dave V]

Dave, like you I've found that sharing construction techniques invariably invites a chorus of unsolicited advice of how you should have done it.  I don't quite understand the compulsion...to me it's kinda like my dog lifting his leg on a fire hydrant.  That benchwork looks fine to me.  It ain't your first rodeo and you didn't ask for help.  I have no doubt that'll be more than sufficient for your purpose and looks quite a bit neater than any benchwork I've ever mustered.

[davefoxx]

The first section of the tabletop is framed up.  This is a 72" x 54" section, and there will be at least three separate sections to form the entire tabletop, to allow me to get this layout out of the basement some day.  This will be topped with a layer of 1/4" lauan plywood upon which the 2" foam will be glued.   The lauan is there to give more surface to glue the foam to, rather than just the edge of the 1" x 2" joists, which the lauan can be glued and screwed to.



Although this appears I am building a rectangular table, that's really not the case.  The 1" x 2" pieces tying the joist ends together are temporary.  Once I lay out the track plan, I'll figure out where the table edge can be exactly, and the joists will be cut back.  To keep these sections solid once the ends are cut off, I will cut 1" x 2" blocking to fit between the ends of the trimmed joists.  Again, the tabletop's edge will not just be a straight edge but will flow to follow the contours of the track plan/scenery and allow for radius corners at the end of the layout not pictured above.  A little trimming of the width of the layout won't be a bad thing, because I wouldn't mind a little more breathing room between that open entry door and the water main on the other side of the layout.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Dave, like you I've found that sharing construction techniques invariably invites a chorus of unsolicited advice of how you should have done it.  I don't quite understand the compulsion...to me it's kinda like my dog lifting his leg on a fire hydrant.  That benchwork looks fine to me.  It ain't your first rodeo and you didn't ask for help.  I have no doubt that'll be more than sufficient for your purpose and looks quite a bit neater than any benchwork I've ever mustered.

Thanks, Dave!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Dave, like you I've found that sharing construction techniques invariably invites a chorus of unsolicited advice of how you should have done it.  I don't quite understand the compulsion...to me it's kinda like my dog lifting his leg on a fire hydrant.  That benchwork looks fine to me.  It ain't your first rodeo and you didn't ask for help.  I have no doubt that'll be more than sufficient for your purpose and looks quite a bit neater than any benchwork I've ever mustered.

Amen!

Don't forget to add in "home modifications" too... "cut a hole in the steps", "what about that back room?"...