Viewblock help

[spr1955]

I installed a new view block using 1/8" hardboard. I will be painting the smooth side with my "sky" paint.   I want to do the same to the textured back but want to somehow smooth it out. It is pre-bent and glued in place (yes the windex trick works well).  Any ideas on an easy way to do that. I thought about a roll of circut vinyl but that doesn't have a good adhesive and would be a pain to do as one piece,  the view block is 70" long and at 15" high with some reduction towards both ends.

[Chris333]

I just by the hardboard that is smooth on both sides.

[spr1955]

Yes, that would be the best solution if it is avaiable in your area, but not in my case.

[djconway]

Don't cheep out -- buy another piece and glue them back to back.  Best side on both sides.

[garethashenden]

Can you spread a thin layer of lightweight spackle on it?

[pedro]

What is the “Windex trick?”

[Bill H]

Windex trick - If you heavily spray Windex on Masonite, get it seriously wet, Windex will make the Masonite much more flexible, bendable into curves.

[ednadolski]

Windex trick - If you heavily spray Windex on Masonite, get it seriously wet, Windex will make the Masonite much more flexible, bendable into curves.

Or Formula 409, IIRC.

Either way, you might want to keep an open window.

Ed

[pedro]

Windex trick - If you heavily spray Windex on Masonite, get it seriously wet, Windex will make the Masonite much more flexible, bendable into curves.

Cool, didn’t know that. Do you spray the tempered side or the rough side?

[spr1955]

I am trying on a sample piece to see how many layers of paint it would take to smooth it out, sanding between layers.

[Bill H]

Dave;
How about some of those preprinted backdrops on vinyl that are printed on enough thickness of vinyl to hide the grid work but not so thick as to be difficult to install?
Kind regards,
Bill

[Steveruger45]

I am trying on a sample piece to see how many layers of paint it would take to smooth it out, sanding between layers.

Try spreading the paint with a putty knife for the first couple of coats.   Should save you a lot of sanding up until the penultimate coat.

[randgust]

No matter what you do, it's going to expand and contract seasonally.   Spackle and plaster stuff will not.  May or may not hold up.

I put little 3/4 x 3/4 vertical full-length stickers (studs?) glued to mine BETWEEN two back to back sheets sheets to accomplish two things- made long enough I could extend them down to mount the backdrop to the benchwork, and also to greatly increase the vertical and horizontal stiffness of the backdrop material.  And that really made the curves stay curved.   And yes I soaked them down and weighted them to prebend them close to the final curves before installation. 

My benchwork is semi-portable, so I have backdrop joints every 48" or so.  No matter what I do, those joints still expand and contract seasonally on masonite with an annoying visible vertical crack.  And it's painted and sealed on both sides, too.  And I got really technical on the joints, didn't matter, with screws holding together the joints across the top chord.

I'd never use masonite again, actually, I'd do the same stud separation trick but I'd use styrene or linoleum or aluminum or....something not so sensitive to temperature and humidity (and I have a dehumidifier in the train room).   If I didn't have joints it might have been OK.

[spr1955]

Try spreading the paint with a putty knife for the first couple of coats.   Should save you a lot of sanding up until the penultimate coat.

Think this is the best suggestion. Trying on a 2 x 2 sample piece of scrap. Let you know how it goes.

[Sumner]

No matter what I do, those joints still expand and contract seasonally on masonite with an annoying visible vertical crack.

Did you tape them? 

I've maybe been lucky and it hasn't happened yet and they were taped, spackled and painted in Dec 2022 so not real old at this point.  I'm also lucky that there aren't big temp or humidity swings in my shop.  Temps are between 65-75 and humidity is probably never over 50% or under 10%.  Also this is a permanent layout.


I did use the Windex trick also and it was easy and fast to do.



My gaps span one upright and both pieces of the Masonite are screwed to the same upright.  I'd get the Masonite up and put in the upright for both pieces after getting the first piece into position so that I knew exactly where it needed to be.

I hit the holes



....... for the Sheetrock screws with a countersink and then put them in and made sure the heads were below the surface.

Then .................






...... taped and spackeled like I would hanging Sheetrock and ...


... then painted.  Lots more info and pictures here starting down a ways at 22-07-28 (Part 1)....

https://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/UP%20Canyon%20Division/UP%20Canyon%20Division-Index.html

Anyone want to stop by and paint mountains and canyons?

Sumner