Back Drop Material?

[nickelplate759]

My Masonite backdrop is mounted on continuous 1x3 framing that are in turn mounted to the studs in the wall.   All seams are also backed with 1x3.  I did this so I could screw the Masonite down every 6" or so.   The seams haven't cracked in quite  a few years of use, but they were a pain to make look good.

[Chris333]

My Masonite backdrop seams are also backed with 1x4's and I flooded the seam with ACC to lock it in place. No cracks at all, you can barely even tell where the joint is.

[Santa Fe Guy]

  I have used 3mm MDF with great success. 30mm, (12 inch) radius corners were no trouble and it takes paint very well. Not as heavy as Masonite and so much easier to form corners.
In the new garage I just painted right on the wall and curved the corners with styrene, again with 30mm radius corners. It took paint very well and the seam is so thin it is hardly noticeable.
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Rod.

[dcarrell8]

  I have used 3mm MDF with great success. 30mm, (12 inch) radius corners were no trouble and it takes paint very well. Not as heavy as Masonite and so much easier to form corners.
In the new garage I just painted right on the wall and curved the corners with styrene, again with 30mm radius corners. It took paint very well and the seam is so thin it is hardly noticeable.
(Attachment Link)
Rod.

Thanks Rod.
I have considered painting right on the walls, but I wasn't sure how to wrap the corners.  Do you have a pic with the seam painted? 
What did you use for primer on the styrene?


~Dennis

[Cajonpassfan]

I have drywall almost everywhere and it’s stable. I do have  one section done with Masonite and only ONE seam and it’s been a problem since day one, as it responds to moisture differently than the substrate. I would suggest a solid splice plate behind it and a thin drywall tape or mesh overlay over it, filled and sanded to blend it in...
Otto K.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Dennis, the seam is almost invisible as I used contact adhesive to hold the styrene to the wall.
No prep for painting, just applied paint with a small roller over plaster board and styrene.
One coat was all I needed.
Once the backdrop painting and scenery is done it is hard to see the seam once trains are running.
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Trust this helps.
Rod.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Now, I’ve never tried this and was wondering if anyone has.  Using sheet vinyl, the type used on floors.
I’m thinking the supporting, priming, painting and joining seams would be a challenge.

I was turned onto this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Union-Corrugating-10-in-x-50-ft-Vinyl-Roll-Flashing/3359584

Mine was something like 20".

I never did anything besides tape some photos to it, but it worked pretty well for that!

[Curtis Kyger]

I used Masonite which was wiped with a clean moist towel to clean it before I painted the backdrop with latex paint.  No problems over 28 years with room temperatures in that out-back shed ranging from 25 degrees to 110 degrees F.  'Used flathead screws and drywall mud. Seams were drywall joint paper but a few came loose after about 10 years and I had to redo with the fiberglass mesh, which worked very well. I was well pleased and am using Masonite again on the new layout which is under construction.

[ednadolski]

I used Masonite which was wiped with a clean moist towel to clean it before I painted the backdrop with latex paint.  No problems over 28 years with room temperatures in that out-back shed ranging from 25 degrees to 110 degrees F.  'Used flathead screws and drywall mud. Seams were drywall joint paper but a few came loose after about 10 years and I had to redo with the fiberglass mesh, which worked very well. I was well pleased and am using Masonite again on the new layout which is under construction.

What size is your backdrop?

Ed

[Curtis Kyger]

Bottom Deck backdrop was 12" high. Top deck backdrop was about 48" high. The curved coved corners were at approximately a 22" radius. Straight runs were about 8 ft. each.

[Bangorboy]

I used vinyl flooring.  Bought a cheap left-over piece at Lowe's, because I didn't care what the surface looked like-just that the back was white.  A friend helped me cut it in two long strips to go around the room.  We built corner frames to hold it against a radius at the top, bottom and center.  Supported the straight runs at the top and bottom with 1X2 strips. Then we spackled over screw holes and painted it with wall latex.  Finished all that almost 7 years ago.  It still looks as good as the day the paint dried.

Got storage level benchwork and almost all of the track laid, when family issues broke in.  I'm hoping to get the rest of the track done on that level soon and start on the visible level scenery in the next couple of months.  It's been a long wait, and I'm anxious to make progress.  The track is laid on the around-the-room ramps (basically a 10 X 14 foot helix) and just needs to be joined in the middle with turnouts to the modeled areas.
I'm using Digitrax with JMRI, block detection and transponding to track (pardon the pun) the trains where they're out of sight.  May add some cams from old phones so I can see them where I need to.  Access will be provided to prevent inaccessible disaster areas.  I'm just finishing up a workbench for structure building, decoder installations, etc. in another room.  The layout room has a swing gate across the entry doorway.  Right now, the benchwork crosses the closet door, but I may convert it to a liftout section.

The track plan is still in flux.  It's hard to start.  So far, possibilities are endless, but as soon as I start laying some track, the possibilities start to close in.  I've heard that is called analysis paralysis.
I started this to tell you how I did my backdrop, and look where I ended up!

[Bangorboy]

One thing I forgot to add--  Where the backdrop crosses windows and the closet door, I made sliding backdrop sections.  Bought traverse drapery rods, removed the strings and most of the hangers.  Also the pieces where the drapes overlap at center.  Used the sliding pieces from the overlaps and two other hangers at the center and other end of each sliding panel to screw the backdrop to.  I use a rod with a metal hook to snag the slider and move the panel over the window/door when  I want the continuous backdrop, and back when I want access to the closet or light from the windows.
Hope all that is clear.