hardboard backdrops

[BRAD ADAMS]

Does  anyone  know how to curve  1/8  inch  (3mm)  hardboard for a backdrop installation?

[doctorwayne]

BRAD ADAMS

Does  anyone  know how to curve  1/8  inch  (3mm)  hardboard for a backdrop installation?

 

It's actually very easy to curve, but the first step is probably to cut it to the height needed, which will make it a lot easier to handle.  My backdrop is mostly the room's drywall, but I coved all of the corners using 1/8" Masonite (hardboard) - no need to buy the more-expensive tempered stuff either, as the "temper" refers to the hardness of the surface, not to increased flexibility).
For my layout room, I used 1/2" drywall for the walls (installed vertically) but substitued 3/8" drywall at all ten of the room's corners, for at least one stud-spacing.
I then used a tape measure, curved roughly to the curve needed at each corner (the length varied from corner-to-corner depending on stud spacing), then cut a piece of Masonite to that length...a little longer is okay. 

One edge of the piece was then butted against the projecting edge of the adjacent 1/2" drywall, and while holding it in place, the centre of the Masonite was pushed towards the room's corner until the free edge "popped" into place, now butted against the 1/2" drywall on the other wall.
I drilled and counter-sank for drywall screws near the edges of the Masonite, then mudded and taped the joints like any other drywall joint.  The sketch below shows the set-up, with the red line representing the drywall tape and the green, the drywall mud...

 

All ten of the room's inside and outside corners were done in this manner, and after more than 20 years, no cracks or deformation.

 

 

Here's the inside corner near South Cayuga...

 

 

...and a couple of outside corners...

 

 

 

...a planned-for partial upper level was added recently, but this photo shows the seamlessness of the coved corners...

 

If you're using hardboard for all of the backdrop, measure the area where the curve will be, then measure in both directions to find studs at points within 8' or less from one another, taking into account the length of the curve at the corner.  The easiest way to do this, in my opinion, is to pick a stud more than 2' or 3' from the corner and temoporarily fasten the hardboard to it with a couple of screws.  Push the board into the corner in approximately the radius you want, then, while maintaining that curve, locate the last stud still covered by the free end of the hardboard.  Mark it appropriately, then take the board down and cut it to length, then re-install it permanently - don't forget to both drill and countersink for the drywall screws, as attempting to simply drive the screws as you would for drywall will make bulges that will be difficult to hide.

I would suggest doing all of the corners in this manner, then going back and covering the walls between the corners.

 

Wayne

[BATMAN]

Brad, Welcome to the forum. 

I'll throw in how I did it. Hardboard bends to a pretty small radius. I attached mine to my 1" x 4" open grid benchwork with 10/32 machine screws and "T-Nuts", that way it comes down easily using the drill to undo the screws. Where it bent over the benchwork in the corners, I just cut out that part.

 

 

Don't bend it on a seam.

 

It is only attached at the bottom and has not sagged after eight years.

Feel free to ask lots of questions, the people here are a great help.

Good luck.

[riogrande5761]

Brent, the train room would improve greatly in appearnance if you could paint the walls sky blue and lose the poofy drapes (eek) over the window assuming your wife is ok with that!   

[BATMAN]

riogrande5761

Brent, the train room would improve greatly in appearnance if you could paint the walls sky blue and lose the poofy drapes (eek) over the window assuming your wife is ok with that!   

 

Agreed! 100% agreed. The poofy drapes were removed from the rest of the house years ago. Frankly, I just don't notice them anymore. If I could remove them without leaving holes in the walls from the curtain rods I would. Maybe I'll see if I can get something more railroady.

I painted the room right before layout construction started and I thought I was putting gray on the walls because the carpet was gray. However, the walls are now pink to match the pink carpet. I thought the carpet was gray and I thought the paint was gray. My wife pulled a real fast one on her colour blind husband. 

Just call me the guy with the pink trainroom.

My next train room will be blue, no ifs, ands, or buts. 

At least when we put the house up for sale the room will be ready for furniture. The layout is freestanding and I put bits of foam where it was rubbing the walls a bit.

[rrinker]

Spackle the holes, takes care of that at least.

The pink, there is no help for that. At least when the perils of the hobby drive you to drink, the elephants will blend right in. 

                                    --Randy

 

[BATMAN]

rrinker

At least when the perils of the hobby drive you to drink, the elephants will blend right in. 

There is a bar in the train room and a lazy boy, I'm ready. The thing I don't understand is when I passed my commercial pilots medical, there were no issues with colour blindness at all, go figure.

[riogrande5761]

Yes, spackle or drywall mud will take care of the holes toot suite! Either that or stick to only close up photo's so it doesn't hurt our eyes!

[BATMAN]

Awe come guys

I did remove the oak mantle and expensive piece of artwork. 

 

 

The walls don't look so pink now, do they!

 

It's a guy thing, the drapes weren't in the way so why would I move them.

[rrinker]

 You'll notice I didn't remove the drapes either

New layout will be in my basement. There are no windows, so no drapes.

                   --Randy