good day, I sorry for starting a new topic but I think this is the easiest way . I am starting a new layout it will be based on 2008 WSOR shelf layout mr did in 2008. I have half of a finshed two car garage to build this L shaped layout, I have drywall up and the studs r marked, I was looking into brackets to support the layout then looked at open grid construction, talking to my mother,my Grandfather was a carpenter old school she said he would use French cleats to mount like mantles for fire places to the wall, which r way heavier then a simple module for a layout. Why has no one every suggested this method..
Only thing I'd be concerned about is sag is the sections are 2' or wider. You hang a cabinet that way, you have the rest of the cabinet against the wall so short of busting the cleat right out of the wall, it can't tip forward. If you hang a relatively thin object like benchwork, there's really nothing short of the 45 degree bevel in the cleat to keep the shelf from tipping down and slipping right off the cleat. The French cleat is more about holding heavy weights from sliding straight down the wall.
Now if you made a C shaped strurdy frame, where the top holds the lighting and the lower top arm of the C holds the track, and the vertical of the C holds the backdrop, you could use a French cleat at the top and it would hold it.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Yes that sounds like a winner .. thanks
I'll add my vote to Randy's. I don't think french cleats will work. His suggestion looks promising, though.
Ed
What is a "French Cleat"?
Oh, something like this: https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/how-to/g2340/how-to-build-a-french-cleat-shelf/
maxman Oh, something like this: https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to-plans/how-to/g2340/how-to-build-a-french-cleat-shelf/
Note that the shelves don't extend very far from the wall. Using wide shelves will move the center of gravity out from the wall, and increase the lever arm. There will be a point where the cleat will fail.
Also, unless you run some screws through it, you're hoping there's no upwards force on the cleat to unhook it.
With a very good design, you might pull of using french cleats if you had an L-shaped layout. Or C.
it's not clear to me how the upper part of the french cleat is used. the lower edge of an L-girder could be cut at an angle and sits in the french cleat. Or joists simply end screwed into it for box benchwork.
presumably the advantage of this approach is that the layout could be removed from the wall easily and with angled supports that also attach to the wall, never touches the floor.
I would think a couple straight brackets could be added to hold things in place until time to move it. I just screwed an L-girder to the wall on my layout.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading