Hi,
I want to redesign the legs for my benchwork to make them more visually presentable. My surface is a standard open grid design made with 1' x 3' lumber. The dimension is 8' x 12' with a small rectangular 2' x 5' operating pit, slightly off center. I used 2' x 4' legs at all four corners and spaced out under the entire table. I then ran 1 x 3 braces between the legs parallel to the floor about 2 feet up from the bottom. Any ideas on what to build to make it more visually pleasing? All I need is a design for the legs and bracing. Any info will help.
Thanks, Mark
Instead of modifying the legs, try enclosing them.
You could try covering it with paneling. You could even create slide panels so that they would be easy to open and close so you could use the underside of your layout for storage and for access to your operating pit. Check the pics at http://www.building-your-model-railroad.com/model-railroad-benchwork.html
If you want to keep the bottom of your layout open, I suppose you could replace the legs with ornamental posts or small columns that I've seen in Home Depot. With the proper stain or paint, I suspect they would look pretty good.
I used skirting and a deep fascia.
Before:
After:
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
nbrodar wrote: I used skirting and a deep fascia.Before:After:Nick
That tends to be the standard. Though mine are completely open so I can get to the cube shelves underneath and may as yet remain so.
-Morgan
While totally covered legs can be appealing, there is also something to be said for uncovered legs don't you think?
OK .... Maybe not of Betty Grable quality but the Jim Hediger idea for all-plywood legs can be visually more sophisticated than bowed and bent 2x2s. Jim used plywood strips, maybe 3 inches wide screwed or nailed/glued to make an "L" that would be the leg. I have not used that for benchwork but did make two artists workbenches for my wife using Hediger's ideas and apart from the fact that I used cheap and used plywood the visual effect is more pleasing. The legs are very sturdy and strong
Dave Nelson
I was thinking of 1x3's or 1x4's ripped at an angle, with 2 assembled at a 90 angle, and mounted to the bench.
I'll try to find an example to clarify that.
Rotor
Jake: How often does the train go by? Elwood: So often you won't even notice ...
Something like this:
Glue and screw parts "a" and "b" together, making sure they are sqaure and plumb. Attach them to your benchwork after assembly.
If desired, one more piece of wood at the bottom of the leg, and you could add casters or elevator screws.
Put me in the fabric curtain camp.
Since I use L (actually C) girder benchwork, my table legs are well back from the fascia line. Attaching anything directly to the legs would lose me dozens of cubic feet of under-layout storage.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Rotorranch wrote:I was thinking of 1x3's or 1x4's ripped at an angle, with 2 assembled at a 90 angle, and mounted to the bench. I'll try to find an example to clarify that.Rotor
Do you mean joined with a miter joint?
Rotorranch wrote:Something like this:Glue and screw parts "a" and "b" together, making sure they are sqaure and plumb. Attach them to your benchwork after assembly.If desired, one more piece of wood at the bottom of the leg, and you could add casters or elevator screws.Rotor
I've done that, but I find for the hassle it's not worth it. Now I just use a couple of 1x3's with diagonal bracing (or 1x4's if I don't use bracing).
Just my
Paul
dante wrote: Rotorranch wrote: I was thinking of 1x3's or 1x4's ripped at an angle, with 2 assembled at a 90 angle, and mounted to the bench. I'll try to find an example to clarify that.RotorDo you mean joined with a miter joint?
Rotorranch wrote: I was thinking of 1x3's or 1x4's ripped at an angle, with 2 assembled at a 90 angle, and mounted to the bench. I'll try to find an example to clarify that.Rotor
You could do a mitre (or miter, either is correct, according to Websters) joint, but I would think that butted might be stronger. It would give more material for the screws to bite into.
My benchwork legs are plain 2x3's. My wife was so appalled at the idea of bare lumber that she stained and polyurethaned the legs before I brought the whole thing up into the family room.
I used triangular gussets made of 3/4-inch plywood to support the legs. That eliminated the need for a lot of bracing beneath the layout, and gave me a cleaner appearance. The lack of bracing also makes it a lot easier to get under the table for wiring work.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
loathar wrote:
Yah, das ist der denimhosen.
- Harry
IRONROOSTER wrote: Rotorranch wrote: Something like this:Glue and screw parts "a" and "b" together, making sure they are sqaure and plumb. Attach them to your benchwork after assembly.If desired, one more piece of wood at the bottom of the leg, and you could add casters or elevator screws.RotorI've done that, but I find for the hassle it's not worth it. Now I just use a couple of 1x3's with diagonal bracing (or 1x4's if I don't use bracing).Just my Paul
Rotorranch wrote: Something like this:Glue and screw parts "a" and "b" together, making sure they are sqaure and plumb. Attach them to your benchwork after assembly.If desired, one more piece of wood at the bottom of the leg, and you could add casters or elevator screws.Rotor
That's kinda what Dad and I have, only we did'nt cut them at angles, just to length and screwed them together. they;re also only holding up 32"x4's with 1x4s under a flat sheet fo something like plywood. WHole thing is light and easy to move.
Mark,
I also wanted my layout legs to show. The legs on my layout are hand turned from hard maple....you could do something similar with pre-made legs from Home Depot or Lowe's.
Don Z.
Research; it's not just for geeks.