I am starting work on a new layout and would like to ask a couple of questions re: benchwork. Modeling in HO, dcc...around the walls configuration. The space is approx. 11' x 28'. Planning on having 24" scene depth with a couple of areas with a blob or curving expanding scene to accommodate some larger structures.
What depth of bench is acceptable to hang from wall studs? On areas that are wider than 24" should I plan on legs to carry the load or are the metal shelving fittings capable of handling the extra load? Looking to use solid steel hangers, not track type.
Was also considering using a ledger board to attach benchwork to walls and then legs on the front side to carry the rest of the load. Would this be stronger than shelf hardware?
Any help is appreciated...and also no disclaimers or manifestos needed. :-)
Bryan B.
Brian, my yard is 30" wide . I hung steel wall brackets off the studs, screwed a 30"peice of 1x4 to the tops , and built a 1x2 frame covered with 2 layers of foamboard.
I haven't STOOD on it ,but it holds a little" leaning over " type weight.
For my pennisula "blobs" I did the same, but added 1x2 supports at an angle to keep the floating layout look.
The blob on the right sticks out about 4' so I had to add 2 legs.Oh, well, can't have it all!
I've got more pics somewhere that are in progress type . Let me know if you want to see'm and I'll do my best.
Hope that helps.
Terry in NW Wisconsin
Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel
24" deep benchwork sitting on 18" long brackets. Rock solid. More pics at http://www.lkorailroad.com/category/benchwork/
Alan
Freelancing the LK&O Railroad
30" deep benchwork sitting on 24" long brackets. Also rock solid.
Terry, thanks for the input. Nice looking layout. Any other pics you can share would be great.
The steel brackets i have looked at are 18" in length...I was concerned about having too much overhang. I forgot to mention that benches were going to be constructed from 1"x 4" frame topped with hardwood ply and foam. Which brings me to another question. The building supply stores here carry the extruded foam, but only in 1/2 " thickness. Can I sandwich two or more layers together so that there is the necessary depth to cut reliefs etc...? Was thinking that this could cause problems with voids or areas that do not adhere together to cause a springy / spongy area that could affect track work.
I had planned a shelf mounted on wall brackets for my original room, but lost that space. Did price and spec some of the strips that screw to the walls and have the brackets that lock into them. The better ones were rated for over 300 pounds on 24" centers. Unless you are going to build your mountains out of real rocks or solid plaster, they should hold up just fine. There were lighter weight ones, so ask for the specs on what you are looking at. I think the brackets were 16" long, but one of the model magazines had an article on using them not long after I was looking at them, showing an added 1"x2" (?) to the top. That way the support reached the full 2' they were working with. Don't know of any reason not to go a little wider, as long as you are not near the rated weight.
Another method, if you think you need it, is to have an angle brace from near the front edge, back to the base of the wall. This way you do not have a leg near the front of the layout to kick, but the front has support.
Just a couple of thoughts.
Good luck,
Richard
Richard, I looked at using the track type shelf mounts, but wanted to have a clean, uninterrupted space for the backdrop. Planning on painting my own sky etc.. vs using commercial printed ones.
I am generally guilty of over-building things. Stuff needs to last and not be too wimpy, but have become aware that overkill is not always wise or necessary :-)
Alan...your setup is the effect I was going for. Floating shelf, no legs. In the future I would consider adding a second shelf. Much nicer to look at without those pesky legs in the way. Will have a look at your blog later this evening.
I had to deal with a poured concrete basement walls, only I attached my frame work to the walls using 22 cal. power shells that go into a Remmington nailer. I have legs on the front of the frame work. My frame work extends out from the walls 30" I thought I would mention this since I have never seen a posting concerning how to deal with solid concrete walls.
One method I have seen is to mount a 1x4 or 2x4 about 12-16" off the floor running horizontally. The put knee braces made of 1x2 or 1x4 from the wall strip to the cross braces on the benchwork. It keeps the floor clear and a brace is only needed every 4-6 feet.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Hi Bryan
You asked about stacking rigid foam. The 1/2 inch I have seen has a plastic film on it. This has to be removed before you glue the pieces together or you will be gluing film to film not foam to foam and that is not good. The film has a tendency to come loose and cause buckles and such.
Wayne
Alan, after looking over your photos, I am confident that mounting up benchwork as such will be the best option for my layout construction. This is my first attempt at building an around the walls setup. The first layout was a donut / duck under 5 X 8. After railroading in a small space, I'm somewhat bewildered with the amount of options now available with a larger space. Trying to take my time and do this right by paying attention to the details from top to bottom. The LK & O looks like it is going to be a nice layout. I will look forward to watching your progress. When I actually get something going on worth looking at, I will post some pics.
Wayne, I just used some foam board to insulate a couple of places around the house, and did peel off the thin plastic layer before applying adhesive. I suppose that using a putty knife to spread adhesive would minimize the chances of having areas not bond together.