The wife is finally clearing out space in the "entertainment" room andthat means I can finally start building my layout. I already some 1/4" plywood ripped into 15" sheets for a top to my 8x5 L shelf, but I don't know about the benchwork itself. We live with friends in their old family home and they honestly don't care what I do short of ripping out the drywall, but I'm still unsure of mounting my layout to the walls with shelf brackets. So;
Question 1: what are some benchwork alternatives to heavy duty shelving brackets fixed to the wall?
Question 2: if I do decide on shelf brackets, what should I look for?
In either method the goal is to have storage space underneath the bench work. My wife has a book shelf and I have a stereo system, vinyl 'collection' (yes I listen to them) and electric guitar rig that would be nice to store under the layout.
As for the layout itself, failry simple L shaped layout built for switching, heavily based on LAJ shelf from last months issue of MR. Still not fully certain but am leaning towards HO scale with Kato SoundBox (DC sound conglomerate with SoundTraxx) or whatever it's called for operation. Freelanced small shortline/terminal railroad. An extension piece will be removable on one end for a cassette track, trying to design/build the little L so some day it could be incorperated into a larger layout or simply added on to.
Thanks for any help.
I recently added a short extension onto my Cascade Branch that incorporates shelf brackets and some relatively thin benchwork. Using a steel braket miniminzes the overall height of the benchworks, as well as strengthens it.
I got these brackets from the big box. These are 15" deep, but they do have longer ones.
I like to use 3/4" plywood, because it's structurally stable, I'2" will work with support being closer together. I'd caution againts using 1/4" as it requires a lot of support to work, so any money saved by using thinner sheet goods is eaten up by extra work and money spent supporting it properly.
This shows how thin the arrangement can be.
Crosspieces added for support screw upwards in the 3/4" plywood, while resting on a cleat attached to the wall behind.
I added blocks to the end of the crosspieces to attach the fascia.
The fascia is 4.25" tall here. I could've made it narrower, but I use a lot of it to mount turnout throws, etc on it, so needed a lottle extra height;
The crosspieces are important as anchors for the risers that make elevation change possible.
'
Happy to answer any questions.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Here's what I did. I made a "C" frame to hang off the wall. Each section is portable. It hangs on the wall by cleats. You can make the sections as small as you want so you can take them off the wall and work on them at the workbench.
If you want storage space under a layout in a finished room, buy a bunch of those put-together bookshelves from the big box stores...all the same brand and the same size...then mount your layout shelfs and any fascia so the bookshelves slide under them with an inch or less of a gap. With a 15 inch deep layout shelf, the 12 inch deep bookshelves can sit 3 inches proud of the wall.
That way, you can use the cheap shelf brackets to support the layout and the book shelves will tend to conceal them. Adding up the heigths of the bookshelves, gap, and fascia, that should put the layout at about 52 to 55 inches.
You can also span a four or five foot section by running 3 1x4s along the length of a shelf to give it rigidity and keeping it from sagging if you want to break up the row of bookshelves. Say, a 16 inch deep by 4 foot long shelf of 3/4 ply supported by 3, 4 foot 1x4s ripped from ply along its length, one in the middle, one along the front, and one along the back, isn't going to sag.
Since that type of shelf and support will be a bit heavy, you can use two stouter but decorative brackets on each end to support the entire 4 foot piece.
- Douglas
Best to build 1x4 boxes and just put foam on them, very light weight and then use brackets to wall, every other stud will do fine for the brackets then. No extra support needed for the layout and when you get ready to build bigger, you have your first modules. I built my very first module with ply like you planned and advise not to do it, ply has expansion problems and much harder to work with as far as holes for switches, wiring etc.
I don't want to put holes in the wall, so I've built my entire layout as free-standing "table" sections. I use 1x4 and 1x3 lumber for the frame, and 2x2 for the legs. For the bigger sections like the main 5x12 foot table, I used 2x3 legs. I sand, stain and polyurethane the visible sides so that it looks more like "furniture" since it's in a finished room.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
You could use the adjustable shelves that use a slotted strip against the wall. Get the kind that have double slots for the shelf brackets, as they are quite a bit stronger. By using them you would be able to put adjustable shelves under the layout. The ones I got information on could hold something like 300 pounds. The ones I have seen pictured had a screw going up through the bracket to a 1"x3" Laid flat on top, cut the length needed to support your layout.
I wouldn't recommend 1/4" plywood for the layout base. A friend of mine used it and has had many problems with it warping. It just isn't strong enough.
Good luck,
Richard
I hung a portion of my layout on the wall. I used brackets like mlehman did and 24 inch wide 1/2 inch plywood.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
I used an IKEA shelves modular system with 1" x 2" pine strips. I used it for all parts of the layout, shelves and peninsula. As the planning was less than perfect, I have been able to modify the pattern easily by adding modules.
If I had to make this layout again I would change many features but certainly not that type of "foundations". It is light, sturdy and "clean" (to please the wife). It also offers a lot of storage space.
Guy
Modeling CNR in the 50's
I use John Sterling shelf components from the local Menard's (big box) store. I use put the 'uprights' up every 18", then use their 16" x 36" shelfs. I use the long uprights, 60" or 70" whatever they are. That way I can use shelfs above the layout for lights (with a 1x3 valance) and for storage above and below.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/131750298@N03/45fzHq
I am building a U shaped layout addition in the bedroom. It has to go with all of the furniture, tv and bed and look nice so I am using
Bullnose-Shelving-MDF-Board.
I use the semi-decorative type metal brackets
Crown-Bolt-12x14-White-Shelf-Brackets mounted with
E-Z-Ancor-Twist-N-Lock-50-Drywall-Anchors.
There are other shelf brackets which look nicer too.
On two walls the shelves are mounted straight to the brackets (which work best if you place the bracket at the joint where the two shelves come together and others in the middle as needed for support.) I custom cut the shelves to fit around the furniture so the shelf is narrow over the bed but wider over the bed side tables and widest over the chest of drawers, all while keeping the factory edge on the shelf. This meant cutting a lot of polygon shaped shelves as go betweens as the width varies from 5 1/2" sections to 11" sections to 15" sections. The result looks more like 3D art on the wall than storage shelves. The backdrop is the wall. Nothing is on the wall except for the layout.
To bridge across the window located on the other wall I ripped 1x4s in half and made 1x2 boards for the frame which holds the mdf. The frame sits on top of 1x2s which are on top of the shelf brackets.
Lone Wolf and Santa Fe On two walls the shelves are mounted straight to the brackets (which work best if you place the bracket at the joint where the two shelves come together and others in the middle as needed for support.) To bridge across the window located on the other wall I ripped 1x4s in half and made 1x2 boards for the frame which holds the mdf. The frame sits on top of 1x2s which are on top of the shelf brackets.
On two walls the shelves are mounted straight to the brackets (which work best if you place the bracket at the joint where the two shelves come together and others in the middle as needed for support.)
Personally, I would have used "select" boards from the big box stores to support all of the MDF sections (along their length like you did to bridge the window) and not support them with just the brackets. I think MDF can sag if not consistently supported. It only takes 1x2s set on their edge to give the MDF some rigidity. You can then attach the underlying 1x2s to the brackets.
Your method may work out just as well however.
Guy,
The Ikea components look great. Some accuse them of being cheesy and cheap, but cheap and useful looks like the case in this app.
DoughlessI would have used "select" boards from the big box stores to support all of the MDF sections (along their length like you did to bridge the window) and not support them with just the brackets. I think MDF can sag if not consistently supported. It only takes 1x2s set on their edge to give the MDF some rigidity. You can then attach the underlying 1x2s to the brackets. Your method may work out just as well however.
I share Doughless's concerns about MDF. However, if the max span between brackets is only 15", then you should be OK. I wasn't clear if that was the width or depth of the shelves though. If it's farther, then adding the 1x2 reinforcement would be a good idea.
I built the partial second level of my layout as a shelf. It varies in width from 21" to 38", and consists of 11/16" t&g sheathing plywood on an open grid framework of 1"x2"s. Crossmembers are 16"o/c, and the wall-side longitudinals are secured to the wall studs with screws. On the aisle side, I used 1"x4"s to facilitate installation of control switches and a finished fascia. While some short sections are self-supporting (the 38" section is only 9' long and is attached to the walls at the rear and both ends, while the staging yard, 21" deep and over 12' long, is supported by a post at its midpoint.
The rest of it is 25" to 31" deep and is supported by eight custom welded brackets of 1 1/2" angle iron. These are attached to the wall studs with 4" lag bolts.
Here's the upper staging yard, supported by the wood box around the jack post, which is part of the house structure:
This view shows the framing and the support brackets. I kept the vertical portion short, to cut down on what would be seen from the aisle:
This view shows the underslung lightweight fluorescent fixtures used to light the lower level:
And the same area with the fascia installed:
The ready-built storage units are also a good idea, and will give you a deeper layout and more storage room, too.I used all of the area below my layout as storage, with sliding doors and lift-off panels of Masonite to conceal the clutter. All of it is elevated from the basement floor, just in case, with plenty of room for tools and household stuff, plus, of course, train stuff.
Wayne
My layout is about 3" thick. It projects 6 to 12 inches from the wall. There are no brackets showing above or below the layout. There are no legs.
The layout is support by resting on 1/2" lag bolts inserted into the studs in the wall.
The layout is pushing 15 years old, and it is still being adequately supported.
Ed
Lone Wolf and Santa FeCrown-Bolt-12x14-White-Shelf-Brackets mounted with E-Z Ancor Twist-N-Lock 50 Drywall Anchors with Screws (25-Pack) E-Z-Ancor-Twist-N-Lock-50-Drywall-Anchors.
I would strong caution against using these for any load-bearing shelves. They are fine for hanging things like pictures or clocks, where the force on the anchor is vertical and perpendicular to the screw, but when you've got a shelf there is a lot of horizontal force along the screw which wants to pull the anchor out from the wall, and it can do it without too much trouble.
Ideally, you want to mount the brackets so that the screws go into a stud. If you can't do that, try one of these anchors instead:
These anchors open up behind the wall and give a much larger and more secure mounting surface so the won't pull out.
MisterBeasleyIdeally, you want to mount the brackets so that the screws go into a stud. If you can't do that, try one of these anchors instead:
The anchors Mr B shows are way better than the others, but I wouldn't even trust those. You'll end up leaning on the layout (by accident if not deliberately) at some point and these will not hold.
Attach to the studs. If you can't, use legs.
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