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I always seem to show up late to the party...[quote user="el-capitan"]... However, open frame and L-girder can be made equally strong.[/quote]I would have to disagree with this statement. Open grid is considerably stronger than L-Girder benchwork if for no other reason than that the joists are only fastened at the bottom and at only two points on L-Girder. This makes the joists much more subject to failure from lateral forces. (And lets not even talk about the inherent lack of structural integrity the design has when it comes to portability.) Even still L-Girder is a more than sufficient design for a stationary MRR.While I agree there must be a 1001 different ways to build benchwork, there may only be 101 ways that are, in the long term at least, truly adequate. I thought what Joe was inferring was when does it become wasted money & effort. (Like using 2x4's for joists, for instance. Or using legs with gussets, etc. when brackets on the wall could just as satisfactorily support the deck.)I'm sure there are many poor practices used and these people aren't even aware they've laid the groundwork for disaster. Someone's suggested using nails, yea, and why not just make a box frame out of old pallets and use finishing nails into the end-grain of the cross members? Or lets put shelf brackets on every other, or every 3rd wall stud and throw some foam on top. C'mon it's only N scale, it won't sag...[quote user="mononguy63"]This whole discussion runs the risk or slipping down the "DCC vs. DC" tastes-great-less-filling argument slope. We build according to our tastes, objectives, and comfort levels. And you know what? Most everything ends up doing basically what it needs to in the end. And if it doesn't measure up, we either tweak and correct it or try something different. That's the fun of it all.[/quote]I could be wrong here, but I'm thinking that not too many people who had to rip out most of their layout to re-build their benchwork thought it was fun...[quote user="Midnight Railroader"][quote user="joe-daddy"] The issue here, IMHO is not L-Girder vs ?? but a solid, stable platform vs one that shakes, rattles and sags, shimmys or wiggles.Joe [/quote]Is there someone here advocating shaking, sagging benchwork?[/quote]Well, sort of...[quote user="mononguy63"]... whereas someone else might try to bypass the whole step by glueing 4 legs to a sheet of insulation and have at it.[/quote]Everyone remember, Murphy lives. You may say no now, but you WILL lean on your layout. You most probably at some point will even climb on it for one reason or another. And you WILL most definitely bang into that unprotected edge of foam with something, and do damage. Don't be slipshod, TAKE PRECAUTIONS!Benchwork is the foundation, and it should be solidly constructed, period. Far better to be safe here and over build a little than to suffer the consequences of the alternative... Oh, and Joe, foam is lighter.And it's, ummmm, lighter.Well it's definitely lighter... Did I mention it was lighter? [:o)]
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