Hi all! So the planning proceeds. :D
Question for y'all. 3 of the 4 wall-mounted shelves of my plan are 18" deep only.I'm really torn between doing traditional benchwork (I prefer L-girder builds) and simply getting shelving brackets and screwing them into the studs. (Can always add a leg if necessary? Either way, it'll still be 1/2" ply with foam on top)
Thoughts? Obviously, for those that have seen my plan, the 24" deep wall and peninnsula would still be wooden benchwork.-CK
I have a shelf layout with the shelf 2' deep on two walls and 18" deep on the third. All are made with the adjustible track shelving braces from the big box hardware store. This is plywood & Homasote. No problem with stability; no problem with clearance underneith for bookcases and cabinets for storage. I do recommend the heavy duty braces that each have two "hooks" into the channel, as that is more stable.
Bill
Didn't think of the dual-hook stuff. Thanks Bill!Do you have any sort of fascia mounted to that? If so, how did you mount it?
I have a part of my layout on shelving brakets that screw into the wall studs. They have been there for years without any problems. Mine is only 12" deep though.
South Penn
My 'shelves' are of variable width, fascias curved to suit aisle clearance requirements (and simulate a winding water course.) My two-hook shelf brackets fit into the usual tracks, which are screwed, in turn, directly to studs with 3 inch deck screws. The brackets are on 32 inch centers. Each shelf bracket has a length of steel stud bolted to it to support the longitudinal L girders. The one along the north wall supports three layers of track, some on cookie cut plywood, some in steel studs laid through girder fashion. The topmost level is supported from risers screwed to joists on 16 inch centers - the ends of the joists have vertical brackets for the fascia. The whole kaboodle (before scenery and fascia) looks like a structural member for a Zeppelin, since all of the parts are lightweight steel except the topmost layer of subgrade.
The one thing I do NOT have is anything that resembles a solid tabletop. I'm modeling a real-world area where the only level ground was a dry storage yard for the logs that the sub-narrow (762mm, or 30 inch, gauge) Kiso Rintetsu dragged out of the woods behind a motley collection of four-wheeled 'critters.' When I model that it will be severely compressed to about 10 x 30 inches. In the meantime, there isn't any permanent roadbed on that peninsula yet.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - unconventionally)
Hello CK:
I looked at the bracket type with double brackets. I decided to use the vinyl coated steel shelving that you would use in closets. I found it less costly than the other type. As I have allergies to dust, especially wood dust, I wanted to use 2' foam as the support for the railroad. In order to attach it to the steel, I attached pieces of 1'x3' pine along the front and rear of the shelf. I then glued the foam to this. The great thing about doing that (pure accident), there is the 3/4' space for all the wiring under the foam. Initially, I decided to stay with the maximum shelf width available at 16"(I couldn't find them any wider). As my shelves have 45 degree inside corners (with the wood as described above), I was able to attach steel studs from these corners to make widths from 24" up to 30".
Bentley
I used Tapcon screws (into cinder block walls) to hold a 1x4 securely, then put another 1x4 on top of that, to make an upside down "L", then added a diagonal (another 1x4) from the front edge of the L to the bottom of the wall mounted 1x4 (the bigger the triangle it makes, the stronger the L). 4 of these brackets hold my 3 (two foot by four foot) modules that probably weigh 30+ lbs (including the weight of buildings and trains) each, one at each module joint.
I hear ya about saving money, but I have seen too many of those wire shelves fail after years of use; probably due to too much weight or having them insufficiently mounted to the wall. Don't skimp too much on the thing that will hold up your layout. :)
http://delray1967.shutterfly.com/pictures/5
SEMI Free-Mo@groups.io
Canadianknight Didn't think of the dual-hook stuff. Thanks Bill!Do you have any sort of fascia mounted to that? If so, how did you mount it?
Sorry, my description was not complete. Following the installation steps it would be: 1. Metal verticle risers attached to wall overtop of studs. Use extreme care that these are all mounted at the same height for consistancy. 2. "Dual hook" brackets fit into the metal strips. 3. Horizontal 1" x 3" strips are mounted flat and parallel to the wall, screwed from underneith using the stamped-in holes in the brackets. 4. 1" x 3' wood box framework atop this, which then includes a strip of that wood along the front surface. 5. Plywood atop that. 6. Homasote above that. 7. Hardwood sheet (approx. 1/8' thick, smooth one side) cut into strips and attached to front surface as facia, covering the edge of the Homasote, plywood, and that frame.
I went with a flat surface, but "cookie cutter" techniques could certainly applied to the plywood and Homasote to provide for grades or more verticle changes to the landscape.
Hope this helps. Bill
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