Doughless Agreed. I assume he will use properly spaced joists. Just can't figure what the aversion to setting down thin plywood would be.
Agreed. I assume he will use properly spaced joists. Just can't figure what the aversion to setting down thin plywood would be.
Ya, I am going to putting properly spaced joists and 1/4 inch plywood is expensive as we only have it in G1S. I work at a Home Hardware lumber yard, and I try to buy my materials thru the place I work instead of the competition.
Would a 1/8" or 1/4" hardboard work? Or would you suggest a 3/8" plywood as the base and then 1" or 1.5" rigid foam?
johnvosh Doughless Agreed. I assume he will use properly spaced joists. Just can't figure what the aversion to setting down thin plywood would be. Ya, I am going to putting properly spaced joists and 1/4 inch plywood is expensive as we only have it in G1S. I work at a Home Hardware lumber yard, and I try to buy my materials thru the place I work instead of the competition. Would a 1/8" or 1/4" hardboard work? Or would you suggest a 3/8" plywood as the base and then 1" or 1.5" rigid foam?
I don't want to misguide you on how to construct your table tops. I don't use foam and wouldn't want to make specific suggestions as to how best to use it. I was just implying that some folks use the 2 inch thick stuff directly on joists, never heard of using thinner foam without some sort of plywood.
Its a matter of personal preference, and I'm sure you could find information on this forum or other sources that speak to the best methods of building with foam.
Personally, I don't use foam at all, but use 3/4 plywood over open grid framework with 16 inch spacing of joists. Probably no better or worse, just habit.
- Douglas
Well, I am up to revision 6 now... probably 1-2 more revisions until final!
Hi there,
I have had a 4x8 for many years and one of my regrets is that while the back of the layout has a gentle curve, I wish I had sacrificed an inch or so of radius at the front of the layout and laid a gentle convex curve rather than a straight section.
The back with the curve makes the layout look visually more interesting and fools some people looking at pix that it is a bigger layout than it really is.
You might get an idea from http://xdford.freeasphost.net/stag01.html and the first page of this thread http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=15547&forum_id=21&page=1
Hope this helps,
Cheers from Australia
Trevor
I could be wrong, but it seems like your sketch still shows the angles of the turnouts (track switches) sharper than commercial parts will be. So less might fit than you think ... and tracks like the yard/staging area may have less usable length in the clear than you hope.
Good luck with your layout.
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
Hi johnvosh,
As Byron (cuyama) has pointed out, your turnouts are not drawn to scale. When you come to build the layout that may cause some real headaches. I'm going to suggest that you invest in a layout planning program like 3rd PlanIt. Yes, it costs money. However, when compared to the total amount that you will invest in your layout, it is peanuts IMHO. Yes, there is a learning curve. Personally, I don't think that the 3rd PlanIt learning curve is all that difficult for just designing a layout. If you want to do 3D renditions of your benchwork and all your scenery, then that is a different story.
https://www.trackplanning.com/
I used 3rd PlanIt to design my old club's 20' x 25' layout. It allowed me to position every piece of track including turnouts precisely. It allowed me to draw patterns for every piece of benchwork, every piece of subroadbed and Homasote roadbed, and it allowed me to draw track laying diagrams to within 1/16". Everything fit. There was only one short section of subroadbed that we had to adjust manually, and that was only out by a few inches.
Why not get it right the first time?
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Getting the wood at work this weekend and then building it, can't wait. I am maximizing the space of the layout in the room and will leave the peninsula until the very end before installing it.