BACKDROPS

[Anonymous]

Am looking for info: article reference dimensions, material and maybe a little instruction to incorporate rounded corner backdrop on my next HO layout. Anybody with any good ideas?? Please help!!

[Big_Boy_4005]

[#welcome] to the forum. There really isn't that much to the concept of a curved backdrop. Most people use some kind of thin material, like 1/8" or 1/4" tempered masonite. I am using 1/8" on my layout. Works great.

How sharp a curve do you want?

[Medina1128]

There was even a post a few months ago about using sheet styrene. Although I can imagine that would be pretty expensive compared to masonite. I looked masonite up on the Home Depot website and found it for $10.99 for a 4'x8' sheet. I would pay them the little extra to rip it in half, giving you two 2'x8' strips.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005

[#welcome] to the forum. There really isn't that much to the concept of a curved backdrop. Most people use some kind of thin material, like 1/8" or 1/4" tempered masonite. I am using 1/8" on my layout. Works great.

How sharp a curve do you want?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005

[#welcome] to the forum. There really isn't that much to the concept of a curved backdrop. Most people use some kind of thin material, like 1/8" or 1/4" tempered masonite. I am using 1/8" on my layout. Works great.

How sharp a curve do you want?

I'm looking at maybe 20-24 in. radius, have considered 1/8" masonite but thought
it might be too stiff at 36' high. What radius do you have? I have a tricky inside to
immediate outside curve to make. What did you use to cover seams for painting?
and material for back suport?

[Big_Boy_4005]

1/8" should be fine for that curve. As for support, if you are working in a corner next to a wall, you can just fasten the ends straight to it. If not, you'll need to build a curved support, probably out of plywood.

The outside curve may be a little more trouble, because compared to a square corner, you will lose a lot of real estate. I'm not sure the minimum curve with 1/8".

On my layout many of the backdrops will be hung from a structural support which holds the upper deck up. A the end of these long runs , I would like to have a cap, instead of a square end. I was thinking of using PVC pipe, cut in half for these caps. Your outside curve application calls for something similar.

Seams can be treated like drywall, with mud and tape to prevent cracking. I'm going to be lazy on this aspect, and not bother on the butt joints. I'll use the scenery and buildings to cover the largest seams.

Where my layout follows the wall, I don't use any wood behind the masonite. I use the minimal number of screws to hold it up, and that's it. This is not typical of what others do, but I have found that if you try to anchor it too securely, it likes to buckle and not stay flat. However, if you are going to be mudding your joints, you will have to make sure that it can't move.

Moisture resistance is one of the reasons to use tempered masonite. Marlon said that Home Depot had it for $10.99 a sheet, but if you get 1/8" single sided tempered, I think it is $6.95 per sheet. The higher price is for double sided (smooth both sides).

On my current layout, I don't have a lot of the backdrop hung yet. Most of my curves are very gentle though.

By the way, the height doesn't really effect the bending quality. Handling a full sheet is like dealing with a wet noodle. You could still curve it fairly well over the 8' dimension if you secure it.[;)]

[donhalshanks]

I hard great success using 0.06" styrene purchased in 4'x8' sheets at a plastics distributor in town. ($20/sheet). Last year, usplastic.com on the internet had 40'" x 72" sheets for $14.64/sheet. (plus shipping). Can be rolled up and put in the car. In fact, I did my whole 20' x 20' train room with it above the wainscoat, as well as the corners.

I used "Tyebond Interior/Exterior ConstructionAdhesive - solvent free" as recommended by the distributor to apply it over my drywall. Some adhesives will attack the vinyl. I used a vinyl caulk as seam filler with ok success. The best to use, is the automotive type filler, but because of health issue in the home, I didn't want the solvent in the air. I built wood frames for the corner as as been published in several RR references.

The advantages I really liked: smooth finish, light weight, takes paint effortlessly, no trouble bending for corners, easy to manipulate. My sky painting on it turned out really well. There is a past thread in this forum where I thanked the forum for their help and have pictures.... search on train room completed... I think. Small or large radius corners are not a problem.

When I was doing it, there was a web site

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/mikemcnh/flatcar/artmer0504.html

which is off Mike McNamara's home page that gives his step-by-step process he used for doing just the corners, exactly what you are doing, with styrene, with pictures, and final results. I assume that web site is still there.

One other advantage, left over styrene is cheap supply for scratch building.

Good luck, Hal

[pcarrell]

Why not look at geeting some lanolium flooring scraps (say some 2 ft. wide and however long strips) and using the back side of that. Just rig up a light framework to attach it to and secure it well so there is no sagging over time. That stuff will do a 1in radius curve if you want it to.

You could probably get a good size strip for free if you talk to some contractors who are doing like some large office building or something.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pcarrell

Why not look at geeting some lanolium flooring scraps (say some 2 ft. wide and however long strips) and using the back side of that. Just rig up a light framework to attach it to and secure it well so there is no sagging over time. That stuff will do a 1in radius curve if you want it to.

You could probably get a good size strip for free if you talk to some contractors who are doing like some large office building or something.

Thanks, I like that idea for my end cap situation. I think I have enough to do the job out in the garage. I'll stick to the masonite for the main parts. [8D]

[gerryreid]

I used Formica! Found a couple of sheets on sale and grabbed them - A couple of years ago - sure glad I did. I mounted them "downside out" directly on the wall securing each end at a stud with several drywall screws, slightly counter-sunk (Being careful not the break the laminate). Then "taped and bedded" with joint compound. Result - PERFECT.

Hope this helps

[colvinbackshop]

I have both 1/8" masonite and .060" styrene in use on the CCRY backdrops.
The masonite is used where I have a more sweeping curve and the styrene is used where the curve is much tighter. The styrene is extremely easy to use (very light weight and flexible) and can be made into a VERY tight curve. Yes, it's cost is almost twice that of masonite, but worth it when it comes to the flexibility issue.