Mine was simple and cheap..
stud grade 2x4's for frame and legs 2 bucks and change, x 8
5/8 particle board...(the heavy duty floooring/siding kind) @ 12.98 per sheet x2
1/4 inch fiberboard without holes (like the perforated shop board) 2 @ 6.99
Box of 3/4 drywall screws.....4.98
grass green paint....1/2 gal...6.99
Listening to the old lady complain about me spending money...priceless!!
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
Paul: I have seen the "attractive" price ads for whitewood. Thanks for the heads-up.
Thanks to all.
I have always used pine.
Lately, Lowes' cheap stuff is something called whitewood. I used some for trim pieces on a shed. It splits very easily - you need to drill pilot holes near the ends (<12") regardless of the screws you use. It also seems to warp more easily and the edges splinter/fray more. It's only real advantage is that it's cheap, but I don't recommend it.
My current layout is using pine - grade C&better or Select. It costs more at Lowes $7 vs $3 for 1x4 8', but it is a dream to work with compared to whitewood.
I would only use Oak or Maple if my wife let build the layout in the "unused" living room/dining room - more likely that I'll win a lottery even though I didn't buy a ticket
Enjoy
Paul
Terry,
Thanks for the compliment! I appreciate it very much.
Don Z.
Research; it's not just for geeks.
Don Z wrote: I used a combination of 1x4 poplar and 1/2" birch plywood for the top of the benchwork. As an avid hobbyist woodworker, I decided to upgrade the legs a little bit...they're hard maple. A photo of some of my work:Don Z.
I used a combination of 1x4 poplar and 1/2" birch plywood for the top of the benchwork. As an avid hobbyist woodworker, I decided to upgrade the legs a little bit...they're hard maple. A photo of some of my work:
That's not benchwork that's furniture !
Good looking furniture too !
TerryinTexas
See my Web Site Here
http://conewriversubdivision.yolasite.com/
Chuck,
Could you post a photo of your benchwork? I'd like to see how you have used the metal studs for your benchwork. Do you combine 2 studs to form a box for longer spans?
Thanks,
My layout uses classic Westcott L-girder design (all screws up from the bottom) and cookie-cut plywood subgrade (also screwed up from the underside.)
My wood of choice is steel. Specifically, steel studs, in two metal gauges and two sizes. My L-girders (C-girders?) and legs are heavyweight 1.25 by 3.75 inch, I have used lighter 1.25 by 3.75 for joists where strength is required and light 1.25 by 2.25 where it isn't. Risers are shaped from whichever lightweight size is appropriate.
Tools required are simple and inexpensive: small square, tin snips, vice grips, power drill-screwdriver and lots of clamps. Most fastening of stud to stud and plywood to stud has been done with 7/16 framing screws. A few joints, meant to be separated for various reasons, have been secured with bolts and nuts.
My choice has been driven by two facts:
Just my . Feel free to disagree.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
All but one layout to date has been some form of L-girder construction. The exception was a Christmas layout using a 1x3 frame around a piece of 1.5" thick foam.
Cookie cutter L-girder construction in particular has the ability to overcome less than perfect measuring, cutting, and benchwork assembly. I have used the cheapest straight 1x4s and 1x2s I could find at the trash lumber stores (aka Lowe's and Home Depot). I sort through the pile until I find the straight ones. I will take a board with horizontal curves when laid on edge, but twists or horizontal curves in a board laid flat will cause me to reject a board. Depending on where I was at the time, I sometimes spent an hour searching the stacks for the 6-8 boards I needed.
At home, assembly into L-girders puts an end to any further warping because the grains oppose each other. The boards for joists are stored flat on a rack, and seldom warp when selected and stored that way.
The framed foam construction I found to require more care in construction than L-girder. By not building on a level floor, I introduced a slight vertical curve into my frame which the rigidity of the foam preserved quite nicely. I have found the similar issues in box grid framing - my imprecise cuts led to weak joints.
The use of plywood lumber has its pros and cons. If you have the tools, or can somebody to cut it for you at a reasonable price, it yields "boards" much less likely to warp. But gluing L girders or making joints isn't quite as simple because plywood is far worse than lumber for fastening into the ends or edges of a "board".
just my experiences, yours may vary
Fred W
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
I have read numerous articles about benchwork construction. All seem to give dimension particulars for the plywood tops, the legs, the braces etc.
Maybe I have missed it but I do not recall too many suggestions as to the type of wood used for the components. (pine, oak, maple, etc)
I am curious to know what you have used. As always, thanks.