A useful technique for fabricating L girders I have used was to rip them from a straight 2 x 4. This left an L member 1.5" wide by 3.5" high with a piece of .75 x 2 left over. I could then use the left over piece for risers or what have you. I didn't have to glue and screw together any members to make the L members. I used these for both legs and beams to construct the benchwork frame. Using L girders definitely makes the assembly of other benchwork members easier and results in a very stiff piece of benchwork.
One drawback of this can be that the benchwork is rather deep and can create a situation of "banged heads" if it is rather low. In my younger days I could put up with that but as I get older and less flexible it is more of a problem. Still, if I had to do it over I would give careful consideration to the same technique.
The original premise behind L girder construction was that it did not require a great deal of precision and/or carpentry skill to assemble. Remember, this was before the general availability of the relatively inexpensive power tools we have today. No one had a power drill, battery operated screwdrivers hadn't been invented yet, you were lucky if you had a scroll saw, and a lot of folks were trying to cut plywood with a keyhole saw.
L girder construction only had one purpose, and that was to support a model railroad. I think I read someplace that it was just about useless for any other purpose, but that it was excellent for what it was supposed to do. It was also economical in its use of wood.
Someone mentioned that they cringe when they hear about a person ripping a sheet of plywood into 3 inch pieces to assemble a table. The purpose of doing this is because a 1 X 3 made from a multi-ply piece of wood is less expensive than an equivalent dimensional 1 X 3, is straighter, is a true size (not 3/4 X 1-1/2), and is more dimensionally stable. The guy I railroad with has a 32 X 70 room with a room addition about 32 X 32. The railroad has multiple levels. All of his benchwork is open grid made from 3 inch strips of plywood. I can assure you that it is plenty strong.
The use of a 2 X 4 in model railroad table construction is overkill, unless someone is giving you the wood. Even then I think I would think twice about using it. But the bottom line is that one can use whatever they want, even 4 X 4 and 2 X 6 if they want. I think I remember seeing where someone actually had built a railroad scene on a piece of old log. So, whatever works for you.
Exactly what I built for my first step. 6'x20' with 2"x4"s and 3/4" plywood. Basically, a floor about 3ft over the floor. Tons of storage space below, and strudy enough to support people working on the two layouts. The layout above will use alot of OLD 2x4s gathered from various undisclosed locations and most likely half inch plywood. They may be overkill, but they're on hand. Strong? Yeah, the "table" might as well be a granite outcropping.
I have seen a lot of 2x4 bench work and the sections I salvaged from my old railroad are in fact 2'x4' isit over kill yes except you have the option to get up on top of the bench work and do work in hard to reach places where others who have used 1x4 don't plus most 1x4 you buy now is warped as a pretzel so another option is to cut what ever size u want from 3/4" plywood
2"x4"... not even for legs... not even if free. I rip studs free-hand with a power saw for 2"x2" legs; takes about a minute.
Gee... why use a 2"x4" when a 4"x4" will work just as well?!?
Jim
I will not use them for a house, I will not use them for a mouse. Not on a box, not with a fox. Not in the rain, not for my trains. On the other hand, Sam-I-Am has convinced me to eat Green Eggs and Ham.
Moonguy63,
Yes, there are 52 - 2x2 legs under my 11x15 layout. They are spaced about 3 feet apart going east/west, and about 2 feet apart going north/south. The layout is NOT attached to the walls, so obviously their are also legs around the perimeter. And, as I have a 2 percent grade that runs around to a lower level to staging tracks, more legs than otherwise necessary are needed. And yes, there is room for this 65 year old, 5'10", 225 lb guy to wind himself under the layout to reach all of the underside.
I've posted a number of pictures in this forum under "layout update" and that will give you a better picture of what I did.
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
rob.mI have seen just about every way to build a layout except a simple 2"x4" constructed bench. I thought i would try something different this time but every thing else just seems to be more to do whith no benafit unless it is to be portable.
Maxman, I didn't quote you (too long) but there are a few spots where I would differ:
Electric power drills were available at Sears in the early '50s - I know because I bought one. Not sure when hand circular saws were first sold, but it was quite a while ago.
My cringe in reference to ripping up a plywood sheet for dimension lumber referred to the amount of work involved and sawdust generated, not to the strength of the result. By the time a typical amateur sawyer finishes cutting up a sheet of plywood, I would have the equivalent steel stud benchwork erected and would be installing risers.
I remember a bit in MRR a long time ago where the cash-strapped modeler asked his friends to give him any scrap wood they found. Some of it was heavy hardwood, so hard that he had to drill starter holes for nails. (Just the use of nails dates the article - and me!) Once the layout was built and scenic cover had been applied, who could tell what had gone into the benchwork?
If someone wants super strength, they should look into Glue-Lam engineered joists...
Aside to Mark Pierce - a sun-proof garage is infinitely better than working on the Edwards flight line...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I use 2x4 and 5/8 ply. Overkill? Maybe. Heavy? Don't know, the concrete floor shows no signs of stress. Portability? Where will I take my home layout and why? Wood quality? I pick 'em out myself and I don't buy the crap.
I've had lots of layouts built with 1x4 L girder, it's fine, they work and I've never had one collapse. 2x4s work just as well, and as mentioned, when it's all said and done nobody's going to see it anyway.
The Dixie D Short Line "Lux Lucet In Tenebris Nihil Igitur Mors Est Ad Nos 2001"