@railandsail...unfortunately when I did my bnech work I was not all that careful about corners. So, when the hardboard fascia has been attached any imperfections in the benchwork joints are magnified.
Bear "It's all about having fun."
dave H. what are you talking about? Do you have a link? are they flexible?
I use 1/8 in hardboard and buy the plastic joint covers designed for hardboard or paneling. They are like channeling that covers the joint. Don't know if they are available for 1/4 in too.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Seams in Masonite Wall PanelsI have a little different problem, but related. I am covering the insulated walls and ceiling in my 12x16 train shed with 4x8 sheets of 1/8" masonite stapled to the 2x4 studs of the shed.
I have very carefully keep the seams very tight, and used staples ever 6-8 inches down each side of a seam. So my seams are very well joined. The staples for the most part are 'recessed', although there are some bumps spots and flattened staples in spots where the staple didn't go recessed.
So now I am thinking about 'taping' the seams prior to painting the masonite. Drywall type taping doesn't sound to appealing, and its not like I am attempting to have a finished wall you find inside a home (i do hope to eventyally cover this masonite with paint and then a printed backdrop of some kind.
I was thinking of maybe a 2" wide adhesive tape of some kind, ....perhaps a really good duck tape or gorilla tape?? That would serve a double duty of hiding some of my 'imperfections', while subtlely 'hi-liting' my stud locations.(no photos at this moment)
Brian
My Layout Plan
Interesting new Plan Consideration
the only problem with some of the suggestions, and I do appreciate them, is that the corners are not 90 degrees. Some are supposed to be but I doubt that they are all that close to 90 degrees, and a couple are NOT 90 degrees by design. I am goiong to try the dry wall mud and see what happens. And I am not concerned about any butt joints. 1/8 inch hardboard will bend, 1/4 inch will not, or at least not enough.
I used 1/8" Masonite for the fascia, as the benchwork, including the front member, is 1"x4" pine, so plenty of room to solidly mount electrical toggles and plug-ins for a walkaround throttle...
Not much in the way of corners, either, and I'm not too concerned about the butt joints. Once the fascia is painted black, the joints shouldn't be noticeable. In the photo below, the upper fascia is a number of pieces spliced together with backing plates of the same material, a continuous piece about 50' long. The portion on the left and the far end will be unscrewed from the benchwork and temporarily fastened, using clamps, to the still-mounted upper fascia on the right side of the aisle, when I get around to re-doing the turnout controls on the lower left side of this area...
Wayne
Might I suggest - and I swear I am not making this up -- "paper-faced inner cove bullnose tape on" for the corners.
https://www.clarkdietrich.com/products/paper-faced-bullnose-corner-beads/paper-faced-inner-cove-tape-p2bi
Or the nail on version
https://www.clarkdietrich.com/products/paper-faced-bullnose-corner-beads/paper-faced-bullnose-nail-p1bn
Dave Nelson
You could also use metal brackets, from the hardware store, for corners, but you'd have to bolt the fascia board to the bracket.
Either way, the blocking, or the brackets would be hidden, behind the fascia, with only screw, or bolt heads showing.
Mike.
My You Tube
There is a right angle wooden molding, whose name escapes me, you could use on outside corners and 1/4 round you could use on inside corners, it is bulky though.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I use have used lightweight spackle on my facia. Fill it with one pass. Let it dry. Sand with 220 grit. For the second pass it goes on thin and finish it with a damp putty knife. It is almost un noticible with a coat of eggshell latex paint. It is also flexible so you dont have to wotry about cracks. I would advoid joint compound as it might crack.
I think I get you, Mike
Bear, you could pre-make some "L" shaped blocks of wood, which would fit on the inside of the corner, fasten the fascia to the "corner block.
Where it's an outside joint on the fascia, you just need a piece of wood, like a 1"x1" block, on the inside of the fascia.
You could use maybe a #6 by 1/2" flathead screw to fasten the hardboard to the corner blocks.
Drill pilot holes first, and use a counter sink for the screw head, because in hardboard, the screw won't make it's own counter sink, like it does on soft wood.
Without drawing a picture, hopefully you understand.
Just a thought,
Ed, and the rest of the responders, thank you but I omitted one, as it turns out, important fact, the seams are where the various panels join in corners, either inside corners or outside corners. Caulking probably wont work. I thought of that but a couple of the seams are pretty wide, about 1/4" partway through. there are no two straight panels that butt up against each other.
As for the 1/4" board, yeah, it is serious, since I have a couple of fascia panels where I have installed a UTP panel and I want it to be strong enough to withstand the possiblity of constant plugging and unplugging of a cab throttle.
1/4", huh? That's some significant board.
I would recommend reinforcing the joint before filling it. If the fascia is, say, 6", then the reinforcement should be at least 12" "long". Longer would be better. So, you get your 6" x 12" piece of board and make sure it will fit. Then you glue it on the inside. You use a couple of chunks of wood to spread the load of the multiple C-clamps that you will use.
One the glue is set, you can start filling the joint. The absolute best stuff will be Smith's Fill-it. It very expensive and very good. And the only stuff I would bother to use, because who wants to do it over again, later? Especially after you paint it to look good.
Ed
Oops. I read Fascia but thought Backdrop. But tape and mud would still hide the seems, if you really thought that was necessary for fascia.
- Douglas
I've always heard that best practice is to leave fascia removable.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
Glue the ends together and sand them smooth.
Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale
You could try caulk. Allows for expansion/contraction of the finished joint. Wipe smooth with damp sponge immediately after application. Not a completely invisible joint, but better than a gaping gap, especially when painted to match the rest of the fascia.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
Traditional drywall tape and mud worked for me. But lots of feathering.
Without the tape, I think it would eventually crack since hardboard does expand and contract some.
I am using 1/4 in hardboard with the shiny side painted for my fascia. However there are some obvious seams between the separate panels. I am thinking of sheet rock joint compound which can be smoothed, sanded and painted to fill in the seams. Any one ever tried this? If so what were the results.