A friend's around-the-room layout is supported by shelf brackets, which works well enough. However, it more-or-less wastes the space below it, unless you use it for open storage, which often results in a lot of unsightly clutter.
I opted for very sturdy benchwork, which includes shelving about 6" above the floor (not necessary yet, but a good idea if your basement floods regularly)....
The layout supports and shelving are set-back from the layout's fascia, and include either sliding doors or lift-off panels to hide the clutter...
However, I did opt for shelf brackets to support most of the partial upper level. All but one consist of uprights of 1 1/2" angle iron, about 7" long, to which a crossmember of 1" angle iron has been welded. Most are about 31" long. The brackets are lag-bolted to the wall studs with 3" bolts...
The one exception is for an outside corner of the room, with two horizontal supports, as shown below...
For it, the 1 1/2" angle bolted to the corner studs is about 21" long to account for the greater load.
Under normal viewing when operating on the lower level, seated on a rolling office chair, the brackets are, at worst, only partially visible...
Wayne
cuyama Despite the bashing, L-girder still works great for curved benchwork edges, long spans, and major elevation changes
Despite the bashing, L-girder still works great for curved benchwork edges, long spans, and major elevation changes
I don't think anyone is bashing L-girder, rather may may consider it unnecessary and can generally achieve most needs with ordinary open grid, including curved fascia, as has been demonstrated in this topic.
Often it seems that more time is spent ruminating on benchwork approach than it would take to build it. Byron
Byron
It may seem so, but I'm guessing many ruminate on it while away from the house.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I usually meditate on it while floating in my pool.
Bottom line really is, both have their places and uses. I know I will have both on my layout, in some places I will have long runs where I want few if any legs - L girder will do that for me, better than open grid would. And I have other areas that will be built cantilever from a wall, which will also support the backdrop isolating the two sides. Since it's a net new interior wall, I can just run horizontal members out from the studs to support the benchwork on both sides. ANd to keep deck heights reasonable, the upper deck ill need to be as thin as possible, so metal support brackets and definitely NOT L girder up there.
The section that will cantilever from the new wall is a flat area - yard and city scene, so free-flowing vertical changes are not necessary. So it all works out perfectly.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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