Benchwork

[rrinker]

See this is why I think L-Girder is just a waste of wood, especially for a flat-top layout. You could have bolted the legs to the 'table' section and it would have been plenty sturdy and every bit as portable - just unbolt the legs and you'd have the exact same table piece to carry around that you will anyway. You essentially built two tables and stacked them on top of one another.

--Randy

[Tom Bryant_MR]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Surfstud31

Tom - that is how much of my new benchwork will be. In the along the wall sections I will run 2x3 from edge of layout to where floor meets wall. This keeps legs out of your way and should provide plenty of strength. I just finished cleaning up the room and now I am prepping it with a light coat of blue paint on the walls (for sky) and super-white on the ceiling for good light reflection. Should have it painted and ready for benchwork this weekend. Getting psyched, it's been 12 years since my last layout and I miss my trains dearly.

Depending on your trig math skills and/or access to a calculator, I found the following invaluable for calculating those angles needed for cutting the cantalevers.

You do mean 1x3 right?

http://id.mind.net/~zona/mmts/trigonometryRealms/solvers/rtTriSolvers/rtTriSolversHome.htm

Good luck.
-Tom B

[Tom Bryant_MR]

Maybe we need to understand the primary purpose of the L-girder design. It's primary strength (no pun intended) is to span relatively large distances of up to 20 ft with minimal leg support.

Since most of us are not construction experts and with the volumes being written on RR benchwork, it is no doubt why this particular technique is being choosen.

[Pruitt]

Actually, from reading Westcott's comments on L-girder, he developed it to minimize the amount of wood required for the bench work, and to eliminate the need for precision cuts to fit the pieces together. The pictures people have posted here are mainly grid construction, or a combination of grid and L-girder.

My benchwork on my lower deck is "classic" L-girder:


The table in the foreground is very sturdy, and uses a minimum of lumber. The L-girders are about 1/4 of the way in from the ends of the joists on each side, roughly the optimum location for load-carrying capacity while minimizing deflections in the joists. The table is very light, very strong and very stable. I don't have axial braces on the legs shown because I have them on the end legs out of view to the left.

Where benchwork thickness is an issue on my second deck, I'll use standard grid construction.

[Anonymous]

Try reading a series of articles by Don Spiros in Model Railroad Craftsman. The articles have run fairly recently -- sometime in 2005. I'm not sure about the exact issues. He described using double width shelving braces -- the kind that screw to the wall studs. FINALLY -- it made building benchwork a possible and feasible project for me. It streamlines everything greatly.

Doesn't sound strong enough for a layout? The shelving is rated to hold 400lbs. I doubt anyone's trains weigh that much :)

I finished benchwork for a layout that runs about 150 sq. feet and the shelving system works great.

[TBat55]

My 2 cents:

Take a close look at Brunton's photo. I think the big question is if you want a FASCIA that is not perfectly STRAIGHT (just cut the top pieces shorter).

Also since many people try to get the largest radius curves they can, TRACK is often CLOSE TO THE EDGE of the benchwork. You don't want legs or beams underneath the track because of power feeders, turnout machines, etc.

Last, if you plan to PAINT the benchwork then the minimal amount of wood used is important.

My advice: recess the legs as shown (at 1/4 to 1/3 the width).

[Anonymous]

Hi Mike (South Massey) I'm also building a frame ontop of a bench which is a waste of wood to some but sure will be a snap to move the layout without tearing down the bench to do it. I bought the cheapo pine studs which were quite inexpensive so it did'nt cost me that much more for the table that holds the grids. With the grids it will be extremely easy to add on to or move one that you want elsewhere with a turn of a nut. The foam will be sectioned off to enable any move with only slight damage to the upper scenery layer. Worked for me before. Last time I did put the legs at the corners though and now am convinced that inseting will be the way to go. Bravo Mike!
Jerry

[NZRMac]

I'll throw my pic in here for good luck!!



this is the lower level.

Ken.

[abbieleibowitz]

I have tried it both ways and found that it makes very little difference. Logically, it seems that the legs spacing should depend on the span. On an 8 foot table or girder, It is hard to leave more than 4 feet unsupported and not anticipate some sag. So the rationale for putting the legs 2 feet from the end of the girder or frame is to leave a reasonable span in the middle between legs.
Abbie