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Reply to "Help on Pulley System to Lift Train Table"

WHEN I BUILT MY TRAIN TABLE, I USED HOLLOW AIRCRAFT ALUMINUM 2X4'S 8 FT X 16 FT AND THEN BRACED SEVERAL OF THE 8 FT PIECES AT EQUAL FOUR POINTS THROUGH THE TWO 16 FT LENGTHS WITH EVERYTHING DRILLED AND BOLTED TOGETHER WITH ALUMINUM ANGLE BRACKETS.  THEN FOR THE TRAIN TABLETOP, I USED FOUR OF THE HOME DEPOT PINK TWO INCH THICK 4 FT X 8 FT OWENS CORNING FOAMULAR RIDGID BOARDS AND GLUED THE PIECES TOGETHER.  THEN I WENT TO HARBOR FREIGHT AND PURCHASED A 120 VOLT POWER WINCH AND RAN PLASTIC COATED STEEL WIRE THROUGH THE HARKEN INC. PULLEY SYSTEMS TO FOUR POINTS ON THE TABLE THAT HAS RAISED ANGLE BRACKETS BOLTED TO THE TABLE, FROM ACE HARDWARE.  THE PULLEY SYSTEM IS BOLTED TO THE BASEMENT CEILING JOISTS THROUGH STEEL BRACKETS BOLTED INTO THE JOISTS THAT SUPPORT THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE HOUSE.  THE FOAM BOARDS ARE REALLY EASY AND LIGHT TO WORK WITH, AND THE PULLEY SYSTEM WAS BASED ON MY OLD SAILING DAYS WHEN I NEEDED TO USE PULLEY SYSTEMS ON MY CATAMARAN.

I ALSO HAVE TWO SETS OF FOUR SAFETY WIRES THAT ARE USED WHEN THE TABLE IS DOWN OR WHEN THE TABLE IS UP, TO LOCK IT INTO POSITION.  WITH THE FIGURE EIGHT AND ELONGATED CIRCLE SYSTEMS THAT I BUILT WITH INTERCONNECTING SETS OF TRACKS; I CAN RUN THREE TRAINS AT ONE TIME.

I ALSO PLACE DOUBLE SIDED TAPE AND ONE INCH PINK STYRAFOAM AROUND THE TABLE AND THEN USED THE DOUBLE-SIDED TAPE TO GLUE CLEAR PLASTIC AS A FENCE AROUND THE TABLE TO KEEP THE TRAINS ON THE TABLE AND LITTLE HANDS OFF OF THE TRAINS AND SOME OF THE OTHER PIECES ON THE TABLE.

TO HELP LEVEL THE TABLE, I ALSO INCORPORATED THE USE OF TURN BUCKLES FROM ACE HARDWARE.  I ALSO PLACED ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL CONTROLS ON ANGLE BRACKETS ON ONE THIRD OF ONE SIDE OF THE TABLE. 

WHEN I BUILT THE TABLE, I HAD GONE TO ALOT OF TRAIN SHOWS, AND EVERYONE WAS STUCK ON USING WOOD.  TOO HEAVY AND NOT STRONG ENOUGH.  THE ALUMINUM AND STYRAFOAM IS MUCH EASIER AND LIGHTER TO WORK WITH ESPECIALLY WHEN USING RADIOSHACK WIRING AND TERMINAL STRIPS GLUED AND LABELED UNDER THE TABLE.

LET ME KNOW IF THIS HELPS.

JTFIII

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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