Benchwork table questions

Dave, 

I'll see how it goes with this 12x4.  If I like it, I'll buy 2 more kits later.  Today I was taking apart the table I started in the little room last winter.  That told me I am just not up to building benchwork from scratch right now.

Is this what you mean on the right.  It seemed a little odd to me, but I see how he is using his standard leg section for the corner?  Yes, it makes it harder for storage underneath.

Looked into this system but found it to be expensive. I have enough carpentry skills to build it  myself for a lot less.

@mike, nice shots in the googl e album, impressive work and layout, 

More:

My tables are 40" off the floor, and longest reach is too far to "lean"- so probably 36- 40". but I can walk around all edges of the tables.

The best investments in model railroading so far (for me):

1.  Benchridge Benchwork- easy, strong (NO movement- bump it, kick it TRY- it will not move), and can be dismantled after removing the structures and scenery, probably leaving the trackwork in place.  The tables and tops came to us in a GM full-size van.  BTW- "shipping" WAS included, since Matt brings to to you.

2.  TopSide Creeper- $ 250 or so, shipped from Summit Racing Equipment (online).  Great item- makes working on hard to reach areas possible, easy roll around, eventually I can fold it for storage.

3.  Postwar Lionel- added a new element not available to me in my HO days.  "Collecting" - although I run all of them. Add train shows, and e-Bay to my hobby.

4.  Lionel Lion Chief Plus locomotives.

5.  A house w/ a 2500 S.F. and 9 foot ceiling basement.  Eat your heart out- westerners and southerners!!  It might be a high of -1 F. today, but I'll be working on and running trains- where temperature is always pleasant.

yanksali posted:

Looked into this system but found it to be expensive. I have enough carpentry skills to build it  myself for a lot less.

If you have the tools and skills, then I agree...build it yourself by all means.  I would do that too if I was in your position.  I wasn't sure from the initial post what skills you have.  I will look forward to seeing what you come up with!  I do admire well done benchwork, no matter what method one uses!

Mike Wyatt posted:

More:

My tables are 40" off the floor, and longest reach is too far to "lean"- so probably 36- 40". but I can walk around all edges of the tables.

The best investments in model railroading so far (for me):

1.  Benchridge Benchwork- easy, strong (NO movement- bump it, kick it TRY- it will not move), and can be dismantled after removing the structures and scenery, probably leaving the trackwork in place.  The tables and tops came to us in a GM full-size van.  BTW- "shipping" WAS included, since Matt brings to to you.

2.  TopSide Creeper- $ 250 or so, shipped from Summit Racing Equipment (online).  Great item- makes working on hard to reach areas possible, easy roll around, eventually I can fold it for storage.

3.  Postwar Lionel- added a new element not available to me in my HO days.  "Collecting" - although I run all of them. Add train shows, and e-Bay to my hobby.

4.  Lionel Lion Chief Plus locomotives.

5.  A house w/ a 2500 S.F. and 9 foot ceiling basement.  Eat your heart out- westerners and southerners!!  It might be a high of -1 F. today, but I'll be working on and running trains- where temperature is always pleasant.

Eat your heart out - Western Pennsylvanians like Mark   I have about 1500 S.F. house and 7'4" lower level ceiling!    That is why the Ceiling Central Railroad was so hard for me to build!  

Mike, I think it is great what you have!  Yes, those topside creepers look like just the ticket if you have any reach over 30".  We have a similar forecast as you.  I wish I could stay in, but I have to go to the doctor today, and the low is forecast for about noon at -5.  Then I need to go over and check the heat in my dad's pump house.    Well that is the least I can do since Mum and Dad are in a personal care home, and our older daughter and her husband aren't ready to take over the house yet.

hokie71 posted:

Dave and all, check the thread on Gunrunnerjohns layout, I think he got rid of some of the mianne legs so he could have under layout storage modules and better wiring access.

I went back through the thread and see I missed the part where John mentioned changing the leg configuration, so thanks for the reminder. I already knew that RTR12 had his reconfigured too, but he added shelves which kept things solid. Whether I use Mianne or not, I plan to have lower rails rather than cross braces, but I want the fronts to be open for rolling storage bins.

Mark, your 2 sections are prime examples of what I’m talking about. I don’t like the angled rails because they make access and storage more difficult. Storage would bee okay if it was shelving, but then access to wiring, etc., would be more difficult, hence rolling bins.

My layout which measures 14 x 43' was built in 1987. It is an open grid design which makes building grades and hidden storage yards a piece of cake. The benchwork is made up of 1x4 pine for the framing, legs and risers for the grades. The surface is 1/2 inch A-C plywood. If you buy the classic book by Linn Wescott called model railroading benchwork which is still available on Amazon it will teach you all you need to know about benchwork. The entire layout is assembled with drywall screws. No nails and no glue. If you can use a circular saw and a power screwdriver you are ready to go. My track is Gargraves and the switches are Ross powered by Tortoise switch machines. The roadbed is cork by Midwest. If you can avoid a flat top table you will be richly rewarded. Seeing trains go up and down grade is a lot more fun than a single flat tabletop.

Another thing that I have always done is make sketches of the details.  I usually start out with a simple plan drawing.  Then I make perspective sketches of the same area or part.  I use graph paper when it is handy.  The kind with 1/4" square blocks.  This way I can sketch a detail full size, using four blocks to indicate an inch.  

It is also easy for me as I was a draftsman and carpenter.  But even if you are a novice, sketches make the details clear.  

I concur,

A great thread.

Tom Tee, Your work is awesome, and I usually hesitate to use that overused word.

Mark,

My buddy Sam used the Mianne on his wonderful layout.  I am happy to see what you are working on.

Here is a link to his finished layout ON30.

https://goo.gl/photos/WSknHi6JcPEDmZhN7

Mike,

Thank you for the link to Sam's Great On30 layout!  It really looks nice, and I see the Mianne legs in one photograph!  Looks like he did what I plan, and that is to extend the table beyond the legs and put a fascia board around the layout.  Excellent job!

Mark

Tom Tee posted:

Thank you Elliot, but my secret is caulk, with 2 1/2" cut off the nipple.   Besides, my progress is so slow my benchwork may be visible for years.  Plus once the trains started to roll dust gathers on the stash of scenery supplies.

Mark, I did not notice at first, was that a Mianne pup?  Looks like the same color as the benchwork.

Looks good.  Where are using the caulk?  Does it harden?  Or is it soft.

Dude,  Sorry, the caulk statement was intended to be a humorous overstatement.   That is an expression we use when chiding "finish" installers when they leave us rough or poorly fitted baseboards.   One of the flooring installers actually cut off the nozzle of a caulk tube and gave it to a base installer when he was finishing up a shoddy job.

When you buy a tract home you must realize every aspect of the structure was built by the lowest bidder.

However I do cheat a little.  There are places where I use an 18 gauge brad gun to hold polyurethane adhered assemblies while it sets up overnight,  I then use color coordinated wood filler on the brad head voids and follow up sanding flush.

Titebond assemblies require 175 # per sq in clamping pressure to yield engineered strength.  Brad use for Titebond assembly sacrifices completed strength.

Mike, thank you for the kind words.  You may want to pull back on the awesome word if you saw this stuff in person.

Tom Tee posted:

When you buy a tract home you must realize every aspect of the structure was built by the lowest bidder.

 

Unfortunately, it seems like everything in America has been that way for a long time.  I used to work for a company that had a hard time getting bid jobs, because we put enough money into our bids to insure a top-quality finished product.  Contractors ALWAYS wanted to use our company, because they knew they'd have zero problems with our portion of the job.  In a lot of cases though, they'd have to use the low bid if they wanted to get the job.  The owners on a lot of them thar projects were only interested in the dirt-ball low bid.  And yeah, they'd get their money's worth  when it was all said and done (we'd always get feedback on the project from the contractors).

Dumb***es. 

I was fortunate enough to work with reliable, skilled, licensed contractors who paid their bills and taxes and only used legal workers.  We rarely got a job on bids but almost always got the replacement job.  Frequently after a court appearance as expert witnesses.  Ironically enough the shoddy contractor was court ordered to pay our price for replacement.