Guys, I'd like to hear your thoughts on finishing the area over layout. How did you hide your lighting from direct view? Here is my situation. The layout is under construction in a 12 x18 room and varies in width from 14" to 30" around the walls with a large kidney shaped peninsula more or less in the center. The peninsula is divided by a full height backdrop except for about 1 1/2 feet at end where the trains will go around the bend. All of the corners, end and the backdrop are curved and so is the valance that is actually a framed up and finished furdown. I had planned to paint the back of the 12" furdown and ceiling over the layout the same blue as the backdrop. I've been installing some fluorescent lights right to test out lighting and want them up for backdrop painting. The furdown hides the lighting from direct sight fairly well but when standing at the end of the peninsula looking down either side you can plainly see the lights and fixtures all down either side. The view is a little distracting but at least the wiring is run through the inside of the furdown and is not very noticeable. I got thinking that if I installed rippled clear panels as a drop down ceiling at a level just below the bottom of the lights the whole thing might look better. I got a couple of clear diffuser panel pieces, drop ceiling L shape edge and a some T shapes for where the panels meet and put it up to see if I like it. I think it will really improve the finished appearance and the amount of light seems to be fine. The problem is going around the corners and ends as I have only a few truly straight edges on the whole layout....everything curves and bends even a long section of 14' on one wall has gentle bends in it. Its easy enough to cut the panels to fit has I already had to do this with the two test panels but getting around the more sharply curved areas, curved corners and ends with the L shaped metal strip is not going to work Does anyone know how to do drop ceiling trim around curves, have any suggestions or have a completely different better way to hide the lighting fixtures. Thanks, Bruce
- posted
19 years ago