Baseboard construction advice for N gauge layout

I'd do it all in 4mm and 6mm ply. Decent Birch throughout stuff, not the rubbish with spongy wood in the middle that DIY sheds sell you. Getting a supplier of quality ply will be the longest job.

Arrange diagonals in your main 4x2 board. Make the ply elements about 4in high. Get the wood supplier to cut the required number of 4in strips from the ply sheet, all you have to do is cut them to length. Combination of glue and temporary pins to hold it whilst it sets. Offcuts of

2x1 timber might come in handy as pinning places, and to support the trackbed above the frame structure.

Also, make the leg system from ply sheets locked together with inter-locking slots; won't need any glue or screws for this bit, result will be a very stable leg system which can be taken down if needed. Shouldn't be hard to arrange it so it can either support the single centre board, or support the centre and the end boards.

But........, it won't use up much of your 2x1 softwood stock.

Thanks for that, but I would prefer to get rid of my 2x1. I've just found this picture

which is like what I want to do, which looks like it's 2x1 butt jointed and glue/screwed. I think I will have a go at this and then use ply for the trackbed. I'll probably have a go at legs made of 2x1 in a H shape covered in ply to give strenght and have them so they fold up to cover the base of the 2x1 from to protect it when folded.

Any more suggestions welcome

Colin

Could I suggest a small bonfire ? :-)

The problem with that design is you can twist it trivially easily so the top will not be level. There is also very little in the design to stop it "parallelogramming" in one direction.

You could make a stronger and lighter layout if you made it from foamboard (stuff shop window displays are made from, so probably available free just after Christmas, rather than the high prices art-supply shops charge). Stick it with hot glue gun and then protect the outside corners with aluminium angle. There is a 2mm scale layout which does the exhibition rounds with that style of baseboard, but without the aluminium protection; Masham.

I have built a stable pair of baseboards with 2x1. They were done 20-odd years ago and still house a layout. But, it was done with the 2x1 laminated onto 6mm ply, and then jointed together. I suspect the ply is why they're still straight.

- Nigel

Find a sailing dinghy builder/repairer/fittings/chandler in yellow pages, they occur everywhere, some of the best are nowhere near the coast. They will be able to supply/suggest a source for good plywood.

Conversely, I use the rubbishy ply, or at least the stuff supplied by the local builders' merchant which isn't anything special. get him to cut it into strips the width you want since his cutting charge (if any) is worth it to avoid the hassle of trying to cut a large sheet yourself.

If you spread the load at the joints the ply doesn't delaminate and I use the method in the construction of my baseboards

The bandage and PVA method works well, but bandages aren't all that easy to come by these days, so using the No More Nails type glue is probably an easier solution. Put a bead in the join, then spread it using your finger, or a shaped piece of card, so that you get a broad fillet to spread the stresses at the join. Leave it for a day or two to set hard and your baseboard should be pretty rigid if you have inserted several diagonal pieces in the eggbox structure.

If you really want a strong job, use glass fibre tape and resin on the joins. This was Dick Ganderton's original method of baseboard construction which works extremely well, but it costs a fair bit and it does require a bit of care in handling the glass fibre components.

The beauty of the taping methods and, to a lesser extent, the glue method, is that your carpentry skills don't need to be of the highest since the construction method can cover a multitude of sins. All you need to ensure is that the baseboard sets properly in shape and it is advised to let it set on a flat surface with the ends and sides held square.

Jim.

Agree about cutting, anywhere that can cut whole sheets can probably cut straight 8ft long 4 inch wide strips; that's really difficult to do at home with a B&D jigsaw.

However, other fabric is available, and I suspect that dampened (to help the glue flow through it) thin cotton would work. Cotton is relatively cheap, used for sheets etc. Not sure about poly-cotton mixes.

Not tried it, so its just theory at the moment.

- Nigel

Nigel,

People have mentioned using the material that is used to cover the joins in plasterboard, but I haven't tried this. Strips of cotton sounds a good idea as well, and you could get them fairly cheaply if you can persuade the female members of your family to give up their old cotton frocks :-)

I'm looking for an excuse to build more baseboards so that I can try more ideas out - however I've got enough problems storing the ones I've made so far :-)

Jim.

That sounds like a good material for the job.

Or shirts with worn out cuffs and collars :-) Either way, if old cast-off clothes, I'd stick to pure cotton, not polyester-cotton mixes. Not least because in worn clothing the cotton tends to wear away leaving just polyester behind. I'm not sure if a slippy polyester fibre would bind well with the glue.

I've given up making my own, having an open invitation to have them made by a fellow 2mm modeller who runs a factory with CNC controlled machines for cutting up ply to make custom equipment cases. Baseboards are a doodle for them compared to boxes for concert grand pianos :-)

- Nigel

Nigel,

That might even be construed as cheating :-)

Jim.