Quote from: deemery on April 07, 2025, 08:52:42 AMPaint it black...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4irXQhgMqg

Why 1x3, why not rip a 1x4 and get 2x1 3/4?  You shouldn't need the strength from the 1x3 on top of the shelf brackets.

dave

I have 60+ ft of salvaged 1x3 benchwork from the previous layout and I want consistency of benchwork for the middle level. 

Shelf tracks and brackets.



Installing shelf brackets on the wall with windows. I have 1/4" aluminum 'U' channels that I am going to install on the inside edge of the window framing that I will use to slide 3/16" masonite panels to block out the windows.



These sections of 1x3 benchwork were salvaged from the previous layout and they are just sitting on the shelf bracket, not permanently mounted yet.



More shelf brackets. This is the beginning of the 42ft long wall.



More progress on the 42ft wall.



I was having trouble finding good 1x3s so I bought 30 'trim' quality 1x4s and ripped them down to 1x3s for middle level open grid benchwork construction.  Hopefully I can find a use for these cutoffs.

Using 14" chop saw to cut the shelf track into ninety 6" pieces. After this I used the bench grinder to clean them up. And then I used the drill press to drill the holes needed to mount them on the wall. And then I painted them black.



90 shelf tracks ready for hole drilling



Painted flat black



Initially I painted the shelf brackets outside, however after waiting 3 weeks for the weather to cooperate again I decided to paint the rest inside.



Beginning to install shelf brackets. This wall has actual wood studs so it was easy to mount the shelf brackets like my previous layout. This is the only basement layout room wall with wood studs. All the rest of the basement walls are metal stud.  I don't trust screwing the shelf track into the metal studs so I will be using drywall anchors. The drywall anchors are rated for 75 lbs each and there are two holding each shelf track so that's a theoretical 150lb load rating.  Divide that by 3 for "real world" and that is still 50 lbs per bracket. That should be more than enough given the 16" shelf bracket spacing.



Spray painting shelf brackets inside.

My plan was to start working on the shelf bracket mounts which will support the middle level around the outside walls, but while waiting for the weather to cooperate (temp/wind) to spray paint the shelf track and brackets outside I decided to start working on the backdrop and coved corners around the lower and middle levels of the center platform. The backdrops are made with 1/8" masonite/hardboard. It is flexible enough to be curved for inside corners, however it is not flexible enough for the six outside corners of the center platform. For these six corners I use Formica/laminate panels which is flexible and strong enough. The backdrop/coved corners requires a lot of drywall finish technique (mud/sand/clean/repeat) which I am not great at.

Coving the middle level where the exit of the helix will be. Coved corners look far better than square corners once track and scenery are done.





Coving the corners of the lower level where the track does a 180 from the center platform over the to wall on the left.



Coving the middle level



Theorizing/mocking where I want the transition from 1/8" masonite to laminate to cove the 6 outside corners of the center platform.



After installing the laminate coved corners and beginning to patch/finish the backdrops. Also shows where the entrance/exit of the helix will be located.

Great work.

Working on the middle level around the center platform.  I started cutting/placing the 1/2" foam on the 5/8" plywood, but I have decided to go ahead and install the 1/8" masonite backdrops and laminate panel for the three coved corners on each level around the center platform before installing/gluing the 1/2" foam.

Quote from: nycjeff on February 28, 2025, 08:36:46 PMHello Doug, I had trouble locating 1/2 homosote down here in Arizona until I realized that Home Depot here in the Phoenix area stocked it, but called it sound deadening board.

Neither Home Depot nor Lowes stock it or provide a mechanism for you to order it.  84 Lumber said they could order it if I ordered 60 sheets.

Quote from: ACL1504 on February 28, 2025, 12:22:27 PM

Quote from: Onewolf on February 28, 2025, 10:07:56 AMOne issue I have encountered is acquiring 4x8 sheets of 1/2" Homasote.  None of the local building supply places stock it, but they can order it.  One place will order 48 sheet 'packs' and the other place will order 60 sheet packs.  Mmmm, no thanks.

I have found that Menards up near Lexington KY stocks it and has it in stock, but it's a 3 hour drive each way.

Doug,

Sounds like a nice little road trip. Didn't you make one for the carpet tiles?

Tom

Yes, probably this coming weekend.

One issue I have encountered is acquiring 4x8 sheets of 1/2" Homasote.  None of the local building supply places stock it, but they can order it.  One place will order 48 sheet 'packs' and the other place will order 60 sheet packs.  Mmmm, no thanks.

I have found that Menards up near Lexington KY stocks it and has it in stock, but it's a 3 hour drive each way.

Quote from: ACL1504 on February 27, 2025, 06:19:33 PMDoug,

This is fantastic and looks much bigger than the Sanford layout.

Keep up the great work and we all look forward to the next update, real work load permitting.

As Rick said, it does get more impressive with each update.

Tom

The layout room down in Sanford was around 920 sq ft.  The basement layout space is around 1250 sq ft, so yes it is a little bit larger. Given the extra space I was hoping to get away with a 2 level layout design, but I just couldn't come up with a design that I preferred over the 3 level mushroom.

I have been in release crunch mode with real work for the last couple of weeks so I haven't spent as much time as I would like working on the layout. I did finally have a couple of nice days weather wise that allowed me to apply Ospho to the middle level steel support brackets and to spray paint them flat black. I installed them this afternoon. Next I will cut/place 5/8" plywood on the brackets and then 1/2" rigid foam on top of the plywood.

Installing the 5/8" plywood around the lower level.

After installing the middle level benchwork I will install 1/2" rigid foam over the 5/8" plywood. On the previous layout I used 1/2" Homasote, but I found I had to spend a lot of time patching/smoothing the homasote. That won't be a problem with the foam, but the foam is susceptible to dents/dings when stuff is dropped on it. (And elbows as well).









After I install the purple 1/2" foam I will paint it in order to cover up the purpleness.  Gray for yard/service areas and dark brown for industrial areas.



In my spare time I have been adding sound decoders to some of my locomotives, like this Athearn Veranda Gas Turbine.  My layout will be modeling 1957 so both Gen1 slab side and Gen2 Veranda Gas Turbines are plausible.  Gen3 "Big Blow" turbines were not delivered until 1958 so I don't need to buy any of those expensive Scale Trains Big Blow Turbines. 

I have been slowed down by real work (we are in release crunch mode) and getting the middle level brackets prepped for installation. First I was delayed because I was waiting for Ospho (can't find it local) and for new drill bits (I needed to drill a bunch of holes in the steel brackets.  I have now fabricated all 23 steel brackets, but now the weather has not cooperated for a couple weeks to apply the Ospho and to spray paint the brackets.

I did install the 5/8" plywood around the lower level where the main division yard and passenger terminal/station/service will be located.  And around the lower level center platform which will be mostly industrial facilities.

I found that I have to use the chop saw outside or it will set off the smoke alarm in the basement.



Support brackets cut into 24" sections.



With the front bottom corners cut off (to avoid lobomotizing anyone who peers under the middle level)





Applying Ospho (which subsequently got rain blown on and will be redone.



I installed 1/4" Luan plywood around the bottom of these walls. Next I will sand/caulk and then paint to match the room walls.

Afternoon all,

I made a trip up to Home Despot in Lenior City for supplies (12 more sheets of 1/2" foamular, 4 gallons of paint, a case of Liquid Nails Project, etc etc). And then I had a couple hours of real work.  Eventually I was able to work on the middle level steel brackets that will mount around the center platform.  I finished drilling holes, grinding smooth edges, and then I brushed a coat of Ospho on them.  Ospho turns iron oxide (rust) into iron phosphate which is an inert hard substance that can be painted.  Next step is to spray paint them flat black and then mount them.

Adventure Kitty enjoys climbing all over the layout. To her it's like a giant cat tree.

Mornin' all.

I have ripped about 400 of my Blu Rays and DVDs that take up about 9TB of space.  Last summer I bought an Asustor AS5404T NAS box with four WD Red Pro 8TB drives I configured in a RAID5 configuration which provides around 22TB of network storage. Would have to lose 2 drives to lose data.

Still drilling holes in my angle iron brackets.  Each one has 3 mount holes, 2 holes for track power bus lines and layout lighting LED strip power bus lines.  And 1 hole to hold the 5/8 plywood to the bracket.

Hope you all have a great day!

Doug