Installing hardboard fascias.  I use the fascia to mount LED strip lights for layout lighting.

I saved a bunch of the LED strip light components from the previous layout.

Two of the LED strip lights are the wrong color temp as you can see from the purplish backdrop areas (as opposed to the correct blue sky color).  Those LED fixtures will be replaced.

Installed 1/2" rigid foam board and then painted it (gray for yard areas and brown for non yard areas).  The paint is just to cover up the pinkness of the foam.

I installed a room dehumidifier because the humidity in the layout room (non airconditioned) spiked up to 68-70% in late June.  It's working. Humidity is back down to around 50%.

Upper level backdrop installed, primed and the painted Ace Hardware color "Dancing Blue"  (one shade darker than the lower/middle level "Radiant Skies".

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.