Finally building my first HO layout, 8ʻ x 6 1/2ʻ. For the subroadbed is 1/2" or 3/4" plywood better? Iʻll buy 2 sheets of 4ʻx8ʻ prime plywood and they will be cut up a bit for track elevations etc.
Most of the sub-roadbed on the main level of my layout is 3/4" firply, good one side. Most of it is also cut-out curves of varying radii, supported by risers…
The few areas of straight track are on either the same plywood cut into strips, or on 1"x2"s or 1"x4"s. Staging yards and all of the partial upper level are on sheet plywood of various thicknesses.
If you’re making a table-top style layout, 1/2" or even 3/8" plywood, properly supported, is suitable, while cookie-cutter style roadbed is better, in my opinion, in 3/4" plywood.
The dimensions of your layout may cause some issues with “reach”, especially once you have scenery and structures in place.
I’m not sure what you mean by “prime plywood”, but good-one-side in most grades is sufficient. Once the scenery and ballast is in place, the plywood won’t be visible.
Wayne
For the subroadbed, I use 1/2", 4 ply plywood, on risers spaced about 14" to 16" apart, and over three layouts, I’ve been well satisfied with it. Its sturdy enough for me to lean on it if I need to do a long reach over the layout. IMHO, 3/4" ply for subroadbed is overkill.
I used salvaged 3/4", 8 ply plywood, ripped to 1" x 4" lumber for the benchwork which is a combination of open grid and L-girder, and I highly recommend it. Using new 8 ply is about the same cost as buying prime stick lumber, and its virtually free of warp or distortion issues.
Jim
I always spend the extra and over-build. 3/4" plywood only for me.
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-Kevin
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Wayne, reach is not an issue. There is a center open area that I “could” place a pop-out area for scenery in the future. But everythign is within a 2ʻ reach.
Well I normally over design and build everything but . . . . When I needed to elevate my layout after many hours of thinking I decided it was a lot easier to go with ¼” plywood. That was back in 1988 and the ¼” plywood has worked perfect since day one.
I used 4” width for the roadbed and 1”x 4” bracing between the basic ½” plywood base. My layout is HO scale 14’ x 10’ x 33” off the floor, the grade goes from 0 to 10” in 25’ or about 3.3% all on ¼” plywood. It levels out at 10” then back down on a 30” radius helix back down to the basic level.
I also used ¼” plywood for the helix with 1”x 2” side bracing, again no problems after 31 years.
I did use a lot of wood screws and Carpenters glue on all of my layout. Too make things even more acceptable to problems my layout is built on casters and I move it around the garage and even out onto the driveway when I need to clean the garage floor. Out on the driveway it is a neighborhood kid magnet.
So I would say it depends on your carpentry skills when it comes to sizing the plywood. I would say that ¼” is most likely half as h
Okay, that makes sense. I was going only by the dimensions.
Wayne
Depends on how mutch money you want to spend. They will both do the job,as well as Mel stated 1/4. or3/8 or 5/8 I’ve seen OSB used also.
IMHO 3/4 is over kill and wasted money,along with ‘‘prime’’
Was it me, 2in. foam.
I’ll always remember a comment made by Tony Koester many years ago when asked why he used 3/4" plywood for his road bed. His response was that nobody made 1" plywood.
Mark.
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That is exactly how I feel too.
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-Kevin
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3/4" Birch plywood here, and benchwork framing with 1x4 Poplar, yes, like a piece of furniture…
Homasote sheets for yards, homabed roadbed elsewhere.
Foam? What is that?
But seriously, a lot of different methods work fine. Thicker plywood means fewer supports, better lumber means easier construction and more stablity in lots of ways.
I have used laminated OSB, every thickness of plywood, dimensional lumber, build framing from high quality Poplar and surplus 2x4’s.
And I have used every framing method, open grid, L grider, table top, cookie cutter, etc.
And I always build benchwork that can support my 200lbs…
My new layout will be a combination of open grid and table top benchwork, which will also mean a few “cookie cutter” transitions.
Still don’t understand the attraction of foam? But to each their own.
Sheldon
I went with 3/4". Thicker ply allows you to do a lot of hard banging without damages… it also allows you to reduce the number of supports. But it makes it more complicated when installing Peco switch motors under the layout.
Simon
I actually did some rough testing of the deflection in a 5’ by 2.5’ frame built out of Baltic Birch. The boards were 3.5" wide.
For the test I piled precision weights on the center of the frame, with a total of 73.8 lbs. in the center. Using a laser I marked a zero point, added the weight, and measured the difference.
With the frame made of 12mm plywood, with five crosspieces of 12mm, the deflection at the center was 1/8".
Same construction with 18mm: 1/16".
One more vote for 3/4.
How is it even possible, to get 70lbs of MR stuff in a 5ft span ?
Eh! Plywood? Watt is this plywood of which ewe speak.
LION used 1/2" Celotex (The OLD kind made before the advent of fire codes). Today’s Celotex is a company making many things, but not the “old Celotex”
This material is lighter than Homasote, and much less dense. It is easier to cut, and seems to also be mor rigid than Homasote.
Lion use 16" centers for support. This is important since that is how much space is needed to get a drill between the supports.
I used up all ten sheets on my layout. I was over in the Gym the other day and saw several more sheets of the stuff. The seem to have torn out a ceiling someplace.
ROAR
It’s very lightweight, it’s easy to cut, it’s rigid and strong, and it can be shaped and glued into just about anything I want without using a lot of tools.
I also think some people have regular old styrofoam confused with the extruded foam we use.
I work in the construction trades, I am very familiar with the product, that is why I will not use it for model trains. In my business of restoring old houses we avoid it as well.
It will not support my weight, my benchwork must support me if necessary.
Easy to cut?, you mean messy to cut.
Lightweight is not a requirement or advantage for me.
Glad it works for you.
Sheldon
Easy, when I climb a short step ladder, put down a protective mat and lean on the layout, a large percentage of my 200lbs is now supported by the benchwork.
I like deep scenes, most of my new layout will be 3-4 feet deep, with most trackage in the front 30".
Sheldon
I use 1/2" G1S for both decking and sub-roadbed. I don’t see the necessity to pay for anything more substantial because I have no problems with my method of construction or with shifting materials subsequent to starting scenery (with all that water) and running trains. In fact, I have used 3/8" finish-quality ply when, due to normal variance in construction, I need an extra bit of clearance overhead. I just keep the supporting elements to within a span of about 12". So far, so good.