Attaching facia board

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hi guys

Went to cashway today and bought a couple 4x8 sheets of 1/8 inch hardboard also called masonite. I had them rip it to 8" x 96" lengths seeing as I’m a bit lower than 8" from benchwork bottom edge to the roadbed . Wanted to know how to attach the fascia board? I have 1/2 screws and counter sinker knowing I will at least need to screw them to the benchwork but also wondering do you’s use glue such as No More Nails as well?

Thanks

Lynn

2

Hi. LION puts his wiring on the fascia, and then mouts a removable fascia to finish the layout. For that you would need some stand-offs, (Lion uses wood) Glue some super magnets to the face of the standoffs, and glue a metal plate to the back of the Masonite. Can put it up or take it down as I wash.

LION is not the sort of beast than can work under tables, that is why all of the wires are on the fascia. In other places, him just screws it into place. Glue is a nice idea, but it is a one-way solution. On curves you would need to use screws to tame your Masonite into shape. Glue and clamps wopuld work too.

Question is: do you want you fascia to look uber-finished, or “just finished enough” Will you put controls on your fascial. If so then you really do want it to be removable.

If your fascia covers a tunnel, then you will want to be able to remove it when a train lays down in there. LION runs subway train. Him has extra fascia to put in place for a rail-fan photo shoot (from the cab window), otherwise him leave it off so visitors can see the trains.

ROAR

3

Won’t be covering any tunnels with it. I will have to cut in a couple dcc panels for the hand controlers but thats about it. I just want to attach so I can join up the open perimeter from track roadbed out to the edge and fill in with whatever, probably foamboard. And seeing as my isle benchwork is already 50 inches off floor I plan on keeping the edge semi flat, I;m 5-8 inches and don’t need the edges any higher. Just looking to attach it, putty in the joining edges and finish with paint.

Thanks

Lynn

4

Lynnh:

I used steel cup washers, of the right size for your screw. This prevents driving the screw thru the masonite, it sets them up a bit, but not IMO objectionable so.

Availible in hardware section at any big box lumberyard.

Dave

5

[:-^]

I am doing the same as Dave. I just bought 100 of the cup washers for .05 cents each at a local metal supply house. I don’t mind the look of them at all. It wasn’t many years ago that all of our automobile door panel and kick panels were attached with them and we didn’t find that objectionable.

Just try to get them all in line as best you can, that makes it look more professional as well.

Johnboy out…

6

I would stay away from glue for the two reasons previously stated–how to hold curved sections until glue sets and glue’s permanancy.

I screwed mine to the benchwork with drywall screws. Then I painted it with a dark green paint. The screw heads are now almost invisible. The panels are easily removed for access to wiring, switch motors, turntable mechanics, etc.

I recessed my control panels 1/2" so that there is less chance of cothing catching on a toggle switch. They are attached with screws, the heads of which are hidden by some friction fit angle moulding not unlike a picture frame. No visible screw heads but fully removable for access if (make that when) something goes wrong.

Good luck.

7

It depends on what the endge of your layout is like currently, before installing the fascia. My previous layout was build from box-shaped modules, so the outside edge was a long flat 1x4. To allow room for controls, I cut up 2x2 into short segments, about 6" long, for an 8" high masonite fascia, and screwed those to the outside of the 1x4. The masonite was then screwed to the 2x2’s using the cup washers to make it look neat and to keep the screws from pulling right through.

I guess this is where L girder may have an advantage over open grid, because you should have the exposed edges of joists all along the layout, which makes a ready to go (maybe after trimming to length) surface to screw the masonite to.

Always screws - I wouldn’t glue it, you never know when you might need to remove a section for access, to to make alterations to the layout, or add additional wiring, or whatever.

–Randy

8

If you don’t mind the looks of cup washers, then you shouldn’t mind the appearance of round head or pan head screws without washers. Be reasonably careful driving the screws (phillips-head recommended) through minimum-sized holes, and you won’t drive them through the Masonite. By all means layout the screws in a regularly spaced pattern, aligned with each other in both directions. If the Masonite surface is unblemished and the color relatively uniform and the joints neat and very narrow or tight, you might be satisfied without joint compound and paint. Mine looks fine without either. (And I can always change my mind later!)

Dante

9

Dante:

You suggested that Lynn use phillips head screws.

Lynn is from Canada[Y][B]. Here in Canada we have these things called ‘Robertson’ screws[Y][Y][B][B]. For those who are unfamiliar, a Robertson screw has a square hole in the head and the screwdriver has a matching square tip (logically). The design means that the screw will stay on the tip all by itself (more or less) and the tip won’t slip out of the screw. You have to be pretty abusive to strip the screw, so they can be inserted and removed many times without problems. They are definately an improvement over phillips screws* and infinitely superior to slot screws[tdn]. Mind you, if you let the screwdriver tips wear too much they don’t work as well, but that is like selecting a dull blade to do cabinet work!

Anyhow, I hope you recognize that I am saying this with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek. *Drywall screws (phillips head eh!) work just about as well if your screwdriver tip is in good shape. The major advantage to the Robertson screws is that they come in a huge variety of sizes, which of course is completely irrelevant for fascia purposes[D)][(-D].

I hope Brakie doesn’t take me to task the way he did the last time I dissed slot screws.[swg][(-D][(-D][:o)]

Dave

10

Yay for Robbies. The only time I use phillips screws is for putting up drywall.

11

Thanks guys for providing enough information for me to get started. I hung my forst 8 foot section loosely for fit and to test the bends. Seems I need to stick to using my torque wrench working on my bikes as I already snapped two pieces finding out the limits. Just need to run out this fine snowy morning and get a counter sinker and longer robertson screws, the screws I have are 1-1/4 length and would be too long with not enough threads and the others I have are 3/4 length and I don’t think they would hold the stress ( so many bends).

First corner to cut back

cut out but still needed more plus better edges

Seemed the right thing to do

[URL=http://s1004.photobucket.com/user/lynnboydpics/media/2014%20laout/2014%20layout/IMG_20150117_2

12

It’s a good idea to at least prime (one coat of finish if desired) before installing facia (backdrop as well). This helps prevent any major buckling if any humidity is ever present.

13

I used a carpet stapler for mine, if done right countersinks all in one.

14

Thats a very good idea. I went and bought a counter sinker and then with a second thought also bought the screw rings so there is no counter sinking needed or filling in holes.

15

Thanks for the tip Bob, I will be painting when done.

16

Dave,

We have Robertsons here in the US also, but just not as common. I would have no problem with those, either, but I find the PHs perfectly adequate.

Dante

17

Went pretty good today, I ended up using no more nails for an adhesive and the screws and cup washers. One of the two layout rooms is pretty much done. Just need to workout how to trim the tops down for the terrain.Sure makes a major impact on the layout and will make it much simpler to fill in from the edge of layout inward.

Thanks again for all the great input.

18

Looks really good Lynn!

You sure don’t waste any time getting things done.

By the way, that’s a very well done earthquake scene in the third picture down![swg][(-D]

Dave

19

Dante:

I hope you took my post in jest, as it was intended. In reality, Robertson screws and bits quite often don’t work as nicely as theory would suggest. If the specs are off even a tiny bit then it’s easy to strip the screw head. If you get a bad batch of screws the only thing they are good for is fishing weights.

Dave

20

I prefer the flusk look rather than the raised screw look. Was pretty straightforward to use glue and air stapler.