Benchwork Question

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I’ve decided my new layout will have the benchwork attached to my basement walls. I’m going to use 2 x 2 pilasters and extend bracket arms off those pilasters into the room, with a diagonal brace for support. I saw this method in an earlier edition of Kalmbach’s benchwork book. My question is how far apart should the pilasters be spaced? In some of the photos, it looks to be about 32" (every other stud), but I would like to know what has worked for those using this method. I plan on using L-girder construction with 1 x 4’s. Depth of the benchwork would be 24" or less in most spaces (one yard with a roundhouse will be 30").

Thanks,

Scott

2

As I read my 1980 copy of Linn Wescott’s book, $5.50; figure 4-8

For a 1x4 L girder he says a 13 foot spread!

a 1x2 instead of L girder, 29" and a 1x2 L girder 6’

1x3 L girder is 9’ - 6"

He is describing a 2" pilaster, a diagonal brace with 2 horizonal supports and a plywood gusset at the bottom of the brace and pilaster. Based on that, you are over building.

3

I might suggest you have a look thru an alternative idea…horizontal metal benchwork.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/265524.aspx

I looked at a number of different options that make use of ‘brackets’ attached to the wall studs that would support plywood decks/shelves.

I’ve now arrived at a really different and simple solution (on page 2 of that discussion),…

Over the past year I have been thinking and experimenting with ideas for my benchwork for my new layout in a shed.

I was over at my local metal scrap yard this past Fri and noticed some hollow square steel tubing they use to mount street signs with. Its 2" square verses my flanged 1-1.25" bed rails, and its really strong, and its galvanized. So now I am definitely considering this stuff.

I was originally considering making vertical brackets at each of the wall stud location to support the plywood shelves. then I ran across these steel square tubing at the local metal scrap yard.

My contractor friend. who was going to weld up the considerable number of vertical brackets I had sketched up, came back with an interesting idea. Why not lay these square tube ‘beams’ horizontally along the walls and lag them into the wall studs. Then the plywood shelves (decks) could be attached along their wall edge and cantilevered out. And where the shelf/deck is of a substantial depth, the outer edge might also be supported primarily by another long piece of this horizontal square tubing with only an ocassional vertical support.

I am now planing on utilizing this 'horizon

4

I already have some of the lumber purchased and sitting in the basement acclimating to the environment, but thanks for the idea.

I do remember building my previous benchwork and the legs were 1/5 of the way in from the ends. So for the 8-ft sections, that worked out to about 58" apart. Following that logic, I could space every 3rd wall stud (48"), which would save me $$ and still be stronger than my previous benchwork.

Thanks for the input.

Scott

5

I always overbuild my benchwork. I have never regretted that decision.

.

The plan for the next layout is even more overbuilding.

.

-Kevin

.

6

Instead of pilasters, a better use (and size) of lumber would be 1"x2", used horizontally and screwed, on its flat, to every stud. You could then add an additional 1"x2" atop that, to form your rear L-girder.

The front (or near the front) L-girder could be typical 1"x4", with a top plate of 1"x2", but instead of bracket arms for support, why not simply use either legs (spaced as Henry suggests) or diagonals, similarly-spaced, from the rear of the front L-girder to the base of the wall, where there’s a solid sill-plate supporting the wall studs?

A friend’s layout uses brackets for support, but the space below the layout, over time, accumulates a lot of “stuff”.
My layout is open grid, supported on mostly 2"x4" benchwork (surprisingly, I had a lot of 2"x4"s “left-over” from building my house - they were a lot easier to hide in the home-construction material orders than would have been “Select” pine lumber.)
The space beneath the layout, naturally, still accumulates a lot of “stuff”, but it’s all hidden behind either sliding- or lift-off Masonite panels…

…and is well-off the floor, too…

Wayne

7

Hi Doctorwayne,
Do you recall the subject threads were you have posted some photos of your excellent structures, track plans, etc? Or would I be able to find them by just doing some sort of ‘search’ for all of your postings?

I realize a lot of the images were stored in photobucket, but I believe I have discover a way to extract them into a jpeg image i can save in a file on my computer.

You’ve done such great work, and I think I will get some ideas for a few such structures/scenes on my new layout planning.

Regards, Brian

8

Brian, I seldom use the search function here, but a quick look at my profile page shows over 5200 discussions in which I’ve taken part. None of those, however, make mention of whether or not I included photos.
Also, I don’t start very many threads here, as most of my posts (and photos) are in response to questions or problems posted by others.

Any photos which I post here are from photobucket, but my albums there are private, and not accessible to the general public unless I post them somewhere.

If you want to see photos which I’ve posted, probably the easiest way is to go to the Big blue Train Forums, then click on the “Member List” near the top right of the screen.

Members are listed alphabetically, and I’m the second listing under “D”. Click on my user name, and you’ll get a rather bare-bones profile, but which also includes a listing of “Total Threads” - these are ones which I’ve started, and most are several pages long and usually with lots of photos. Click on the “Find All Threads”, and you’ll get a list of click-on thread titles.

I hope that you’ll find something there that’s useful or at least interesting.

Probably the most well-illustrated ones are among the “Challenge” posts (semi-informal contests where a number of participants illustrate (each in their own threads) a project which they hope to complete within a specified timeframe.

There are some threads there in which the photos are attachments, and many of those were messed-up during a recent “upgrade” to the site. The photos are there, but not in their original order, so the captions/descriptions don’t necessarily match the photos. I’ve re-done a few of them, but the list is fairly long, and the work time consuming.

You should be able to find stuff on locomotives, rolling stock, scenery,

9

Be sure to consider the times you may want to climb onto your layout. Needs some good strength for that. Even if you don’t plan to do any climbing, I will bet that you will be leaning against it and putting a lot of weight on it. Even with a 24" width, you may be surprised how many times you may lean on it heavy durning laying track and landscaping.

Metal sound good until you discover a place that the metal piece is in the way of some piece of equipment such as a tortoise or hole to drill for wire. Wood is a lot more forgiving in that regard. Wood also is easier to attach stuff (wiring, etc) to under your layout.

10

For sure, leaning or occasionally getting up on the layout happens. I did. The half inch OSB was solid and fine. People can overkill of course, but if I would have overkilled on my last layout, holy moly, some of the pieces would have been insanely heavy. The half inch OSB sandwiched with Homasote was heavy enough; I couldn’t imagine 3/4 inch.

I totally agree about metal vs. wood. Been there done that. I prefer wood much more and for the reasons given above. More forgiving. I know from experience.

11

L girders are strong and don’t sag. They’re like I beams. 8 feet is actually fine, IMO, but I would go 48 inches. Any closer than that and its really overkill.

Its just to hold up the entire layout, right?

You’ll want joists about 16 inches to prevent sagging of the shelf top or to support the risers.

12

Strong and Great Access

Wood is easy to work with, no doubt. Metal brings up questions.

But look again at this method I’m using on my decks,…horizontal metal beams attached to the wall studs. Then 3/4" good grade plywood cantilivered out from those metal beams

My staging level decks below this main deck will likely be 12-16 inches deep. No need for any other supporting benchwork under that overhead main deck, so:
a) staging deck level can be close up under the main deck level.
b) I will have a totally open access to the staging tracks with NO vertical members to interfere

verses this arrangment with wood…

Lag bolts secure metal beam to wall studs. Machine bolts and nuts secure plywood to metal beam.

13

I believe you are seriously overestimating the rigidity of your cantilevered plywood. Anything more than 6" or so is sure to sag (and/or warp) over time. Do this on your own layout if you choose, but advocating it for someone else before you have proven it’ll work long term is forum malpractice.

14

“Do this on your own layout if you choose, but advocating it for someone else before you have proven it’ll work long term is forum malpractice.”

I can understand that,…sorry.

Of course it might take a few years to prove yea or nei?

And now that I think about it there are a LOT of ‘forum subjects/discussions’ that are not proven facts,…they are discussions of possibilities.

15

Nothing at all wrong with that, IMO, as long as you disclose it as such.

16

You can stiffen plywood by gluing and finish nailing 1xs to under the plywood. In the picture above, eliminate the vertical posts and retain the horizontal members, if your attachment to the steel beam and wall is strong enough to hold the vertical forces.

Attaching 1xs to the underside essentially turns a chunk of plywood into its own L girder.

All you need for an L girder is two pieces attached perpendicular to each other, then the strong direction of one piece offsets the weak direction of the other. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the common way, usually done with two 1xs.

17

I didn’t have a horizontal beam (wood or steel) along the front side because of the limited 7 1/2 clearance was low enough on that construction. Adding a beam would have been more to have to reach under. I did have horizontal support on the back side however:

The top that was supported in the first photo was 30 inches wide. On the planned layout it will be only 24 inches wide.