Hi guys!
I need some advice from you all. Look at the picture. It’s a part of my upper level. I want the fascia to follow the track. My idea is to build a rectangular open-grid benchwork and add some 1x2" wood to fasten the fascia and give it some shape. Are there other and better methods to do this?
L-girder works better for curved facia, but if you want to save space, you could go with a modified box frame in which the outside rim joist is notched and the cross joists are notched (think log cabin) such that they extend the appropriate distance to parallel the track. You can then bend your masonite or whatever to line up with the track.
Simply attach thin sheets of high density fiberboard (called Masonite in the US) right to the ends of the L girders you have protruding from the wall with wood screws. That may be exactly the the 1 x 2s you’re talking about. If so, I think you have the right idea already. If you use thin HDF sheets, you should be able to easily bend the HDF to a nice curve and get a nice flowing facsia. For the seams in the HDF and screw heads, I’ve always used plaster joint compound, but I’ve heard using painter’s caulk works better because it is flexible and less likely to crack.
[#ditto] 1/8" Masonite work great. It bends real easy without breaking.
Even if you get thin Masonite, it can be kind of stiff if you are trying to bend it too much. If you need more flexibility, you might consider using rolls of vinyl sheeting or styrene, like what you might get from a home improvement store or plastics distributor (if such a thing exists where you live). I know some people use stuff like that for their backdrop material sometimes.
I’d suggest getting some masonite first to try it and see if it will work for you before getting a whole bunch of it.
Whatever material you decide on, whether masonite, MDF or even ply, set the first piece to allow for attachment of your scenery and scenery contours. The outer and finished facia can then be placed slightly above any scenery material and cut to the same contour.
This is showing an unfinished area of the facia, the facia at this point is 2 layers of 3/8" ply with 1/4 MDF as the finish. The contours are cut to the scenery. The flat level spot is to be water/ pond.
Another section getting ready for scenery showing the facia contruction. The end of the handlaid track is a portal where the scenery starts a hill
Even at a level yard, the outer scenery shows some contour to break up the long expanse.
Hope some of these pics helps in your facia design.
Fire up your trusty table saw and rip your fascia to rectangles as wide as or wider than the finished product will be.
For an 8 foot ripper, drill at least four quarter inch or 3/8" holes in the fascia as high up as you can get a screw through the fascia into a solid member of the benchwork. The holes have to be bigger than the heads of your screws.
A quarter inch above the screw holes, drill much smaller holes, just large enough to pass the shaft of your screws.
With your mototool or a jewelers file, connect and elongate the smaller and larger holes.
Clamp the fascia to the benchwork in the finished position.
Drive at least 4 screws into the narrow slot of your fabricated screwholes. Bring the heads tight to the fascia, then back off a quarter turn or so. Now you have an 8 foot section of fascia that’s very easy to remove, to paint a backdrop on, or to give you access to trains stranded underground.
With a pencil, scribe the finished terrain onto the inner side of the fascia. Try to avoid or smooth out angular or jagged lines. Fascia a fraction of an inch lower than actual terrain won’t draw the eye.
Remove the fascia and cut it to terrain profile with a jigsaw.
Adhesive sandpaper attached to a large diameter dowell rod block will smooth out rough cuts. Add a very slight bevel to the edges to avoid splinters and “paper” cuts.
If you use hardwood veneered plywood for fascia, the edge plies can be covered with 1/8 inch by fascia thickness rips of similar hardwoods. These will bend easily to match terrain contours. Clamp and glue these, sand smooth with a handheld orbital, stain and finish to taste.
Thanks to all of you for the great help.
bogp40, your pictures really help, thanks a lot.