If there is a Menards store nearby you might want to look at their birch ply SKU# 1251696. Have used many sheets so far building my benchwork. The stuff is fabulous. Best plywood I have ever found at a big box store. Minimal voids, no overlapping plys, thick face veneers. A real joy to work with.
I finally got to cut, glue, and screw some wood today! Started working on the support frame- haven’t got far with it yet but it feels good to finally get started.
I bought a sheet of the 1/2" hardwood ply to play with. Not yet convinced that it is best for sub-roadbed, but I will use it to build legs and for general purpose if nothing else. We don’t have a Menard’s but we do have a huge Ace store nearby that has a big lumber selection. I may stop by there and see what they have. The only downside with Ace is they close early in the evenings and on Sunday so not very convenient.
I played around with turnouts on my workbench yesterday. My locos do not like the #5- even the diesel derailed at the frog once or twice. No problems at all with the #6 or #8. Unless something changes when I play with my test layout I think I’ll stick with #6 as a minimum in the final design. I really want the trackwork to be as bullet-proof as possible.
Glad you’re off to a good start. Start a progress thread when you start the actual work, I’m sure many others would also like to follow along.
If you find the 1/2" birch suited to your needs, Home depot does also carry it and they have much better hours. I must say, not much of my wood comes from HD or Loew’s for my work, but the hardwood ply in 1/2 and 3/4" is as good as @ my regular supplier.
Someone mentioned using luan, although a decent, strong ply the outer veneer will splinter on crosscutting even w/ the sharpest blade. Utility knife score cut and belt sand is how I have to address those cuts. Stick w/ the birch and be happy[:)]
Yes, off to a start. Was thinking of starting a thread once I get my phase 1 benchwork on legs. Should be at that point by the end of the weekend. Right now I think my knowledge and skill level is “middle of the pack” for those posting here. Not a raw newbie but hardly at the level of some of you guys. So if I start a thread it will be a combination of “how do you do it?” and “this is what I did”. I am an engineer (no, not the RR train type!) and always like to incorporate my own ideas and designs into these sort of hobbies- I find that is a big part of the fun. Most work out well though there are always some duds. Just following the pack is not what its about, though getting advice from those who have been there is always very useful and appreciated!
Seem to have started something with my question on wood grade- all of the sudden there were a bunch of posts on the same topic. Maybe there are just a lot of us with similar minds just getting started (some of us again!) right now.