I am a mechanic at an automotive dealership and the smaller parts like gaskets and uncommon fasteners also come in odd packages and seems so often when you need 4 the package has 3.
David - how about using the adjustable screw-in bed stems [Shepherd is one manufacturer]. I have used them to great result to ensure my table top is level where my floor is not.
Very nice video. When I select lumber, I don’t just eyeball it “straightness”, I lay it on the floor and turn it over and over to make sure that it lies flat on all sides.
Glad to see the interest in this developing project layout! Videos covering construction of MRVP’s first-ever On30 layout will be coming your way later this spring, but you just might catch a glimpse of the progress on MR’s workshop webcam, going “live” in January.
Don’t think we didn’t consider a way to “borrow” the 2014 Corvette Z51 1LT for our shopping trip, but it was only passing through. (Unfortunately, that wasn’t my Christmas present!)
What I did receive as the new guy on the MRVP staff was the distinct privilege of paying the $250 bill at checkout! Priceless.
What does David use to profile the scenery in the Thin Branch railroad? He used foam insulation to carve the mountain but what does he attach the foam to?
Great video! Looking forward to the project moving forward! BTW, will the webcam be up and running on this?
Why not buy v good 3/4" plywood and rip it to the width you need? Always straight. Worried about holding in the side grain? Just use a scrap solid “screw block”. Buy your hardware in 100 count boxes. It won’t go bad between this use and the next. And the per unit cost is MUCH less.
I don’t know about the states further south. Or the stores on the other side of the mountain. But the Home Depot here in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley stocks every size but 1 1/2 " foam board insulation.
Do you guys ever use polyurethane to seal raw lumber to prevent it from taking on moisture? I use it outside on a dry day, when its dry it goes to the basement layout.
Did anyone else notice that the washer package was swinging when David reached for it? Put it right where it would be easy to grab.
Those odd fastener lots are a product of good marketing. You have to buy two bags! My Dad would always save a spare fastener of any kind in a single coffee can. Every project would start by dumping the can on the floor looking for what you needed. Added to the adventure.
I see someone else noticed that David had Kent pushing the cart everywhere, EXCEPT, after he had Kent pay the bill.
David, I just started shopping at Home Depot and loved the different variety compared to Lowe’s. Thing is, no matter which one you go to, you still have to hunt for straight lumber. Also, here in South Carolina I actually saw 1 inch pink foam board and was pleasantly surprised to find it in 2’ X 2’ sheets to create my mountains/tunnels with. Loved the video and looking forward to others.
Rick Phipps from South Carolina
Seems like a lot was skipped to get here. Such as planning the layout and how you determined what materials you needed to build it. I realize some of this information will be in the written article, but even then, it seems a lot of the planning information is skipped in those too.
How much did the materials cost come to?
Hey, David! What happened to your Mini-Coopers (the Virginian Layout episode 2) or is that Kent’s red car?
This is one of the best videos you’ve produced to date. Selecting straight, clear lumber is great advice. It may be a bit more expensive, but cheaper, knotty, warped wood is no way to economize if you want good stable benchwork, which is essential for track that provides smooth, reliable operation.
A word about layout lighting. The Farmington Valley Railway Society recently replaced its old fluorescent layout lighting with track-mounted PAR 30 dimmable LED lamps. These provide focused lighting that does a surprisingly good job of mimicking sunlight; the contrast between strong shadows and highlights really makes the layout details pop! They are energy efficient, providing 790 lumens per lamp, remain relatively cool, and consume only 15 watts. And we don’t expect that we will have to replace them for a long, long time; the manufacturer states that they will last 22.8 years.
Loving Olympia so far. Could we see the shopping list? It would be a great reference guide for future projects.
You are supposed to go through the entrance not the exit of the Home Depot.
It’s always easier to buy clear lumber when you’re paying for it using someone else’s dime.
David is right about screw packaging. The bags should contain even numbers of screws. It was good to learn about MDF, too.