Why is the hollow core door so popular for the smaller layouts ? Why not just buy a 4/8 sheet of plywood for a fraction of the cost, and rip it to the same dimensions (width-wise; you could keep the extra 16" length on a plywood sheet if desired) as a door if needed ?
Mailman,
I’m not an N scaler, but as a woodworker I can give you why I would choose a door over just a piece of plywood. The door, even if it’s a hollow core door, is built as a torsion box when laid flat and will remain much flatter and truer than just a piece of plywood without any supporting framework attached. If you take a piece of plywood and build a supporting frame for it, you’ve just built the same thing as the door without the second skin installed. A 36" wide slab door is $32.00 at Lowes, about the same for a 3/4" sheet of plywood.
Don Z.
Ah, thanks, I see.
p.s. Boy, judging by the various prices I’ve seen listed, I’ve got it made [:)] 3/4 plywood here is $13 a sheet (local lumber yards), and chipboard is $10.
Foam is cheap too.
$13 for a 3/4" thick piece of 4x8 plywood? Where do you live, 1983???
Seriously, that’s an EXCELLENT price for plywood, which averages $35 for 3/4" in the Chicago area (for BC grade!). I can’t even get 2" thick foam for that cheap, and the stuff is made 50 miles from where I live! I’d stock up if I were you!
Small town, Northern Minnesota [:)] Few weeks ago, the Lowes (or was it Menards ? Can’t remember…) at Grand Forks, ND had a huge stack of 1/2 for $10 a sheet.
Mailman,
You can also score a door like I did, for free, from a crew that was remodeling a house. I was walking by it (it’s down the street from me) and the door was just leaning against a pile of debris. I asked what they wanted for it and they told me to take if I wanted it.
Now, it had a hole where the doorknob was, and where the hunges were, but what the hey… free is free.
I also have scored a fair amount of lumber, lathing and foam insulation from various construction sites. Same with plywood sheeting. They use a fair amount for various jobs that just get tossed afterwards, and much of it can be salvaged. Just ask to speak to the forum, tell him what you’re doing (building a model railroad for your kid… right?) and ask if you can have any of the scraps. I’ve never ben refused as long as i could carry it off with me. Never hurts to ask, and can really help the project bottom line, you know?
Respects,
Yep, agreed, great way to get various materials, thanks !