I’m building my new layout and the plan is to do an around the walls plan mounted to the studs. Since it is a double-decker I want to keep the benchwork as light as possible and so plan on using foam on top of open grid benchwork. The question I have is the following approach sufficient support for 2" thick foam top.
A 1x2 every 16 inches that is positioned narrow side up (i.e., it is 2 inches tall and 1 inch wide). The foam top will be, at most, two feet deep. I will also have a 1x2 strip underneath the outer edge (i.e., connecting the individual 1x2s that are laid crosswise).
The plans I have seen in books used 2x2s but I couldn’t find any in good quality wood (I’m using Class 2 white pine). Can I use the 1x2 or should I widen the support piece by screwing on a strip of 1x1?
Any ideas welcome. Thanks.
Brad
You’ll be fine with that structure. I use 1x3 every 16 inches, but I’ve got a free-standing table that’s 5 feet wide. I really like working with foam - it’s light, easy to work with and it doesn’t leave a pile of sawdust when I cut it. I use either hot-wire for small cuts, or score-and-snap for longer cuts, by the way.
As long as you dont put much weight on it, you should be fine.
Third the comments above.
I actually used even less spaceing on mine and still works great. Only thing ot be careful is not lean on it. There is a chance you migth break through the foam if you are in the wrong spot, but you want to be careful as might you divet the foam. Not that I know from personal expeirence… I uh, read it somewhere… no wait, a freind told me…
Best Regards
John k
A 4 x 8 sheet is pretty light, especially at two inches thick. As far as two by twos just go to lowes and have them cut a treated 2 by 4 in half.
1x2 framing would be pretty weak and very susceptible to warping, especially without a plywood top to tie it all together.
At a minimum, I would recommend 1x3 (furring strips) and use 12" centers for your cross supports. If you’re going to skip the plywood top, I would suggest using 1/4" or 3/8" triangular gussets in the corners to keep everything square.
Use Liquid nails for Foam to glue the foam down and use 3 or 31/2" sheetrock scews to screw the foam to the frame every 6 to 8 inches while the glue sets (after a few days or a week you can remove the screws). When screwing the foam down, drive the screw just far enuff to pull down the foam flush with frame.
whitman500, in Basic Model Railroad Benchwork, page 78, is an example of what you are suggesting. The only difference to what you are thinking is that the author of that HO railroad used two 1x2’s in an L-girder arrangement vs. the one 1x2. Then, 2" foam on top of that.
IMO, the book is a worthwhile investment, lot’s of pictures, materials required etc.
Instead of “dimensional” 1x2 (which is at best 3/4" x 1 1/2") get some high(er) grade 3/4" plywood and rip it to 3" or 4". You can get away with 24" spacing if the depth is no greater than 24".
Andrew