My home layout will be along two walls, one 12 feet and the other 14.5 feet (L-shaped). The layout will be a point to point in HO scale on a 17 inch wide shelf. Would I be correct in figuring that one bracket screwed into the wall studs every 32 inches will be enough support with some extra support in the corner? I plan on using 1/2 inch plywood for the base and cork roadbed. Thanks for your help.
Mike
You might get away with 32" spacing and 3/4" plywood. I would go for 16" spacing on the brackets though; even with 3/4" plywood. I did use 1/2" ply and 16" spacing on my layout shelf section and have not had any problems with sag or shifting.
You may be interested in having a look at this…
With brackets only every 32 inches 1/2 inch thick plywood will tend to sag between brackets. It would probably be best to go with a bracket at every stud, or 16 inches.
If you can find 3/4 inch thick particle board shelving in the desired width, you may be able to go with the brackets on 32 inch centers and not have a problem since this would be stronger than the plywood.
Sorry but both particle board and MDF will sag more than plywood; in fact, over 32", both will sag in the middle from their own weight, much less the added weight of the layout.
Much as everyone bags on particle board, I DID use it very succesfully for a previous layou. I lived in an apartment and the only space I had was this 8x8 room they called a “walk in closet” even though it had no facilities for hanging clothes. I had my computer in there, and put up some of that basic metal track and bracket stuff on two of the walls. The particle board I used was the high density kind of stuff - the full 4x8 sheet was HEAVY. Not that big flakey stuff. Since I had no way to cut it, I had them cut it at the store, so I just had to load some cut to width and length pieces in my car. On the short wall I put a second level above the layout level, used that to hold my collection of Model Railroaders. To keep the sections together at te corner, I used a metal mending plate which is just a piece of sheet metal with 2 holes in it, I installed that underneath driving one screw into each shelf. On top of this I built a small switchign railroad - I had plans to expand to a third wall but ended up moving. The shorter section I donated to the model railroad club I belonged to to use as a static display. I had the metal uprightsand brackets at 32" intervals, every other stud, and had no sagging problems even on the upper shelf loaded with books and magazines.
–Randy
No dispute with what you think that you saw and remember Randy. However this is the area in which I made my living for many years (furniture maker - think book shelves). Over about 3’, the eye will normally detect about 1/8" deflection. This is way too much for track to sag between supports and still allow good train operation; it would be acceptable for books.
There is an online calculator (sagulator) that you can u
For a completely different alternative, you could consider L-girder, with two brackets on each wall, using the method in Linn Westcott’s book on benchwork. There are advantages and disadvantages, but it makes a good base.
If it were me doing the work, I’d be using 1/2 or 3/4 material on 48" centers which will work fine, IF you glue a 1X3 or a 1X4 along the front for a facia board, which I think one needs to hide the wires and 'stuff anyway. As long as you have a securely fashioned facia board, almost any of the previously mentioned materials would work on with the wider brackets. The bigger issue to me is the actual brackets themselves, HD and Lowes have steel brackets that are flat steel with a steel flat or rod as the angle brace. These hummers will hold alot of weight quite safely.
Why am I so confident, it is the way I built my test track.
Joe
Try the following link for a heavy-duty Stanley bracket that is reasonably attractive and available in different sizes (I’ve seen them in HD):
http://www.stanleyhardware.com/default.asp?TYPE=CATEGORY&CATEGORY=HDW+HD+SHELF+BRACKET
Dante
[quote user=“Alan_B”]
No dispute with what you think that you saw and remember Randy. However this is the area in which I made my living for many years (furniture maker - think book shelves). Over about 3’, the eye will normally detect about 1/8" deflection. This is way too much for track to sag between supports and still allow good train operation; it would be acceptable for books.
There is an online calculator (sagu
I agree. I would definitely go with a bracket at each stud. Your cost will obviously go up, but steel shelf brackets aren’t that expensive.
You might want to check the article by Don Spiro in the October 2005 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman that starts on page 72 in which he describes the use of the Dorfile Shelf System that he purchased at Home Depot. This might be something that you could use for the benchwork on your new latout.
Bob
Hate to burst your bubble, Alan, but MDF and particle board, over the SAME span, will not sag more than plywood. I’ve built a couple of small electronic equipment racks for desktop use (you know the type of rack used to mount equipment that has a nominal dimension of 19" across the mounting ears. Actually built 4, 1 each p board, mdf, and 2 plywood, out of nominal 1/2" thick material. I didn’t use rack mount ears, but made shelves, 3 shelves in each rack. They all have about the same amount of sag, and each carries about the same amount of weight (roughly 60 pounds in each rack). The amount of sag is unimportant.
I saw in another post that in a previous lifetime you were a cabinet maker. I am and was not, but both my father and my grandfather on my mother’s side were excellent carpenters, so it’s in the genes. So yeah, I know what I’m talking about.
It is not my bubble - check the engineering data.
I just got done building 35 feet of shelf support brackets of just this type. What I did:
Brackets in every other stud, approximately 32 inches apart.
Framework on top of the brackets, constructed of 2x2 lumber up against the wall, 1x2 along the leading edge, and 2x2 pieces to connect the wall 2x2 to the leading edge 1x2. The shelves themselves are 1’ deep.
On top of this framework, I set my modules. They are of various sizes, but no longer than 6 feet wide. Each module is based on 5/8" MDF, with a framework of 1x2 lumber, screwed to the MDF no more than 18" apart with drywall screws. I find that the 1x2 lumber screwed to the MDF makes for a very secure framework, provides room under the layout surface for wiring, and keeps the MDF very stiff so it does not bend. I recently moved, but after two years in an unheated, un-air-conditioned and poorly weather-sealed garage, there was no noticeable sag or warp in the MDF/1x2 modules I have constructed. I use 3" wide strips of Masonite as a fascia board, nailed to the front of the module.
The shelf system I have devised probably won’t support a person standing on it, but they aren’t designed for that anyhow.
Get yourself some 1x2 lath to put under the plywood/MDF/particle board, and you should be fine.
Thanks for all the great replies everyone. I wasn’t even considering the warping…just the weight factor when I started this conversation. I will take every comment into consideration and may do some testing on my own before final construction.
Mike
