Benchwork Question - Is it necessary to put wood (plywood, etc.) down on top of the frame, or are layers of foam panels strong enough without it?
I will defer to those who have used it regarding the foam as a main structure. My inner engineer says you need something with more torsional rigidity.
My Zalma Branch is just 2" foam on framework. No problems so far. Very easy to run feeder wires through it.
It depends on the thickness of the foam. My Free-moN modules are mostly 2" foam, with about 6" of plywood at each end. They look like this before the fascia goes on: And this after the fascia are installed: And these are modules, so they stand up to the rigors of being transported to shows. I have 2 4' sections that have been doing this for 10 years now. If I use less than 2" foam, I use a Lunan plywood backer under the foam. Paul
What we did was to cut plywood for the roadbed on our modules, then fill in the balance of the area with foam. Tony L.
Brandon, I suggest using at least two inches of foam on top of your framework. On my layout I used 3/4 inch Birch plywood and then two layers of foam, 1 1/4 inches, because I'm building the layout in modules. The modules are held together by two 1/4 inch bolts and two 1/4 inch pins. Edit: Added bolts and pins. Joe