I need to run a backdrop behind my shelf layout and would like it to curve at the corners. What do you layout guys use or recommend? Naturally I want it to be lightweight, easy to cut and thin enough to bend and smooth enough to paint scenery on it. I've heard tell of sheet styrene but I don't know where to get it around here. Just throwing this question out there to see what you all think.
Re: Backdrop Material ? There are two possibilities; 1/8" masonite and 1/4" sheet rock. In either case you will have to dampen it with a sprayer before carefully and gently applying curvature pressure. Masonite requires a water and alcohol mix to get it to bend real well. The 1/4" sheet rock will be easier to work with overall. At my suggestion, it was first used on the newest layout that our loose group of operators have been building and everyone was very pleasantly surprised - especially the owner. The 1/4" sheet rock can be bent as tight as a 24" radius if you take your time and wet both sides with a spray bottle and start the curving at both ends of a long sheet. Pictures attached. A local company, Regal Plastics also sells 4'x8' sheet of styrene. I bought a sheet of 0.020" to use to build structures, etc. The styrene may be easiest to deal with overall, but it difficult to fasten to uprights and hide the fasteners.
If you are careful, one could use sheet metal. Comes in a roll, and should be available from siding/guttering companies. They might even give you a price break for off-color goods. Since all I have to do is walk by sheet metal and I get cut, I like the idea of using 1/4" sheetrock.
Thanks, guys. I think I'll try sheetrock. Luckily it needs to be 2' high so I could cut a 4x8 in half. No waste. I'll have to practice my "score and snap" technique. Been a while since I hung any sheetrock!
Man, sheetrock is heavy. I too only need to do two feet high. I don't know if I want to do sheet rock or try styrene plastic sheets. Unfortunately, I don't have any plastic suppliers here in San Antonio, and that will mean it will come shipped in a roll which will not allow it to be flat smooth. I don't know how easy it is to smooth out the rolled styrene. Maybe I'll need to do sheet rock as well. Here we go...Mud, tape..bracing....Ugh.
Most common backdrop material used that I come across is Linoleum. It is easily to curve and can be painted while laying flat.
Good thread. I will soon be at the point of putting up some backdrop corners and haven't decided which material to use. Due to local building codes, 1/4" sheetrock would require a pretty good road trip to aquire. I'm kinda leaning towards linoleum as Sherrel suggest. That or the styrene sheets. Probably end trying both, just to see which works better for me.
I used some 2' aluminum someone gave me. It may have been a roll of flashing, or possibly gutter material. I'm pretty sure I've seen the same thing at Home Depot or Menards in the roofing area. It was brown on one side and white on the other, so I used the white side as the backdrop. It took paint well, and was easy to curve in the corners. I think I posted about it several years back, let's see...http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?2169-KC-Terminal-Themed-Layout&p=24915#post24915 It's not that sharp, but wear work gloves.
Tom, how funny. I just got back from Menards and they had no 1/4" drywall so I looked around and thought, "Why not 1" foam board. I came home with two sheets and then read your reply. I'll post picks as I install it. Sherrel, I used linoleum years ago and it worked well but I didn't have it properly affixed to a flat wall and it curled a bit in places. This will be an experiment ( as usual with my projects). It may not bend well but I'll try by golly!
If you are lucky, the foam board will be polystyrene. That can be heated with a heat gun or hair drier and bent to a form. Another possibility is to use towels soaked in very hot water. Raise one end, leave the other on the surface and place the hot, wet towels on the unsupported area. George
That's a good idea, George. Tonight I cut and hung the foam board in place and painted it white along with the old yellowed ceiling tile and cabinets. Fresh white paint really brightens up my dank basement! Tomorrow I'll paint the back drop sky blue. Lastly I'll paint the scenery on it. Here's an overall shot and a test picture to check the lighting. So far so good.
Jim, I have to ask ... What's in the cabinets .. How are you going to open them with the RR in front?
I was waiting for someone to ask that. Those cabinets were full of ancient junk and useless clutter from my wife's grandmother. Old vases, pine cones and mostly old floral supplies. After getting rid of the clutter the upper shelves were empty and I cut the doors off at that level sealing them off. This left the lower 3/4 of the doors fully functional and the lower shelves now hold modeling supplies and what not. I gained a lot of storage by getting rid of the clutter even though the upper two shelves are forever empty. The things we do for usable railroad space!
Jim - I'm a late arrival, but I'm a believer in making do with what one has on hand. Accordingly, I have some aluminum sheet roll approximately 2' tall that I figure I'll plan on using. It's dark brown on one side and white on the other; once the white is painted a bluer shade, I figure it's easy to bend to the desired shape. It may not be ideal, but I think it will be good enough for my purposes. The Zalma depot- now that is something like! The layout's looking good - when's the first operating session? Best Regards,
Thanks, Chris! If I had what you have I would have used it no doubt. I want to correct my earlier post, I bought 1/2" foam not 1". Operation session? I don't know but I'm Jonesin' for some train movements!
I used sheet metal role I purchased at Home Depot. The "pros' were pretty easy to work with, easy to transport home, goes around corners and when you role it blue some of the white will show thorugh. The big " con" is the seam. Tried to use some sort of filler, a lot of work and cracks now showing two years later. John
I am thinking of using aluminum sheet metal. Would caulking work on the seams since it has a rubber consistency? It seems like it may avoid cracks over time. If nobody has tried this, I will try and let you know. Joe
Joe, at least part of the backdrop on the Claremore and Southern is aluminum from a roll, as I recall. You could check how the joints are done out there, see how they have held up for twenty or so years.
