There's a lot of ideas and advice floating around out there on bench work these days. There's some discussion on this forum, but its from a long time ago and doesn't reflect the era were in now with covid pricing still having an effect on sheet lumber. I'm trying to get a general sense what material I should use for building my new layout. Quick basic specs: open grid style attached to a stud wall. HO scale. Every turnout will have a switch machine under it. My initial thought is 1x4's for the grid structure, and good quality 3/4" plywood on top. Two problems with this, 1x4's are more expensive than 2x4s and good 3/4" plywood still isn't cheap. I'm thinking if I go with 2x4's, that'll add extra strength to the grid work anyway, and possibly be the better choice since I will have to move supports around to accommodate switch machines. As for the plywood up top, I'm more uncertain about that. Could I get by with something slimmer, like 1/2"? Should I consider a lower quality like OSB? I think OSB is about half the price. Also, does anyone take the time to use wood glue for any of it? I would really appreciate some input on this TIA
You don't need 3/4" plywood. O-scale guys sometimes use it because their layouts tend to be larger and they walk around on the plywood to reach scenic projects that are more than arm's length from the aisle. Half-inch is plenty and 3/8" will work just as well. However, you should get the plywood that has one smooth side (I don't know what the different grades are called). I also wouldn't bother with Homasote. It's expensive and not really necessary. GS
Ethan, Use 3/4" plywood throughout for benchwork. Plywood is much more stable over length and width than dimensional lumber. Benchwork is the foundation of a model railroad. Especially in the case of an outbuilding where you may not always maintain a consistent temperature and humidity. Both of these dynamics will greatly affect your foundation. Rip the plywood into 3 to 4 inch widths. Current dimensional limber listed as # x 4 is actually 3-1/2" wide. One sheet will produce 15 three inch, 13 three and one half inch or 11 four inch strips 8' long. These will be your joists or joined at right angles L or I girders. For long span girders, stagger the flange and web joints for added strength. Any scrap can be used for sway bracing to walls. Use standard coarse thread sheet rock screws to assemble. As an alternative for joining the plywood for added strength and often improved later access, pocket screws make for a super strong joint. Jigs are available for drilling pocket holes for the screw head. Recommend purchasing a couple of good quality cordless drills, extra batteries and a multi battery charger. You may also find a cordless impact driver helpful for some jobs. Get a bulk package of Phillips head bits for assembly. DO NOT use legs to the floor! Legs are always in the way, impede cleaning, carpet laying (sheet or squares), hamper wiring and other under layout work. Hope this helps. Thanks! Mark
Thanks for the input guys. As far as plywood types, my local store has something they call poplar/birch. Both sides have a nice finish to it. The only equivalent thing I could find today at Lowes they called sanded birch, but it was almost twice as much per sheet. Pre-covid, the local place also stocked AC plywood that would fit the bill, but I haven't seen it in a while. I'll have to ask them about it next week. I have heard of ripping down plywood to use in the place of dimensional lumber, but I've never understood the practice. I can't wrap my head around the idea that it would be stronger than an equivalent sized 1x4. I need to read up on that some more. I have no shortage of power tools at my disposal, don't you worry about that. I HATE Philips head screws. I only use them when I absolutely have to, and even then I'm cussing them the whole time. All of my lumber projects the past several years have used torx decking screws instead. The #9 decking screws I have on hand are a little big for 3/4" plywood and 1x4s, but today I found some #6 torx screws at Lowes that I think will work well. I won't have any legs like you describe, everything will be angle braced back to the wall.
CD plywood would work, just pick some nice sheets. You can fill any knotholes pretty easily. Half inch would be my recommendation. Less flexiness.
If I was building a small-ish layout I might be able to make that work. I've already been through several bunks of 5/8th's CD board for the building project this year, and I don't think I could get enough good sheets out of a bunk to make it work even if I ripped the junk for structure lumber.
The key thing is that multiple layers of material are glued at right angles to each other so there is no fully linear grain. This gives lateral, longitudinal, and torsional strength, stability and resistance to warping that you can't get in dimensional lumber. The more plies the better. I look for at least 7 ply material. That's why cabinet shops build the "carcass" of fine cabinetry out of plywood and only the exposed surfaces are finished solid wood or MDF (if painted) for show.
Ethan, Having just stumbled upon this, I'll add kudos to the above comments. My benchwork is 3/4" plywood ripped into strips for the entire layout. 1 X 4's are more expensive than 2 X 4's and the plywood strips are much cheaper. My benchwork was built in early 2000--pre covid price increases--and the plywood worked out to being much cheaper then, as well. Do any of you lumber experts think OSB would work? It's price has come down substantially in the recent months--much more than plywood.
A handful of photos to show the benchwork I used. At the ends and once or twice in the middle of a wall the back (part nearest the wall) is screwed to a stud. It's solid as a rock. The holes are for wiring to pass through. I did that in all of the cross-members. A few diagonal braces between the pairs of legs are a good idea, as well.
A friend in Colorado Springs has an extremely large layout that has 1" square steel tubing for the benchwork. Lot's of cutting and welding!!! He designed the house to have the layout in the basement. There are recesses in the basement concrete floor for access under the railroad. Regional Building (city government), who does inspections and approvals for hvac, etc., gave him grief over the basement. It took forever to get everything approved. Typical government bureaucratic idiocy!!! If you decide to look up his layout, his name is Bob Bandy and the layout is the Grand Pacific and Northwestern.
I haven't heard of anyone using metal tubing before for benchwork. Interesting idea, but not the direction I want to go. I think I'm finally sold on ripping down plywood for my layout. It'll be more time and effort, but it sounds like it worth it in the long run. It seems that plywood isn't a true 48" in wide, so I'm thinking each sheet will make a true 24" wide piece, and then 6 3.5" strips for framing. When you factor in losing 1/8" per cut, my math comes out to 1 7/8" of waste left over, which would have some uses. Alternatively, if I went with 3" wide strips, I could get 7 per half sheet and then have a 1.75" scrap left over. I guess the new question is, should I go with 3 or 3.5" strips?
Ethan, An important key is buying in bulk. Check with multiple suppliers for discounts and per sheet break points on multiple sheet purchases. They may also have damaged goods that they offer at a discount due to dings, broker corners, etc. Also, talk with your builder. They may be able to get you a sweet deal, especially if you do a "tag along" bulk purchase on their next project. As Keith suggested, go with 7 ply or greater material. Again, stability of the material improves with layers. Strips 3" wide with a better quality, multiple layer plywood will be adequate for joists you will need for benchwork. In addition, recommend you plan ahead by cutting many sheets into strips at one time. Bulk stack the lumber and draw from your pile as needed. Best to have a helper(s) when cutting. Multiple hands make for light work and often improves safety. These suggestions save time in the long run as you eliminate the need to gather tools, supplies, helpers, set up and clean up afterward multiple times. You can also speed the process and maintain your momentum when construction starts by having multiple supplies ready and on hand. Not a fan of drilling holes in joists for wiring. This slows the process due to the need to thread wires and makes relocation changes more difficult. In addition, prefer not to solder overhead. Recommend running power busses along the wall. Then you can solder feeders in front of you, as opposed to above you. Easier working position, generally better lighting and less chance of dropped solder burns. Hope this helps. Thanks! Mark
Bulk is the way to go. I'm thinking about buying a bunk at a time (50 sheets). I'll continue to price around a little bit, but if I go with Isenhower here in town, I can get them to deliver a full bunk and carry it in like a sheet rock job. I'll definitely try to get a 7 ply sheet if I can. I hadn't said it yet, but yeah I was planning on cutting as much as I can to start with. I've got the table saw and miter saw moved in to the building already, just need the circle saw and rip fence now. I've got help available close by if I need it. I have no plans to drill holes for wires like that. I like to use the plastic cable clamps that are attached with a small screw. I hadn't thought too much about bus wire placement, but you make a good point about soldering in front of instead overhead. I about lost an eye when I was 13 doing an overhead solder job. Thanks a bunch Mark.
Every sheet of plywood I've ever bought was 4' X 8'. It's not like stick lumber that isn't even close to the advertised dimension. I calculated how many strips of roughly 3.5" strips I could get out of a sheet of plywood--including 1/8" for the sawblade width--and set up the table saw and started ripping. It didn't take that long. I've got a small table saw, and that made it a little interesting, but it was truly pretty easy. The strips of plywood are easy to work with. I tend to over-engineer things. You don't really need to pre drill holes, but I did. My layout has a mixture of 1.25" and 1.625" drywall screws. Drywall screws work perfectly for assembling benchwork. I also glued and screwed the framework together and the plywood top to the framework. Again, probably not necessary, but it sure makes it stronger. Strong and light makes it much easier to work with. Legs are easy, as well. Unless you plan on walking on your benchwork, you can rip 2 X 4's into equal 1/3's for legs. That's plenty of support for HO trains. 3/8" plywood for the top is plenty substantial, again, unless you will have need to stand on the benchwork. Benchwork's kinda fun!!!! Put on some good music and get after it!!
Maybe its a new thing with the plywood being slightly undersized. Check out this listing on Lowes: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Plytanium-...-Plywood-Pine-Application-as-4-x-8/1000068939 If you convert the actual measurements it gives you, the sheet is actually 47 3/4" by 95 3/4". Not a huge difference, but worth knowing. Any tips on ripping full sized sheets of plywood through a table saw without investing in a full sized table setup? That's why I had thought about cutting off a 24" piece first with the circle saw and rip fence.
There are times I use a handheld circular saw and ripping fence to do exactly as you said. I've got an 8' fence and a good circular saw, so it can be done. The two biggest things that make table saw work easier on a fairly small table saw are 1) a set of rollers for the plywood to feed onto after going through the saw and 2) lots of space!! My shop is an old two car garage. It's got lots of stuff in it (free standing drill press; chop saw; table saw; free standing jig saw; lots of storage shelves all around the walls, etc). There's not a lot of room for handling and moving a full sheet of plywood, so that makes it a bit of a challenge. My shop has an overhead door, so I open that when doing table saw work to use the outside space to move the sheets into after going through the saw. There are several good articles online for building a table to surround a small table saw so you can more easily handle full sheets. It's not that difficult and not terrible expensive, either.
I do have plenty of space to work with. I've got a couple rollers at the farm I could bring down. I may look at building a table too. Plenty to think about.
