RMweb Premium Dava Posted March 5, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 5, 2015 Looking for the easy way out....last week I broke right wrist on sheet-ice (that's what I called it!) on the drive. Now strapped & plastered for next 6 weeks. Left hand has to do the work with right fingers holding things.I want to get some kind of very modest gauge 0 micro layout / test track under way as therapy, without any woodwork. I have 1 Peco point & assorted flexitrack.Inspired by Alan Wright, Jim Read, Carl Aren't ideas6-8feet x 12-15ins, in 2 sections would fit. All Home Depot etc have are heavy Contiplas shelving. I don't have a spare door, too wide anyway. No APA boxes here!All ideas welcome,Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyDuty Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Dava, look at a Home Depot's selection of bifold doors - pull the hinges and you'll have a pair of narrow, inexpensive 6'6" long panels. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Your board requirement may be a bit big, but a foamboard/mounting card sandwich could provide an easily worked, stiff and light material. Or corflute (the stuff real estate for sale signs are often made from), again sandwiched with mounting card would also probably work. Just don't slice your fingers off trying to use a Stanley knife left-handed. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanbuttler Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Tim Horns laser cut boards are well worth a look Dava, he also does bespoke ones if you have specific requirements http://www.timhorn.co.uk/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter220950 Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 A sheet of styrofoam would seem to fit the bill, it's lightweight, rigid, and available in sheet form 1.80m x 600mm. I don't think it would need any further bracing. wiring would have to be surface run, but it's easy to cut a channel in with a knife, it also allows a small amount of landscaping below track level to be carved out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted March 5, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 5, 2015 If you could settle for 66 inches total length, you could use foam core board to make two baseboards. This is sold in A1 size sheets, at least here in the UK. See my Mill Curve layout, link in my signature. But with the good arm in plaster, I'd go for a sheet of extruded polystyrene. This is marketed here as Knauf Spaceboard, sold for loft insulation. Pink in colour, about 2 inches thick. I used this for my Castell y Bwrdd layout. The only real drawback I know is it is difficult to fix mechanisms to it, like point motors, so you may end up gluing on patches of plywood to fix them to - which means woodwork - Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted March 5, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 5, 2015 ikea canada exists could you do mail order? Alternately buy a hollow door and cut it down later? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flexible_coupling Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 (edited) I once found a very inexpensive Ikea timber table which I constructed an embryonic O-9 narrow gauge layout upon... I wish I'd been able to see that layout through to completion, as I'd made rolling stock and buildings for it! Anyhow - a small rectangular table with an imaginary line down the middle diagonally (or in any way you fancy) may give you half "workbench" space, half scenic display... I'm considering such an option myself for a more advanced S7 test track, as I never have enough work space... Edit: a solution (which I'm interested in) with folding legs is this - http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/50259488/; A budget option in a smaller size is this - http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/60161797/ Those are links to the Australian Ikea page - I expect the same product names apply over there.... Edited March 6, 2015 by flexible_coupling Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted March 6, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 6, 2015 Thanks for all suggestions, guys. Remoteness from IKEA (Toronto) and limitations of local stockists for other options points towards a saturday visit to Staples for Presentation Foam Board, "36" x 48" & maybe other options. Garage has workbench & table which can support a board, but they're not suitable for building a line directly on. I had a B&Q paste table for Coney Hill which worked well. We'll see. Can't wait to have somewhere to run that Dapol 'Terrier when it arrives'! Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted March 8, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 8, 2015 Today to Staples, struck lucky with 10% off sale for female entrepreneurs! So Mrs bought the foam board display board which yields 4x3 ft lengths, + 5 sheets reduced f-board in sale. Now planning a 6x1 ft layout, the f-board will need bracing. Workbench cleared & point tested with short lengths of track + 02 diesel. Peco points are so long & I've no chance of building one. Planning 2 sidings on 1 board with a traversed or sector plate on the other. Retired to medicate throbbing wrist! Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted March 8, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 8, 2015 Any suggestions for bracing/frame method for 3x1 foam boards? Its 5mm thick All I can cut is f-board not wood so considering a 1" laminated frame round the edges with a 9" back scene board & crossbracing every 12" Advise welcome! Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Hi Dava, Sorry cannot give any advice on the bracing but I will follow your plan with interest - I have long had the idea of doing a 'pointless' layout such as this and will be interested to hear how you get on. I really like the The Stodden Hundred Light Railway thread and have considered something similar to the coal yard/brickworks (see the 5th photo in the first post) as a standalone scene: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/66583-stodden-hundred-light-railway/ I think this kind of thing works in 7mm scale much better than the smaller scales, I guess due to the mass and scale of the stock. You have probably come across this but also see Shortover Yard in this link: http://www.carendt.com/micro-layout-design-gallery/traversertransfer-table-lines/ How would you propose to construct the traverser/sector plate when you are using a foamboard base? David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I think a sector plate is much easier to build that a traverser. It just needs something to pivot on, and even just a screw will do if the layout isn't used so much that the pivot holes wears too much. A traverser is much more complicated, as it has to slide without the runners binding. A cassette might be even simpler, but maybe not as satisfying to operate. Just unplug it and slide over to the next track! A cunning plan is currently forming in my mind for a "cassector plate", a sector plate that has cassettes that mount on it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I think a sector plate is much easier to build that a traverser. It just needs something to pivot on, and even just a screw will do if the layout isn't used so much that the pivot holes wears too much. A traverser is much more complicated, as it has to slide without the runners binding. A cassette might be even simpler, but maybe not as satisfying to operate. Just unplug it and slide over to the next track! A cunning plan is currently forming in my mind for a "cassector plate", a sector plate that has cassettes that mount on it! Interesting John - I am struggling a little to see how a sector plate can be done on a foamboard baseboard though (my own stupidity no doubt!). Could a ply (or something similar) covering be used on the board from which the plate can be fashioned? I like the 'cassector plate' idea mind... you want to trademark that!! David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Interesting John - I am struggling a little to see how a sector plate can be done on a foamboard baseboard though (my own stupidity no doubt!). Could a ply (or something similar) covering be used on the board from which the plate can be fashioned? I like the 'cassector plate' idea mind... you want to trademark that!! David I've never used foamboard, so can't really help with that one. It seems to me that the pivot area is the main problem, so I suppose it would need an insert of some sort. Either a piece of tubing, or a piece of wood inserted to attach the pivot to. Maybe I should have kept quiet about the cassector plate until it's fully developed! It's something I was dreaming up this morning to potentially solve a problem with one of my layouts! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted March 9, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 9, 2015 Thanks again for advice. Today I laminated 2 layers of f-board for the base top & worked out how to do the frames. Slow progress as I'm not used to cutting left handed. I have a rough sketch plan with either traverser or sector plate. I used a 5mm ply sector on Coney Hill which worked well, the pivot bolt would sit in a wood insert. Jim Read uses multi track traversers with a thin base. Either way the deck would be ply or hard plastic not f-board. Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Thanks again for advice. Today I laminated 2 layers of f-board for the base top & worked out how to do the frames. Slow progress as I'm not used to cutting left handed. I have a rough sketch plan with either traverser or sector plate. I used a 5mm ply sector on Coney Hill which worked well, the pivot bolt would sit in a wood insert. Jim Read uses multi track traversers with a thin base. Either way the deck would be ply or hard plastic not f-board. Dava I'd be interested and intrigued to see that - I think I can visualise what you mean but a picture tells a thousand words and all that! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 (edited) You have probably come across this but also see Shortover Yard in this link: http://www.carendt.com/micro-layout-design-gallery/traversertransfer-table-lines/ How would you propose to construct the traverser/sector plate when you are using a foamboard base? David The link in this post doesn't work - try this http://archive.carendt.com/microplans/pages/shelf/traversers/index.html 2nd up from the bottom! Edited March 9, 2015 by shortliner Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 The link in this post doesn't work - try this http://archive.carendt.com/microplans/pages/shelf/traversers/index.html 2nd up from the bottom! Oops sorry! Thanks, far better from the "horses mouth" (as they say!) in any case though. It has long been a favourite of mine Jack - I just need to pull my finger out and crack on with a version!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 (edited) Sorry - Can't resist! Sorry - Can't resist! Edited March 9, 2015 by shortliner 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted March 10, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 10, 2015 Thanks for the amusement! Picture of sector table on last layout here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/65446-coney-hill-light-railway/ I'll take photos as it develops but this is painfully slow... Jim Read's traverser designs can be traced at http://www.jasread.com/micro/ Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 10, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 10, 2015 I think a sector plate is much easier to build that a traverser. It just needs something to pivot on, and even just a screw will do if the layout isn't used so much that the pivot holes wears too much. A traverser is much more complicated, as it has to slide without the runners binding. A cassette might be even simpler, but maybe not as satisfying to operate. Just unplug it and slide over to the next track! A cunning plan is currently forming in my mind for a "cassector plate", a sector plate that has cassettes that mount on it! I was considering replacing the pivot on a sector plate on my layout due to wear, instead I found that a 'sleeve' of brass tube took care of the wear issue. One other solution I considered was using a hinge and suspending the sector plate from it, the only problem was that on my layout it would have meant re-aligning all of the tracks from the sector plate as the pivot point would have changed. A little tip, to prevent damage to stock at the ends of a FY I use a short piece of foam pipe insulation, a little longer than the longest couplings of my stock and so positioned that the hole in the centre is at coupling level to prevent damage if stock overruns. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I've got to build a sector plate for Ingletyme that will carry 2.5 tracks (one is just a short one) and the base can only be the thickness of 1/8" cork (which is actually quite a bit less than 1/8"!). A hinge may be worth trying on that. My Small, Broad and Totally Pointless (that is now intended to be just a bit pointless!) only has a single road sector plate, and that's what I'm thinking of trying the cassette idea on. One of my broad gauge locos is quite delicate in places, and lots of handling will probably result in the bits I need to refit falling off again! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 John - What about a sheet of 60thou Styrene as the base for the sector plate - my local model shop sells sheets about 30" long - it should slide easily and be stiff enough to hold the track. For the pivot point use one of those cheapo belt punches that inserts a brass rivet, and put a screw through the resulting hole - reducing wear Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 John - What about a sheet of 60thou Styrene as the base for the sector plate - my local model shop sells sheets about 30" long - it should slide easily and be stiff enough to hold the track. For the pivot point use one of those cheapo belt punches that inserts a brass rivet, and put a screw through the resulting hole - reducing wear I've got some thin ply that I think will do as the base. I thought of adding some reinforcement on the top if necessary. Or maybe, as access will be a bit restricted, making some reinforcement that helps with railing stock, like an angled strip attached to the rails so I can "drop" the stock onto it and it will slide into place. Styrene may be worth considering though. I need to get the track layed first, then I'll think more about it. I got one of those cheapo belt punches in Aldi the other week. I though it would come in handy one day! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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