DIY for baseboard, and loco drawing computer tech. questions

[Ruston]

Morning all,

 

Two completely different subjects.

 

1) I am about to start construction of a new layout. It is to go along the garage wall, which is of brick construction. Rather than attempt to put in several wall brackets, which will be difficult to fit perfectly level with one another, I want to fit long thick beams of wood to the wall ( I just happen to have some 4"x2" lying around). Fitting thinner wood strips, or wall brackets is usually done with rawl plugs and screws but the screws will need to be much longer for this wood, so do I just use rawl plugs and screws, or is some other type of fastner needed?

 

2) I have been sent some loco drawings as .pdf files but they are at 90 degrees to the horizontal on the screen, which obviously makes them very difficult to read. With a plain photo image I would use Photoshop to turn it through 90 degrees but I have no idea how to do anything with .pdf files. How do I turn it to view it properly?

 

Thanks

[10000]

Morning all,

 

Two completely different subjects.

 

1) I am about to start construction of a new layout. It is to go along the garage wall, which is of brick construction. Rather than attempt to put in several wall brackets, which will be difficult to fit perfectly level with one another, I want to fit long thick beams of wood to the wall ( I just happen to have some 4"x2" lying around). Fitting thinner wood strips, or wall brackets is usually done with rawl plugs and screws but the screws will need to be much longer for this wood, so do I just use rawl plugs and screws, or is some other type of fastner needed?

 

2) I have been sent some loco drawings as .pdf files but they are at 90 degrees to the horizontal on the screen, which obviously makes them very difficult to read. With a plain photo image I would use Photoshop to turn it through 90 degrees but I have no idea how to do anything with .pdf files. How do I turn it to view it properly?

 

Thanks

 

Whats your computer. In preview on a Mac I would just rotate 90 degree's

[MikeTrice]

I think acrobat reader lets you rotate them. "View->Rotate View" from the menu.

Edited August 4, 2018 by MikeTrice

[brigo]

On a PC with Adobe Reader you should have a toolbar along the top. If you cannot see it try pressing F8. There is normally a couple of buttons to rotate the view. If you cannot see them, right click the toolbar, select Rotate View and select the rotate buttons.

 

If yoy feel you need something stronger than rawlplugs and screws search for rawlbolts or sleeve anchors, perhaps on the Screwfix site

 

Brian

[Derekl]

Looking at the picture in Acrobat, press "View" in the top left - one of the options is to rotate files.

 

The other question - I have secured wood battens to the wall using rawlplugs and suitable length screws with no problem - I think the board I so constructed in the early 1970s is still standing, although no longer used for model railway purposes.

[Ruston]

Thanks, everyone. Pdf thing sorted! Now to find some long screws and a masonary bit.

[28XX]

Google Fischer frame fixings. These are used to fix replacement window and door frames to the walls. DIY sheds do them, ScrewFix or Toolstation might be cheaper.

[28XX]

Alternatively, fix vertical 2x1 battens to the walls, and fix brackets, accurate for level, to those.

[hayfield]

Morning all,

 

Two completely different subjects.

 

1) I am about to start construction of a new layout. It is to go along the garage wall, which is of brick construction. Rather than attempt to put in several wall brackets, which will be difficult to fit perfectly level with one another, I want to fit long thick beams of wood to the wall ( I just happen to have some 4"x2" lying around). Fitting thinner wood strips, or wall brackets is usually done with rawl plugs and screws but the screws will need to be much longer for this wood, so do I just use rawl plugs and screws, or is some other type of fastner needed?

 

Thanks

 

 

Dave

 

Recently I have been introduced to concrete screws (the type used by double glazing fitters). You have to drill a hole the correct diameter for the screws being used and screw straight into the wall without raw plugs. Simply predrill all the holes in the timber, then using a masonry bit drill the hole through the timber and screw in the screw. They take the solid 6 sided bits so do not damage the heads when screwing in tightly. Never used them as self drilling though, advised to drill a 6 mm pilot hole 

 

https://www.screwfix.com/c/screws-nails-fixings/masonry-screws/cat840054

[teaky]

I have not use Hayfield's concrete screws but I have used concrete bolts like these.

 

They may be overkill for what you have in mind though they do come in various sizes.  I used a socket + ratchet handle to drive them in which makes the job very easy.  Make sure you have a socket of the correct size though.  I remember having every size but the one I needed!  I used them to attach a couple of timber wall plates into brick prior to spanning the gap between them with nailed joist hangers and joists.  If you make the hole through the timber fractionally larger than you need then you will be able to tweak the alignment of the timber prior to fully tightening the bolts.

[chris p bacon]

For the timber use a 7mm drill, a brown rawlplug and a 3 1/2" - 4"  No 10  (now 5) screw. far cheaper than any of the frame fixings which are a bit of overkill, so long as there is nearly the same amount of screw in the wall as the wood,  it'll be fine. You also have the option of knocking it up or down to locate it which the anchors wont allow so easily.

 

For the PDF, try tipping the screen on it's side . . . or do as a bricklayer would and take a picture of the screen with the camera on its side and then print the picture. . .I kid you not.