Finishing the front edge of a baseboard

[njee20]

I’m about to embark on a new layout. Conventional baseboards - timber frame, ply tops, open frame with risers supporting the track. But how do you neatly finish the front edge?

 

It’s a prototype location, so I know that in places the track is above the datum, whilst in others the ‘ground’ will come up to track level. But how do you finish the board edge to make that look reasonable? I could obviously shape the entire timber framework, but that involves knowing in advance exactly where those contours will be, and using the deepest possible size everywhere. 
 

I envisage using polystyrene or something for profiling the scenic areas, do people then fit a cosmetic edge, some 3mm ply or something?

 

This sort of effect I guess I’m thinking:

 

 

That’s far more exaggerated than mine will be, with smaller variations only (probably 2-3”), but shows the effect quite nicely. It seems a waste of material to make that structural?

[zarniwhoop]

I think you'll need something to make it look finished, and probably to save the edge of the scenery from getting damaged.  But I don't think it needs to be structural, I'm sure that if you think about where the ends, and perhaps centres or thirds, of the front pieces will be (depending on how long they are) you can ensure that there is sufficient wood behind those places to let you screw something onto the front.

 

As well as thin ply for the facing you might also wish to consider hardboard (probably, the shiny side).

[great central]

Many years ago when we built Deepcar we wanted to get away from the, at the time, cliché of Matt black, so fitted thin ply which was then varnished to give the impression of a Gresley coach side. One member took several weeks to paint the layout name in the style of LNER coach lettering.

The lighting pelmet was finished in the same style with vinyl lettering produced by another member at work with the club name on.

[njee20]

Yes, black is certainly the default choice, I think that particular cliché still stands! It tends to be something quite prominent on US outline layouts (as the picture above), i guess just a function of how they tend to construct their layouts. 
 

Makes sense to use hardwood or similar, I assumed that was the case. Makes the bench work a shed load easier too, if I’m not figuring out the scenic contours at the same time!

[SR71]

Black and contoured is still the best for most layouts I have seen. I don't have the skills to do it but has anyone done similar with clear plastic and painted the strata on the inside to make it look like the earth has been sectioned?

[doilum]

8 hours ago, zarniwhoop said:

I think you'll need something to make it look finished, and probably to save the edge of the scenery from getting damaged.  But I don't think it needs to be structural, I'm sure that if you think about where the ends, and perhaps centres or thirds, of the front pieces will be (depending on how long they are) you can ensure that there is sufficient wood behind those places to let you screw something onto the front.

 

As well as thin ply for the facing you might also wish to consider hardboard (probably, the shiny side).

3mm MDF is better than most modern hardboard for this purpose.

[Kris]

This is a very interesting thread as I was considering what could be used to finish my children's layout. Prior to reading this I had been thinking hardboard but I may be reconsidering this now. 

[Captain Kernow]

Depending on how much 'punishment' your layout is going to get, if the front of the board is going to be reasonably well protected, you could consider cutting pre-coloured Daler board (which is a type of 1.5mm thick card, available from the likes of Hobbycraft and decent art shops etc.). Being card, it's easy enough to cut and shape to your final contour and you can affix it to the timber front with glue or even double-sided tape.

 

I used this on Bleakhouse Road, which is an 8' x 22" portable exhibition layout and it's stood up well over the last 20 years.

 

[njee20]

Interesting thought. It’s not an exhibition layout, so any “punishment” should be negligible. That said I wonder if MDF may provide a bit more resistance from my ample waistline when leaning over the layout!

 

edit: Bleakhouse Road looks stunning, but I’m spoiled by awesome Chris Nevard pics which obviously crop anything as illusion-shattering as a baseboard edge! 

Edited January 13, 2021 by njee20

[TheQ]

The scenic edging boards are, where I could, integral to the base board, I don't see the point of overlaying board with board.  Where they are exposed to damage, they are on the N gauge layout, painted Olive Green,, as it the pelmet above, it is a model with a Highland Railways theme. Where I can, on removeable boards, that aren't exposed to damage, they tend to be decorated as rock faces, it is the highlands of Scotland..

[njee20]

Yeah, ultimately I'm being lazy (and cheap), adding suitably profiled 3mm MDF or something is much less effort and expense than having to work out all the contours from the start, and then use timber of the maximum depth that may be required. That would also add weight to the boards. Whilst it's not going to be an exhibition layout it's a long term project, so I'm trying to future-proof against things like house moves!

[Gilbert]

If painted I suggest gloss rather than matt as this is easier to clean etc.

I personally use a dark green I had mixed up to match as far as possible the Humbrol Dark green spray. I used 3mm ply which is relatively easy to cut, paint etc. away from the layout.

Chris

Edited January 13, 2021 by Gilbert

[Michael Hodgson]

If it's an exhibition layout and you are worried about sticky little fingers trespassing on the line, a low perspex or clear acrylic screen is worth considering (or a high one if you're worried about Covid!).  Not the easiest of materials to cut, let alone bend to fit a curve, but it restricts physical access whilst still allowing you to see the layout.  It doesn't want to be so high that you can't access the layout yourself of course, and you might want to mount it such a way that it can be removed fairly easily for maintenance access.

[doilum]

4 hours ago, SR71 said:

Black and contoured is still the best for most layouts I have seen. I don't have the skills to do it but has anyone done similar with clear plastic and painted the strata on the inside to make it look like the earth has been sectioned?

Interesting idea but, having tried most of the other options I have come to favour a soft pastel green/ grey  that, with eyes half closed, fades into the edge of the board.

[Wheatley]

I've always used 3 or 6mm ply, added over whatever is actually doing the actual supporting at a late stage in the scenic work when I actually know what the finished profile will be. The current layout was varnished, then when it was rebuilt onto new frames a lot of screw heads appeared so they got filled and it got painted. It started off white undercoat, then a sort of dove grey but that just looked like primer, then gloss Royal Blue (it's an ex CR/G&SWR joint line) but that looked really garish, like crap 1970s decorating and G&SWR green looked just as bad (I stopped short of lining it out). I eventually settled on a soft pale grey/green, it looks neutral and doesn't jar with the green scenery.  

 

Whatever it is, on a portable layout or even one which gets walked past/leaned against it is going to get knocked. The new layout is semi-permanent, the plan is to have the fascias profiled to the scenery but screwed on last so I can run all the wiring and connections on a false wall behind them and get at them by just unscrewing the fascia. 

Edited January 13, 2021 by Wheatley

[doilum]

Houghton Street is protected in transit by strips of plastic soffit material. These are 15 cm deep with a 2cm return lip. They we were offcuts from the bargeboards I used on my garage. Most towns will have a supplier of these types of material and a personal visit may secure some useful offcuts. In any case they are not stupidly expensive.

The layout has integral backscenes and is designed to be transported laying on the back boards. The plastic front covers allows the legs to be squeezed in on top of the boards.

[PMP]

Build your scenery profile to the edge of the board and finish it flush to the vertical baseboard side. Then using wood filler skim and sand the side until  a flat profile, and then paint.

The finished layout will appear significantly different depending on both layout lighting and ambient lighting.

I’d steer clear of black as even with good lighting it shows marks and gives a very harsh definition between the landscape, and the ‘environment’ the layout is in. Black does work well if you are using a full darkened room though.

 

As far as fascias and baseboard edge coloring goes, I’d suggest a colour from the same palette, or if using a contrasting colour, one of a similar tone to the overall layout colour balance. Greys are a good range to get a good choice of non intrusive, but defined edges.

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by PMP

[PMW]

I prefer MDF, but painted either battleship grey or sage green. Be sure to fit it before you finish landscaping and landscape over the top edge.  Where I have an elevation on the front edge of a board I always make sure I have timber or plywood supports to hold the front edging in place. I only edge to the bottom of the baseboard, never to the ground as it denies access to wiring under the board. If I need to cover the underside of the board I use curtains. 

[njee20]

Many thanks for all the contributions. I think 3mm MDF/ply applied once the contours are all there, but in a way that it can be blended makes sense, that’s rather what I’d assumed was the ‘best’ approach, so nice to have that validated. 

[johndon]

I rather like the blue that has been used on this layout - he uses what's know as masonite in the US which, I believe, is what we would refer to as hardboard.  Once I've completed the basic scenic contours on my layout I'm planning on 'skinning' the edges in a similar way.