Removable handles for lifting baseboards

[Phil Himsworth]

My layout includes a station board that sits on top of two other boards. To work on the underneath of the station board, or to dismantle the lot, the station board must be lifted off.

 

I'm trying to think of some kind of removable handles that can be attached to the top of the board so it can be manhandled, then removed when not required. Something like two holes that a handle can be screwed or clipped into for use, then removed and the holes hidden when not required.

 

I could make something like this, with some kind of nut embedded in the board, and handles made of a length of threaded rod with a wooden grip, but it seems a bit Heath Robinson. I'm surprised I can't find anything exactly for this purpose, either for model railways or just manhandling things in general.

 

I have an angle grinder with a removable handle that would be ideal; a plastic grip with a short coarse threaded shaft that quickly screws on to the tool itself. Or something like a handle that just pushes into a socket and then can be released by pressing a button or lever or something... does anything like this exist, or had I better start making my own? (Or buy two more angle grinders just for the handles :-) )

[Nearholmer]

Sketch or photo would aid understanding of where handled can be fitted.

[Mark Forrest]

I'm a big fan of these thread inserts rather than using nuts and bolts to join baseboards this would get you a captive thread in the baseboard of a known thread.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/insert-nuts-type-d-m6-x-20mm-50-pack/61859?tc=DB6&ds_kid=92700048793290424&ds_rl=1249413&gclid=CjwKCAjwzOqKBhAWEiwArQGwaIE4IFa5-8xkickdb5USOyYSMKUCpFGBxxfZs4Tb1i3ZnONyMEGx9RoC_m4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

For the handles themselves,  length of dowel drilled 6mm clearance along it's length,  M6 threaded rod inserted?

 

[ROSSPOP]

I use these for my layout units.....

 

[ISW]

3 hours ago, Phil Himsworth said:

I could make something like this, with some kind of nut embedded in the board, and handles made of a length of threaded rod with a wooden grip, but it seems a bit Heath Robinson.

I'm a big fan of Mr H Robinson ... I use the following method to join my separate baseboards:

 

So, when I found I was lifting out a 'corner' baseboard a 'bit too often', and that it was difficult to get a good grip on the far edge of said baseboard, I did the following:

• drilled a hole in the top face of the baseboard (9mm plywood)
• inserted the M8 tee-nut underneath
• inserted an M8 bolt (with a larger washer) and tightened down the bolt to fully pull the tee-nut into the underside of the baseboard
• removed the M8 bolt & washer

Now, when I need to remove that baseboard, I can simply insert an M8 bolt into the tee-nut to act as a temporary handle. Yes, I could fashion a proper wooden handle but for the odd time I need it, an M8 bolt is okay.

 

Ian

[Phil Himsworth]

Thanks for a couple of great ideas. I was thinking about those insert nuts but wasn't sure about how much weight they would be able to hold, although I imagine if glued in as well as screwed they're probably fine. Tee nuts have the advantage of being fixable from the underneath so they're less likely to pull out, but that would mean having to attach to the skin of the board and not the frame; I assume you can't see any flex at all, @ISW? My board is 6mm ply instead of 9mm... I might have to have a play with both and see if there's much difference.

 

I hadn't thought about inserting a threaded rod through the length of a dowel, I was thinking about making a T-bar sort of thing which is quite a bit more faff. If I used a long coach bolt instead of threaded rod that could be even simpler...

 

@ROSSPOP, straps are a good idea but I think I would prefer something more rigid so can pick up the board horizontally but rotate it to vertical to carry it around or work on it with it on its side.

 

The next fun bit I guess is to work out where the centre of gravity of the board is - it's a bit of a funny shape - to work out where the handles should go, then where they actually can go, as there's almost certainly stuff in the way...

Edited October 4, 2021 by Phil Himsworth

[ISW]

6 minutes ago, Phil Himsworth said:

Tee nuts have the advantage of being fixable from the underneath so they're less likely to pull out, but that would mean having to attach to the skin of the board and not the frame; I assume you can't see any flex at all, @ISW? My board is 6mm ply instead of 9mm... I might have to have a play with both and see if there's much difference.

Phil,

 

My baseboards are braced at ~400mm centres, and so I don't see any flexing while I use the tee-nut to lift out the baseboard. The overall height of the M6 tee-nut is actually only 9mm (I mistakenly said M8 in the previous posting), as detailed at https://www.screwfix.com/p/easyfix-4-pronged-tee-nut-m6-x-9mm-10-pack/79359#product_additional_details_container

 

For your 6mm plywood, I'd simply PVA glue a scrap of plywood to the underside of the baseboard (or the top if it's not conspicuous) and carefully drill through the full thickness after the glue has fully set.

 

If it's not conspicuous, then you could even leave the tee-nut protruding through the top of the baseboard.

 

In any case, there's no need to glue the tee-nuts to the timber. Once fully pulled home, I find that they are quite secure. Best of all, tee-nuts are nice and cheap.

 

Ian

[doilum]

Having had mixed results with T nuts I would support the method of enclosing them. 3mm ply or MDF will do. 

An alternative, for those with access to a welder, is to drill three small holes close to the edge of a 50mm repair washer and then tack weld an M8 nut captive. This can then be screwed in place. If the points of the small screws break through, go for the angle grinder! After many years and several layouts, these combined with brass pattern makers dowels are my ultimate method of joining baseboards.

[KingEdwardII]

9 hours ago, Phil Himsworth said:

the station board must be lifted off.

Obvious questions:

 

1. What are the dimensions of the station board?

2. How much does the station board weigh?

 

To me "station board" implies "platforms" and thus "fairly long". This then implies "quite heavy" and "unwieldy". Lifting by hand for such a thing sounds fraught with danger.

 

For a large heavy board, I'd be inclined to consider a system based on a winch fixed above the board (say from the ceiling) with wires running to attachments on 4 places on the side of the board over suitably placed pulleys. The winch would have to pull equally on all 4 places. I've seen this done for clothes drying racks in older houses, which have to be capable of drawing up considerable weights of wet clothes hung over a frame 6 to 8 feet in length and 2 feet or so wide.

 

The winch could be hand pulled or possibly motorized. The clothes racks were hand pulled...

 

Here is a modern take on the clothes rack:

 

 

Yours,  Mike.

[Phil Himsworth]

On 04/10/2021 at 22:19, KingEdwardII said:

1. What are the dimensions of the station board?

2. How much does the station board weigh?

1) about 6' long and between 18" and 10" wide; it is narrow at the station throat and widens out a bit to the other end.

 

2) I haven't actually weighed it so I'm not really sure. It's built for lightness; it's 6mm ply on a fairly lightweight frame that includes aluminium section platform edges that are structural. It's not heavy to lift, it's just awkward, especially when trying to position it accurately without accidentally bashing anything else on the layout.

 

Following a trip to Screwfix earlier I've been playing with coach bolts. After stealing everyone's ideas, I've installed some M8 tee nuts underneath the board; they are mounted on some small extra bits of ply to make up the thickness and spread the load a bit.

 

With some coach bolts screwed in, it all feels very secure and it's an awful lot easier to manhandle than before. I wish I'd thought of this earlier rather just when forced into it by encroaching scenery!

 

The 150mm coach bolts are easy to hold on their own, but I will try to get some dowel or something to widen them for a better grip.

 

The holes should be easy to cover up, although the thought occurred that I could turn them into permanent features by making them yard lights or something, or maybe make a screw-in water tower that goes in the same hole :-)

 

Thanks for everyone's input, it is most appreciated.

Edited September 2, 2022 by Phil Himsworth
Fixed image

[peach james]

What you want is something like 
https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/hardware/jig-and-fixture-parts/61654-1-1-2-inch-rose-knobs-for-jigs-and-fixtures
but in M8 thread 

I'm sure they are around...but Lee Valley don't seem to carry them, which suggests that the Canada/US market for them is small.  (but not the ROW...)

 

[Phil Himsworth]

That would be good. I wonder if I can find something that isn't threaded (or not M8 anyway) and rely on lots of araldite or a bit of forcing if they're smaller...

 

I have lots of coach bolts with which to test; a new problem is that they came in packs of 100, but I only need two. What can I do with 98 giant coach bolts?

[newbryford]

13 hours ago, Phil Himsworth said:

What can I do with 98 giant coach bolts?

 

Sell them on ebay.....