Scenery over baseboard joins

[maq1988]

Everyone seems to talk about track over baseboard joins, but I can't see any advice on scenery, in particular scenery that isn't flat.

 

My layout scenery (extruded foam as hillsides) will cross a straight baseboard join. I'm unsure on if I should take the foam right up to the edge of the joint so the foam pieces are face-to-face, or, should there be a piece of thin protective plywood either side?

 

It's a live at home layout that might need to be moved eventually, if that has any impact on suggestions.

 

Cheers!

[Phil Parker]

Either will work. If the layout isn't being moved much, I wouldn't bother with the plywood but I would make sure the foam is cut for the baseboard joints. Assuming you are then applying a hard shell using Modroc, this can be cut afterward if required. I would tend to do this before scatter, but whatever you do, be careful not to get glue in the joint or you will need to cut it again!

 

Repairs to scenery on an infrequently moved model aren't hard or time consuming - usually just a blast of hair spray and some static grass so there's no need to panic.

 

Handy hint - if there are gaps in the scenery at baseboard joints, try stuffing some grey wool in there - it's amazing how much this will hide.

[AY Mod]

I stick draught excluder strip onto any edges which will compress to virtually nothing or expand to fill the gap on any board joints which helps too.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Draught-Excluder-Weather-Weatherstrip-Sealing/dp/B07HT61MYT/ref=asc_df_B07HT61MYT/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=272054178218&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16307559585479973909&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007034&hvtargid=pla-547558919700&psc=1

[maq1988]

Thanks both - it's mostly about protecting the edges if I need to move the layout elsewhere. I guess in that event I could always bolt on some wood to act as a barrier.

[HeatonLodge40]

If I could add one other tip. I always insert a large sheet of reusable see through plastic sheet between the boards when constructing scenery.

That means you can ensure the scenery level is exactly the same on each board before pulling it out after all the polystyrene/PVA/static grass dries.

 

This also works very well with ballasting over board joints to avoid ugly splits in ballast when you take apart the boards 

[maq1988]

17 minutes ago, HeatonLodge40 said:

If I could add one other tip. I always insert a large sheet of reusable see through plastic sheet between the boards when constructing scenery.

That means you can ensure the scenery level is exactly the same on each board before pulling it out after all the polystyrene/PVA/static grass dries.

 

This also works very well with ballasting over board joints to avoid ugly splits in ballast when you take apart the boards 

 

That's a good idea. I was planning to have the two pieces of foam glued down, do the contouring and put a thin sheet of something like OHP sheet in the gap when the top layers go on. 

[simonmcp]

I would suggest Cling Film, instead of a rigid clear film, as this will give an uneven or ragged line which won't be as visible.

[maq1988]

1 hour ago, simonmcp said:

I would suggest Cling Film, instead of a rigid clear film, as this will give an uneven or ragged line which won't be as visible.

 

Interesting idea. I'll give both ways a try on some small test boards and see how I get on with each. I'm still a few months from actually starting scenery yet

[47406]

On 25/12/2021 at 11:11, HeatonLodge40 said:

If I could add one other tip. I always insert a large sheet of reusable see through plastic sheet between the boards when constructing scenery.

That means you can ensure the scenery level is exactly the same on each board before pulling it out after all the polystyrene/PVA/static grass dries.

 

This also works very well with ballasting over board joints to avoid ugly splits in ballast when you take apart the boards 

 

I have just done exactly this over the last two weeks and it worked well. The join between two boards has a cutting that I shaped roughly using styrene wall insulation stuff, aligning two sets of pieces along the line of the join as well as i could.

 

I then took the plastic from a box of 3 Hornby Topes and cut it into pieces sized roughly to match the elevation of the embankments that cross the join and placed two pieces together into the joins protruding a half inch or so above the surface then out came the plaster of paris. I didn't worry about getting the profiles to match exactly along the join, the slight roughness will be covered by bushes & stuff. Then once the plaster was dry i gently eased the plastic pieces out and then on to the paint and static grass. It doesn't look too bad overall.

 

My layout is also a fixed home layout, but should we move I plan to bolt pieces of plywood to either end to protect it. The local club layout used bolt-on plywood end pieces that were sized to allow two sections to be bolted together face-to-face for transport and that worked well.