Curved baseboard edges

[Ray H]

I am hopeful that my new layout will be able to get away from the normal practice of having rectangular baseboards with the font and back edges parallel. This is partly because I want to vary the width at different points along the layout and a curved edge will reflect the track layout design better.

 

I'm aware of people varying their baseboard width with "tapered" or angled edges but I'm not aware of anyone using flowing curves.

 

Conventional softwood or (thicker) plywood strip framing is not flexible enough to be curved so I'm presuming a thin ply needs to be used.

 

What methods are available to both strengthen the thin plywood and to fix the baseboard surface fixed to it?

 

I was thinking of a ply and softwood block sandwich - a la Barry Norman - but I am hoping to use up my stock of Cobalt point motors and these ideally need a 4" deep space under the baseboard. This makes the softwood blocks either 4" square - and possibly too big to allow the ply to be curved easily - or something like 4" by 2" which may not give sufficient support. Is the trick simply to use the smaller size softwood blocks and use more of them and what size should they be to achieve flowing curves?

[BG John]

Here's how I made mine. The frame is made from straight ply, and the curved edge overhangs in places. I'll make a cosmetic thin curved edge when I do the scenery, but don't know if it will cover the frame, or just project the scenery. I'll see how it looks, but it will probably be fine with the straight frame still visible.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/95749-ingletyme-a-very-puzzling-blt/&do=findComment&comment=1773022

[Rammstein2609]

Hi Ray

 

Have you thought about making a sort of monocoque structure then adding the flexible plywood fascia as a non structural element?

 

I've been working on something similar recently and I've posted a blog post about it:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1168/entry-15606-modular-fiddle-yard-part-2/

 

I'm using Cobalt motors too so have left enough space for them plus the wiring.

 

Cheers

 

Martin

[peter220950]

I have used 4mm birch faced ply down to a 2ft radius, glued with blocks on the rear to a support structure,

 

 

for larger backscenes etc. I shall use the 'bendy' mdf sold at B&Q and the like, it's mdf with half depth cuts in the rear surface which gives the sort of thing you want.

 

http://www.diy.com/departments/single-mdf-bendy-board-l1220mm-w607-mm/254839_BQ.prd

[jonhall]

Curved baseboards look so much better, but can be a pain. The way we did Hamworthy's http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/11520-hamworthy-dorset-coast-c1988/page-1 was to glue two sheets of 4mm ply together on a curved former so that the tension between the two sheets holds the curve as if it was cut from 8/9mm plywood.

 

I might suggest that building a normal rectangular box baseboard onto which a curved extension is added would have been a lot quicker!

 

Jon

[Ray H]

Thanks for the responses.

 

Weight shouldn't be a problem as the layout is not intended to be portable. That said the more wood that I involve the more woodwork I suspect I'll need to do and the more funds that'll need to be diverted to the baseboards instead of the stock to run on it!

 

I should have added that I hope to use an open frame style baseboard where I can so that I can vary the ground level around the track bed. I'm not sure how a monocoque structure would work with that. I can't help but think that all those cut-outs generate a lot of waste material. Presumably the strength of the structure also relies on it having sides and ends and not just the intermediate supports shown in the images.

 

I am hopeful that I can dip below 2ft wide in places so the idea of a (standard width) rectangular baseboard with curved extensions on could mean that I end up having to have extensions on several boards. However I'm not tied to a standard width so I could go for a minimum width for each board and add the curved extensions as appropriate. Here again, the curved extension pieces are often likely to be covered with scenery so may lose some of the benefit of having a solid baseboard over the top of them.

 

I recently made some baseboards for a colleague using 9mm thick plywood as framing. It all worked well but I found drilling/cutting 38mm holes (with a hole cutter) every few inches in the cross bracing to be quite time consuming (and dust creating!). The holes also took a lot of cleaning up afterwards. On a positive note this did provide plenty of scope to run the wiring. and saved drilling holes for wire runs once the boards were built.

[Brassey]

The whole scenic side on my layout is one long curve.  I used laminations of 6mm ply for the sides which were formed around the baseboard tops that were cut to shape first from 6mm birch ply.  Various blocks were used under the tops to help hold the shape.  This is covered in more detail on my thread. Peter

 

[Mike Storey]

If the layout is not to be portable, and if the edging is merely to be used decoratively and not structurally, why not brace the ply baseboard with angled supports, allowing much easier carpentry, but cover the curved edge with a 4" wide strip of high density 5 or 6mm foam, as used for wood floor underlay and similar, which can be found in several colours these days. It can easily be pinned and glued to the edge and probably won't need bracing to retain the shape, but can be if needed with strips of c.0.5" x 0.5", braced at the join with the baseboard. I did this on a friend's old layout, but for the curved backscene (which did need bracing as it was 8" high). The greatest problem was adhering a photographic backscene to it, which didn't go so well, but not a problem for you.

 

The old fashioned solution is, of course, a curtain. Nothing wrong with that at all!

[tractor_37260]

I am hopeful that my new layout will be able to get away from the normal practice of having rectangular baseboards with the font and back edges parallel. This is partly because I want to vary the width at different points along the layout and a curved edge will reflect the track layout design better.

 

I'm aware of people varying their baseboard width with "tapered" or angled edges but I'm not aware of anyone using flowing curves.

 

Conventional softwood or (thicker) plywood strip framing is not flexible enough to be curved so I'm presuming a thin ply needs to be used.

 

What methods are available to both strengthen the thin plywood and to fix the baseboard surface fixed to it?

 

I was thinking of a ply and softwood block sandwich - a la Barry Norman - but I am hoping to use up my stock of Cobalt point motors and these ideally need a 4" deep space under the baseboard. This makes the softwood blocks either 4" square - and possibly too big to allow the ply to be curved easily - or something like 4" by 2" which may not give sufficient support. Is the trick simply to use the smaller size softwood blocks and use more of them and what size should they be to achieve flowing curves?

 

Interesting laser cut circular boards in this thread, if of any use/ for ideas etc  -  supplied by Tim Horn

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/95107-glenfinnan-modular-baseboard-construction/page-2&do=findComment&comment=1782392

[Joseph_Pestell]

Thanks for the responses.

 

Weight shouldn't be a problem as the layout is not intended to be portable. That said the more wood that I involve the more woodwork I suspect I'll need to do and the more funds that'll need to be diverted to the baseboards instead of the stock to run on it!

 

I should have added that I hope to use an open frame style baseboard where I can so that I can vary the ground level around the track bed. I'm not sure how a monocoque structure would work with that. I can't help but think that all those cut-outs generate a lot of waste material. Presumably the strength of the structure also relies on it having sides and ends and not just the intermediate supports shown in the images.

 

I am hopeful that I can dip below 2ft wide in places so the idea of a (standard width) rectangular baseboard with curved extensions on could mean that I end up having to have extensions on several boards. However I'm not tied to a standard width so I could go for a minimum width for each board and add the curved extensions as appropriate. Here again, the curved extension pieces are often likely to be covered with scenery so may lose some of the benefit of having a solid baseboard over the top of them.

 

I recently made some baseboards for a colleague using 9mm thick plywood as framing. It all worked well but I found drilling/cutting 38mm holes (with a hole cutter) every few inches in the cross bracing to be quite time consuming (and dust creating!). The holes also took a lot of cleaning up afterwards. On a positive note this did provide plenty of scope to run the wiring. and saved drilling holes for wire runs once the boards were built.

 

If it's not going to be portable, L-girder is the way forward. Also helps with your varying heights for landscape. The sides will not be structural and can be hardboard or the bendy MDF.

 

Although the main structure needs to use good quality timber (or Dexion), the rest can largely be done with offcuts of batten - so cheap as chips compared to ply.

[Campaman]

Another vote for L Girder, my curved facia is all from 3mm hardboard screwed to the end of the cross girders, you can extend or add extra cross girders as required.

[Ray H]

Thanks for the comments on "L" girders. I'm sure I asked a question about them some while ago and I thought I understood the response that I got at the time. However, I'm now less certain as the impression that I got then was that the "L" girder was used more to support the layout (and therefore was separate to the baseboard) rather than be part of the actual baseboard.

 

My advancing years make me seek clarification on what I can only surmise is a straight "L" girder - how would you (easily) build a curved one? - relates to a curved baseboard edge.

 

Sorry if I appear thicker than normal!

[Joseph_Pestell]

Thanks for the comments on "L" girders. I'm sure I asked a question about them some while ago and I thought I understood the response that I got at the time. However, I'm now less certain as the impression that I got then was that the "L" girder was used more to support the layout (and therefore was separate to the baseboard) rather than be part of the actual baseboard.

 

My advancing years make me seek clarification on what I can only surmise is a straight "L" girder - how would you (easily) build a curved one? - relates to a curved baseboard edge.

 

Sorry if I appear thicker than normal!

 

I probably need to do a drawing at this point but I will try to explain in words.

 

You don't put the L-girder at what will be the edge of the finished baseboard but some way back from it.

 

Keeping in mind that the L is inverted, you screw lengths of batten to the foot (top) of the L. (Clearance hole through foot of the L and screw up into the batten) These lengths of batten stick out to the edge of the baseboard so you cut to different lengths for a curved front and can even wait to do this until after laying the trackbed. And you don't need to put them at right angle to the girder which helps round corners.

 

I am sure that there must be internet references. Google: L girder Linn Westcott (I think that was his name).

 

Apart from being cheaper than other baseboard methods, it is very quick.

 

Perhaps one of the best uses on a UK layout was David Jenkinson's Little Long Drag for which you would  want an RM dating from around 1976.

[Ray H]

Many thanks for that clarification. I checked out the Google link earlier today and still couldn't get my head around how the system worked and had just searched out the thread again to post a reply to say so. However, . . . .

 

I re-read the last post (for the umpteenth time) and the penny finally dropped (I think). I still have a few questions though.

 

I have a slight problem with overhead clearance - there are wall mounted cupboards above where part of the layout will go. I'm concerned enough about the four inches clearance needed for the Cobalt motors using conventional baseboard construction methods. Increasing that depth still further by using girders and battens increases my concern further.

 

Presumably there is no inbuilt "protection" in the design to stop the battens warping at the ends?

 

There would be one conventional baseboard with a several point motors underneath, spreading almost completely across the width of the baseboard. I'm doubtful that there is clearance between for the "L" girder to pass down the length of the layout unless I divide the girders into baseboard long sections and move the girders more towards the outer edges of the baseboard. Is this the only way to overcome this difficulty?

[Memphis32]

I went for a hybrid approach - I needed a flag baseboard and had lots of softwood available, so mostly went the old-fashioned route. But I wanted curved front edges, so used some strips of old ply with softwood blocks. The cross members have a 9mm slot cut in to hold the rear piece of ply, and the corresponding piece of ply has notches in to clear the cross members.

 

Photo in this post:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/90585-a-shed-in-a-shed/&do=findComment&comment=1627040

[Ray H]

Thanks for that Mike.

 

I have recently woken up to the fact that I have a further miscellaneous selection of material that I'm currently having to find a home for - its resting on the baseboard supports at present and in the way! I'm now thinking that it could have the makings for the framing for at least some of the baseboards.

 

Your method certainly looks to meet the requirements that I'm likely to have.

 

A recently heavy fall down a grassy bank has reduced my mobility at present but I have to crack on with the baseboard build soon.

[Dunmar]

Hi Ray,

Surprised no one has mentioned Tim Horn's baseboards - as used in my layout of 'Glenfinnan'

Bill.

[The Bigbee Line]

Likewise these boards. Again thanks to Tim Horn.

[bamford]

never built a curved base board , but have built plenty curved thing for boats -i would go with  laminated ply if you want to use the edge for structural support . screw some blocks to a board and clamp the ply to them , it will find its own curve if you get them in the right place   . good glue, polyisocyanate type named after a large ape works well and wont stick to the polythene you remembered to put down first . Remember beams should be straight to work , if the curvature is too great you may need some straight members behind it . Godd luck however you do it

[Ray H]

Thanks for the further comments. Much appreciated

 

The curved edge - more wavy than curved! - will be around the edge of the central operating well. The baseboards themselves will be around the four walls of a garage so will be predominantly rectangular. However, I need to squeeze a little more width into the baseboards in places and have to take a bit out elsewhere. Hence the desire to have a reasonably flowing curved facia board rather than a series of obtuse and acute angles.

 

Progress on the build is delayed a bit at present but I've realised that I should use up existing material supplies before buying anything new as that will free up space for the layout (and storage space under it). Consequently, the bulk of the baseboard frames could well be a mix and match arrangement probably with a laminated ply facia.