My initial plan

My sloped ceiling presents some challenges in lighting for my layout.

My initial plan was to creatively cut 2x4's to create angled mounts for my lighting:

After the first mockup of this design, I realized that the valance would need to be straight and could not follow the edge of the layout. Not what I really wanted. So, that put an end to this plan.

And then I sat on my butt for 3 months and thought about this.

What did I come up with?  'Nuthin. Zero.

But then...

Inspiration!

On January 28th, MuleShoeWestern (Morris) wrote about his LED lighting. He presented a great looking floating valance system that easily followed the edge of his layout.

After pouring over his photos I concluded that I could not do my lighting structure the same way, but I could probably come up with a way to mimic the effect without drilling holes deep into my rafters.

I looked at a bunch of premade bracket options and considered making something out of pipe & 45° flanges.

None of the ideas I came up with were pretty and certainly not cheap.

Still, I was sure I was on the right track. Just more thinking was required.

Short pieces

Could you cut your 2x4 pieces into short lengths to make the curves?  Instead of long pieces, a series of pieces 3"-6" long?  

Randy

"After the first mockup of

 I don't think the valence has to be solidly connected to the ceiling. I have track lights on my N scale layout and they are just mounted above the front of the benchwork, so I'm thinking you could build curved valences and then hang them whereever you want them. As long as they have a front and a rear light deflector they should work fine? ........DaveB 

Let me get there

The problem with the curve Randy, it that the 2x4 pieces would end up running further up or down the wall from the median point, and imagine cutting the valance to follow the angles and curves - wow!

Not to worry, I have a plan!    see my next post.

Hi Bill, you can still follow

Hi Bill,

you can still follow the layout edge by a) cutting little blocks of the timber as drawn and place them at irregular points along the edge. Orb) use metal brackets, bending to match the ceiling angle. Place them at points where the valance is "stressed". Also I have found that the valance needs to be further forward so that light falls on any models that are at the layout edge.

Hope that helps

Bracket design

I have designed a bracket that I can cut from 1/8" plywood on my laser.

The bracket allows a metal drywall bead to snap into it for easy mounting AND removal.
The drywall bead acts as the carrier for the LED's and also as a heatsink since it is metal.

The entire structure is strong while still being nice and light.

The brackets will mount directly to a 1x3 strapping strip that runs the perimeter of my room behind the drywall.

The brackets will be in pairs mounted on either side of a plywood block which is screwed to the strapping in the wall. The brackets will be painted to match the ceiling colour and will be virtually invisible.

Test Cut

Here is the first test cut of the bracket. The drywall bead snaps in perfectly.

But some minor adjustments will make it more secure.

Ready to go!

"I have designed a bracket

   The brackets look like they would work ok but you might not be able to bend the metal angles into a curve. Perhaps just design a mount for curved plywood valence assembly into the brackets then use a short inside baffle along with the taller outside valence? .......DaveB 

Valance Placement

My valance will be directly over the front edge of the layout and about 22" above it. This works out to roughly 6" above my eyes. With this design, the light will fall on objects up to 8" beyond the front of the layout and will fall on the entire backdrop at the back.

curves

The metal angles are basically sheet metal. They can be trimmed and cut to take slight curve easily. For the tighter curves I will be using a different structure which will be hanging from the ceiling.

The brackets I have shown so far will be used on the long, nearly straight, sections of the layout.

Of course

I should have known the solution would involve a custom piece from your laser cutter. 

Looks good. 

Randy

Laser - of course!

But rest assured, this will not turn into a promo for the LED boards I am selling. They are fantastic, but I'm not ready to invest the time into them right now.

A great solution!

Bill -

Good job solving a sticky situation.  It looks good, functions well, and doesn't break the bank. 

Measuring Bracket Length

Ok, this is cumbersome!

Triangle, Ruler, Level and Ahhhh! the numbers on the ruler are the wrong way to work comfortably.

2 Minutes of drawing, 6 minutes of cutting and engraving... and problem solved!

Make your own tools !

Ok, now you're just showing off

That tool is really cool. You sure know how to make a guy want a laser.  Good thing I don't have anywhere to put it!  

Randy

I can make one for you

it will cost about $8

Seriously, If you ever need a custom tool like this, or otherwise, sketch out what you need and contact me it won't cost as much as you might think and... it's what I do !

" If you ever need a custom

    Hi Bill, Can you laser material to look like corrugated metal siding and roofing? I'm looking for alternatives to gluing on thin sheets or using plastic sheets....DaveB 

@Dave

I haven't tried it yet, but I know others have done it.

Contact me at billy@pdc.ca to discuss your idea further.

Man, oh man

Just makes me want to get a laser printer even more, but what you show are things I just don't know I'd think about if I had one to use.  Relatively simple solutions to marginally complex problems.  Love it.

Back at it...

Having finished the measuring for the brackets along the Emerson Zone about a month ago, I finally had time to draw them up and cut them!

There are 20 pairs of brackets for the Emerson Lighting Zone.

The cutting file looks like this...

and cutting is underway right now!

cutting completed...

And the cutting is finished...

Now I have to prime these, Perhaps my wife needs something to do??

I also need to cut the blocks for mounting them. Off to the tablesaw...

Sticky Situations

Finally some time to work on the layout again!

I decided to look at a glue only solution to attach the brackets to the cleats for this project. I figure this way I won't risk splitting the plywood cleats with screws or nails and the finish will be nicer. The cleats will be screwed to the strapping in the ceiling so they will be easy to remove later.

After some online investigation I went to the local hardware store and picked up some gorilla glue.

I glued up a test piece and 2 hours later, I can't break the bond, and I can't make the wood fail either.

I am happy to report that this glue is amazing and will have no problem in this application.

less happy to report...

Having finally gotten comfortable with all the things I need to do to make this valance thing work out, I set about mounting the cleats on the ceiling. I've been afraid to do this because I hate making holes in walls.

Truth be told, this step has held me paralyzed in the layout room for quite some time.

I put up the first 6 cleats and discovered that some measurement was wrong.
These things are not lining up

Alright, don't panic yet Billy.

I setup my laser level, and sure enough all the marks on this wall are wonky. I have no idea what I did there. ugh!

Well, with the laser setup, I measured up my points for the entire room instead of just the one wall, remarked the wonky wall, and marked the locations of the cleats for the rest of the room too.

There that's better.

I only had to move a few cleats, and not too far, so I didn't have to do any drywall repair. phew. But the marks for most of the cleats are now relocated which means all the bracket lengths are going to change.

Drat.

Oh well. Time to move on. So glad I caught this early on though!

Last night I finished mounting the cleats on the Letellier to Emerson section and set about re-measuring the bracket lengths. Why are these things always faster the second time?

Note to self: Laser Level Stays Right Where It Is Until All The Brackets Are Up. No Touchy!

Today's project - recutting brackets.

TTYL!