First experiment. Building a shelf.
First experiment. Building a shelf.
What I need is something to set the foam base on. I modified some brackets with 1" aluminum angel stock to create a horizontal flat surface. 1st picture is the angle stock and a shelf bracket. The angle stock is 1/20" thick. I cut three 18" long pieces. Clamped them to the bracket and drilled 2 holes for rivets (I used 3/16" with an 1/8" grip length). Be sure to protect yourdelf as you can see from the second picture, there are lots of metal shavings. Pay attention to leaving a gap at the wall side between the angel stock and the top of the bracket so that it will be level when attached to the wall, tough to see in the third pucture, but it's about 3/16". I attached the brakets to the wall, again checking for level in both x & y demensions, picture 4. Pictures 5 & 6 are just mockups with the foam and a card board facia.
Next, I need to build a tray from the angle stock for the foam to sit in. I debating whether to use bolts or rivets to attach the tray to the shelf brakets.
Doug M
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Shelf Layout
A shelf can be made many ways. Don't forget you need to run wiring someplace
You may have seem my blog here but if not : http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/5355
Ken Glover, CEO (Chief Everything Officer), Kansas Pacific Railway
HO 2x8' shelf, Digitrax Chief II, Soundtraxx PTB-100, JMRI (LocoBuffer-USB)
Running wires.
I was thinking of using that black split sleave material I've used to protect wiring harness in PC's. I've got a bunch of that lying around. I can attach that to the back side of the facia. I'm also thinking about putting electrical switches on the facia.
Doug M
Doug Maddox
Reading Company Along the Bethlehem Branch
TOO MANY RASONS FOR NOT USING FOAM
You need to look around more before you go forward. I would suggest 15/32 fur five ply plywood for about 1000 reasons. Not to mention where does the wiring go. You would not need to make the extended brackets. The braces that come with system need only come out 3/4 of the with of the plywood to support the whole shelf. Please do not tell me you are using foam for sound reasons. Many studies show this is a waste of money and time. Never heard a quiet train. You can put your track down play with it and if you do not like the way things are you can take up track and start over. Can't do that if you glue or stick the track to foam. Put some cork on top of the plywood. Hobby Lobby sells it by the roll. .
Art Houston
Grande Pacific RR
ahouston3@charter.net
Using foam
Art, I think there some very good reasons to use foam instead of plywood. Weight, ease of cutting, able to use light weight supports, and ease of modification are just some of my reasons. Here are a couple pics of my layout which uses not a single stick of wood. there is no warping or sagging any where..
......Mike
Modeling eastern steam in N scale.
Columbus ohio
Where does the wiring go?
Same as with plywood. Feeders drop down underneath through holes. I would like to avoid using wood. Here in SE PA, humidity hits extremes. Unless it is braced properly, wood will warp. I'm not up to cabinetry at this time. Besides it took me 10 minutes to do all three brackets. Using the rivets is a very quick, and solid method of joining the pieces together. Besides, I wanted to learn some metal working skills. This is kinda like learning to build a truss bridge. It's easy to overbuild it and it will be sturdy and last. However, there is a certain elegance to using the minimum of materials to make it sturdy and last. Unfortunately, welding aluminmum is out of my reach, so rivets.
Doug M
Doug Maddox
Reading Company Along the Bethlehem Branch