# Any problem with this simple 4 x 8 train table??



## prinefan5 (Feb 22, 2014)

New member-- posting first time--- any one see a problem with a train table such as shown in this video? Basically it's a 4 x 8 table top with plastic shelving units used as a base. I don't have power tools handy like a power saw/miter to make anything fancy. I've also read where a soundboard on top of the 4 x 8 is recommended. Thoughts on that? Thanks.

http://youtu.be/01xt0Tgj3cQ


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## njv1805 (Jan 6, 2014)

Welcome to the forum! I thought that was a pretty sweet idea when I saw it. Most places sell those units at $30-$50 a pop though. That'd be the only down side that I see. Even to purchase two of them means you would have $60-$100 plus the cost of your sheet of plywood or foam board wrapped up in it. You're looking at about $80-$120 just in bench work. Go to Harbor Freight tools or Sears or something and get a cheap circular saw (it would be useful for other projects too). 

I know a lot of guys have switched from plywood to the foam insulating board. So whatever floats your boat.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Yep, I agree, it would be a good idea to have a Circular saw on hand
for various chores around the house.

But, short of that, you could buy 'table legs' from a big home store
and simply screw them to the bottom of a 3/4" 4 X 8 sheet of plywood.
Six of them should provide adequate support, tho i would prefer
to have some additional bracing provided by 1X3" boards under
the edges. The store could cut them for you.
The cost would be substantially less. Do use the 1" foam on top
of the plywood.

There is another reason to avoid the suggested shelving. The flat tops
would make wiring your track and turnouts difficult. The underside
of your train board should be clear.

Don


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

A saw that is very useful and actually more appropriate and easy to handle is this Rockwell Versacut saw. It will cut the dept of a 2x4 as well as any plywood that you might be using. It very light weight and steers easier than a 7 1/2" circular saw. I bought mine at Lowes. They operate off of wall current. It would be even better if they were battery operated.


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## timlange3 (Jan 16, 2013)

Yes, I got a Versacut as well, it works quite well. I was going to suggest a shelf railroad, or a modular railroad, like the "Heart Of Georgia" setup. You could get plywood cut at the lumber store, 12" x 96" will fit in most cars with fold down seats.


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## prinefan5 (Feb 22, 2014)

I'm the original poster. As it turns out, if I just go with the 2 shelf method, the table would be too high-- and one shelf, it's too low. I'm leaning now to just get a couple of saw horses. They're the right height and two sawhorses cost $25. Any suggestions using sawhorses, please advise. I was just thinking of just screwing through the table into the 2 x 4 of the sawhorse brace to attach. Then foam on top. Any suggestion on thickness of plywood? 1/2? 3/4?


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## Smokinapankake (Sep 8, 2011)

Plywood will flex enough to cause problems with your track work. Brace it with at least 1x3's (I prefer 1x4's, personally) around the edges and then spanning the sheet on 16" centers. If you decide to add permanent legs, I would set them in from the edges about 3" or so so that when you stand next to the table you won't be kicking the legs.


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## ctaylor33 (Feb 2, 2014)

I use exactly these shelving units to support my 4X8 layout. I just threw it together because that is all I had in the house to work with but so far they have worked well. I use three sets of two shelves each spread across the bottom of the plywood.


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## ZebraCakez (Mar 26, 2011)

+1 on saw horses for a temporary layout base.

You can find composite Stanley brand horses for roughly $20 a pair, so even the thought of getting two sets (one horse for each corner) is not completely mad. Plus, they have cutouts in them so a 2x4 can be inserted into it which will give you something to screw into, thus really helping prevent warping issues. I assemble quick cutting stations on job sites using exactly this method frequently. It will hold a 70 pound miter saw and a few hundred pounds of materials no problem while being bumped and moved all day, so some model trains should be in the clear.

Then when you build a more permanent layout you have them for around the house. They have 1001+ uses.


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## Flynn_lives (Jul 6, 2013)

4x8's are ok. That was the original plan for my layout. I abandoned it, since I could only really have a max radius of 18" and real estate inside the loop is cramped.

I know this sounds dumb, but somebody told me to consider a 5x9 which I think gets you about up to a 22" radius.


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## ZebraCakez (Mar 26, 2011)

Flynn_lives said:


> 4x8's are ok. That was the original plan for my layout. I abandoned it, since I could only really have a max radius of 18" and real estate inside the loop is cramped.
> 
> I know this sounds dumb, but somebody told me to consider a 5x9 which I think gets you about up to a 22" radius.



+1 on this as well. 

I too initially planned to start with a 4'x8', when all was said and done it ended up being 5'4"x8'.

The extra real estate to allow larger radius curves is worth it's weight in gold. As I look back on it now I know I never would have been happy with 18" radius curves, it's just too restrictive.


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## prinefan5 (Feb 22, 2014)

Original poster here-- I found out that I can't get a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood down into the basement-- so my thought is to have it cut into 2 4 x 4 sheets. I plan to overlay it with some foam on top which I also will have to cut in half to get down into the basement (our stairs have a 90 degree angle. Any advice on keeping everything somewhat flat?


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Build a good stiff frame to set the sheets and foam on.


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

I'd cut the plywood length wise and the foam width wise, that way you don't have the two seams running the same way. They will lay flatter. 

Magic


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## patcr477 (Jan 28, 2014)

you could use one of those plastic/resin granite colored folding tables Walmart $40 then plywood then foam. that is how i am going to approach it


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