# Benchwork--- what do you have set up?



## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

Okay, I have been reading up since getting back into the hobby. Over the past month, I have seen and read a lot about benchwork, and costs associated with it to set your layout up on. 

What has everyone else done? Because I can tell you I am really itching to get the benchwork up and get my layout up and running. 

Tell me what the advantages/disadvantages would be...

1. Standard 4 X 8 Plywood with benchwork, built from scratch. Will probably run anywhere from $35-$75 for everything (estimating costs here)

2. One or Two Hollow Doors bolted together and mounted. Probably a bit more the option listed above...

3. 8 Foot Banquet Table that is a Plywood top that already has legs built into it. I do have someone on Craigslist near me selling one for dirt cheap.


What have all of you done? I know I am sounding like I am trying to rush getting a basis for my benchwork going, but.... help me out


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## THE TYCO MAN (Aug 23, 2011)

I have a old desk thats real wood. Bought it cheap.Its rough then and rougher now! I wanna refinish it one day. I say check all the consignment/thrift stores. Get a flat top/drawer combo style desk.


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## xrunner (Jul 29, 2011)

hoscale37 said:


> 2. One or Two Hollow Doors bolted together and mounted.


Hollow doors worked well for me. Had them in the attic. I started off with three and later added a fourth. Make sure you plan for enough room for your layout - it can grow amazingly large very quickly!


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## kursplat (Dec 8, 2010)

any thought to doing a shelf layout?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Bryan,

All of your options are feasable.

I have a 4x8 HO layout via a sheet of MDF plunked on top of a standard banquet table.

I have a 3x8 O layout built on a wood top and frame, but the legs are "kit" banquet folding legs from Home Depot.

I'm not saying that's the only way to go ... but it worked easily for me with the stuff I had on hand.

Whatever you use for legs, consider the floor they'll sit on. If it's rough (like a basement cement floor), make sure your legs have a height adjustment built in to level everything.

Not everyone uses a "solid wood" top surface (MDF, plywood, etc.). Some people simply make a support grid (say 2x4's on 16" centers) and then lay 2" or more of pink stuff foam on top of that. Is long as you don't do a dance on the thing, it'll likely be OK.

TJ


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

I used the following and it was dirt cheep. The local Home Depot has a scrap bin. Slightly twisted 2x4s are $0.51 each (just had a price hike from $0.45). I used those to make saw horses. Then placed 2x4x8 across to make the bracing and placed a 4x8 sheet of scrap ply on that. Did the same for the expansion L and then cut an old bar down for the expansion U.

The advantage of the saw horses was that I could cut the legs to match the uneven floor. And the design has prove to be very stable and easy to work under. Expansion is a breeze and all of the parts are in the open.

One mistake I regret is that I only thought about a comfortable height to work from above on the table. I have spent allot of the time wiring from below. The table should have been about 2 inches lower to make that more comfortable.


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

I made a freestanding table with a shelf underneath and I used a L girder with open grid on top. This allowed me to remove the top and make the layout portable. My only mistake in making a 4x8 portable is I midjudged the weight of the entire table once assembled. The next layout I built was a 5x9 using the same design only larger to handle the larger table and I split the bench work into 4 pieces and that did prove to be very portable. Here are some pics of both 

The 4x8

























The 5x9

































Massey


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## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

Massey,

What type of Plywood is that for your layouts-- Thickness, Finish, etc? Also do you recall a ballpark idea of how much it cost for this all together-bolts and everything? This is exactly what I would like to build.

My layout would be in my finished and carpeted basement.


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

For the 5x9 layout I used 1/4 luan ply and I will never go that light again. That is the biggest reason I dismantled the layout. My previous 2 layouts were 3/8 ply and my current layout is 3/8 OSB and my personal preferance is the OSB. It is perfectly flat and smooth with no warping. It is also really easy to work with.

Massey


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

The top is 1x4s covered with 3/8" plywood. The legs are 2x2s with 5/16 't' nuts and bolts in the bottom to level it all up. Shelf rails are 1x2s and the shelves are 1x4s.
Details here:
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=9947


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## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

*Benchwork- Update*

So I was thinking about this- and low and behold; I completely forgot about the old wooden kitchen table that we took down earlier this year that we had tried to sell. I had bought it many years ago back in 2003 and we used it as our main kitchen table up until the end of 2010. It's been sitting in the garage ever since. It measures 4 X 6 or 4 X 7; if I remember correctly and is a finished wood table. 

Now my thought is to pull this table out, set it up and use it. I don't want to set stuff up directly on the table but I want to get some type of board cut and set up on the table top...so everything would be attached to the board/materials that are sitting on the table top. 

The table is a strong wooden table with 4 good size legs in each corner that stand at a good table height. My wife has already said that this is perfectly fine as well to use. 

I think the call here is obvious... to use the old kitch table for this train layout. 

What are your thoughts?


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

Sounds like a plan!:thumbsup:
Make a basic grid frame from 1x4s and set it on the table, then put your top material on. If you have access all the way around the table, you might make it a 5x9. You could easily have 24" radius curves with that. And 5x9 is ping pong table size, so your local lumber yard could order a top for you if you wish.
Go for it!


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## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

I was planning to have the table sticking out long ways from the wall, which would give me access on three sides. Two of the long sides of the table, and one short side. 

Kind of like this: 

-----|

^Table alongside Wall


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## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

*Update*

Just re-measured the table. 

It's 3 X 5.... Ugh. 

I know I have been going back and forth on this... should I just forgo just trying to use the Kitchen Table and just build the 4 X 8 from scratch, or should I go ahead and use the 3 X 5 and build a preliminary layout that could expand in the future?


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

3x5 is perfect for a support for a 4x8 so long as you frame the 4x8 with 1x4s My lower benchwork on the 4x8 I made was actually 3x5 which had 1' over hang on the long sides and 1.5' on the short sides, that was plenty of support. Look back at the pics I posted you will see what I am talking about. I would just find some way to attach the table top to the top of the table.

Massey


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## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

*Benchwork*

I think I am going to get a cull from Home Depot-- as I read in another thread a piece of heavy duty styrofoam and get it cut down to 3 X 5. Mount this styrofoam to the table top directly, and go from there. 

I have a great opportunity to use what I have and save *some* money on getting a table set up, and while it may not be a full 4 X 8 size table- I have seen some layouts that look really sharp that are in a 2 X 4 space. 

I'm thinking further down the road too-- if I start off with this 3 X 5; while it may not be the best Conventional size as a 4 X 8 layout is-- it will give me some capability to expand onto a second table, etc. 

Thoughts?


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

you will want some type of frame around the foam to protect it. The stuff is great but not very happy about getting hit or bumped into things. Big dents or chips will follow. and for cutting the foam simply use a razor blade it will cut through the stuff like butter


Massey


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## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

*Benchwork*

Okay, I must be having a brain fart here... so please bear with me. I am going to try to lay this all out in this post, so if it comes out as word garbage, please forgive me... still working on a first layout.... 


I've decided to use the 3 X 5 Kitch Table to construct the layout. It's a sturdy table, wife has disowned it and given the blessing to construct the train layout. She is a supportive and loving wife.  We have this established. 

Okay. Now since the table is a full sturdy table, and the tabletop itself measures about 1" thick... I am trying to figure out where to go from here...

Do I:

A) Build an enclosure onto the tabletop, essentially creating a 3 X 5 Open/Hollow Rectangle, and then buy and fit Foam Board with OSB Plywood over the top of it, and attach it directly to the tabletop? In this example from top to bottom would be this (Cross Section):

Top Layer= Cork Roadbed and Track attached
Second Layer= OSB Plywood
Third Layer= Foam Board
Fourth Layer= Wood Block construction
Fifth Layer= Actual Table top itself

Total of above would measure ~ 3 inches when complete, or is this completely overkill?

B) Do I just buy Foam Board/Styrofoam and build an box enclosure and attach this to the tabletop and then just attach the Cork Roadbed and Track to the Foam Board? 

(Cross Section)
Top Layer= Cork Roadbed with Track attached
Second Layer= Foam Board
Third Layer= Wood Block Construction
Fourth Layer= Actual Table top itself

I went to Lowe's tonight after I got out of work to get some prices on stuff and see what is out there.... 

Help! I am kind of feeling lost right now....  :dunno:


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## UPBigBoy (Jan 2, 2012)

Unless you're going to have valleys or rivers lower than the top of the foam, just mount the foam directly on top of the table; you should put a frame around the foam keeping the top of the frame level with the top of the foam and use wood wide enough to screw it to the side of the table. If you are going to over hang the foam you could glue a frame to the edge of the foam with foam compatible quick nails to protect the edge of the foam. You don't really need a frame work under the foam unless as I said before you're going to make scenery lower than the top of the foam. Also make sure you use high density foam, usually any color except white.

Hope you can understand this.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Bryan,
I think you need some clarity added to what you are trying to do.
#1 Are you trying to build and HO scale layout on a 36" (3') x 60" (5') table?
#2 Are you planing on doing a switching layout with no complete curves?
If your answer is no to #1 then please tell us the size of the layout space.
If you answered yes to Question #1 and #2 then I think your on the right track.
If you answered yes to #1 and no to #2 then "Houston we have a problem"...The absolute min of a "regular" HO layout is 40" wide and that means using 18" radius curves and leaves only 1" on either side to keep the trains from the plummet of death.
48" (4') is a far more common dimension to deal with! It leaves more room to work with. 60" length will allow you very little room to maneuver anything in.
There is only one person that could benefit from such a small layout size in HO and that would be Choo Choo, because he runs super short locos and super short cars.


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## trainbuffmargaret (Sep 9, 2011)

hi i used an old table tennis table supported on 3 trestles with 3pieces ofpine screwed underneath to reenforce it marg


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

Table tennis or ping pong tables are typically 5x9 so that is plenty of room to build a layout on.

Ok here is the skinny, like NIMT said 3x5 is way to small for anything normal in HO scale but it is a small empire in N. Choo Choo and his awesome little cars would also be in love with your table.

The table you are using will make a great foundation for your layout but I would not try to go over 4x8 with it. 5x9 on top of a 3x5 table would not allow enough stability on the ends and one person leaning over the layout or resting their back against it will be on the floor with a model railroad following close behind. 

Build a frame with the inside measurements of 48x96 (inside not outside) and use 1x4 for the outer box but 1x2 for the inner and have at least 4 inner frames. Next get a piece of 2" pink or blue foam and set inside the frame. Now you have the foam base to contour your scenery with and a frame to protect it. This can be clamped or screwed to the table top so it does not slide around while working or operating the layout. I hope this helps

Massey


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## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

*Benchwork- Update*

Okay- first; let me say a big * THANK YOU * to everyone who has responded in this thread. To answer a few questions, I probably should clarify.

To answer NIMT's questions:

1. Yes, the table is a 3 X 5.
2. Yes, I was planning on doing an HO scale layout on this...but the website where I got ideas from and was inspired was an * N SCALE * layout website--- just shoot me now! 

I will still use the 3 X 5 as a basis for the support of the layout. When I went out to Lowe's last night, I got some prices on OSB sheathing (4 X 8) as well as 1 X 2 and 1 X 4, along with the blue wall styrofoam...

Call me a newbie as I am rightly so; it's better to get this stuff figured out and learned before I would have been in the middle of setting stuff up.

I will use the info that Massey posted above so that I can get this thing up and running. If anyone has any further info to post here, please provide more insight and input...


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