How To Add Legs To Ones Layout.

Discussion of model railway baseboard design and construction
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Mountain
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How To Add Legs To Ones Layout.

Post by Mountain »

The thread where one shares ways to add legs. Feel free to share ideas.
HarryR
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Re: How To Add Legs To Ones Layout.

Post by HarryR »

My baseboard will be 8X4, when fully assembled I'd struggle to lift it. So I intend to build the frame first, then add the legs & once I've stood it up add the board top which is 9mm ply.

For ease for handling I've had the 8X4 sheet cut into 2 4X4 sheets, whether that decision is a good one from a structural point of view I dont know, but it is definitely easier.
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Bufferstop
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Re: How To Add Legs To Ones Layout.

Post by Bufferstop »

Even 4x4 can pose problems. for sectional baseboards, ie those that have to be split up and moved frequently 4x2 is as big as you can reasonably handle on your own and is about the limit for transporting in a car.
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Mountain
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Re: How To Add Legs To Ones Layout.

Post by Mountain »

It depends what you are doing with them. If they are designed to move within the room so one can push them out the way for other non model railway activities, then they can be ideal. If you regularly want to transport them then one may find that the ideal size to carry is more like 18 inches by about 3 and a half foot long as three and a half foot will fit in the boot and any more then 18 inches wide and one can't put ones arm round the board to carry it.
If one has made some sort of trolley to carry them, then 2ft wide is ideal, but 3 1/2 ft long is more likely to fit sideways in a boot of a car then 4ft is. I have had some cars (Older Volvos) that can take a 6x4ft sheet flat so in effect a whole 6 x 4 layout if one wanted to. The front seets also fold flat so I had about 11 or 12 ft length to play with with the Volvo 850 estates, but the width over the front seat would be just under 2 ft wide to be able to drive (Room for gearstick and handbrake etc).
However, such sizes are not easy to get through the doors and tend to be very heavy as well. A layout on a 4x2 board (Or part of a layout) can be heavy enough even before the secenery is added.
Legs... My layout is portble so I have made my layouts legs foldable.
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HarryR
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Re: How To Add Legs To Ones Layout.

Post by HarryR »

Thanks Bufferstop & Mountain, I should have gone further and said that my board is intended to be 'permanent'. I might at some stage want to move it a bit to add a fiddle yard for instance, so with that in mind I'll add a set castors to the legs. But since the available space in the room is approx only 9x13 any moving will definitely be limited.
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