[Hornby] How To Build A Baseboard

[Raboliot]

Hello there,
I found this video: How To Build A Baseboard
The baseboard seems a bit light and too flexible. All your advice and comments will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Flashbang]

IMO Far to flexible! Needs more underside bracing timbers. If as shown, it was scenically enhanced and then picked up for storage things would crack or become unstuck due to the flexing!!

[Raboliot]

Hello Flashbang, thank you very much for your very interesting reply. Just found two very helpful websites:
Layout Construction
Layout material and construction selection

[Bufferstop]

You can see the board flex as he lowers it down right at the beginning. Flexing like that will eventually break the rails free from the plastic fixings on the sleepers and that's not just annoying it's expensive. The secret in making a bridge, that's what the board is whenever it's not supported along its length, is to make the sides deep. Working in inches because it gives nice easy to understand numbers, a piece of 2 x 1 stood on edge will weigh about the same as a piece of 4 x 1/2. Now 4 x1/2 stood on its edge is far more rigid vertically and once it's screwed and glued all along the edge of the top sheet it can't flex horizontally.
In fact the best source of 4 inch deep sides is to cut them from plywood and if weight is a consideration you can afford to come down to an even thinner sides. Just to complicate matters the thickness of plywood is usually given in millimetres, half inch is 12mm and 6mm thick ply screwed and glued to little square blocks along the edge of a 6mm thick top won't bend up to about 1500mm in length.

[Raboliot]

Thank you very much Bufferstop for your reply.
Unfortunately, many people who have watched these videos will make big mistakes in the building of their baseboard.

[Ironduke]

My current baseboard is thin like that but it sits permanently on top of a table.

[Raboliot]

So I must buy a big table too ?

[Flashbang]

Thank you very much Bufferstop for your reply.
Unfortunately, many people who have watched these videos will make big mistakes in the building of their baseboard.

Thats the problem when major manufacturers put ideas in peoples heads that are not always the best option!

So I must buy a big table too ?

What! Do you mean you didn't procure the dining room table before starting - Really!

[Raboliot]

What! Do you mean you didn't procure the dining room table before starting - Really!

Yep. Really !

[Raboliot]

I've just ordered it !

[Flashbang]

Nah... Far to light, It will flex, be warned

[Raboliot]

[Ironduke]

I bought the table in a charity shop for $20

[Bufferstop]

I've just ordered it !

Now is that a Warren Truss or a Pratt?

[Raboliot]

Sorry, I don't know...