Construction Has Begun!!!

Progress!!!

I managed to make a little progress on the benchwork Wednesday night after church and then Thursday night when we got home from Thanksgiving with the folks.

You know what the benchwork is made of. I went and bought some cheap OSB 1/4" plywood to serve as a deck. Foam will be added to parts of it to raise the elevations. The legs simply made from 2x4's cut at 52", so the deck height is 52-1/4". The two modules are bolted together with two 1/2" bolts at the joint. I bolted them together for the sake of squaring everying up before screwing the plywood down. They will be unbolted in due time in order to bring the modules into the house. I need to put some more bracing on the legs and put a backdrop on before I bring them in the house though.

Anyway...here's my progress...

Overhead Shot of North Module
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Overhead Shot of South Module
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North Module
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South Module
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You can't see it, but this is where the two modules join...
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Your Benchwork

Hoss,

Definitely TEXAS benchwork! Beautiful work, you now have a “clean blackboard” to start your layout AND a you can get under it during tornado warnings! Anxious to see where you go from here.:thumb:
 
Originally posted by Agatheron
Hoss... very very nice... I see that where the modules join up, you have an almost "tooth-like" series of edges to give it more strength... It fits together kind of like a puzzle piece... Am I right on this?
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Thanks. :)

Actually though, that "tooth-like" piece that you're seeing is simply the result of plywood only being 8 feet long. The joint is actually just a plain ole' straight joint consisting of part of the 2x6 perimeter board from each module bolted together with two 1/2" bolts.

The layout below isn't correct anymore because I've changed it, but I've drawn on here where the joint is....

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Thats a neat design Hoss. I like the lines. A well made unit.
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Thanks Matt. I'm having fun with it. :)

Definitely TEXAS benchwork! Beautiful work, you now have a “clean blackboard” to start your layout AND a you can get under it during tornado warnings! Anxious to see where you go from here.
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Hehehe....my grandfather always told me if you were gonna build something then build it to last. ;) Speaking of going from here, i have made some progress. The BNSF crews have been hard at work establishing subroadbeds for the mainline. It's hard work, but somebody's gotta do it. :D I'll post more pics when I get the subroadbed for the mainline down....then I can start working on the cork roadbed down....and the staging yard...and the branch line....and the interchange....and the industry spurs.... ;)
 
Tailed Apprentices need not apply!

Originally posted by Agatheron
Niice...

Admittedly, Benchwork is my biggest phobia in this hobby. I'm not particularly well versed in carpentry and woodworking. I picked up a bit through habitat for Humanity, but my only authentic power tool is a black & decker variable speed reversing drill... fortunately that's one less tool for doing benchwork as it's considered "essential" for this type of thing.

I need a saw, but wondering if a skill saw or a scroll saw would be the better choice. While I'm planning on mounting stuff on a door, I'm also thinking that perhaps an open-grid benchwork might also be viable option...

Hoss... Keep your Work in Progress (WIP) pics coming. I'm finding this most enlightening!
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Agatheron, you can save yourself a bit of money, and build some skills while burning calories by getting yourself a Japanese style handsaw (crosscut, I believe) and an inexpensive miter box, probably a total of $30 (US, don't know how much Cdn). Additional advantages are it'll be much quieter, a lot safer, and not as messy, PLUS you won't have to worry about returning the rental in a timely fashion. Downsides? Not as fast.

We don't need no stinking 'lectric cords to cut wood. :thumb:
 
Hand saws

Originally posted by Agatheron
I actually saw those Mitre boxes with hand saws at a nearby Canadian Tire on Friday. I was wondering about their potential :)

Now I continue to ponder a trackplan that will keep things interesting, and yet not be too complex...
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Unless you've done a fair amount of work with handsaws, do yourself a big favor: do not get a Western style handsaw, rather, get yourself a Japanese style handsaw. The Western saw cuts on the PUSH stroke, the Japanese saw cuts on the PULL. For both, best results are accomplished by using a light touch, letting the saw do the cutting, and taking your time.
 
Mmmm... Power tools :D

It honestly comes down to what I can negotiate for space. The initial plan is, as you've seen elsewhere, a door. Although a corner-style unit like what you have Hoss, is also a possibility. Although I don't think nearly as large. I'd be looking at an L-Shaped configuration being roughly 50" on the short part of the L and up to 96" on the long part. I'll have to actually go an measure the potential space...

That having been said, the door option is perhaps easier too...
 
I know what you mean on the space thing. I negotiated heavily for the front "formal" living room....which we use only as a sitting/computer room right now. Unfortunately, I can only use two walls....so an L shape was pretty much on only choice. I'll make it work though. ;)
 
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