benchwork & lumber


B

Bwa

New Member
About 20 years ago as a kid, I had an HO layout that was on tables in a 12 x 12 ft room. Sadly I never had room or time since to have a layout.

So now I've got room in the basement. About 12 x 15 ft with room for a 1 x 8 ft staging/side yard area. I could get greedy and move walls around and end up with something like 12 x 25 ft, but I'm thinking 12 x 15 is ok. Separate workbench area is about 10 x 8 ft.

So MR's benchwork book talks about using 1x4s and other "small" lumber even for long beams and legs. I assume MR knows what they're talking about, but this seems a bit precarious to me.

I am thinking 2x4 legs, 1x4 supports, 2x4s for the "L-girder" rails but maybe just using 2x4s and putting the cross members on them directly without putting a 1x3 on top (I think MR was using 1x2 laid on a 1x4).

Thoughts? I know I'm probably over-engineering here, but the cost difference seems negligible.
 
there's a ton of info to be gained from a few searches of existing threads, but remember the strength of a beam is (for the most part) determined by the depth, not the width. So a 2x4 on it's side isn't much stronger than a 1x4.

suffice it to say that I built my entire layout of 1x2 clear pine decked with OSB and plywood. And I can sit on it. The 2 legs (it is cantilevered from the wall in most areas) are built-up using multiple 1x2s. In some places 2@ 1x2s were glued and screwed together at the edge to make a 1x4 (~).

Never tell an engineer it can't be done.
 
I've used much the same concepts when building my layouts. As Ken said, the main thing to remember is that thickness of the lumber doesn't contribute much to strength but it does raise the cost. I've found 1x4's work fine in most instances. If you need extra strength for things like leges, two 1x4's sistered together are actually stronger than a single 2x4.
 
The nice thing about 1X4's is that you can rip them down their lengths with a table saw if you want angle beams or L-girders. I used 1X4's oriented thin edges up and down, with a ripped section over the top, glued and screwed to create an L-girder. Two of these over 8' support my sheet of plywood providing the base for my yard. They are very strong. My legs for all four modules are 1X2's with diagonal braces. I can get up on all of them very easily...they are very sturdy.

I got away from 2X4 construction after my first layout when I saw how overbuilt and heavy it became.

You should be very happy with 1X4's.

-Crandell
 
My layout is open grid and I used 1x4's for all of my joists and sides of the box. 1x2's for diagonal leg braces and 2x4's for the legs. The flat areas are covered with 1/2" BC grade plywood with lots of screws. When first building the boxes I thought "how flimsy", but after the plywood and bracing it would easily hold up several people.
 
I used 2x4 metal studs on most of my framework. Mostly recycled from demo jobs we did. They arent that expensive in the lighter weights and can be picked up for nothing if you keep your eyes open. For example at commercial sites, banks or malls doing renovations. I put mine on 12 or 16 inch centers and either did open framing or used plywood or whatever I needed. I used scrap 2x4s made into squares for legs. That way you have a top for the studs to rest on and a bottom to attach to the floor or to rest solid and keep the uprights from moving. I have walked on it anywhere during the construction as needed. But all good advice above and also many threads to search here as well. Good Luck and remember to have fun!
 
Using 1" x 4" lumber built in a torsion box design along with the top substrate is plenty enough for table construction needs. Legs can be fabricates with the same material configured into L- shape with Bracing if needed.
Remember -Flat and Square and the torsion box design out succeeds these requirements.
 
I use a variation on the 1x4 lumber, 3/4" plywood ripped at the lumber yard into 3" strips.
I find they don't twist or warp, they take glue and screws well, and seem easier to work with. My table top is mainly plywood strips as well with the exception of flat yard areas which are straight plywood.
 
I agree with the 3/4" plywood ripped down to size. The quality of lumber at the big box stores is not all that good, unless you are looking at their premium hardwoods. Oak, ash, maple = $$$$ and a waste of good wood that will likely go unseen. Pine or fir is much cheaper, but it's tough finding straight ones at the stores. Plywood is almost always flat and straight. If you do want the benchwork to be exposed and have a "fine furniture" look to it, then use a sheet of the oak or other cabinet grade ply for the exposed surfaces. Plus, the plywood is more stable when it comes to temperature or humidity changes than regular wood. A sheet of the oak cabinet grade usually runs about $50. Ripped down, that will give you 12 8 foot 1X4's. The generic cabinet grade sheets run about $25. I am not sure what type of wood those sheets are (that's what I have used for benchwork and various cabinets in my garage) but it is a light colored wood with fairly consistent straight grain, that would take a clear finish well if desired. That comes out to about $2 per "board".
 
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Rico and Ken, I've never thought of using plywood for framing or legs but it makes perfect sense. It is getting tougher and tougher to find common pine or fir that's straight and has less than a knot per inch unless you buy the "premium" stuff which isn't much better. Ken, if that cabinet grade wood is the same that I've used, it's ash, which is really nice, fine grained wood, and very strong dimensionally.
 
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