Hi Fellow Modelers,
I just finished building my benchwork and for my top, I used 1/2" plywood, with 1/2" Homasote glued on top of the plywood. I know there are "new and improved" methods, but I've been using Homasote for my top layer for over 25 years. Unfortunately, where various pieces of Homasote butt up against each other, I've discovered that one piece is higher than the other, sometimes as much as 1/8" or more. I believe that this will cause a problem when I go to apply my cork roadbed and track.....creating a bump.
Obviously, considering I used 8 pieces of 4'x8' Homasote and there are many places where there are differences in height, I cannot sand down all the higher sheets to get them to the level of the thinner sheets. My first inclination was to sand down the higher Homasote with a belt sander, trying to create a gentle slope away from the seama foot or so. This approach could get pretty messy and I think it will be difficult to determine when the slope should end. My next thought was to just shim the cork on the "thin" side of the seam, thus allowing for a gentle slope from the thinner Homasote up to the higher piece. I'm not sure whether a few inch slope, climbing 1/8" or more will cause a problem for my rolling stock.
I've read that many people have experienced the varying thicknesses of Homasote, even when they bought all their sheets in one lot at the same time like I did. What I haven't read about is how people solved the "bump" problem created by the varying thicknesses.
Any thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Mondo
I just finished building my benchwork and for my top, I used 1/2" plywood, with 1/2" Homasote glued on top of the plywood. I know there are "new and improved" methods, but I've been using Homasote for my top layer for over 25 years. Unfortunately, where various pieces of Homasote butt up against each other, I've discovered that one piece is higher than the other, sometimes as much as 1/8" or more. I believe that this will cause a problem when I go to apply my cork roadbed and track.....creating a bump.
Obviously, considering I used 8 pieces of 4'x8' Homasote and there are many places where there are differences in height, I cannot sand down all the higher sheets to get them to the level of the thinner sheets. My first inclination was to sand down the higher Homasote with a belt sander, trying to create a gentle slope away from the seama foot or so. This approach could get pretty messy and I think it will be difficult to determine when the slope should end. My next thought was to just shim the cork on the "thin" side of the seam, thus allowing for a gentle slope from the thinner Homasote up to the higher piece. I'm not sure whether a few inch slope, climbing 1/8" or more will cause a problem for my rolling stock.
I've read that many people have experienced the varying thicknesses of Homasote, even when they bought all their sheets in one lot at the same time like I did. What I haven't read about is how people solved the "bump" problem created by the varying thicknesses.
Any thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Mondo
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