Benchwork is Completed

 This week was the final week of benchwork construction. 

 I cleaned up the rough edges of the valences over the helix.

I purchased and cut to size the 2 inch styrofoam and masonite for the last 4 modules.

I painted the backdrops the two shades of sky. 

I started sorting the bits and pieces of styrofoam in my scrap pile to identify landforms for the WWSL version 3 right of way and toss the rest. Same thing with the lumber shorts. Alot of scrap to the dump. 

Now I have to reorganize again and get the layout room ready for right of way development and tracklaying.

Benchwork 10

 Benchwork construction is just about over and I'm glad it's coming to an end. 

Once the helix base was roughed in and emplaced, final benchwork can be completed. 

I installed the south wall upper level horizontal L-Girder. I then installed the east wall upper level horizontal L-girder - completing the upper level benchwork.

I then installed the lower level south wall L-Girder. Notice that I simultaneously installed the east wall L-girder. I had to do this to ensure that the east wall modules were correctly installed at the 8 foot length and whatever excess length of the layout room was reflected in the width of the south wall modules. I anticipated a 32 inch width of the south wall modules. The reality was 33 inches and I'm fine with that.

 

Not photographed but installed was a lower level leg installed along the south wall to hold up the lower module.

Benchwork 9 - Helix

The layout design given and druthers about helixes on a model railroad layout will be discussed in the layout design section of the blog. Here we are going to look at the benchwork construction of the helix base.

The helix module will occupy a space 4 foot long, 4 foot wide and approximately 24 inches or more in height. The sheer size and weight of the module requires some modification of the WWSLs L-girder costruction techniques.

As seen in the lower photograph the major change is the absence of the horizontal 1"x3" as part of the lower L girder. A temporary 1"x3" was used to ensure level of the horizontal girder and the installation of the backdrop panels.

Next, the helix base was constructed. To minimize weight, I opted to use 1/2 inch plywood for the base. 1"x4" inch L-girders were constructed and installed around the outside edges of the plywood panel for strength. L-girders along two edges of the the panel were set in the traditional internal orientation, two L-girders along the other two edges were oriented outward. All 4 corners were reinforced with metal brackets.

Heres a view of the reversed L-girders. In this case the horizontal L-girder members are 1"x2" dimentional lumber. They are oriented outward so that when the module is installed on the benchwork, the 1x2 horizontal edges hooks onto the benchwork holding it in place until a leg can be temporarily installed, the module leveled, and galanized screws inserted to lock the module onto the benchwork.

Having gotten the base installed with a temporary leg, I then cut the luan panels I plan to use for the helix roadbed to 48"x48" inches. I then temporarily installed them on the plywood base and aligned them to the base. I screwed them to the plywood base and then sanded the cut edge with a belt sander. 

The lower level has the helix foundation base for stability. The upper level needs a L girder for stability. I used a 2"x2" stud for the helix leg. I cut the corners of the luan panels and the 1/2 inch plywood panel, placed the leg inside the L-girder corner and screwed it into the L girders.

 

 

It is my plan to enclose the helix. The east side of the helix will be painted per the lower level sky color. The north side of the helix will be mostly enclosed as fascia and painted black. To make the backdrop and facia panels flush with the Lgirders at the leg, a 1"x3" and 1"x2" was attached as trim pieces. 

 

Now that the helix base is built and installed, I can finish the benchwork in the south east corner of the layout room and call benchwork construction over.

Benchwork 8

The last major section of benchwork to be installed was along the south wall. I knew this was going to be something out of the ordinary because this was new construction per se. All previous benchwork came from WWSL version 2 and was pretty simple to build and install. This section was unique in that it was the location of the helix, and helix construction causes all sorts of benchwork issues. 

Undaunted I forged ahead. The valence along the south wall in zone 3 was built. I initially planned to continue the benchwork at 24 inches in depth leaving an 8 inch gap between the layout and the south wall. Sanity quickly over-welmed me as i realized two things: 1)  an 8 inch gap either requires another stud wall, or 2) I would have to divide two 8 foot modules and insert a special 8 inch module piece somewhere along a straight track section so if i ever moved, i would not have to rebuild multiple curved track. Neither solution was appealing to me. 

 

I came to the conclusion that I could use that 8 inches to solve some layout issues I had with the Lumber Camp and the NP interchange yard. (More of that later in the layout planning blog). The four modules on the south wall would be 32 inches in depth rather than 24 inches. Up went the standard compressed stud wall, the lower L-Girder, and the backdrop panels. 

 

 

At this point I need to reverse my normal installation practice. Previously the upper deck was installed first and the lower deck last for ease of installation. This time around the helix base has to be built and installed, then the lower deck built and installed. The upper deck was then gets measured and installed temporarily - knowing final installation was dependent on the location of the helix exit point. 

 

Helix building is a whole new subject that i will get to shortly. .

 

 

 

Benchwork 7

The valence along the center peninsula was built and installed. The party light string was continued from valence level in Zone 2 around the end of the peninsula and down to the end wall.

The upper benchwork frame was constructed and installed. The light string was continued from zone 2 around the end of the peninsula and down to the end wall.

I then built the peninsula end valence. An interesting measure twice, cut once exercise that I'll discuss next week in greater detail.

The lower benchwork frame was constructed and installed. I then moved the four modules from storage onto the benchwork.

The good news is that this construction frenzy completes the rebuilding of the existing version 2 layout footprint and completes STG #1:  I wanted the first half of the layout room constructed, utilizing the existing WWSL 2.0 bench work installed within 3 to 6 months.

Benchwork 6

This week's benchwork construction was along the east wall in Zone 3. The wall was painted.

The compression stud wall was installed.

The Lower Rear L-girders was constructed, installed and leveled. The backdrops were installed. You will notice that I recycled a WWSL ver 2a backdrop on the right side, the sky colors are reversed because i kept the luan paneling manufactured ends mated and the cut end was placed in the corner. The Upper Rear L-Girders were installed. 

Construction is halted until i get the ceiling drywalled. 

Benchwork 5

Benchwork construction continued along the east wall and the north side of the center peninsula in Zone 2 and 4.

Using standarized construction techniques found in Benchwork 4  I installed the the Upper and Lower Deck (rear) benchwork on the east wall.

I then constructed and installed the Upper and Lower Deck (rear) L-Girders on the peninsula. The backdrop only extends 16' with a 4-foot open end. For the rear L-Girders, I installed an 8' 1"x3" L-Girder, then a 4' 1"x3" L-Girder, and then installed a final 8' L-Girder cantilevered into the final open 4' area. This 8' L-Girder was made from a 1"x4" for improved stability when cantilevered.

The Upper Deck Front L-Girder was constructed of two 1"x4" L-Girders 10-foot long, installed 24-inches from the backdrop and attached to the valance with the 19-gauge dark annealed steel wire.

The lower Deck Front L-Girders were constructed and installed using the same techniques. The cantilevered L-Girder was leveled and secured to a leg cut to size.

The Upper and Lower Deck Front L-Girder benchwork on the east wall was measured and cut to fit between the north and center peninsula benchwork.

I also installed Lower Deck String 1 along the north and east wall and parts of the Upper and Lower Deck Strings 1 and 2 to the upper cantilevered section.

Benchwork 4

Benchwork continues in Zone 2 and 4. The upper and lower front L-girders are assembled and installed.

The first step is temporarily clamping a vertical 1"x3" to the valence.

  

With a length of 29-feet, i used three 10-foot 1"x4"s for the top L-girders.The first L-girder is clamped to the end L-girder. The other end of the L-girder is clamped at the vertical with a second clamp.  Each L-girder is leveled horizontally with a 4-foot level and cross leveled with a 2-foot level. Once correctly leveled the L-girder is attached at the end with a rafter angle plate and temporarily screwed at the other end to the vertical 1"x3".

At the other end of the wall a second L-girder is attached and installed in the same manner.

The third (center) L-girder is aligned with the two end L-girder and cut to fit. A rafter splice plate is then screwed at each connection point.

When all L-girders are leveled I then install two wires attached between the valence and the upper L-girder and legs between the lower L-girder and the floor. 

Benchwork 3

There have been numerous articles in the modeling press about layout height, and Tony Koester's article in the 2007 Model Railroad Planning magazine discusses the compromises between optimal layout elevation for realistic viewing and ideal height for construction, maintenance or operating crews.

Koester offers an optimal layout elevation formula for consideration: H-28" to H-17" where H = viewer's height in inches. His example of a 6' 0" person (72") is H = 44" to 55". For single deck layouts he recommends a few inches either way of 50" and for multi-deck layouts, a range from 40 inches to 60 inches, depending on the layout and people parameters determined by the owner.

In my analysis i considered several factors: 1) operational visibility while standing both upper and lower decks, 2) reach in capability, and 3) operational visibility while sitting for the lower deck. Assisting me in my consideration was my workbench height - 34 inches based on: 1) chair height, 2) comfort and wrist position while working (carpal tunnel considerations). My modules are approximately 4 inches in height which then places the lower level subroadbed at 38 inches.

The upper level is based on the optimal layout elevation formula modified by the needs of the helix. As sketched, the right of way enters the helix at the rear of the circle and exits the helix at the front. Using Helix Calculator 2.0 I determined that a 21 inch radius, with a 3 inch clearance would be 7 levels (21 inches) and a 2.275% grade (good for my 4 axle locomotives).

That placed the upper level at 59 inches. I'd forgotten about vertical curves coming off the helix but raising the upper level another inch and rotating the heliz 0" elevation start 90 degrees gave me 2 inches in height to achieve the 60 inch upper level height, and an easier vertical curve entering and leaving the helix.

This places the lower L-girder height at 34 inches (zero elevation line) and the compression - studs were level lined. The upper L-girder height was set at 56 inches (22 inches from the lower L-girder).

Benchwork 2

There is an old carpenter axiom "measure twice, cut once". There's also an idiom "one step forward, two steps back". So it was in my initial wall construction.

I got the first two walls up using the compression-stud benchwork in my last post (http://modelingthewwsl.blogspot.com/2019/02/benchwork-1.html). I then went out and rented a laser leveler to locate the zero elevation line and mark the studs so I could then install the lrear lower level L-girder and the luan backdrops. I was able to quickly do two wall, the leftmost 30-foot wall and one 12-foot wall.

When i installed the 4'x8' foot luan backdrops i noticed they didn't line up vertically as well as I expected. I pulled the 4-foot level out and ran it along the top of the backdrops and was surprised to see that they weren't level - the bubble wasn't close to center in the tube.

I went to the rental company and re-rented the laser leveler. This time I went to the web site and downloaded the instruction manual and read it. Imagine my surprise when I read on the last page that the laser was accurate to 5/8 inch at 50-feet. Review of other brands of laser levelers of varying prices revealed accuracies of 1/8" to 1/4" per 30-feet.

I discussed this with a contractor friend of mine who confirmed that level varies by price, and by the care of the leveler by the owner. His leveler was accurate to 1/16th inch in 100 feet, and he said it was well worth the cost for his construction needs. He expressed surprise that I had gone to the expense of a laser leveler for such a small area. He reminded me that a low tech high accuracy tool in my garage would do just as well - a chalk line and a torpedo level!

Being the friend he is, he brought his expensive laser leveler over and shot the new zero elevation line. Sure enough my 30-foot wall was 1/2 inch off - my chalk line and torpedo level 1/16th off.

I can accept a deviation of 1/16th inch. So back to deconstruction and reconstruction.

Benchwork 1

The WWSL v1.0 was conceived and constructed in 1987 while I was still in the military. Knowing that moving every couple of years was a reality, I decided that the railroad would be a sectional layout; each module would be no larger than two foot by eight foot. Since then I have successfully moved v1.0 and v2.0 four times.

Version 1.0 was a free standing (tabletop) layout. Version 2 was a two level shelf layout anchored to a dry walled stud wall. Version 3.0 is located in a basement with poured concrete walls. A traditional basement interior wall framing with drywall was possible but local building would have classified the work as a finished basement and significantly increase the taxes for the building. I chose instead to use an ingenious system developed by Malcolm Furlow and published in the January 1988 issue of Model Railroader. It's called compression-stud benchwork. Malcolm used 2x2 lumber with a T-nut and carriage bolt on one end and a small piece of thin plywood on the other. The entire assembly was cut to the height of the wall less a 1/2 inch or so, then tensioned between the floor and ceiling using the T-nut to provide a sturdy foundation for brackets, girders, and other shelves. 

I adapted the concept using 2"x2" lumber attached to the wood sill as the ceiling point, and 2"x4" and 2"x6" studs. I used 3/8" x 3" zinc screws in lieu of the T nut and carriage bolt, and used a 4-inch mending plate to attach to the 2"x2" top plate. 

Corners were created with one 2"x4" and one 2"x6". The 2"x4" was screwed on end to the face of the 2"x6" allowing 3 inches of usable facing on either side for attaching the backdrop (I use 4 foot by eight foot luan plywood). A 2"x4" studs is placed at the four-foot mark, a 2"x6" at the 8-foot mark, then repeated along the entire wall. The compression stud is leveled vertically and horizontally.

I use L-girders as the horizontal elements for my benchwork. As I am building a two level layout, my lower L-girder is built with a 1"x3" and a 1"x4". The upper level L-girder is built with two 1"x3"s. I got excited about getting to this level of construction and before i knew it I had a 30-foot wall constructed and the luan backdrop installed.

Layout height considerations, backdrop painting etc will be discussed in later posts.

References:

Model Railroader, January 1988, Carbondale Central, Malcolm Furlow.

Great Model Railroads, 2015, Less is More, James McNab.