Well, after another health setback and a move, I'm going to take another shot at an N scale hollow core door layout. The layout will be in a finished basement room. Carpet covered concrete floors, originally sloped for drainage. Thin paneling covered walls that have been declared off limits for modification or holes. Typical 2x4 foot suspended tile ceiling. I'll be sharing the room with wife's sewing and other hobby stuff. Complications: For all practical purposes, when it comes to working on, and eventually using, I will be in a wheelchair. I can stand for very brief periods, and walk a few steps. I need this benchwork to be able to withstand me leaning on it for support if needed. It will require easily adjustable levelers to accommodate the sloped floor. The HCD deck must be easily removable for work on the underside, and for taking "dirty work" outside. The biggie...cost. Living on disability leaves VERY little to spare for hobbies. I need help with ideas for how to construct the benchwork. Right now I keep coming up with dead ends...Not sturdy enough, too expensive, too complicated, too ugly, etc. In years past this would have been a simple matter for me to design. Now, between my health issues and meds, it's just not happening. Any ideas or references you good folk can come up with would be appreciated.
I built my HCD with ACE Hardware folding table legs. I don't lean on mine, but it holds a bunch of weight. My layout height with those legs is about 30" or so. Perfect for a wheelchair, not so perfect for me at 5'10". The HCD I used would not hold the screws to mount the legs, so I slapped some construction Liquid Nails on a piece of 1/2" plywood, installed one on center on each end on the table underside. I allowed to dry completely, then installed the folding legs. The layout had been crated up and shipped to Germany when I moved in 2010, and survived just fine. You can source a HCD from a dumpster at a demolition site (with contractor permission), or a home supply center like Lowes, damaged for cheap. A slapped 2 layers of 2" blue foam on top (construction scraps can be free, see above), and laid my track at that level. I added another 14" of vertical height for mountains and hills beyond that. Join the HCD layout group on the main forum page at the bottom. Plenty of inspiration and wisdom to be found there. http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/group.php?groupid=33
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1297653&kw=folding+legs&origkw=folding+legs That is the ones I used. Not for much lateral force, but you could also use sawhorses.
I've used those table legs before, and some like these to http://www.metalkraft.com/adjust.htm . Unfortunately there was just too much wobble for my liking. Also, something I forgot to mention...one of my doors will be expanded to 42" wide. With my size and the certianty that I'll be leaning on the table, I'm afraid that the folding leg footprint of 20-24" wide would not be stable enough. I was already planning on cletes for the underside of my doors...but I was planning a bit more extreme. My idea is to use 2x4s with several grooves routed across the side against the door, for running wires. The cletes would be fastened into the facia boards as well as the door face. The cletes would double as legs keeping the wiring safe when I have the door out on the picnic table for dirty work. Right now the intention is for the benchwork to be apx 30". With the door, cletes, and a few inches of foam, it should put my rail height somewhere around 36" high. Thanks for the reminder on the HCD group. I'm already a member, and I need to review it to see if there are any benchwork gems to be found.
I think the sawhorse idea would serve you well. Put more than 2 under it, and I'll bet you could stand on it. Sawhorses are cheap, you can build your own to the size you want, etc.
If I was in a wheel chair I might go for a different more narrow benchwork. i think it was Pete Nolan who built on those white wire shelves mounted to the wall with pink foam wired to it. you could get the shelves to a perfect height for you, then if the main parts of a dog bone type layout were narrow you could sit and work without having to lean. Another idea would be to chain a door to the ceiling so that you don't have any legs to get in your way with the wheel chair. I am not in a wheel chair, so not sure why you need to lean on the layout. I never lean on mine. You could also just buy one of those utility tables with folding legs and out your layout on top of that. Maybe if you did that you could just use foam for your baseboard and save weight. Lots of people build with foam and nothing else. As to dirty work. Most layout work isn't really that dirty. All the dirt went away with plaster and wire scenery not being used much anymore.
What I did with my HCD layout is create a full 1X frame with 2X2 or 2X3 legs underneath and then use blocking to attach the layout. I'm sure you could use the same blocking but not have it attached to the 1x, letting you remove the hcd from the under frame.
My hope is that some time in the future the HCD layout I'm starting with will be one of the loops of a bigger dogbone layout. Unfortunately everything has to be free standing...no mounting anything on the walls. My need to have the layout sturdy enough to lean on is more than layout related. In it's intended location, one long side of the layout will be one side of the walkway to my bedroom. I seldom walk, but when I do I need something handy for support if I have problems. Also, when actually working on the layout, anything requiring me to stand has a high likelyhood of ending up with the layout needing to support me. I've used the folding table legs before. They just are not sturdy enough for my needs.
No matter what I do for benchwork underneath, I plan on a 1x perimiter for the top (door)...That is part of how I have expanded the top width to 42". The 1Xs at the ends of the door will be 42" long, forming outriggers for the 1X sides. Right now I'm leaning towards a design inspired by a picnic table...the "bents" on each end consisting of angled legs, with horizontal members top and bottom forming a trapezoid. Between the bents, a simple X brace along the center line of the top/door. Leveling screws on the bottom of each leg adjusting for the uneven floor.
