Hello Everyone, I'm not here as much as I used to be.... for those of you who know... I've gone prototype modeling in HO, (and back to school in the eveings for about another 10 months) so I'm busy. I had a question for you all, though. Do you paint your benchwork? I'm talking about the stuff UNDER the layout, not the stuff under your scenery. The under side... where you run your electrical and mount your switch machines. I've been thinking about painting mine, but wonder if anyone else has bothered to do this. I was thinking it might help with shrinkage and moisture-related expansion/contraction of the benchwork. Opinions? JKD
I've built my benchwork with dowelled jointed MDF so I've just sealed with 50/50 water/pva. Just to stop damp and therefore warping.
Dampness and warping is a good reason to paint it or "seal" it in some way. I had never considered such a thing as it seems like a giant task to accomplish. I have seen metal bench work.
I'm at the point where it could easily be done (benchwork starts this weekend). I've seen metal stuff too.... but the cost of that compared to wood + paint is not even in the same ball park (at least around where I live). I think I'll give it a try.... though other opinions are welcome. I'll post a pic or two when I get the first section done. If nothing else, painting the benchwork will let me spend more time in the layout room in the slow process of building the benchwork/trackwork. :thumbs_up:
Depending on the type of wood and moisture in the train room, it might help to suppress mold. I have skirts of old wood paneling to cover the lower benchwork below the fascia. The paneling used to be in the family room of the house that came down when we bought and remodeled the place -it's over 50 years old. I noticed spots of a white mold on the back of the paneling after a few years so it got a coat of Kilz, the stain and mold blocking primer. George V.
The layout my Father and I built twenty years ago has never been painted, and it's fine. Really depends on the environment the layout is in.
If the layout will be in a controlled enviroment, where the humidty and temp will remain constant, no need to paint, other than those conditions, you need to paint otherwise one day you will find your track bent/bowed/crooked because the lumber contracted/expanded. Even "seasoning" the lumber for as long as a year will not prevent it from expanding.
Mine's all painted - particularly the plywood subroadbed. Knowing that I was ballasting and soaking everything down someday, I covered everything in an earth-colored latex paint from the start. And I paint the supporting benchwork flat black, along with the fascia. I have a dehumidifier, and it's in a heated basement area, and I still get expansion and contraction, but not really much. Causes the most havoc on the masonite sheets for the backdrops, I'd never use that again. Painted or not, it moves.
I painted the bottom of my benchwork flat black... I find it gives the benchwork a clean look. Really no other reason than that... Cheers
Reading all this makes me wish I had painted my bench before starting construction on the layout. It'd be a major pain now.
No. Haven't painted squate under there. I do paint the top side prior to scenery, etc. As suggested in many of Dave Frary and other scenery references, I find some earth color or suitable "mis-tint" at paint stores and use that as a base color prior to the scenery. But the overall benche work? No. I have had three layouts in well conditioned rooms and never had a problem with swelling, shifting, moisture, etc. The 3rd version of my Albemarle Divsion that is under active planning now, I may however consider it. But it will be for pure esthetic reasons. Here's my last layout while fraiming the coal branch. Naked as a jaybird w/o any "framing paint"
JKD, As a precaution I think sealing the bench work is usually a good idea. Even in a non-humid climate or environment area. The wood used may not be at optimal dryness prior to assembly and could tweak slightly over time. This darn hobby is so expensive that any and every precaution should be taken during each phase of assembly from bench work to final product. I used liquid plastic to seal the bottom joists and plywood sub-base along with the tablesides. I live in New Mexico where humidity is virtually non- existent but I have experienced warp age on other projects from wood with high moisture content. I personally don’t think sealing bench work is overkill but then again my switching layout will only be 4’ x 8’. My wife says I’m anal. Oh-well, what the heck, Tom
To the original OP, depending on where your layout is located and if the room will be temp/humidity controlled. Click the link and make your own decision. http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/167139/1836833.aspx#1836833 Its really a Ford vs Chevy topic, your experience may vary.
I painted most of mine. Except the sub roadbed isn't painted on the underside. I just got in too big of a hurry to do it before installing it.
In a word, no. Plain old DAR plantation pine glued and screwed for the most part. Provided you have properly built the frame and braced where required it should be just fine. Not all joints are glued in the above image and the four sections are only bolted together (three of these are in the above image). They are, however, screwed to the battens that are in turn screwed to the wall studs (which are unpainted). This is in a room under the main roof so can only vouch for my circumstances. Can I assume CA wouldn't have too great a climate change unless up the north end? I've always thought CA weather to be similar to NSW's.
I did not paint the wood supports because the 1-1/2" of foam board just rests on top of them. I did put a thin bead of Liquid Nails/Foam on each support to lessen the chance the foam would lift as it was being laid. However, Liquid Nails remains flexible so any warping of the supports would be minor and not affect the foam. Also the weight of the layout, scenery, etc. lessens the possiblity that the foam might move.
I like Hytech's idea of leaving the foam board float. But I would still seal the frame work. Do it before cutting to length. That makes it easier. Or use steel studs.
