Subject:
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Re: Lightweight show tables
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Sat, 27 Jan 2001 05:57:19 GMT
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Viewed:
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928 times
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"James J. Trobaugh" wrote:
>
> I don't know about other groups but the biggest pain for me with our club is
> the loading/unloading of the heavy tables. Recently there has been some talk
> on my local NMRA discussion group about lightweight foam top tables
> (Styrofoam --EXTRUDED foam such as "Dow Board", "blue-board, etc. -- as
> used in building material, not beaded foam which is too weak.)
>
> From what I've gathered the idea is that you would have a strong frame maybe
> wood or some type carbon resin beams, then either a mesh or framed supports
> in the middle and the foam board for the top. You wouldn't put anything
> super heavy on this but heck it would defiantly hold some buildings, track
> and some trains. I'm waiting for one of the NMRA members to send me the name
> of a book that talks about how to build such tables in detail.
>
> Has anyone seen such a table or maybe even built one themselves?
The table I built for an HO train layout used this kind of foam board. I
built a frame out of 1x3 lumber. The top was anywhere from 2-4 1/2"
layers of foam (I couldn't get the 1" thick material it would be a
little stronger). My table was sectional with the largest unit being
2'x5'. A 2'x5' section has 2 cross braces, so the frame looks like:
+-----+-------+---------+
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+-----+-------+---------+
These tables are quite strong, if you look on this page:
http://www.mindspring.com/~ffilz/Lego/apartment.html
In the 2nd picture, you will see 3 of the sections (2 2'x5' and one
2'x4') forming a shelf holding a huge pile of unopened LEGO sets.
Currently that table is holding the equivalent of over 40 huge sets (and
they mostly aren't light ones either, 5 4565, 3 8480, 1 8880, 2 or 3
each of the UCS sets and Millennium Falcon for example). I don't think
I've ever stood on one of these, but you probably can if you're gentle.
I don't think you'll have any weight problems even if you built a
substantial LEGO mountain. The table top in the 1st picture is also 3
layers of foam, but it has boards and such under it (the real purpose
was to store the extra foam that had been intended for mountain building
on the HO layout, though it also gave me an easily cut and man handled
4'x6' table top). I think a 1/2" layer would be strong enough for most
purposes, but one might want a 1" layer if you plan on building LEGO
mountains.
There is another advantage besides weight in using this scheme. Your
table tops can be constructed without any power tools without too much
masochism (cutting the 1x3 lumber by hand would be tiresome but doable).
A power drill (with screwdriver capability), carpenters glue, screws or
nails, any kind of power saw (I used a chop saw), and a knife will work
just dandy. To cut the foam board, you score once with a knife and then
snap.
Another advantage is that they will probably result in quieter train
running than plywood.
I actually need to think about convincing our folks to go this way for
the tables we will be building. The foam board doesn't even cost that
much, it's at least comparable to plywood, and may be cheaper than A-B
plywood, though a 1" think top wouldn't be too much lighter than the
3/8" plywood specced for the PNLTC tables (which is also plenty strong).
Frank
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Lightweight show tables
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| Currently our tables are made with 5/8 particle board tops and are about 3'x6'. We recently did a show for the Atlanta History Center and had to carry these beast up two flights of stairs to the room where we were displaying. I tell you after that (...) (24 years ago, 27-Jan-01, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: Lightweight show tables
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| Note - if you want to spend a bit more money in the search for even lighter/thinner tables, you can build ones similar to Frank's, but use BIRCH plywood strips in place of the 1x3s - birch plywood is extremely stiff and light for it's size. Use 3/4" (...) (24 years ago, 11-Feb-01, to lugnet.trains)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Lightweight show tables
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| I don't know about other groups but the biggest pain for me with our club is the loading/unloading of the heavy tables. Recently there has been some talk on my local NMRA discussion group about lightweight foam top tables (Styrofoam --EXTRUDED foam (...) (24 years ago, 27-Jan-01, to lugnet.trains)
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