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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Sun, 11 Feb 2001 19:13:42 GMT
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Viewed:
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1092 times
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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" thick plywood, cut strips about 1.5-2" wide (so you'll
get a LOT out of a $30-40 4x8' sheet), and glue/screw them together. Then you can
figure out if you want to use permanent or folding legs - folding legs made out of
a 1.25" wide strip screwed to a 2" wide strip at a 90 deg angle will result in
VERY stiff, very strong, light legs. Planning the brackets/hinges for those legs
will take a little more work, but isn't hard.
I'll probably build a table for the heck of it soon, so I can take pics and draw
up plans to post.
BTW, Frank, if you use a good glue to hold the 2 1/2" panels together, those
dual-1/2" laminated panels will be stronger than a single 1" panel. Slightly
heavier though, due to the glue.
Frank Filz wrote:
> "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:
>
> +-----+-------+---------+
> | | | |
> | | | |
> | | | |
> +-----+-------+---------+
>
> 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
--
Tom Stangl
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Lightweight show tables
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| (...) 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 (...) (23 years ago, 27-Jan-01, to lugnet.trains)
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