Charles, you've done a nice job, I like the results. That bench kit looks like an excellent way to go, especially for folks with limited or no workshops.
Hank, I actually purchased some 5x5 sheets of Baltic birch and a builder friend helped me rip it at his workshop. I just had to drill the wire holes and cut to length at the apartment and assemble.
Moving right along today. Purchased some plywood for the top and dry fitting it before securing it to the frame.
One more step completed the plywood top is installed and secured to the benchwork. Next step will be installation of the foam.
Picked up a sheet of foam today and cut it too get an estimate of how may sheets I'm going to need. I can only get 3/4" so I will be sandwiching at least two layers. I'm going to glue this down today or tomorrow and then press on. Change in plans: Before I glue down any foam I'm going to do the backdrop. In our apartment complex you are allowed to paint one wall as an accent wall as long as you prime it before moving out. I just received a variance from the management to paint about a 13" high backdrop around the two walls. The walls are fairly smooth and I think this will be easier than constructing a backdrop and attaching it to the benchwork. Project for tomorrow, pick up some paint and get to work.
I masked off the walls and painted the backdrop with a color called Gentle Sky from HD. I decided on a height of 13". I know that conventional wisdom would say to mount a backdrop of masonite and cove it aroung the corner and mount to the benchwork but budgetary constraints overruled practicality. I think I can disguise the sharp corner with the many Southern pines I am going to have to plant. In addition, the wife wanted some floating shelves in another room so I am going to add some here. One of them is a curved corner shelf and I think that will help with the illusion also. The shelves will also give me something to add some LED pucks for additional lighting in the room not to mention for displaying train related items. Walls masked and painted: Masking tape removed:
Charles, it's looking good! I also have only 3/4" foam available locally, but that turned into a good thing. I installed it 2 sheets thick which allowed me to carve out the top 3/4" sheet for streams and ponds. Another thing about foam...pull off the plastic film coating so adhesive (Liquid Nails - Projects/Foam) will adhere to the foam. Otherwise whatever is glued to the foam will cause the film to separate from the foam in the future, leaving a curled up mess that can only be removed with a utility knife...very carefully. I've had this happen when I tried to move track, structures, or scenery. Even without film, track, etc. can still be removed by sliding a putty knife between the foam and whatever is glued to it.
Thanks Hank. A few years ago I laid some foam on a HCD and forgot to pull the plastic off one side. If Paul Harvey was still around he could "tell you the rest of the story"
Glued down the first piece of pink foam and used whatever I could find to weight it down while it cures.
Completed laying all of the first layer of foam. It seems like my knife has a mind of its own sometimes. Any area that had gaps when pieces butted against each other I filled with spackling compound and lightly sanded smooth. The area in front of the picture with no foam is reserved for the port/water scene. I'm working with Pete Nolan to have a container ship built. Working out some specs and details yet.
Major Setback Major setback with this project and I am at a loss right now what happened. I noticed that an area of the foam was lifting up. Before any conclusions are reached, yes I did remove the plastic film from both sides. I used Liquid Nails for Projects as I have done for years. I could lift the foam up with my little finger and it separated. You could see the evidence that the Liquid Nails had reacted with the foam. The Liquid Nails that remained on the plywood was still wet to the touch and this is after seven days since the first layer. I have never had Liquid Nails for Projects react like this over the years I have used it with foamboard. So now I am in a deconstructing stage. At the same time it has caused me to rethink the track plan and/or the benchwork. As I am dismantling the top it is evident that there are some reach issues. All this that has happened may be a "silver lining". At least that's what I'm telling myself so as not to invent some new words.
Charles, sounds like that tube may have been a bad mix, or (and you probably don't want to hear this) it was marked "For Projects", not "For Projects/Foam". The difference is the vehicle, not-Foam has a hydrocarbon vehicle, whereas the /Foam is not hydrcarbon, possibly water-based. I had a similar reaction from a tube of DAP that the clerk swore was identical to /Foam. Sadly he didn't know what he was talking about, it was hydrocarbon based. However, I'm glad you found a "Silver Lining" within your frustration.
Thanks Hank for the reply. I checked the empty tubes and the one I have left that hasn't been used and they all state on the label safe to use with foamboard, so maybe there was a bad mix. I may never know the answer. It was just a frustrating turn of events today but better now than down the road when something disastrous could have happened.
That's not fun! Was there any chance it wasn't latex liquid nails? Perhaps non latex will attack the foam? And perhaps there's a difference between foam and foam board...because the board is sandwiched with the card board type layer. I've used a LN product for 2 layouts I've built with no issues, but don't remember the exact name of it. I want to say the label was blue. Anyway - I hope it works out better for you in the long run! Keep the pictures coming...
Thanks for the encouragement Dave. I used the Dow Corning pink foam (Foamular) and double checked the label on the Liquid Nails for Projects to ensure that it was compatible for foamboard. The Liquid Nails was literally eating into the foam on the first layer I had laid so maybe it was a bum batch. The modifications to the benchwork won't be a big ordeal and is an easy fix. Better to have found out reach issues now than later after track was laid. As a side note, my wife made me feel somewhat better over the fiasco. My hands were a mess and I walked into the kitchen to ask her to pour me a soda with lots of ice. My words were " can you fix me" and before I could finish she replied "a beer". I had to laugh and it did lighten up the situation.
Charles, the adhesive I currently am using successfully on both pink and blue 3/4" foamboard is Loctite Power Grab Foamboard Construction Adhesive (Blue Cartridge). I changed from Liquid Nails to Loctite only because after Hurricane Katrina I built a new home, and Home Depot now is more convenient than Lowe's. Otherwise, I am in a quandry regards your problem, so I suspect is Dave.
