Page 5 - May June 2000

HO Module Benchwork #2 Peter Everitt (Photos by the author)
In the first part we looked at the why’s and wherefore’s of choosing suitable materials and designs to minimise the weight of module baseboards.
Now a few practical notes on construction, some ‘hints and tips’. What’s the difference between ‘golden rules’ and ‘hints and tips’? Basically the authors whim; I suppose the ‘hints and tips’ are not so golden and not so much rules, perhaps this makes them ‘brass guidelines’?
1. When cutting holes first pilot drill in the correct place to suit the pilot of the hole saw, cut the hole about half way through and then finish off from the other side. This minimises splitting which can be a problem with plywood.
2. To prevent the leg height adjusters going walkabout in transit spread some epoxy adhesive over the top couple of threads, remember to do this after they have been screwed into the spiked nut for the last time.
3. The rear sheet of 6mm ply should be extended upwards to form the skyboards.
4. The crosspieces and front panel
should be profiled to suit the scenery.
5. Locating dowels between a pair of modules give good alignment and protect the exposed track ends until properly aligned while the boards are being joined.
flange, if using dowels without the spigot then drill through 5/16 in dia. and fit a 5/16 in dia. guide peg on to the drill. A smear of epoxy resin applied when finally fitting the dowel flanges adds to the long term durability
7. An additional thickness of 9mm ply at the join with part on each board (see Figure 4) will ensure that the board structure extends 4mm beyond the end of the track and protects the track against damage when the board is rested on end (see drawing and photo 5). In this case the detail dimensions of the board components must be adjusted to maintain the 8 ft overall length.
Photo 5 Track end protection
8. The hinged legs (Figure 5 below) are attached by 40mm hinges to 4 in long blocks of 18mmx32mm which are screwed and glued to the end crosspiece. This arrangement means that the weight of the board is taken through this block directly into the leg and the hinge only has to support the leg when it is folded up for
6. The locating dowels shown in Figure 2 (above) are similar to those available via the EM gauge and German Railway societies; their official name is ‘Pattern Makers Dowels’ and they can also be obtained from foundry suppliers. The 3/8 in diameter spigot on the rear face provides additional location in the end crosspiece and helps line up the dowels in the 3/8 in dia. holes (which should be drilled through both boards simultaneously while they are clamped together). The modified drill shown in Figure 3 cuts the recess for the
transport. The legs themselves are made of small sections of timber and need to be properly ‘triangulated’ i.e. the diagonal brace goes from corner to corner so that it gives maximum support. In order for the legs to pack one ‘inside’ the other (see Figure 8) the diagonal for the narrow leg needs to be attached to the inside surfaces of the leg. The diagonal for the wide leg is attached to the ‘inside’ face of the leg i.e. the one which is at the top when folded into the board. This allows the legs to fold
JUNE 2000
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