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Benchwork for the 3 x 7-foot N scale Red Oak layout didn’t need to be bulletproof, but it did need to be sturdy enough for us to move about the MR workshop and transport to shows. In this video, MRVP’s David Popp shows you how he assembled the lightweight legs, frame, and hollow-core door tabletop to suit this specification. As a bonus, MRVP subscribers can download a PDF of the exact benchwork specifications by clicking on the link below. Of course, you can always adapt David’s design to fit your own N, HO, S, or even O scale layout plan.
How do I access the other episodes of the Red Oak series. When I subscribed to Video Plus there was a Search Feature. I am finding the Trains.com website very difficult to navigate. Please advise.
William
The L girders are cut at 24″ long?
How far from the end of the 80 inch L girder does the cross piece attach ? This is the piece each leg assembly attaches to by way odf the bolts / wing nuts.
Built this benchwork over the weekend. Had to do some guess work on dimensions and spacing of legs and bracing. However, I am very happy with the results.
Nice to see an old idea new again. The Northern Burlington Model Railraod club in Boredentown NJ made a switching layout back in the day ( in the 1990s) for a MER convention and hosted a mulitple switching contest with it. With all the tranporting that the layout out did and over the years it, the L shaped layout made on two hollow core door never warped.
Nice job MR!
AL3
Easy to understand and duplicate!
Nice job David, great workmanship.
Here's an idea to add value and differentiate MRVP from the magazine – publish the Project Layout videos as 'Netflix-style' series. Rather than a month-by-month drip, release all the project layout episodes at once as an exclusive for MRVP subscribers. Maybe do the same for a few other topics, like structure builds and weathering/detailing projects – rotating on a quarterly or trimester basis.
You have only four drywall screws holding the benchwork to the door. Would gluing the bench frame to the door make it stronger ?
Hello Maurice,
The angle braces are 23" with 45 degree angles cut into the ends. An exploded diagram of the benchwork appears on page 61 of the February 2015 MR, but I see some of the dimensions are missing from the illustration, including the angle brace length. I'll try to get those added to the drawing, and then we'll include a PDF for MRVP subscribers at the bottom of this video to help with construction. Hopefully we'll have that up for you by the first or second week of February.
I hope that will keep you going until them!
D.
Thanks for providing more coverage on building the benchwork. How did you determine what length to make the angle braces?
Some model railroaders never realize their dream layouts because they are anxious about designing and constructing the basic benchwork. Your video on this most basic element of layout construction will inspire many to get started…….thank you David.