train table surface

[rookie]

Hey guys, i just finished building my new train table. it has 16 linear feet in the shape of an L. What would be a good material to cover it with. The osb is too slick and not very appealing to look at. I was thinking maybe of felt or something. What do you guys have. thanks, david

[pdlethbridge]

  I us 1/2"plywood under 1/2"homasote. Homasote takes spikes and nails well and keeps them in place.

[rookie]

What in the world is homosote, and where do you get it? thanks for the response

[pdlethbridge]

Homasote
by Doug Woerner
Homasote Company Product Development Engineer

We're often asked about the materials we use to manufacture Homasote &endash; what they are and their purpose.

Paper comprises more than 98 percent of Homasote board and is its structural component, with nearly all board strength derived from bonding of cellulose fibers to each other.

The wax we use in manufacturing, a liquid emulsion of wax and water, provides water resistance to the final product. In manufacturing, the wax is separated from the water by alum and then deposited onto the cellulose fibers. During drying, the wax melts and is absorbed by the cellulose fibers.

Another water emulsion, retention-aid polymer, improves water drainage and retention of solids. It does this mainly by chemically coagulating or flocculating the fibers and the fine particles.

Talc is primarily a process aid. It helps to keep the mold screens clean by attaching to "stickies," such as glue, oil, asphalt, etc.

Rosin has both product and process functions. It adds board strength and helps to keep the mold screens clean by attaching to fine and sticky particles.

Aluminum sulfate (alum) has one simple but critical function, separating wax from the emulsion, making it available to deposit on the cellulose fibers.

Hydrated alumina (aluminum trihydrate), is used only in 550, N.C.F.R., as a fire retardant. It decreases the flammability and smoke emission dramatically.

Starch, used only on 460 board, is a binder or adhesive that increases board strength by forming a stronger bond with the cellulose fibers.

[rookie]

Wow! I didn't understand all that i tried to absorb but thanks all the same. Still, where do you get it and does it come in 4x8 sheets or what?

[pdlethbridge]

Some places like home depot carry it or can order it. I got my 4x8 sheets from victor coal and lumber, ny

[steamchugger]

I prefer mdf  (medium density fiber board)  to plywood,it will not warp or distort,you can get a 1/2" sheet 49"x97" for about $20.00 bucks plus tax from home depot or lowes. I also lay cork roadbed to absorb the noise, works well, can be used easily.nailos and spikes hold well.

[jward]

i use pine board. it takes naial much better than plywood, and holds them much better than homasote. it is also much more dimensionally stable than homasote, an important consideration if you are going to be building a layout in less than perfact conditions such as high humudity, or fluctuations in temperature. pine involved alot of cutting and fitting of pieces, especially if you are going to have elevated trackage. but for a basic train table you could cover the table in 1x12 planks and stain it to an earth colour. eventually you'll cover the table in scenic materials anyway.

[Jhanecker2]

I bought 1/2" plywood for the top and 1" polystyrene insulation  (pink stuff ) to cover  that and provide for sound insulation . I also plan to seal and varnish the plywood to control humidity.  I am using  "L"girder construction for the benchwork .  John II.

[rookie]

I think my statement was confusing. i already have osb on for the top of the table. Just don't like the look. was really looking more for what to put on the osb. thanks david

[Jim Banner]

You could use grass mat, if you wanted the whole table to look like a well manicured and fertilized park.  Or you could use a mixture of "ground covers," either commercial ones (Woodland Scenics makes a wide variety) or home made (sawdust dyed various colours with diluted acrylic paints. ground up leaves or moss, tree, flower and weed branches, dirt, sand, and so on.  Or you could use a mixture of both.  With different mixes of ground covers, you can set the time and place of your railroad, and even its reason for being.

But ground cover applied to a completely flat surface looks like nothing found in nature, unless you are modelling Kansas wheat fields.  It usually looks better applied over something that will give some shape and form to the ground.  Two popular materials are foam and plaster.  Usually, this is Styrofoam, as used to insulate buildings, and Plaster of Paris, which sets hard and does not redissolve if it gets wet.  The two materials are quite different.  Using foam is like sculpturing - you take away material until what is left is the shape you want, whether that is gently rolling prairie or rugged mountains or something else again.  Foam is light weight,  (great if you every have to move the layout) but takes only rough shapes and it can produce poisonous gases in case of a fire.  With plaster, on the other hand,  you add material until you get the shape you want.  Plaster is heavy (which is fine on a permanent home or club layout), can be moulded or carved with very fine details, and does not burn.  Because of its weight, plaster is usually applied over some kind of hollow form which could be made of chicken wire, strips of cardboard, wadded up news paper, or even Styrofoam.  Plaster applied over Styrofoam can be a good choice as the weight is not much more than Styrofoam alone but the surface can take fine details if you want rock faces, rock outcrops, etc., and the plaster serves to fire proof the plastic foam.

Jim

[buzz]

hi
I make my table open frame using particle board for the base and a product similar to your homasote for the surface the track is laid on
i use a cork underlay the paint the area with a natural looking green or
brown paint.
That looks better than bare board while I work out what scenery is going where.
Remember flat ground is actually anything but flat unless its a prepared building site.
regards John