Show us your layout

[Doneldon]

I have an idea for your electrical box. You can make an addition to the mountain that's already in place. A VERY steep face and just use Velcro on the back

Bal-

That's a great idea but I'd use a piece of 1/8" Masonite for the back of the cliff
and magnets to hold it to the electrical box.
                                                                    -- D

[jonathan]

As usual, everyone is very kind with their comments.  Thanks very much!

I will continue to add photos as I make progress.  Seems I've already posted a thousand or so over the years.

If there is any part of the hobby that vexes me it's carpentry.  My benchwork is very basic at best.  You can't stand on my layout, which leads to some intersting problems if I have to get to a hard to reach area.  The benchwork is strong enough to lean on, but that's about it.  The whole layout is built on 2' X 8' frames, made with 1"X3" lumber with stringers every 22".  These frames are screwed together, but not bolted to the walls.  It is possible to give the layout a hard bump and derail a train.  If I had to do it over again, I would have spent more time on sturdier construction.

Regards,

Jonathan

[Jerrys HO]

As usual, everyone is very kind with their comments.  Thanks very much!

Kind yes, jealous extremely. Wish I could model half as well as you.

Jerry

[Doneldon]

Jonathan-

You can still put some screws through the back frame into the way. Just use a stud finder and put some 3.5" or 4"
screws right through the 2x8s into them. It will make your framing plenty strong enough to stand on and will
probably stop most bump-the-layout derailments.
                                                                              -- D

[rogertra]

Jonathan-

You can still put some screws through the back frame into the way. Just use a stud finder and put some 3.5" or 4"
screws right through the 2x8s into them. It will make your framing plenty strong enough to stand on and will
probably stop most bump-the-layout derailments.
                                                                              -- D

Donald.

He used 1 x 3 lumber to make 2 x 8 frames (modules) for his bench work, not 2 x 8 lumber which is how I also first read it. 

Sway bracing on the legs should help, if it's not already there.  And Donald's suggestion regarding screws into the wall is a good one, if you own your own house.  If you rent, you'll need to repair the wall and repaint before you move.  A minor inconvenience. 

My currently building GER is screwed to the walls and is also built with 1 x 3 lumber and is as solid as a rock.

[Doneldon]

He used 1 x 3 lumber to make 2 x 8 frames (modules) for his bench work, not 2 x 8 lumber which is how I also first read it. 

Roger-

So he did. I stand corrected.

It's easy to repair wall damage from screws. The holes are small (#8 screws would be plenty big) and today's repair materials are outstanding. Many landlords repaint when a tenant moves and wouldn't have an issue with repaired walls. Or the tenant could repaint and the landlord would never know there was ever a problem.
                                                                                                                                         -- D

[jonathan]

Actually, my biggest problem is the garage walls are cinder blocks.  I know there are ways to anchor to cinder block, but I'm hestistant to drill into them.  However, some angled braces on the legs may be just the ticket to firm up the layout.  Thanks for that.

Regards,

Jonathan

[jbrock27]

Jonathan to do it right, you would need to use a hammer drill versus a regular drill, and then place wall anchors in the holes in the cinder block for the bolts to grip into.  Hammer drills can be rented for use from hardware stores if there is no desire to own one for future projects.

[jbrock27]

...or, if it is not possible to move the wood to get an anchor in the cinder block, you could drill the hole through both wood and wall, then secure the bench through both the wood and cinder block with a concrete screw.  These work well.  I have used them to secure a wood threshold to a concrete floor-12 years ago.  It has not moved since.

[jbrock27]

Just to clarify so there is no misunderstandings, when say "to do it right" I mean to drill into the cinder block, I don't mean to infer that I think that is the only proper fix.  I agree with the approach to try the simpleest approach first, which would be the idea of added wooden bracing.

[Doneldon]

jonathan-

Block walls change everything. But don't be concerned about drilling into them. It's not difficult with masonry drills which are carbide tipped. Just take it easy and let the drill do the work. A hammer drill will do the job faster but isn't absolutely necessary.

You don't need many holes. Lead anchors and lag bolts are the traditional hardware items but you can use plastic anchors. The nice thing about lag bolts is that they come out easily. You could fix your mounting boards to the walls with construction adhesive but they would pretty much be there forever.
                                                                                                                -- D

[jbrock27]

Doc, when you said "masonry drills" did you mean to say "masonry drill bits"?  Bc yes, whatever drill is  used to drill masonry, would need to have a masonry bit in it.  Now, I cannot claim to have been on this planet for 70+ years or anything like that, but I have drilled into masonry using both kinds of electric drills (a hammer drill and a standard drill) and can attest that in my experience, nothing beat using a hammer drill to do so.  The hole is the size you want and the job  goes much easier and faster.  To me, it is a clear case of "right tool for the right job".   I could use a butter knife to screw a pan head screw or use a pocket knife to strip wire, but I would recommend neither.

[Doneldon]

jb-

You are absolutely correct in saying that a hammer drill works better with masonry bits than does a regular drill. My point was just that a rotary drill will do the job without buying or renting a hammer drill which might not get used again.

I have three electric hand drills: an old Craftsman 1/4" that my Dad used to build the house I grew up in, a 3/8" B&D hammer drill and a 3/8" Makita 18v cordless. Mostly I used the cordless because of its convenience, but I haul out the B&D for heavy drilling and anything in stone, brick or concrete. I have my Dad's old drill in a fixture which lets me use it as a sort of portable drill press. If possible, though, I use my real drill press whenever possible because it does a superior job.

Does anybody actually care about my drills? I'll bet not.

                                                                                        -- D

[jbrock27]

If I were to take a wild guess Doc, I would bet that renting a hammer drill for the time he would need it, would not break the bank for Jonathan.  But I am just guessing here.

[rogertra]

jonathan-

Block walls change everything. But don't be concerned about drilling into them. It's not difficult with masonry drills which are carbide tipped. Just take it easy and let the drill do the work. A hammer drill will do the job faster but isn't absolutely necessary.

You don't need many holes. Lead anchors and lag bolts are the traditional hardware items but you can use plastic anchors. The nice thing about lag bolts is that they come out easily. You could fix your mounting boards to the walls with construction adhesive but they would pretty much be there forever.
                                                                                                                -- D

Donald is correct, a hammer drill, though making the job easier, is not a requirement.  There are also concrete "screws" available, I've used them, that do not require lead or plastic anchors in the wall.  The lag screw is also a good idea as they are easier to remove than screws as the head of the screw can get damaged.  Follow Donald's advice and take your time and let the drill do the work.  As Donald says, you don't need many holes, just enough to do the job.