View blocks

[SteamGene]

I'm at the point of thinking about viewblocks.   What is the best material and method for what is essentially a single level layout?  Most of the viewblock will be sky and rise maybe three feet above the benchwork.
Gene

[GN.2-6-8-0]

Gene
Day was when most everyone used 1/4 inch masonite  for view blocks . We here at the Arizona Model Railroading Society have found 1/2 to 3/4 extruded foam to be much more versital. while adding more depth to most scenes.
Theres just so much more you can do with it ,hills and mountains blending into sky etc.

[SteamGene]

How do you bend the foam?  That's an idea I've never thought of before, but I will have several curves. 
Gene

[Paul M.]

I've heard that sheet styrene that you'd get from a plastiucmaker's shop is a good backdrop.... you could probably use the foam for the straight parts and styrene(kinda expensive) for the curved edges.... OTOH, I've never used any of the materials... just throwing out ideas.

[Jim Banner]

I like dry wall for both backdrops and view blockers.  It starts out flat and stays flat - no waves between supports.  Metal studs are easy to use and never warp.  And they are strong enough to attach bench work and heavy scenery to.  If you want curves, you can snip the top and bottom plates on the concave side and bend them slightly.  If the curves are small radius (less than 3 feet or so) you can pop rivet the overlaps.  If not, just screw on the drywall and it will hold across the cuts.  Adding drywall on the top will help even more.

Dry wall will bend to some extent.  3/8" will bend more than 1/2" and 1/4", if you can find it, will bend even more.  With the thinner boards, laminating a couple together will give all the strength you will ever need.  Just use all purpose filling compound ("mud") both for laminating and filling.  For really tight inside (concave) corners, down to about 2 foot radius, you can use a knife to cut the backs of the sheets every 2" or so, then crack it.  This leaves a continuous paper covering on the front, making finishing easy.  Small radius outside curves are harder to do.  One can either score and snap on the outside, leaving a lot of cuts to fill and paper over, or one can cut wedges out of the inside, being careful not to break through the paper on the out side.  For really tight curves, down to 6 inch radius or a little less, I have had good luck with sheet styrene.  A thickness of 1/32" works well.    I firmly glue and nail the first sheet in place, then laminate the second sheet on using lacquer thinner.  To avoid bumps, I drill holes where all the nail or screw heads are.  I like to wait a day or more before adding the third and fourth layers so that the styrene does not get over loaded with lacquer thinner and become soggy.  Needless to say, I wear a mask, the same one I use for painting 12' to the foot cars.  And I turn off all the pilot lights in the basement (where my train room is) and open some windows, even if it is 40 below outside.  I do not want to survive poisoning, only to be blown through the roof (or vise versa.)  If you sand the surface of the styrene where you are going to add filler, and maybe even drill a bunch of small holes in it, drywall mud adheres well enough.  And if the first layer of styrene is well glued and nailed, the mud will not crack even after years of service.

I mentioned earlier about the dry wall supporting scenery.  If you use plaster of Paris as I do, you will find that it adheres very well to dry wall, well enough to effectively glue the back edge of your scenery to the dry wall.  Taking this one step further, you can build bass relief scenery on your back drops and dividers, giving some texture to the painted hills and trees closest to the viewer.  This can provide a nice transition between full modeled foreground scenery and painted on background scenery.

Incidentally, tin studs and drywall can be installed as low walls, just high enough to serve as view blockers, before the bench work is installed or they can be installed on top of the bench work after it is in place.  Perhaps a bit on the heavy side for light weight bench work, but if you like mountainous scenery made out of tons of plaster, you are probably using strong bench work anyway.   

[SteamGene]

Thanks for the advice.  The viewblocks will be on top of the benchwork, fastened to it.  What about masonite?
Gene

[Atlantic Central]

Gene,

Masonite is hard to fasten in any way that is flush or invisable. While it does take spakle/drywall compound to some degree, it is dificult to recess screws and still have them hold - they tend to pull through.

Good building supply outlets that cater to contractors sell 1/4 drywall that is more flexable and lighter than thicker versions.

One other "modern" approach is metal - the aluminum flashing material known as "coil stock" used in the construction trades comes in long rolls 24" wide, can be spakled and painted and is easily nailed or screwed to wood supports.

Foam core board - "gator board" wors good too.

Sheldon

[SteamGene]

Good ideas.  Thanks.
Gene

[JerryB]

There was a really good 'how to do it' article in the NMRA's magazine "Scale Rails" last year showing how aluminum roll material was used as a layout to ceiling backdrop. The construction was relatively easy, with the result a seamless, compound curved, and beautiful backdrop. I believe the article also addressed the painting and finishing. I'll try to look up the specific issue if anyone is interested.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

[SteamGene]

That sounds great, Jerry.  Thanks.
Gene

[r.cprmier]

The idea of a curved backdrop for the wall/ceiling break always rankled me a bit, but it is a point well worth considering for a convincing scenery agenda.

After hearing Tony Koester at the proto meet in Canton, Cty about two years ago, I am going with rope lighting-both yellow for day, and blue for night.  On one of the "build it...etc" DVDs there is a layout that uses it for night scenes, and it is extremely effective, and well done.  I wonder how rope will be installed with that curved "break".  I am doing a two-level (eventually-or my heir will) layout and am somewhat undecided as to what approach I will take here. 

One point I will bring to fore is using any material like masonite, 1/4inch drywall, etc is that if you put a "stop" running vertical, you will not really have to worry about that edge transition, other than securing the edge of the material you choose with proper adhesive.  If two stops are employed, then the material will tend to slide its ends against them.  Just make sure all of your cuts and installs are square.

Rich

[JerryB]

Gene, All:

Finally got to look for the "Scale Rails" backdrop article I mentioned above.

The title is "Seamless Aluminum Backdrops", appearing in the October, 2006 issue, pages 12 through 16. This is a real good 'how to do it' article showing both backdrops and scenic dividers. The results are really stunning!

You can get individual copies of "Scale Rails" from the NMRA Headquarters Office for $4.00 / each.

National Model Railroad Association
Headquarters Office
4121 Cromwell Road
Chattanooga, TN 37421

Phone: 423-892-2846
Fax: 423-899-4869

Happy RRing,

Jerry

[SteamGene]

Thanks, Jerry.
Gene

[SteamGene]

My wife and I were at Lowe's and she noticed thin foam insulation.  Has anybody tried that for a viewblock?  It's light, cheap, and bendable.  I'm not sure if the lettering is painted on the foam or on a covering, but the blue would work as a base for sky.
Thoughts?
BTW, I have not been able to find the aluminum so far. 
Gene

[Atlantic Central]

Gene,

Lowes has the aluminum, it is in the section with the roofing, gutters, etc. It comes in rolls, boxed in a cardboard box, it is called aluminum coil stock.

Sheldon