The way to lay wires?

[T-Lloyd]

i currently am making a new ho model train layout and im soon gonna be wiring it, 1 problem it is currently sitting on 4 saw horses. i have a table i can move it to that is sturdy and level BUT i cannot drill holes through the gyprock adn the plastic table for wires. should i make grooves in the gyprock for the wires to lay or stick with the saw horses and have it go under it (4x8 sheep of gyprock.) any ideas? thanks.

[SteamGene]

I give up.  What is gyprock?
Gene

[jayl1]

Try - www.gyprock.com.au  (from  Australia).  Looks like it is some form of plaster board.

[NelsOn-30]

Gene
Gyprock is a canadian description for what is known as sheetrock south of the 49th.

[Jhanecker2]

Sounds Like a contraction of  Gypsum Board  & Sheet  Rock .  The link states that it is plasterboard .  Seems like a heavy material without structural strength to use as a mounting surface . 

[SteamGene]

I would not use sheetrock for subroadbed, though I've heard of it used for roadbed.  In such, it's been drilled through for power leads.  
For a tabletop, I'd say a sheet of 4x8 plywood with the gyprock on top of it - perhaps cut to facilitate landscaping.
Gene

[Santa Fe buff]

Either make groves and cover the wires with covering, or it's off to hiding it under fabric, cloth, or bushing.
Isn't it easier to use plywood?

[Yampa Bob]

This is the way I handled the problem of running wires. My sub bed is plywood. I laid loose strips of 1/4" X 1" hard foam crosswise at about 9" intervals, 1"  shorter than the plywood.  This provides channels across the layout and around the perimeter for wiring.

Once we determined where all the wires needed to come through the homasote at turnouts and other accessories, we drilled small holes through the homasote and "marked" the plywood.

I fashioned 4 handles and spreader bars out of 1/8" aluminum angle attached to wood blocks.  By inserting the handles in the channels at each side, my assistant and I can lift the entire homasote sheet from the sub bed.  The spreader bars keeps the homasote from sagging or bowing.

Depending where the wiring needed to be, we cut the foam strips apart as needed. The wiring was laid on the sub bed and held in place with short strips of duct tape, leaving plenty of extra wire at the end points.  We also used short pieces of duct tape to secure the foam strips.

We then replaced the homasote, but used 6" spacers to keep it suspended until the wiring was completed.  Short pieces of wire were fastened to the accessory and run down through the homasote.  Connections to the wires underneath were made by tightly twisting the ends and taping.  You could also use crimp terminals, just leave extra wire in case you need to remove the homasote for updates. Coil the extra wire so it will contract and lay flat as the homasote is lowered. 

We haven't decided on the type of perimeter border yet, just leaving things open for awhile in case we forgot to run a wire or make a change.  Whatever we use, there will be a number of vents to allow air to circulate under the homasote, to equalize humidity on both sides.  It is my theory that you should never lay homasote with full contact with the sub bed. An alternate method is to put vents on the bottom of the sub bed if exposed.  In our case the sub bed lays on a folding plastic table.  Of course we have very low humidity here, so it shouldn't be a problem.

[T-Lloyd]

what i was thinking of doing was since i can't drill through my table i would cut small grooves in the gyprock using a utility knife. but where there is a like a line of track in the way out the wires should i run hte wires around or under the track?

[Santa Fe buff]

Well, me an my friend run wires between ties.

*someone elbows me*

Uh, I mean, you should cut groves under the rails to avoid it possible bothering the trains.

[T-Lloyd]

well i just (with the last 5 mins) cut a groove and suoerglued some wires in the groove and ran them between where 2 track pieces join.

[Santa Fe buff]

Well we hopped UNDER that hurdle. 
You can cover that up with railroad beding, covering, or fake coal/rocks.

Hope it helps you with all the wires crossing tracks...

[grumpy]

In Canada we call gyprock drywall.It is dry and also heavy and dusty.
Don

[Jhanecker2]

T-Lloyd : how thick a sheet of gyprock do you use ?

[T-Lloyd]

1/2 inch