Curved Fascia Progress Pictures

Art

Your out of my league for ideas . But I certainly think your work is adding a lot of high class to a layout. Looks outstanding.

 

Larry

Art:  Are you kerfing (cutting slots or grooves) on the inside of the curved pieces, or just bending them as is?  Bob S.

I think you are doing great. Looks really good to me. It also looks like a tremendous amount of work! Great layout, please keep the pictures coming.

Art, that looks awesome!

Looking great! At this point I would grab a hot cup of coffee, kick back, and procrastinate until the wife asks me to do something. Then I can blame lack of progress on her.

What a magnificent job you are doing, Chugman!  Waaaaaay out of my league.  All's I can say is keep doing whatever it is you are doing.

 

Pete

Nice layout!  Keep pushing and you'll get it all done.  No procrastinating allowed.  I admire a man with a plan.

First class design and build Art not to mention the planning. No ideas here just admiration.

Art, looks great. What is it that your using. 1/8 masonite? Do you wet it to make it more flexible? and are you nailing or screwing it to the supports?.   Steve

Art,

 

Simply fantastic !!!!!!!!!!!!!! love it

 

Alex

Art, that looks terrific!

Would love to have the talent/skills to do that work on my garage layout!

 

In a word    AWSOME!!!!!

 

Brent

Art, you might want to think about the depth of the fascia below the bridge. It might detract from your beautiful work there. I would shorten it up and leave room for some skirt.

Art, That is a wow and a half.  Phew...  We all know the work and brains it takes to create a masterpiece such as you are undertaking.  I wish you well on this and please keep the posts coming.    Additionally what a beautiful room you have available for your project.  Open, carpeted, heated, lighted and heated.  Enjoy...

It's looking good, keep the pictures coming.

 

Jack

Art; fantastic craftsmanship.

<---- Getting green eyes.

 

Outstanding Art!

Very impressive. It has a nice massive look. Thank you for sharing.

Art:

 

That's going to look fantastic when you're done.  Shoot, it already looks great.

 

I will be trying a similar look, except I'll be using beadboard.  Like a few others above, I have some questions:

• What are you using for the fascia? 1/8" masonite?  Luan board?  Something else?
• Are you scoring or dado'ing the back to make it more flexible?  Are you wetting it?
• How are you attaching it to the table legs?  Nails, screws, staples?  
• Is it fastened with fasteners close together along the table top, and then more spread out on the legs?
• Is the fascia itself going to be its own support, or are their braces behind it?  (It's kind of hard to see because the pictures show it "on", versus a before shot of just the legs before it was mounted.)

Again, it looks great.  Thanks for sharing.

 

Steven J. Serenska

 

Art:

 

Sorry, in my zeal to understand what you've done, I neglected to consider your questions about what you're going to do.

 

Most of the photos above seem to focus on the curved areas that -- to my eyes -- look like they're well underway.  I think you're good there.

 

To help you brainstorm concerning the transitions, would you please post a few more photos of the transition areas?  You might even add some red circles and arrows to make it clear exactly what you're referring to.  Please also give us a few words concerning your vision for what each area should look like.

 

Once we have those, I'm sure many will chime in with ideas.  I have a few already, but I want to make sure I'm directing my comments where they're needed.

 

(For the record, one of my first comments will be: "Jeez, Louise, Art, trust you instincts!  They're clearly pretty darned sound...")

 

SJS

 

Art,

That looks great! You will have one very professional looking  layout when you're finished!

 

Regarding your question about skirting, I used velcro to secure mine. I found that the velcro allows flexibility for mounting and allows you to remove it easily if extensive work is requird in a certain area.

 

I also broke my skirting into roughly six foot lengths. That provided a break for easy storage access and in the future will make the sections easy to remove and clean.

 

Jay in Ottawa 

It certainly looks like you are on the right "track". This is a significant advancement since last photos of this area. I would just keep going with you current plan.

 

Art, I agree with Elliot, it's just my personal preference but I think a uniform height for the fascia around the layout with skirting would give it a more finished look.

 

As for the skirting, I'll be using velcro strips on mine, stapling one strip to the benchwork and using the sticky back on the skirt.

 

Really nice work on the layout! 

LOVE it ART Keep up the good work!!!!

Art,

The work you have been doing on the layout looks great. Keep the progress pictures coming.

 

Alan Graziano

Hello Art • Looks great, the photos tell the story.

Thank you for all the nice comments. 

 

I am using 1/8" Masonite and I am not scoring the back or wetting it.  On this end I am bending it to about a 95" radius and it handles that well.  I am using small, flat head nails and not screws to hold it.  I had considered screws, but they show up too much and I don't think that I will need them.

 

I will try to take a few pictures tomorrow of what I am talking about regarding the transitions.

 

Concerning the height of the fascia under the bridge, I was and am torn.  I was going to cut it 10", the same as the rest of the layout.  But I thought I would make it 20" to allow me to still vacuum under it and not use any skirting under it here.  I understand your point and may have to reconsider?

 

Appreciate all your ideas and comments.

 

Art

 

Art, looks great.

 

To me, it almost looks like the bottom part of the pilot of an E or F unit. I know that might sound strange, but could you tastefully incorporate some design elements into the skirt and maybe the transitions as well...Just a thought.

 

We can talk Sunday about your thoughts.

 

Charlie

Chugman, I really like the 20 inch height on the round end pictured with the viaduct. And I think 20 inches would look great on the lowered section with your truss bridges. Making the shirting look good on a curve might be more problematic in draping it correctly, plus the masonite will probably hold up better to traffic on the rounded isle. Since the truss bridge area is significantly lower than the rest of the bench work, making shirting in that area might hang differently than the rest of the skirting. 

 

As for the seems where two pieces of masonite meet, a simple baton strip might cover the line. Others have used joint compound to smooth the transition but that is a lot of work and might crack easily. 

 

I have made drapes for my house windows and have seen many ways to mount them. You could go to a drape store to see the large variety of hanging options. As for fabric, I would go for a solid color (no pattern) that will not draw attention to itself. My favorite is a charcoal black. If you are going to make them yourself, remember some fabrics SHRINK when washed. I found that out the hard way! So ask if the cloth must be pre-washed before measuring, cutting, and sewing.

 

Your layout looks fantastic. Based on what you have done so far, your finished product will be high quality. Thanks for the inspiration.

 

Paul Goodness

Very Well Done!
Are you sure you don't know Norm Abrams? 
Love the picture updates…thanks, and keep them coming.

K.C.

WOW, Art...that room and layout is so impressive.  Wished I lived near so I could visit.  We need to see some video action of your BNSF prime movers traversing that viaduct.  Keep up the good work and keep those pictures coming!! 

 

Rick 

I'm impressed! How do you work so cleanly? I would have trashed the carpet and the Mrs. would have run me right out of that room!

 

Nice Work.

Art,

Would go with Velcro for the curtain mounting, it will allow you to get the curtain out of your way during the need for access. Like the smooth curve by the bridge. Keep it that way and no one will accidently stumble when walking past it if they brush against it. We had black but it was attracting dust/lint so looking towards pool table green table cloth material.

 

Remember to keep any fabric skirting as high off the floor as your kitchen cabinet toe kick.  Anything that guests can step and trip on is an accident waiting to happen.

Looking forward to more progress.

I am in awe of your work!

J Daddy - I'm always being kidded by my friends for worrying so much about cleaning up the mess, but it's an old habit.  You what they say about teaching an old dog new tricks.

 

Paul - A lot of good suggestions.  On the joints so far I have glued strips of Masonite on the back of the seams and the joint practically disappears.  Good ideas on the drapes and color choices.  I definitely will go with a solid color, but I'm thinking more in terms of an earth colored brown.  I worry that black might be too much of a color contrast to the tan carpet and light brown fascia?

 

Lima - I hadn't thought about people stepping on the bottom of the skirting.  Thanks for the tip.  I love learning at least a few things the easy way.

 

Thanks for all the support and comments.

 

Art

Looks great, Art, and would leave it as planed. I assume your planning on painting out the fascia to black or some other neutral color with matching skirting, which essentially makes it all disappear, whether or not it's 10" or 20". Then the notion of fascia and drape upstaging the bridge or other aspects of your layout moot, and quite frankly, not possible. I also believe it's wise to maintain a "toe space" between the bottom of the fascia/drape and floor not only for cleaning and accessibility, it will lend a sense of floating. Also, Velcro has rods beat all the way. 

Here are a couple pictures of my more difficult transition areas. 

 

 

 

The first is of my river valley and the second picture is of the left side of the curved end that I have been working on.  I think that I have the right side pretty well figured out.

 

Art

These pictures are areas of my bench work that I will be working on soon to continue the curved fascia project.

 

 

 

On the inside curves I need to add bench work to support the track correctly and have room for ballast.  Curving that fascia will go right along with that.

 

Art

Art, will you post some photos more an overview of the new construction area. I am trying to place all of the parts.