Mianne bench 8 weeks

Yes, he is very busy and it is hand made. A little patience will pay off with a great product.

Dave

great product and a top notch guy

worth the wait

jerry

What the others above said. Plus there was a York meet in that time frame too. The Mianne product is extremely nice, well made and quite popular too, also made to order as stated above. You will be pleased when it arrives and it also goes together very quickly.

jackson102 posted:

Is that normal for a 5x9 table I been waiting 8 weeks

 

You will quickly forget the waiting time after you start assembly.  Great product with flexibility to add to it.  I took the openings and fabricate shadowboxes with train shelves for storage and display.

I will try to remember to get some pics when I get home.

Great product, and worth the wait.

FAN-tastic benchwork!

My Mianne benchwork took three months (ordered at York) to arrive in California.

Well worth the wait.  

I have built two layouts with Mianne benchwork. Be patient. It's worth the wait.

MELGAR

On its way

My wife and I help Tim and his wife Lynn out in the booth at the shows they attend, York and the Big E. I also at times go to Tim's shop to give him a hand. As of now, he is 8 weeks backed up with order with more orders coming in almost daily. Some orders are for stock kit but most are for custom designed benchwork. All of his product (except hardware) is hand formed. Tim use to get his poplar wood  rough sawn and he would plane it all down to size. Recently, to speed up production he now gets the leg stock (poplar) cut to size but in random lengths. He is also getting the MDF filler cut to width. The balance of his poplar, for the beams, now comes planned to size. He also recently move to a new shop and all of the machinery is dedicated to do a specific job in making the product. Him and his son Neal work  some 50 hours a week making benchwork. Take for instance the beams. After the random width poplar stock is cut to width, it then goes thru a saw blade seven more times before it becomes an end block of a beam. It will also be drilled to accept a cam and drilled again to accept the pins used to hold the structure together. MDF has to be cut to length and hole punched. The spines of the beams have to be cut to width, length and the have a dado cut in them to accept the MDF which is then glued in.  The end blocks are then glued and stapled to the assembly to make a finished beam. Leg stock has to be cut to length and drilled to accept the  T nut for the leg levers. The tops have to go thru a shaper to make the octagonal tops and then be drilled with 24 (sometimes more) holes to accept the pins. All the hardware has to be counted out and separately bagged. Tim tries to ship a few orders everyday but rarely does he have enough inventory of product on his shelf to fill even a small stock order. Literally every component part of any benchwork order is built within the week the order is shipped. Tim is also personally answering all phone calls and replying to emails himself. He is drawing plans for layouts on his computer as well as making all the paper work needed to accompany the benchwork to the end user. Product has to be boxed and shipped. I was amazed to see how many times a component part of each assembly has to be handled by human hands to become a completed piece. Tim's product is very popular and of high grade as can be attested to all the positive responses on the forum. 

Would be interested to hear back from you once you get your order and have put it together.

You have to be a master woodworker to make home-built benchwork of comparable quality to what Mianne sells. It is strong and light. And, as you point out, the wood is also top quality. Then, the ease of assembly (and disassembly when necessary) is unmatched due to very intelligent design. I have two layouts made from this product. The first is twenty years old and the one shown below is five. I could never make anything like this myself... I am a satisfied customer.

MELGAR

Cape Cod Northern,

That was a very interesting description of the processes required to build the Mianne benchwork. I agree with Melgar on the master woodworking/cabinetmaking skills needed to build benchwork of this quality, consistency and ease of use for the end user. I used to do woodworking myself, for many years. I am no master woodworker, but I did manage to build a few fairly nice projects over the years so I know the time, tools, skills, set ups, jigs, etc. one needs to build a good product like this. That's why I ordered Mianne for my own layout. Really is a great product. 

IMO, many people may not realize what all goes into making something like this and the time and skills needed to do very good, consistent quality work. Also the set ups needed for the consistency of this fine product, like holes always in the same location every time, everything the same sizes, lengths, etc. so when you order additional pieces for an addition it all fits perfectly with the stuff you got several years ago when you began your layout. That is also very impressive to me!

Thanks for posting this for us, I really enjoyed reading about it. 

ditto

Definitely worth the wait!

I have used Mianne benchwork for many years now, and in homes in Wisconsin, Iowa, Virginia, and Ohio. I used the same components, with additions purchased when needed, that were assembled, disassembled, and assembled again multiple times and in different layout configurations. Pretty doggone versatile stuff and really a pleasure to assemble.

At the most recent York Meet, Tim actually sold the nice benchwork he had set up for display. The customer liked it so much that he wanted to take it home with him. You don't see that happen very often!

I will be using some of my Mianne benchwork now (a small portion of it) for a small all-tinplate layout I want to somehow fit into my basement train room which already houses a large amount of O gauge benchwork custom-built by my renovations contractor.

How much is a 4x8 kit ?

Looks like crawling under that....for wiring ...could be a challenge.

Or do you remove a board ?

Nessmuck posted:

How much is a 4x8 kit ?

That info is available on their website.

Steve

For wiring, yes, you have to get under any layout for it to be done. To make things a little easier, Tim advises that once the bench work is built and before you put on the table top, pull all you main buss wiring around the benchwork. That can be done standing up while it is still fully accessible. That then pretty much leaves the hooking up of you track and accessories power feeds to the proper buss wires already installed.

Also, if you notice on Melgar's bench work, He installed casters so that the entire table was moveable. To make that size table move as one without flexing, addition supports to tie the legs together were added. On a fixed layout, there would not be that many lower supports so access would be easier.

When the parts are shipped, does Tim send tracking numbers so I’ll know what day they’re supposed to arrive? We travel a lot and chances are we won’t be home to take delivery, so I’d have to ask a neighbor to do it and I wouldn’t want them to have to sit home for days waiting.

Nessmuck posted:

Looks like crawling under that....for wiring ...could be a challenge.

I ordered mine with 42" legs.  I can sit under the table and do my wiring.  Not so much crawling.  Crawling starts after you load all of your empty boxes under the layout, and have to move them as you add on things that require wiring.  You would have that in whatever you do.

Interesting that no one pointed out that you will avoid a very big mess when you try to cut and saw raw material.  My 12 x 14 was ready for tabletop in about 4-6 hours.  What is the cost of your labor.  As I mentioned before, I think you will be thrilled.

Dave, Yes he does and only when the order is shipped does he charge your credit card!

Thanks, I assumed as much. I want an operating “L” by Thanksgiving, so I guess I need to get an order in. I’m still a little on the fence about pricing, but I’m close to letting ease of assembly and resale value win out. 😀

Dave, send Tim the size of your table in a drawing with dimensions and he'll calculate what you need and price it for you.  When it comes time to expand, you can send him the whole size of the new table and an inventory of what you already have, and he'll package up the pieces you need to make the full configuration.  I already had a bunch of the benchwork that I bought from a guy leaving the hobby, I sent my layout plot and an existing inventory and he came up with the stuff I needed to build the benchwork.  He also sends detailed drawings and step by step plans to actually put it together, very slick packaging.

After I got started, I realized I wanted to move the lift-bridge that I included, and it was a piece of cake to simply bolt it together a different way and move it to it's new location.

The thing that took the longest was the lift bridge, and you do have to supply a couple extra pieces of your own material to put that together.  However, it's super cool, and saves crawling under to get inside.

GRJ, I’ve kind of dealt with a Tim before. I sent him my plan once and he responded by email with some questions. I sent a reply and never heard from him again. Admittedly, it was right before York and may have simply got lost in the shuffle. I decided to go another route, so I never followed up. I’ve once again changed directions, mostly because of health concerns and this time I’ll be ready to follow through with an order.

Bryant Dunivan 111417 posted:

Nessmuck posted:

Looks like crawling under that....for wiring ...could be a challenge.

I ordered mine with 42" legs.  I can sit under the table and do my wiring.  Not so much crawling.  Crawling starts after you load all of your empty boxes under the layout, and have to move them as you add on things that require wiring.  You would have that in whatever you do.

 .

So true! I can easily sit under my Mianne bench work and do the wiring with ease.

Dave, I think that Tim is somewhat overloaded, so it does take him some time to respond.  OTOH, the product is great, and it's worth the wait.

Nessmuck posted:

Looks like crawling under that....for wiring ...could be a challenge.

I have the standard 40" legs and use a cheap mechanic's stool from Harbor Freight to scoot around below the benchwork. It's really not too bad at all and I'm no spring chicken anymore and also have some knee and back problems. As stated above there will be openings with no cross pieces that will allow you access, unless you add more cross braces.

The 42" legs (as Brian has below) would be better for below access, probably no ducking needed at all with those. I would probably go with those if I had it to do over? But, I also had a 7 year old grandson at the time and wanted him to be able to reach things on the layout. Ended up getting him a couple of inexpensive stools to stand on, also from Harbor Freight. So the extra two inches wouldn't have mattered to him anyway, with the stools. 

Bryant Dunivan 111417 posted:

Interesting that no one pointed out that you will avoid a very big mess when you try to cut and saw raw material.  My 12 x 14 was ready for tabletop in about 4-6 hours.  What is the cost of your labor.  As I mentioned before, I think you will be thrilled.

I should have mention that above. Mess and time were both a big factor in my choosing Mianne. No mess at all with Mianne! I had Home Depot cut the plywood for the top too. Took me about a day to completely assemble my 6' x 16' Mianne kit, including trip to Home Depot for the plywood.  We also had just moved to a new home and I didn't want to get sawdust everywhere. And I had sold off all my woodworking tools before we moved. All I have now are hand tools and mostly use just an Exacto saw for wood cutting (mostly small hobby wood these days), much less messy.

Woodworking for many years in the basement of our other home resulted in sawdust everywhere, duct work, floor joist cross bracing, tops of shop lights, and everywhere else you can (or can not) imagine. It migrated everywhere upstairs through the duct work too.

DoubleDAZ posted:

Thanks, I assumed as much. I want an operating “L” by Thanksgiving, so I guess I need to get an order in. I’m still a little on the fence about pricing, but I’m close to letting ease of assembly and resale value win out. 😀

Dave,

Great choice, you will thank yourself for the ease of assembly, time saved and no mess afterward! Of course you know I am a bit biased here...but it really is worth it. 

rtr12 posted

Dave,

Great choice, you will thank yourself for the ease of assembly, time saved and no mess afterward! Of course you know I am a bit biased here...but it really is worth it. 

Well, I’ve had 1 medical setback after another, so I’m not getting anywhere the way I’m going, so something needs to change. 🤪

Mianne should help some, at least make the layout building a lot easier and faster. Getting rid of the medical setbacks would be preferable though, so good luck there and I hope you get the medical stuff under control soon. 

DoubleDAZ posted:

GRJ, I’ve kind of dealt with a Tim before. I sent him my plan once and he responded by email with some questions. I sent a reply and never heard from him again. Admittedly, it was right before York and may have simply got lost in the shuffle. I decided to go another route, so I never followed up. I’ve once again changed directions, mostly because of health concerns and this time I’ll be ready to follow through with an order.

You guys must be lucky - I sent two emails to them and never got any response.

Brendan

I've had mine up for almost 1 year now...love it!!! Not only does it go together fast it looks great.

QUOTE-I took the openings and fabricate shadowboxes with train shelves for storage and display.-QUOTE

I'm surprised Tim hasn't come up with some train shelves made specifically for his benchwork (hint-hint).

I had him make 35" legs, because of my roof line and because that's what I wanted, nothing higher.

I also extended the plywood top about 2" past the edge, gives me more top area and I nailed molding around it to give it a rounded edge.

Bob Delbridge posted:

I've had mine up for almost 1 year now...love it!!! Not only does it go together fast it looks great.

QUOTE-I took the openings and fabricate shadowboxes with train shelves for storage and display.-QUOTE

I'm surprised Tim hasn't come up with some train shelves made specifically for his benchwork (hint-hint).

I had him make 35" legs, because of my roof line and because that's what I wanted, nothing higher.

I also extended the plywood top about 2" past the edge, gives me more top area and I nailed molding around it to give it a rounded edge.

You can do wonders with gloss paint, caulk holes, a sheet of MDF & train shelves.  If I could do it ........

Very nice, Bob and Bryant!

Similar to what I hope to do with the small all-tinplate layout I'm planning (once I decide where to put it). I have more than enough Mianne pieces to do the job.

Brendan posted:

DoubleDAZ posted:

GRJ, I’ve kind of dealt with a Tim before. I sent him my plan once and he responded by email with some questions. I sent a reply and never heard from him again. Admittedly, it was right before York and may have simply got lost in the shuffle. I decided to go another route, so I never followed up. I’ve once again changed directions, mostly because of health concerns and this time I’ll be ready to follow through with an order.

You guys must be lucky - I sent two emails to them and never got any response.

Brendan

If there is any flaw to this product, it's the fact that Tim tends to over-promise on turnaround time once you place your order. When I ordered mine back in 2014, delivery was a few weeks later than promised. A local friend of mine had the same experience. Nothing personal against Tim, just stating facts. There's an old saying in business: "Never promise more than you can deliver, and always deliver more than you promise." 

In spite of this, I'm very happy with my Mianne benchwork as well. 

John

Brendan posted:.

You guys must be lucky - I sent two emails to them and never got any response.

If it was recent, he gets extremely busy prepping for the York meet, so you might still get a reply at some point.

BlueComet400 posted:

If there is any flaw to this product, it's the fact that Tim tends to over-promise on turnaround time once you place your order. When I ordered mine back in 2014, delivery was a few weeks later than promised. A local friend of mine had the same experience. Nothing personal against Tim, just stating facts. There's an old saying in business: "Never promise more than you can deliver, and always deliver more than you promise." 

In spite of this, I'm very happy with my Mianne benchwork as well. 

 

John

Exactly John, mine was a few weeks late as well, but it was worth the wait.

rtr12 posted:

Mianne should help some, at least make the layout building a lot easier and faster. Getting rid of the medical setbacks would be preferable though, so good luck there and I hope you get the medical stuff under control soon. 

Nothing too serious, just some vertigo, kidney stones and a bulging disc. The vertigo is gone, 1 stone passed and the other gets broken up on May 21 and I get a 2nd injection in the spine on May 5 for the disc.

It is best to call Tim on the phone and discuss your personal preferences, ask questions and then  place your order.  Follow up with details through E-mail.

That is what I did. Tim built a 5 X 13 with 50 inch legs.  I'm 6'5" and wanted an eye level view when sitting while operating.  Wiring was a breeze. I ordered in December, and received it in 3 weeks.  I love it.  I ran some 4 x 6s across the legs for shelves and storage, not secured. Works great.  It is an extremely solid and effective table. Mine is now 7 years old, and still looks brand new.  The cost value is positive as there is no easier or more  effective way to get your railroad up and running in a timely manner.  You will not regret your purchase'...

Dave, Good luck with your upcoming procedures, hope you are good as new after all that.

Bob Delbridge posted:

I also extended the plywood top about 2" past the edge, gives me more top area and I nailed molding around it to give it a rounded edge.

That's another thing I would do if I was doing it over is the overhang of the plywood top. I may still try and do something to add that to my layout, it's a very nice touch.