Down here in warm and sometimes humid Florida I have not had any shrinkage or
expansion problems. I use steel for my equivalence of "L" girders.
I have been using the "C" channels normally used with steel studs. These are
the pieces normally used on the top and bottom of a steel stud wall.Steel studs
themselves do not work from what I have seen.A ten foot channel was $7-$8 at my
last purchase.
I fasten the channel to the wall at every stud with the channel facing out.
Once fastened the channel is very stiff.
My benchwork is generally two feet wide around the walls. I cut four two foot
long pieces from a kiln dried 8 foot stud. Good straight studs are usually
cheaper than 1 x 4's. I pick 'em.
At a corner I place a piece of 2 x 4 into the adjacent wall channel, and then
every 4 feet down the wall. I screw these top and bottom at the walls. I then
slip another piece of channel over the ends of the 2 x 4's open side facing the
wall. This is parallel to the channel on the wall. The end of the channel slips
into the adjacent channel and is screwed into the end of the cross piece
against the wall. The others are screwed top and bottom. I do this myself by
clamping a 2 x 4 to the channel as a leg to hold the end of the channel. The
channel twists easily until it is fastened.
For my 49" layout height, my legs are the kiln dried 2 x 4 studs cut in half
with lag screws in the bottom for adjustment. I place a leg wide side against
the channel every 4' at the crosswise 2 x 4's and screw through the leg and
channel into the end of the 2 x 4. At this point things are getting very stiff.
With no basement,storage is a major problem so I duplicate the framework about
a foot off of the floor with cross pieces every 2 feet. A 2' by 4' piece of OSB
(oriented strand board) is dropped in and screwed to the channels and cross
pieces. You will end up with a 2' by 16' shelf per sheet.
At this point everything is super stiff. I can stand on it with my 200++ pounds
without it moving at all.
Cross pieces for track risers can be slipped into the channel as with "L"
girder anywhere between the legs that are four feet apart. For flat areas I use
the OSB with cross pieces added every 2 feet or so. These are only screwed
through the bottom of the channel so they can be shifted if necessary to clear
switch machines.
Peninsulas are built pretty much the same but require two people. The the
benchwork is assembled on the floor and raised into place. The legs at the end
of a peninsula are screwed into the floor and the structure becomes almost as
strong as the rest. Storage below here as well. I have a disassembled South
Bend lathe sitting on it.
Fast,strong,versatile,storage,and pretty cheap compared to benchwork of
furniture grade lumber but not as elegant. Like Simon Parent's.
And stable. I can get on top anywhere.
Fred Rouse
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