Hi
Quote: I've built my baseboard and tomorrow the Sundeala boards arrive. Tips on how to cut it would be gratefully appreciated.
I would not use Sundeala boards for the baseboard, it is far too soft and if you lean on it to hard you can go through it. It also warps... To help prevent this the base has to be cross battened on a 12 inch (30cm) grid which means that very often the batten gets in the way of point motors that are planned to be fitted under the base board.
Because some types of board are extremely soft, the board can be cut with a sharp knife, (Stanley) using several cuts. The concept behind Sundelia board some 40 years ago is that it was ideal for using as a pin board, covered with cork or hessian. The railway modeller having limited equipment found that it was easy cut and to push track pins into, and had a sound deadening quality; hence the use for baseboards. Other materials are now available along with battery operated power tools.
What I would do is to cover the frame with ¼ inch (6mm) ply and cut the track bed out of Sundela, and glue in place using PVA. Then pin the track in place on top of this. Having fixed the track in place; the base can be cross battened in such a way that the battens miss the point motors!
Then fix the Sundelia board on top of the ply to form the landscape using the bread and butter method and shape to suit, cut the Sundelia board by hand with keyhole saw fitted with a hacksaw blade or it you are confident use a power operated jig saw. (experiment with blade types)
If you can get yourself a copy of the book 'The Professional Approach to Model Railways' from the internet; (Out of print at the moment new edition due early 2009) you will find details of how to build baseboards and on page 56 you will find the method I have described.
For my street credit see some of my posted photos...
JohnPro
Quote: I've built my baseboard and tomorrow the Sundeala boards arrive. Tips on how to cut it would be gratefully appreciated.
I would not use Sundeala boards for the baseboard, it is far too soft and if you lean on it to hard you can go through it. It also warps... To help prevent this the base has to be cross battened on a 12 inch (30cm) grid which means that very often the batten gets in the way of point motors that are planned to be fitted under the base board.
Because some types of board are extremely soft, the board can be cut with a sharp knife, (Stanley) using several cuts. The concept behind Sundelia board some 40 years ago is that it was ideal for using as a pin board, covered with cork or hessian. The railway modeller having limited equipment found that it was easy cut and to push track pins into, and had a sound deadening quality; hence the use for baseboards. Other materials are now available along with battery operated power tools.
What I would do is to cover the frame with ¼ inch (6mm) ply and cut the track bed out of Sundela, and glue in place using PVA. Then pin the track in place on top of this. Having fixed the track in place; the base can be cross battened in such a way that the battens miss the point motors!
Then fix the Sundelia board on top of the ply to form the landscape using the bread and butter method and shape to suit, cut the Sundelia board by hand with keyhole saw fitted with a hacksaw blade or it you are confident use a power operated jig saw. (experiment with blade types)
If you can get yourself a copy of the book 'The Professional Approach to Model Railways' from the internet; (Out of print at the moment new edition due early 2009) you will find details of how to build baseboards and on page 56 you will find the method I have described.
For my street credit see some of my posted photos...
JohnPro
