 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion Groups General ModelsRailroadsRocketsRadio Controlled Air ModelsHelicoptersLand ModelsWater ModelsModelGeeks.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Model Forum / General / Railroads / September 2010Baseboards
This might seem like a daft question. I've got a huge pile of 15mm thick MDF (left behind by the previous owners), could I use that as baseboard material ? Adrian  SignatureTo Reply : replace "bulleid" with "adrian" - all mail to bulleid is rejected Sorry for the rigmarole, If I want spam, I'll go to the shops Every time someone says "I don't believe in trolls", another one dies. > This might seem like a daft question. I've got a huge pile of 15mm > thick MDF (left behind by the previous owners), could I use that as > baseboard material ? > > Adrian Pretty heavy stuff, as I'm sure you've discovered. Also, because it's so hard, it's neither easy nor fun to fasten track to it. Might work best if you rip it into "boards", say 40mm wide, and make the frame for the baseboard with it. If you do, make sure you a) drill pilot holes for the screws; and b) use drywall (gypsum board) screws, which have deeper, sharper threads than ordinary wood screws, hold better in MDF. Also helps to use glue at all joints. But the frame will still be heavier than plain lumber. Unless cash is a real issue, I wouldn't use it for baseboard construction. You could make shelving out of it, but MDF eventually sags if it spans more than about 30-40cm. HTH wolf k. Wolf K <wekirch@sympatico.ca> writes >> This might seem like a daft question. I've got a huge pile of 15mm >> thick MDF (left behind by the previous owners), could I use that as [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >sharper threads than ordinary wood screws, hold better in MDF. Also >helps to use glue at all joints. Thanks for the comments. Framing is being done in 44x44 and 44xthirty something, but so far all I've got is the outside edge (that way I can easily measure up exactly how big a space I've got to play with. >But the frame will still be heavier than plain lumber. Unless cash is a real >issue, I wouldn't use it for baseboard construction. You could make >shelving out of it, but MDF eventually sags if it spans more than about >30-40cm. Ah, the pile has already produced two substantial bookshelves (and the "design" ensures that there is no sagging). Adrian SignatureTo Reply : replace "bulleid" with "adrian" - all mail to bulleid is rejected Sorry for the rigmarole, If I want spam, I'll go to the shops Every time someone says "I don't believe in trolls", another one dies. > Wolf K <wekirch@sympatico.ca> writes >>> This might seem like a daft question. I've got a huge pile of 15mm [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > Adrian Accept the disadvantages said, but have used 10mm thick without problems. Got cork tiles stuck on and use nail punch for rail tacks. Although framing underneath is real Heath Robinson, had no problem with sagging after nearly 10 years. Also am a bit cavelier about dust etc. Cheers, Simon >> This might seem like a daft question. I've got a huge pile of 15mm >> thick MDF (left behind by the previous owners), could I use that as [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >if you rip it into "boards", say 40mm wide, and make the frame for the >baseboard with it. The sawdust from it is not healthy stuff to breathe in so take care. hasn't quite reached Asbestos levels of concern yet but some reckon similar style masks should be worn if working it with power tools which produce fine dust. G.Harman > This might seem like a daft question. I've got a huge pile of 15mm > thick MDF (left behind by the previous owners), could I use that as [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Sorry for the rigmarole, If I want spam, I'll go to the shops > Every time someone says "I don't believe in trolls", another one dies. The major problems with MDF (weight, doesn't remain flat, hard) have been mentioned. OTOH "heavy" is only a bad thing if you intend moving your baseboards. Heavy is great for minimising sound and vibration. I normally use 10-12mm chipboard for horizontal surfaces plus I add a 12mm sheet of "Pinex" (softboard) on top for sound reduction, pinning and the ability to cut drainage ditches (model, not actual ;-) and depressions. I would never make frames from thicker than 25mm nominal timber, but for (module) lengths greater than 120cm I go from 50 to 75 (nominal) depth. I keep meaning to get some 12mm ply which I would cut 10cm deep for framing, but the thought always returns after I've built my boards. Increasing framing from 50x25 to 50x50 is just incresing weight with little increase in bending strength. Greg.P. > This might seem like a daft question. I've got a huge pile of 15mm > thick MDF (left behind by the previous owners), could I use that as > baseboard material ? You can use what you like :-) 15mm is going to be heavy so don't use it for a (trans)portable layout. Cut into 5 or 10cm strips it will make good bracing for lighter wieght tops, with nice smooth surface and no warping. If using track pins I would add a layer of fibre laminate floor underlay. This is about 1cm thick and takes track pins very easily. The pins are long enough to penetrate the underlying MDF by a few mm. A lot easier than trying to push atrack pin all the way into MDF. MDF doesn't like moisture, so I would seal any surface likely to be affected during scenery work. MBQ |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2012 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.