Wednesday 20 May 2015
"I'm converting... But still saying my prayers."
The allure of the multi-deck's long run and generous separation between key LDEs was tugging at me. I studied what other modeler's had done with that style... construction, dimensions, finished photos, etc. But now I was especially concerned about another kind of separation, that of the vertical kind, with a ceiling that only afforded a clearance of 6'-3".I checked with friends and on-line acquaintances about the dimensions that they used and their relative success for viewing and operating. My mandate was not to be too low for my lower deck, lest my cranky knees and back punish me for sheer stupidity. I did know that the relative depth of my decks would be modest, between 8-20" which would minimize the necessary vertical separation. A cardboard mock-up on bookshelves confirmed that.
And key to all of this re-thinking was that ultimately the objective was to double the mainline, not double the layout. ROW areas might be as narrow as 8-12".
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A quick sketch showed what I could get by lowering the existing deck and trimming the valence. The upper deck would be cantilevered off of the wall with a riser for support. Depths of the two decks would fluctuate so that key operating areas would be staggered and viewing would be maximized. |
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Because the bench work was built in sections, it could be unscrewed and lowered in step-by-step fashion using clamps and the magic tripod. Thankfully, the peninsula backdrop could hang free from the ceiling due to the system used to install it. (Take that Murphy's Law!) |
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The sections were lowered from the existing ledger strip at a consistent dimension through the use of an autographed piece of scrap wood. More on that valued pine spacer below. |
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The existing legs needed to be shortened so each was removed one-at-a-time and trimmed at the table saw, before going back in place. The lower deck would need a new backdrop of its own, and I had some ideas, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. |
So, there you go. In for a penny, in for a pound. My modest single deck with the cramped towns was growing up. But why do I keep hearing my mother's admonition from my childhood?... "Your eyes are bigger than your stomach."
We'll have a quick 'Friendly Friday' for the start of Memorial Day weekend and then get back to major construction next week. Geez, am I really doing this?
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BONUS: RHETORICAL QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Did you know? When a friend relocated to North Carolina his massive B&O layout had to be dismantled and tossed into a dumpster over the course of several weekends. I picked through the used framing with the intention of keeping the B&O lineage in my bench work, while paying homage to this former layout. The scribbling on one piece said, "Thanks Jim. Magnolia Cut-off. Henry Freeman."... And my wife says that I'm not sentimental!??
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