New house - New Layout, Ripley802's layout build!

[ripley802]

Staring this thread to try and cover the build of my new layout. As some already knew, I recently moved into a new home and with that have decided to build a more permenant layout and one off the ground. I have a small setup in the basement for doing repairs and customs but I needed somewhere to run them right..

Props to my wife for helping with all of the cutting and building today. We knocked out the framing in a few hours. I have some sheets of MDF I will be using as the top. Also planning on putting in some more supports in the square sections.

From the door way, the length of 9' x 8' on the back wall. There are two 3' (ish) squares on either end, which my plan was to maybe use the MDF to make it round for the top. I eventually may make a lower staging level, but that will be phase 2..

Let me know thoughts and suggestions.

Awesome!! This will be super cool to watch unfold!!

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Suggestion #1 if you are certain that you are doing 2 levels, decide on a good, bright, compact light source, and wire and install it (to the underside) as part of the top installation...you will be happy that you did.

i am expecting this small type of layout when it is done....

[Super]

This is going to be exciting. I do have a suggestion but it may be too late. I am assuming you are not screwing the framework to the wall to prevent movement so Toe Kick Room would be important. I don't know if you plan on extending the MDF farther than the edge of the frame by a few inches but it may help. By Toe Kick Room I mean room for when you stand right up next to the Layout to play that your toes don't kick the frame and jolting the whole table and you watch all your PlaKids, trees and anything else prone to fall over. by overhanging the MDF by a 2 or 3 inches all the way around and re-positioning the horizontal floor braces to the inside of the legs should give you an additional 4 to 6 inches of toe kick space. It is the one thing that using banquet tables for my Layout gives me the willies.

You could do this for both end squares.

dang cool i would love to see whats gonna happen after this

If you plan to have a lower level, I wonder if those battery powered LED under-cabinet lights would be useful. I suppose they could be a major pain too when it came time to change batteries!

[ripley802]

Awesome!! This will be super cool to watch unfold!!

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Suggestion #1 if you are certain that you are doing 2 levels, decide on a good, bright, compact light source, and wire and install it (to the underside) as part of the top installation...you will be happy that you did.

Thanks Muddy.

Yeah I am thinking of using some LED strip lighting. I have purchased and installed this for out cabinets in the kitchen as well as put some in my daughters room. Very inexpensive and with remotes and dimmers it makes it ideal I think. The nice thing is there are outlets on the ends of both 3' squares and one in the middle of the 9' side so I should be ok to add a few, but they will daisy chain together too which makes it nice.

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This is going to be exciting. I do have a suggestion but it may be too late. I am assuming you are not screwing the framework to the wall to prevent movement so Toe Kick Room would be important. I don't know if you plan on extending the MDF farther than the edge of the frame by a few inches but it may help. By Toe Kick Room I mean room for when you stand right up next to the Layout to play that your toes don't kick the frame and jolting the whole table and you watch all your PlaKids, trees and anything else prone to fall over. by overhanging the MDF by a 2 or 3 inches all the way around and re-positioning the horizontal floor braces to the inside of the legs should give you an additional 4 to 6 inches of toe kick space. It is the one thing that using banquet tables for my Layout gives me the willies.

Thanks Super. Great idea, I had not thought of that. Yeah it is pretty well secured and in place for now. I could probably take the front piece off and re-fit it, but the two 3' squares as well as the two wall pieces have wood glue in addition to screws, then I fasted them together once in the room. This makes it semi-removeable if needed. The MDF will overhang on top a little, and I will plant to dress up he sides with some side skirting eventually.

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i am expecting this small type of layout when it is done....

Oh, for sure. The ceiling is the limit..lol..

[Super]

If you have bolted the frame to the wall that should probably work but that won't save your toes when when playing without shoes LOL

You are lucky to have a lady in your life that respects your items unlike my mom

I know how you feel Otis also it's me douglas#10 productions