I've seen pictures of layouts using plywood and waferboard for cookie-cutter construction. Is one better than the other for sound, flexibility, etc? I'm planning a 36" x 80" N layout that will
probably incorporate a combination of cookie-cutter and open-top methods for various levels.
Now we have to discuss the definition of 'waferboard'. In Canada, this is sometimes called 'chipboard', wood chips compressed with glue. In the States, I think it was called 'beaverboard'. If we are
talking the same language, Then I wouldn't use it on a layout. If we ar talking about a plywood type board that is make up of a layer of wood, a layer of MDF or extruded foam, and a layer of wood,
then I might give it a try. Maybe I've been around too long, and heard too many terms used for too many things!
Paul
Oriented strand board (OSB) is sometimes mistaken for "particleboard", "flakeboard", or "chipboard". OSB is none of these; it is a high quality, structural panel product. Unlike "particle-board" and
"flakeboard", OSB is manufactured in a cross-oriented pattern similar to plywood to create a panel with enhanced structural performance.
OSB is composed of rectangular-shaped wood strands arranged in layers at right angles to one another, which are laidup into mats that form a panel. Cross-orientation makes the panels strong and stiff
in both directions. This manufacturing process also ensures panel consistency; OSB contains no laps, gaps, or voids. OSB is bonded with fully waterproof adhesives. Most panels are also treated with a
sealant on the panel edges to retard moisture penetration. As an added feature, panels may be textured on at least one side to provide a slip-resistant surface for roof sheathing installation.
...from the above info, i would think OSB would be superior to regular plywood for model railroad layouts...maybe that's why it costs so much more than regular plywood...my PERSONAL experience with
it here is that you need a nail gun to drive a small track nail into it...AND it will DULL a regular power saw blade in about 4 cuts...it is VERY hard, perhaps owing to the way it's made, waterproof
and all...THAT's why i chose the 1/2" plywood...cheaper and softer... :))
...do you guys remember the particleboard shelving we used to put between concrete blocks to make a room divider in our first apartment ?...you'd set a cold drink, with ice, on the shelf, and an hour
later there was a hole where the drink used to be...absolute disintegration in the presence of moisture...and yet, there are STILL some particleboard layouts around, i'm sure... :))
...big john... :))
Thanks for posting this Big. I seems like every week or so we need to do this! Slang in the building trades seems a difficult concept for some folks to grasp and the results are some creative model
railroads! There is a reason that plywood has been the most effective substructure for decades. OSB is a "creative" solution for those who have the know-how's and tools. As is high density particle
board, rosin board and a bunch of other things out there. ALL of them are more expensive than 3/4" A/C. That's your clue. If it is cheaper you may have problems. If it is more you will have a
learning and tool curve.
Christian
I'd recommend plywood over wafer aka OSB(Oriented Strand Board). More flexible in cookie-cutter applications and has less foreign particles that wear down your blades faster. Wafer or OSB is best
used in yards with Homosote or sound board on top.
Dave in AK
Particleboard can work for layouts, if used properly (and if you know where NOT to use it). When i was a teenager and first into model railroading, I was fortunate enough to have a father who was
(and still is) a cabinet maker. I can't vouch for my scenery skills, or my wring ability, but believe me, my layout had some of the best woodwork for the benchwork you have ever seen!
I had a layout based on the Marquette and Independence track plan that appeared in Model Railroader in 1975. I stretched and twisted the plan a bit to fit the space I had available. For one part of
the layout I needed a 12 inch wide by 5 foot long shelf to connect the two "blobs" representing the towns on each end of
the layout. The track was flat and there was no need for depressed scenery on this stretch, so flat table-top construction would suit me fine.
So we made the table-top from 5/8" particle board, with stiffeners on the two long edges made by 2" x 5/8" plywood strips glued (with the 2" dimension vertical), one on each side of the shelf. This
part of the layout was supported on framing at each end of the 5'-0" length. It worked fine; sagging of the shelf was never a problem. The layout was in the basement of my parent's house in northern
Wisconsin.
Mark