eBay

g-pa1 · ‎08-31-2004

I am in the process of trying to find out the optimum height of the benchwork for a layout. I have gone to some club event/train shows and their benchwork is at around 5 feet off the floor with 5" of clear plexiglass separating people from the layout. I know some people subscribe to the 42" height as it keeps them from bending over so much. I just got a number of 2x2x32" legs for two 4'x4' tables. I know that most tables are approx. 30" and counter tops are 36" high. I think after I put the plywood and then the foam it will be up to about 35 or 36" esp. if I mount wheels on the bottom of the legs. Anyway what height does everyone else have their benchwork at. Gene

ginzokid · ‎09-01-2004

Lou, I'm also 5'8" and am NOT short like you. Actually I'm the tallest one in my family. There is an old joke about Italians that says if the son is more than 5'10", the Father should divorce the Mother. Badda Boom, Badda Bing! CodFadda PS: My Dad was 5'4" and Mom was 4'11".

trmwf · ‎09-01-2004

Lou, How wide are your lower and upper levels going to be? Mike

beastranger · ‎09-01-2004

Dot I knew a guy years ago who had his 4x8 layout suspended from the ceiling with ropes and pulleys so that it could be stored out of the way. You could also adjust the height of it to work on. Doug

crazyd37 · ‎09-02-2004

Doug, Can you imagine a 20' x 10' layout done that way?!!! We would have to be nuts. Nice idea though if one is super creative. I am so clutsy that if I had one done that way I would probably pull one of the ropes to hard and scatter the thing all over the place. The final layout that will be in this house will have to be firmly planted on the floor for sure. Dot

beastranger · ‎09-02-2004

Dot My layout is 8x20 and you are right, it would probably end up looking more like a roller coaster than a train layout. Doug

g-pa1 · ‎09-03-2004

Tall people would be hitting their heads on the legs hanging down!! Me I'd probably figure out a way to get some plywood nail it to the bottom of the legs hanging down and do a layout there. Gene

nascarpetlover · ‎09-03-2004

Mike The upper (shelf) will be about 12" and lower (table) will be about 20"to 24" with one island next to my work shop and about 10"to 12" between them. Plan on making it a double main line type of track setup (what goes up must come down). May have to duck under upper to get in the back way to the work shop or just go around. Will not be much switching on the upper, just be able to mostly watch the trains go around. Lou faceless and hopeful PS Hoping for the best although may have to scrap the idea and just have the lower section. Only time will tell.

trmwf · ‎09-06-2004

Lou, I have been toying with going the opposite direction. Instead of going up to a second level I am developing a plan for a "wedding cake" layered type layout. The top level would be narrow, say maybe 8 to 10 inches and somewhere along the line the track is going to disappear and go down to the next level that will only be about 3 inches lower but will extend out from the bottom edge of the facia board of the upper level about another foot or so and maybe even drop down to a third little narrow shelf for a long branch type line that would be built extending out from the bottom edge of the middle tier's facia board. This would allow for long run times, keep the grades really within reason, maybe 1% or less and still keep the layout fairly narrow except in the corners and the ends. prof

ginzokid · ‎05-12-2006

Fred, how high is your new layout? And how many martoonies did it take to get it up there? Dave, you never posted here. We know you have a layout. Don't deny it. How high is yours? And does it run on beer or something harder? B-) & :x

flaretired · ‎05-12-2006

So far everybody has talked about height for working on top of their layout. I am 6'2" tall and the first thing I considered was working under the table. My layout is one 4x8 sheet of plywood butted up against the wall with one of the 4' sides. It is centered in the middle of the room so I can walk around it on three sides. The height is 40". That covered the top. Now working under neath is another story. I can only sit crossed legged which is not good for my back so my time under the table is limited. The longer I sit the harder it is for me to get out and stand back up. Even though I use mostly terminal blocks for my connections I still have to do a lot of soldering for wire lengthen. IE: switches, power feeds etc. I guess most of the members are past this stage. But I would like to know if any of you took that into consideration when you planned your height of your layout. Chuck 🙂

ginzokid · ‎05-12-2006

Chuck, No matter how I try, I can't get the layout high enough so I can work on it easily from underneath and still be able to see it from a standing position. I do try to keep the under table work to a minimum though. My biggest problem right now is a duck-under ( how that duck got under there or the elephant got into my pajamas I'll never know....) which makes me groan every time I go through it. I have to wonder each time if I will be able to straighten up when I get on the other side. Such is the problem with arthritis of the neck and spine. If you can design a layout so you can work under it either in a chair with rollers or a "creeper" (under auto type thingy), then it should be easier for you to work there. But time immemorial has proven that under layout work is the pits. Period. B-) & :x

soundgod · ‎05-12-2006

old trick ... get an old office chair, take the caster bottom and weld it to the bottom of the chair without the center shaft and all that garbage .. it will wheel around very easily under the benchwork .. or for the really LOW spots, a mechanics creeper works well, just watch the solder splashes and the like. (as Norm sez: Wear these .. safety glasses!)

dl85vette · ‎05-13-2006

42" on the main level. i'm 5'9" so feels comfortable when working on the track,scenery,etc without having to bend over. Enuf room underneath to be somehat comfotable to do wiring. Also this leaves room to put in a homemade shelving unit to store my paint and supllies. I'll get a phot of this area, now that it is safe to do photos again with a new computer. dave

ginzokid · ‎05-17-2006

I had a date with Mary Jane last night and we got really high.........]:) Oh.........you mean how high should the layout be..............about that high....Hee, Hee :D Is it smokey in here or is it me? Scotch and soda, jigger of gin......oh what a state you've got me in.....oh, my.....do I feel high......dry martini.....yes, now you're talkin'.........just who was that masked man? I think I should go to bed now.......yes Dearest. I'm shutting the confuser off....bye guys. Marc!!! Leave that parrot alone!!! B-) & :x