Wednesday 28 June 2023

Thoughts on Baseboard Construction

I have mumbled a little, on a couple of blogs, about my thoughts for baseboard construction. The baseboards for Boscarne Junction are going to be relatively large. If I used the plywood and softwood sandwich technique they’d require two people to move them. The basic idea is to build baseboards that I’ll be able to lift and move around when I’m in my 7th decade.

When visiting York Model Railway show in 2019 I became intrigued with Gordon Gravett’s baseboards for Arran Quay and way he’d sandwiched insulation board between thin plywood. I was not sure about using the same insulation board for the baseboard tops but he had made it work. This method of construction must have created a very light baseboard easy to lift and move/transport.

Many years ago I purchased a number of 2ft x 4ft x 1 inch sheets of insulation board for creating hex terrain for wargaming. There are still eleven sheets left from that project which are taking up space in my shed. My intention is to rather than dispose of these sheets is to make good use of them for Boscarne Junction’s baseboards.

As my insulation board is only 1 inch thick I’ll not be follow Gordon’s methods fully but to borrow his general idea. Hopefully the drawings below will help to explain my intentions better than words.



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