Z gauge baseboard material

[Milzee]

Hi all, I'm about to go buy my baseboard material tomorrow. This will be for a Z gauge table top/coffee table layout. Layout size is 115 cm x 50 cm. I'm thinking the following:

5 mm ply for the base board
15 mm square spruce for the frame

1.5 mm ply for the elevated sections and tunnel cover (landscaping to be applied over the top)
3 mm square spruce to act as beads/gussets on the elevated sections and tunnel cover

Does that sound about right or do I need to go 9 mm on the baseboard? I'll probably use a 122 x 61 cm sheet as that's a standard size.

Regards the frame will a single cross brace making two squares of around 61 x 61 cm be enough or do I need extra bracing to make it 8 squares of 30 x 30 cm?

I'm not planning a fiddle yard and the controllers will either be on an empty corner of the baseboard or maybe a hinged flap. Not sure yet. Layout diagram attached.

[RogerB]

How does Z gauge track get fastened to the board? That might have a bearing on dimensions. R-

[Milzee]

Good question never done it but I'm planning to use standard Marklin track with Marklin Z gauge track pins and cork underlay.

https://www.maerklin.de/en/products/det ... Paging%5D=

[Milzee]

Track pins are 8 mm so looks like 9 mm ply is the way to go

[RogerB]

Ok - it looks as though they are 8mm long so, if you don't want to scratch your coffee table I'd go for 9mm board. R-

Great minds.

[Milzee]

Ok - it looks as though they are 8mm long so, if you don't want to scratch your coffee table I'd go for 9mm board. R-

Great minds.

Well there will be 15mm bracing so coffee table would be OK but plenty of opportunity for scratched fingers when wiring the points so best to go with 9mm

[Brian]

A 1220mm x 610mm (approx 4ft x 2ft) baseboard supported on PSE timber framing is the most standard way of build a baseboard. Well supported 6mm ply could be fine, but it will need a lot of underside supports. 9mm Ply will of course needs slightly less. With 6mm or 9mm Ply I would use a minimum of 22mm x 44mm or better IMO is 18mm x 63mm PSE as the underside framing certainly for the outer four sides, then you can use the same or smaller depth timbers for the cross bracing. With 6mm Ply I would look to have a grid made up to around 300mm x 300mm centres. On 9mm ply just use timbers from outer long edge to other outer long edge and spaced around 400mm apart.
Don't forget to drill 12-15mm dia holes placed nearer to the top edges in all cross timbers in all directions to allow easy wiring later on to pass section to section. PVA glue and screw or pin the ply to the timbers (Missing the pre drilled holes!)
PSE = Planed Square Edge.

[Milzee]

OK thanks I thought 63 x 22 would be a bit industrial for a z gauge table top layout?

[Brian]

63 x 18 (not 22mm) gives good underside depth but reasonable lightness. If depth is not important then use 18mm x 44mm
Typical example of UK PSE in 18 x 44 https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Whitewo ... 9000036442

[Milzee]

I got 9mm ply with 30 x 15 PSE as that was all my local shop had in stock. For some reason most of their stock had a bevelled edge. It seems pretty rigid so we'll see how I get on. It wasn't expensive so I can always start again before I get the scenery down.