Modular Baseboards

[Graham Walters]

This is a gentle warning to anyone thinking of using the modular type baseboard from;

htttps://modelrailwaysolutions.co.uk

In a shed of wooden building,  DON'T !

Or at least if you do, do not fix the boards to the shed in anyway... why

Well I did, and as we all know wood moves, and it can be quite alarming how much it moves, these boards proved to be totally impractical for use in a shed.

The 12mm ply outer frame is spread using 3mm ply, the small triangles supplied to brace this structure are in my experinence totally inadquate for the job, no matter how many of these you use, the frame work will still flex diagonally, and will not have any lateral strength.

The added problem to this is that if you are trying to fix a decent baseboard to the top, you can only do so around the edges, so it would be best to assemble the modular baseboards on the boards first, then turn them over!

These modular boards flex so much it has caused me to take them out and resort to a standard 12mm ply board braced underneath with 2 x 1.

As far as I am concerned it's £250 down the pan, an expensive lesson.

[njee20]

A 5'x4' board in their premium range is only £120, did you have 10'x4' boards?

why, on such a large layout did you choose to attach it to what is a very flimsy building? I can understand attaching to a brick wall, but a single skin shed wall...? No thanks. I don't think you can blame the baseboards for distorting when you attached them to something inadequate!

I'm not entirely sure you're being fair to MRS here. Never used their boards, but the construction looks solid, I think some of the blame lies in your application.

[Paul B]

I have two 3 foot by 3 foot boards from MRS to make up a portable 6 x 3 layout. When I first made them up, I didn't use enough glue to fasten the top to the framework, and did find that the boards were still rather flexible. However, I added more glue along the edges of the framework underneath, and then worked out where the frame would be and put screws through from the top to the frame. They missed the frame a bit in places, but I just added some more glue around the screw to glue it to the frame! They are now quite rigid with just enough flex.

I have to admit that I have no experience of fitting these type of baseboards to a shed. However, I think that for use as a portable baseboard they are fine! I will try to get some pics once they are finally put together before I start track laying!

[njee20]

why, on such a large layout did you choose to attach it to what is a very flimsy building?

Surly if the baseboards where strong enough then it should have been the flimsy shed that distorted not the baseboards.

Mmm, that depends, the shed is under the influence of outside factors - notably the weather. I'd not expect a baseboard inside the shed to stop the shed being blown about. Entirely plausible that if you attached it well enough that any movement in the shed would be translated into movement in the boards.

[Graham Walters]

It's hardly what I would call a flimsy shed, the framework is 50mm sq timber, and the cladding is 19mm T&G.

I did state in another thread that I thought some external forces may have moved the shed, ( told by neighboour), but there is no evidence to support this.

All I am saying is that if are planning to use these baseboards, think twice before using them in a shed