Large Scale Central

Base for Buildings

I’m in the process of laying out model buildings on the Redwood Creek and Tallulah Ridge RR. I’m looking for ideas on how to place them using a base of some sort that in which I can remove the building for storage or repair but doesn’t look like I’ve just laid them out on the dirt. I would like to add to the base wooden walkways, etc to add to the look. I plan to have landscape lighting wiring for each building so need a proven solution to be able to unplug as needed. I don’t intend to keep most buildings out all year long. Everything I currently have is basically Piko structures.

Thanks - Richard

Big Box store 12"X12"

I prefer the “foamed pvc” (Sintra, Kemex, whatever) as you can easily cut it to the size you want. In fact, the PVC is just very easy to work with.

It’s easy enough to glue wood strips to the base, if you wanted to model wood side walks, but you can also scribe the pvc to look like wood.

My buildings are glued to the pvc as my buildings stay out all year long, but if you wanted to make the buildings removable, I would just put in some screws from underneath into blocks inside the building.

You DO want to paint the PVC with an outdoor quality paint - I haven’t had any problem painting mine and some of the buildings have been out almost 15 years. I also use the PVC for the walls of the buildings…

I use a PVC board called TrimPlank. It come in either wood grain or plain. However I do have to reinforce it by screwing 1/2" alum angle braces under it as it will warp out in the sun.

Can you buy the PVC foam board at local stores? Or do you have to order it from a specialty place?

Richard

Richard Mynderup said:

Can you buy the PVC foam board at local stores? Or do you have to order it from a specialty place?

Richard

You can probably buy it from a local sign shop, but I’ve always had it mailed to me from Tap Plastics, ePlastics, US Plastics, or even Amazon. The stuff must go by over a dozen brand names, such as Celtec or Sintra, but I just search for Expanded PVC sheet.

Heh. Looks like even Home Depot carries it!

I get mine from Lowe’s. It glues together with PVC Pipe cement. It does come with rounded edges which I just run through a joiner to square up, then glue it together and clamp it, just like 2 pieces of wood.

Ken is it thick enough( like 1/2 or3/4" to use a pocket screw to join pieces

If I’m not mistaken Sintra board isn’t PVC or at least wont bond with PVC glue, might check with Ray Dunakin which I believe is the go rue of Sintra board, Bill

Pete, it’s about 3/4" thick.

Here’s a side view of it.

I’ll add my two cents and here on the desert I use cement backer board. I use 1/4 inch.

I am not sure how it works where the rainfall is higher.

Pete Lassen said:

Ken is it thick enough( like 1/2 or3/4" to use a pocket screw to join pieces

Pete

Big box stores as Ken stated…garage door trim(ever true and royal mouldings are manufacturers).

Doug, I’m inclined to use some backer board I have out on the side yard for a few years now…it’s been leaning against the fence in all kinds of weather (mostly dry) and hasn’t warped at all. After that I might try the Sintra.

Richard

I use HardieBacker (spelling?). It holds up to tropical storms and tropical sun. I cannot say how well it’ll take to detail parts you may wish to add, though. Detail parts seem to have a low half life around these parts.

I had considered using construction cement to mount the HardieBacker to hollow tile sunk into the garden to help anchor it. This has not been necessary, however. Once I got it leveled, it stayed put…even if the buildings on top of it seem to move!

  • Eric

I do not know why, but the Hardiebacker board I used delaminated into thin wafers in just a few seasons. Now the part that I used that was not in contact with the ground survived quite well for a long time. But the parts of it that were in ground contact failed.

David,

Mine “floats” on 4-6 inches of gravel. Maybe that amount of drainage preserves it?

Eric

Bruce, where do you get the foam PVC? What size sheets does it come in? Thanks.

Concrete backer board makes a good base to set the building on for street level. You can them set your side walk and building foundation on that. I can stay out all year and makes a good walk path to work off when doing maintenance to the layout.

what is the best way to cut it? A club member gave me half a sheet. Saw or some knife?