Adding Legs (134) 

This sure beats buying metal legs and less expensive. Stay Safe & God Bless!!

The scene @5:08 when you were drilling into the end of the leg was kind of scary, bare hand holding the leg and drilling toward that hand, yeah I was nervous just watching you.

Very nice setup.

I agree with some of the other comments: placing the carriage bolts through the long sides of the modules makes them unable to be removed without disassembling the leg cross braces. Putting the carriage bolts through the short ends of the modules and using a carriage bolt to attach the 45-degree brace to your 2x2 spacer would allow the legs to be removed by simply unscrewing the three carriage bolts.

These are helpful and helped me decide to make my HO switching layout this way. It had always seemed incredibly hard to mate up two modules but this is helping, especially with the baseboard dowels. You can also find vendors in the states for those, as DCC Concepts suggested to me, though they can ship internationally of course. What I'm wondering about is how I can make these legs come off. I've thinking about adding the corner brace like what he's got here, but then adding a second piece of wood the same style, adding a 1x3 to the connect both of them, to leave a slot just big enough for legs. We'll see how that goes. I need something that I can set up and take down easily.

Hi, this is a very helpful series. Over the years I have avoided T-nuts and gone to using threaded inserts (as often used in cabinet making) into the wood. They bind into the wood more reliably and hold the levelers well. If needed, some wood or Gorilla glue can be added when inserting them into the module leg. I have used them for many projects the require repeated assembly and disassembly. Thanks for your thorough explanations. Sincerely, Kennedy

Thank you for doing these videos. I plan on making a large DCC layout and you've given me a lot of help and ideas. Thanks again

The wing nut idea for portable operations is a good idea. Why would you use carriage bolts to secure the legs to the module if you use wood screws to secure the leg bracing? You now need two different methods to remove the legs. If you plan to use wood screws for the leg brace, you might as well use wood screws to attach the leg to the module, but do it from the short side so you can get at them easier. If you like using carriage bolts, then I would screw the spacing block for the leg brace from the outside of the module to get maximum grip into the 2x2 spacing block, then use another bolt to hold the leg brace to the spacing block. That way if you want to remove the leg, you undue 3 wing nuts, slide the leg and brace in one direction, and it is removed. No power drill needed.

If you wanted you could cut the side cross supports so the fitted between the legs. Drill dowel holes in the leg and end of the support and fit them together. The other leg support I would also do level with the side of the leg - screw it on with two recessed screws. Then rather than take it to a piece of new timber, take it to the baseboard cross support beam you already have fixed in place. At least that's how a chair legs are done. It simply looks neater. Either way works of course.

Enjoy This series look forward to next weeks edition on the track plans

Great series, here's a easy helper hint; a crush washer under the wing nut will stop the nut from loosening when moving around or just general vibration.

Great videos Larry. Thanks. Very easy to follow. I'm using your suggestions on a new 8x4ft layout in 3 modules. One thing I did differently was to inset the frame by one inch on the sides that wont be butted together, this creates a slight lip/overhang that makes lifting easier and I hope it won't impede access to the facia too much. Otherwise identical. I am very pleased. Cheers.

I have a question: on the stabilizing supports you put screws in them. would it not be better to use bolts and take leg off with the supports intact ? Like the build very nice job.

If I might make a suggestion. When I am trying to put "feet" on something like a 2X2. I use a magic marker or something similar to mark an "X" on the end, The center of the "X" is where I need to drill my hole to get the hole accurately centered.

Larry, another awesome video. Do you have a book or something with the plans of this table?

Thanks for a nice video. Are the modules you showing built to any standard?

Why have the extra expense of carriage bolts with wing nuts if you'll need to remove the wood screws from your braces anyway. If you want quick take-down, I would use a "T" nut between the baseboard and the 2x2 shim with a regular bolt on the brace as well. You might also have a problem with the carriage bolts loosening behind your fascia in the future. Liquid nails under the bolt head might prevent that. Also, when the fascia is attached, you won't be able to remove the carriage bolts and your horizontal bracing keeps the legs at baseboard width, you will need to flex the legs to remove them from the bolts. If you bolt the legs from the ends instead of the sides, you will be able to remove them easier.

Interesting series. I am nearing completion of a mid-sized modular layout with six 2'x4' modules and two end modules (forming a large 'walk-around' layout with a central backdrop, that fills a garage bay) and there are similarities to what you are doing: I'm using T-nuts, leg leveling feet, etc... But I used carpenter's glue on all my screwed joints and epoxy to add strength to my T-nuts. I'm not sure what the value of wing-nuts are on the legs when all those stabilizer braces are screwed in? Either way, I'm enjoying the videos.

Hey Larry, if it's not too much trouble would you post the Amazon link for the black tip leveling feet? Thanks!!

Hi Larry, I had a question about your duck-under in the doorway. Is that remove-able and if yes, how do you mount and hold it in place? I have at least one area crossing a doorway in which I will need something easy (and quick) to remove, but will keep accurate alignment. I saw one video using strong round magnets and looking for other ideas before I built the lift out section.Thanks. Philip from NJ

Why would you bolt the legs and the use the screws for the diagonal braces? You should make the leg assembly as one removable unit from the top.

DDC Guy. The electric system for the layout for DC Different from DCC Wiring.

Larry, Why only 4 feet of length for your Module?

How about portable legs install ???

Larry, Great Explanations about the BaseBoard construction. Thanks. Goes from the very basics.... What is your private e-mail for direct contact?

4:40 Jeez, talk about unsafe working. Put the timber in a vice when drilling like that.

Larry, a helpful video, but if you don't end up with a hole in your hand or a finger cut off I will be very surprised...I can see how you're trying to show actions for the video, but if you keep drilling a hole with your hand covering the exit, or holding a piece of wood by the end with one hand while drilling with the other, then an accident will happen. Not a very good example to set to younger viewers especially. Sorry!

While I like your videos I am reasonable with tools, I am a tradesperson. I think you have to cater for the person with the lowest skill level. Really your first few seconds/minute should be a health and safety overview. You should cover what can go wrong and why you are doing something the way you are. This does not have to take over the video but should prompt the person watching to at least consider their safety. Heaven forbid your video causes someone to injure them selves and unable to enjoy the hobby you are trying to share with them.