Garden Railway Forum

20190722_171511 by Jonathan Demery, on Flickr

This is a prototype signal box for my line, I have cut it from offcuts of 3mm MDF, the final version will be cut from 3mm WBP ply and painted. The design is loosely based on the GWR box at Bronwydd Arms on the Gwili railway (yes I know it's not narrow gauge but I like the building) Need to tweak the drawing a bit to recess the lower floor windows and allow space for window sills as per original. I hope to put some detail inside also, and some lighting. I plan to build a concrete plinth for it to sit on, that way I can bring the building in over winter etc and when not in use for long periods.

Wow, that is a seriously serious building.
Lovely job and once the details have been tweaked, it should look fantastic.
I presume you have access to a laser cutter to do all that?
I'm interested that you plan the final version to be in ply rather than mdf, I'd have thought the surface finish of mdf would be preferable to trying to lose the grain on ply?

Beautiful bit of modelling. Must be great having access to a laser cutter.

Rik

It looks the part with the plants and positioning near the track.

The concrete base will finish it off well.

Great looking signal box....

I will have it on our layout please.....

philipy wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2019 10:34 am Wow, that is a seriously serious building.
Lovely job and once the details have been tweaked, it should look fantastic.
I presume you have access to a laser cutter to do all that?
I'm interested that you plan the final version to be in ply rather than mdf, I'd have thought the surface finish of mdf would be preferable to trying to lose the grain on ply?

I decided to use WBP primarily for its better wet-weather performance, MDF is a bit like Weetabix when it's wet it loses structural integrity (even with paint IMHO) I seal the ply with sanding sealer first, the grain is quite close so requires minimal work. A couple of coats with primer filler and then a top coat of car paint and possibly clear lacquer. I have laser cut a station-style house sign using the same technique and it's been up for 10 years and looks as good as new. I do keep meaning to try laser cutting waterproof MDF but tbh its more expensive than the WBP ply and more tricky to get hold of.

Lovely work on the Signal box.

I dont think there is any such thing as waterproof MDF only Water resistant. The problem is you can use a waterproof resin to bond it but the wood fibres will asborb water and swell then shrink again as it dries. True the same applies to ply but the ply fibres have not been chopped up so retain strengthI left a piece of ahuttering ply on the track it poured with rain for a couple of days afterwards and the 8ft length of ply bowed up 2ft in the middle. When it dried it flattened back down.

With wood exposed to weather you either have to let it expand and contract as it wants or keep it dry. A couple of coats of shellac or knotting before painting will help.

Don