Contents
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The following is an ongoing story of my attempt to create a display table for the many playset-type figures and accessories that I have which have been produced by current manufacturers. I suppose I could use my Marx collection to create this tiny model of a small populace living somewhere in Never-Never Land, but I feel my Marx items are better off safe-and-sound in display cases. Besides, during the past several years, manufacturers have made some incredible playset items that deserve to be shown off. I feel lucky to be able to enjoy their creativity, even if I do put my own touch on some of the buildings. Welcome to what I plan to call Yeager City; it's pretty small in this first phase, but I'm hoping it will eventually grow a little larger.
11-19-11
As some of you know, I purchased a vacation home in 2010, about two hours from where I live. It has three bedrooms, so I finally have room to build a display table to show off some of my "toy soldiers." Basically, I want to set up some of my buildings and scenic pieces, add some figures, and make some kind of Wild West scene. Planning started several months ago, and as I write this in November 2011, the table is nearing completion.
My much-thought-out initial plans (I am much more of a planner than a doer) called for an L-shaped table, 2-1/2 feet wide, with one leg about six feet long and the other about five feet. I'm making it about 42 inches tall, getting it a little closer to eye level, so the details can be seen a little better. As things proceded, the L morphed into more of a U, with the third branch of the table being a little shorter than the branch opposite it. I did that after laying out the table shape on the rug with masking tape (which I once did for theater productions before the scenery was made) and seeing that even this size table was pretty limited in what it could hold. I figure that extra branch will allow for an extra building.
Basic materials in construction have been 4x4's for the legs, 1x4's to connect the tops and bottoms of the legs, and plywood for the top. Of several reference books I read on how to do this (I am NOT a handyman), one model railroad book suggested that the legs should be connected with lag bolts and wing nuts, rather than screws or nails. I am glad I followed that, because even the few inches I have moved the table in building it might easily have already loosened screws. That book also suggested 5/8-inch plywood for the top, but I opted for easier to handle 3/8-inch.
My first task was to build the framing, and this was the tough part. Fortunately, I had the intelligence to cut, assemble, and connect two or three legs at a time, then carry them into the house for final assembly. Not only are 4x4's kind of heavy, but once they are connected to many feet of 1x4's, the whole thing is really heavy, as well as bulky and awkward. It gets tougher and tougher to work with as pieces are added on! One of my objectives was to make sure the table was square, but I failed miserably at that. In the first photo, the top left corner is right at 90 degrees, and the top right corner is pretty close. Nothing else is square! I think next time I might build the table top first, as I think that would be much easier to keep square. But then I am not sure how I could manage to turn the thing over once legs were added to it. Anyhow the first photo above is what it looked like once I got the framing done.
After
looking things over, I decided to add some stability by putting
in one more 4x4 leg between the first two legs on the left side
of the table as shown in the first and second photos. I used additional 1x4's
to connect that leg with the one directly across from it. With
that added,
I felt that there would be plenty of support of the 3/8-inch plywood
top. As it turned out, those extra supports also helped when I
added shelving. For the shelf unit sides in the second photo, I
used thin brown
softer boards (not sure what you call this type of material), plywood
for the floor of the shelf unit, and 1x1's for the shelf supports.
I will also be putting a plywood floor and sides for a large open
storage space in the area you can see in the upper right side of the
table. The upper left area I will leave open to the rug, a
good place for the dogs to hide.
Next came the top. Totally unplanned, I was able to use a single 4-foot-by-8-foot piece of plywood. I laid the plywood on top of the table, drew around it in pencil, and had little trouble cutting it to the right shape with only a small part at the upper right uncovered (see photo 3). I was able to use a piece of the plywood that I had cut off to fill that empty space. Just for your info, the items sitting on the shelf floor in the photo at right are a BMC hacienda and Steve Weston's cattle drive figures.
I nailed the larger piece in place with 1-1/4 nails that have ridges on them to hold tighter (sorry, I don't speak hardware). Things looked good, but I noticed that the connection between the large piece of plywood and the smaller one definitely needed support underneath. So I cut a piece of 2-by-4 and used corner braces to attach it to the 1x4 side pieces and keep both pieces of plywood level (see photo 4). That did the trick, and I nailed the final piece of the top into place.
The next task was to add a short "wall" of some sort all around the table, because I plan to use a small amount of sand on the table to prevent any of the plywood from showing through. I debated what height to make this wall and finally opted for a short one, since I can add additional height if I decide I need it. I believe taking height off later would be more of a job. So I used long 1x2's with 2-inch wood screws to attach a lip along the top edge of the two sides of the table that will be against the real wall.
I had expected to add some additional bracing under the table to keep it squared up, but it seems already rock solid with the many connections already in place. My last step in completing the basics of the table will be to add edging around the remainder of the table. I plan to do this by attaching 1x6's around the outside of the table, not by using the 1x2's on top of the table. The top of the 1x6's will line up just right with the 1x2 edges and will cover the lag bolts. I still need to add the shelf floor in the upper right and put some facing on the legs to pretty it up a bit...and I will be ready to get down to the real work of deciding what to put on top! It ain't pretty, but I think it's gonna turn out OK.
As I write this, it hits me how easy and quick I make all this sound. I assure you it was not. Having little skill with hardware, I managed all this in four or five days, several hours a day, over a period of a couple of months (I only go out to the vacation house every couple of weeks). No complicated tools other than a drill and a power saw. It was mostly fun, but I don't plan to do it again any time soon! I'll add photos of the finished product when I get it done.
| Contents of This Page |
| Initial write-up on display table - 11-19-11 |
| Update - 12-21-11 |
| Update - 1-30-12 |
| Update - 2-14-12 |
The following is an ongoing story of my attempt to create a display table for the many playset-type figures and accessories that I have which have been produced by current manufacturers. I suppose I could use my Marx collection to create this tiny model of a small populace living somewhere in Never-Never Land, but I feel my Marx items are better off safe-and-sound in display cases. Besides, during the past several years, manufacturers have made some incredible playset items that deserve to be shown off. I feel lucky to be able to enjoy their creativity, even if I do put my own touch on some of the buildings. Welcome to what I plan to call Yeager City; it's pretty small in this first phase, but I'm hoping it will eventually grow a little larger.
11-19-11
As some of you know, I purchased a vacation home in 2010, about two hours from where I live. It has three bedrooms, so I finally have room to build a display table to show off some of my "toy soldiers." Basically, I want to set up some of my buildings and scenic pieces, add some figures, and make some kind of Wild West scene. Planning started several months ago, and as I write this in November 2011, the table is nearing completion.
My much-thought-out initial plans (I am much more of a planner than a doer) called for an L-shaped table, 2-1/2 feet wide, with one leg about six feet long and the other about five feet. I'm making it about 42 inches tall, getting it a little closer to eye level, so the details can be seen a little better. As things proceded, the L morphed into more of a U, with the third branch of the table being a little shorter than the branch opposite it. I did that after laying out the table shape on the rug with masking tape (which I once did for theater productions before the scenery was made) and seeing that even this size table was pretty limited in what it could hold. I figure that extra branch will allow for an extra building.
Basic materials in construction have been 4x4's for the legs, 1x4's to connect the tops and bottoms of the legs, and plywood for the top. Of several reference books I read on how to do this (I am NOT a handyman), one model railroad book suggested that the legs should be connected with lag bolts and wing nuts, rather than screws or nails. I am glad I followed that, because even the few inches I have moved the table in building it might easily have already loosened screws. That book also suggested 5/8-inch plywood for the top, but I opted for easier to handle 3/8-inch.
My first task was to build the framing, and this was the tough part. Fortunately, I had the intelligence to cut, assemble, and connect two or three legs at a time, then carry them into the house for final assembly. Not only are 4x4's kind of heavy, but once they are connected to many feet of 1x4's, the whole thing is really heavy, as well as bulky and awkward. It gets tougher and tougher to work with as pieces are added on! One of my objectives was to make sure the table was square, but I failed miserably at that. In the first photo, the top left corner is right at 90 degrees, and the top right corner is pretty close. Nothing else is square! I think next time I might build the table top first, as I think that would be much easier to keep square. But then I am not sure how I could manage to turn the thing over once legs were added to it. Anyhow the first photo above is what it looked like once I got the framing done.
After
looking things over, I decided to add some stability by putting
in one more 4x4 leg between the first two legs on the left side
of the table as shown in the first and second photos. I used additional 1x4's
to connect that leg with the one directly across from it. With
that added,
I felt that there would be plenty of support of the 3/8-inch plywood
top. As it turned out, those extra supports also helped when I
added shelving. For the shelf unit sides in the second photo, I
used thin brown
softer boards (not sure what you call this type of material), plywood
for the floor of the shelf unit, and 1x1's for the shelf supports.
I will also be putting a plywood floor and sides for a large open
storage space in the area you can see in the upper right side of the
table. The upper left area I will leave open to the rug, a
good place for the dogs to hide.Next came the top. Totally unplanned, I was able to use a single 4-foot-by-8-foot piece of plywood. I laid the plywood on top of the table, drew around it in pencil, and had little trouble cutting it to the right shape with only a small part at the upper right uncovered (see photo 3). I was able to use a piece of the plywood that I had cut off to fill that empty space. Just for your info, the items sitting on the shelf floor in the photo at right are a BMC hacienda and Steve Weston's cattle drive figures.
I nailed the larger piece in place with 1-1/4 nails that have ridges on them to hold tighter (sorry, I don't speak hardware). Things looked good, but I noticed that the connection between the large piece of plywood and the smaller one definitely needed support underneath. So I cut a piece of 2-by-4 and used corner braces to attach it to the 1x4 side pieces and keep both pieces of plywood level (see photo 4). That did the trick, and I nailed the final piece of the top into place.
The next task was to add a short "wall" of some sort all around the table, because I plan to use a small amount of sand on the table to prevent any of the plywood from showing through. I debated what height to make this wall and finally opted for a short one, since I can add additional height if I decide I need it. I believe taking height off later would be more of a job. So I used long 1x2's with 2-inch wood screws to attach a lip along the top edge of the two sides of the table that will be against the real wall.
I had expected to add some additional bracing under the table to keep it squared up, but it seems already rock solid with the many connections already in place. My last step in completing the basics of the table will be to add edging around the remainder of the table. I plan to do this by attaching 1x6's around the outside of the table, not by using the 1x2's on top of the table. The top of the 1x6's will line up just right with the 1x2 edges and will cover the lag bolts. I still need to add the shelf floor in the upper right and put some facing on the legs to pretty it up a bit...and I will be ready to get down to the real work of deciding what to put on top! It ain't pretty, but I think it's gonna turn out OK.
As I write this, it hits me how easy and quick I make all this sound. I assure you it was not. Having little skill with hardware, I managed all this in four or five days, several hours a day, over a period of a couple of months (I only go out to the vacation house every couple of weeks). No complicated tools other than a drill and a power saw. It was mostly fun, but I don't plan to do it again any time soon! I'll add photos of the finished product when I get it done.
Update 12-21-11
Update 1-30-12
Saturday
I ran down to Home Depot and purchased a couple of bags of play sand.
I dumped them on the table, smoothed it out a bit, and threw down
a few buildings. It looks much better than the bare board, but
still needs lots of work. That will be the fun part. And
will probably take a long time. Knowing myself, the table will
most likely never be "finished," because changes will probably pop into
my mind endlessly and new buildings and scenic pieces will come out
forever. I'll keep adding some update info now and then...just in
case anyone is really reading this!
Update 2-14-12
Back to the Main Page| The table is starting to look like what it is supposed to be. I have completed the edging around the top of the table that keeps the sand in, have started on the shelving, and -- in my impatience to get a display up -- have put in some playset buildings to see what it might eventually look like. After setting things up, I see that this mock-up has three basic areas: a farm/ranch house area, an area for the bad guys, and a town area. They're a bit jammed up, but I feel an urge to get in as many as possible of the great buildings new manufacturers are making. One way I see to save space is to show only partial streets. Unless you plan to have a lot of street traffic, a building can be only a few inches from the edge of the table with a portion of the street running in front of it, but cut off where the table ends. Does that make sense? Any thoughts and ideas you might have are very welcome; I expect this project will take many months to complete! |  |
| This is the farm/ranch area that is at the top of the photo above. In the foreground are the sturdy Britains farm house and barn, along with two of the same company's related out buildings. The other house -- with the porch roof still sitting on the porch -- is the similar house that Traverse introduced a year or so ago. I don't think I have room to add crops, but there is plenty of room for people, animals, and other small accessories. In the background is the Mexican cantina that Barzso introduced at the 2011 OTSN. I plan to create a hill in that back corner with steps leading up to the cantina or whatever use I decide for the building. The road will run between the cantina and the houses, and in front of the jail, which is partially seen in the photo at right and shown fully in the next photo. |  |
| This photo shows the bottom of the display table's U and seems to be the town's red-light district. At left is a building made by Steve Weston that could be used as a hangout for the local bad guys, maybe with a new roof. As far as the small Barzso adobe building at the right, I've thought it would make a great jail for quite some time, and now I have a reason to do so. A few bars on the windows should be a good start. Looks like the cells will be pretty cramped in there. The rocks in the back are Parts A and B of Traverse's Devils Den scenics. I plan to add some trees behind them, and blend them into the table sand with smaller rocks and vegetation around the edges. |  |
| The area shown at the bottom of the first photo seems to be a down town area (at right), using the TSSD street front and two-story building. There is a lot of work to do on both buildings, with the second most likely designated as a hotel. As I am not one to make small plans, both obviously need back walls (perhaps with extended side walls), and I am tempted to replace the bottom foam pieces that represent overly thick walkway and floor board. I might also increase the height of the streetfront's first floor. Sounds like a lot of work to me, but hey, no one said this thing has to be completed tomorrow! |  |
Update 1-30-12
Saturday
I ran down to Home Depot and purchased a couple of bags of play sand.
I dumped them on the table, smoothed it out a bit, and threw down
a few buildings. It looks much better than the bare board, but
still needs lots of work. That will be the fun part. And
will probably take a long time. Knowing myself, the table will
most likely never be "finished," because changes will probably pop into
my mind endlessly and new buildings and scenic pieces will come out
forever. I'll keep adding some update info now and then...just in
case anyone is really reading this!Update 2-14-12
| As shown below, I've added a few buildings in roughly the same layout I had originally (as shown above). Still looks good to me, though a lot of work to be done. I'm thinking of adding what I think would be called moduar pieces for roads, as well as a hill piece for the cantina in the upper left to sit on. That is, I like to find a base that I can cut to the correct shape of the roads, create road-like surface on top of it (ruts, potholes, etc.), and then lay it down into the sand. Hopefully I will find a way to do that relatively realistically. That will allow me to change the scene as desired without tearing up scenery. Anyone have any experience with something like this who could offer some guidance? |
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