David Russell said:I can do that. I was just going to deal with it. After all, half the train stuff you go out an buy has to be fixed when you get it :)
JON, Seriously you need to think about shipping that roof and 2nd floor back to me and i will fix it with 1/8" pvc board. The acrylic apparently needs a lot more ventilation than the other materials?
I had something I was going to send your way anyway, so I could put the roof / floor in with it.
Jon Radder said:
I can do that. I was just going to deal with it. After all, half the train stuff you go out an buy has to be fixed when you get it :)I had something I was going to send your way anyway, so I could put the roof / floor in with it.
David Russell said:Yea if he gets hold of it there will be dormers and eyebrows or he'll want to put a teepee and indians on the roof and call them gargoyles
FEAR THE ROOSTER!!!!!!
On the acrylic,
Warp Brothers say you have to allow for expansion in warm weather.
The figure mentioned is 1/16th inch for every foot.
So, if the floor is acrylic, the walls better be acrylic too.
Ralph
Ralph -
We are talking serious curvature here. The 2nd floor is roughly 8 inches by 10 inches (from memory). To this acrylic Dave laminated wood plank flooring. From what I can gather the building was outside in the sun for maybe 1 day. When I got the store the floor had developed an upward bow on the long side of less than 3/4 of an inch. I tried correcting it with heat and weight and got the opposite result - the bow increased as the piece cooled.
The roof is the same material, but no wood laminate and it has not warped (yet ?).
Dave -
I doubt this building will ever get left outdoors for more than a day or so. We have too many animals, domestic and wild, roaming the yard and doing damage. Also, the chosen location is under a huge swamp Maple that constantly drops branches, some quite large. So snow load isn’t really an issue. But I was considering adding beams to help hold the piece flat if I could get it to cool flat. In any case, I can drill the holes, no need to pack the whole thing up and ship.
Jon Radder said:Dissimilar materials fastened together expanding and contracting at different rates. If the roof is just "set" on top of the building, it expands without constriction. When the floor expands it has nowhere to go because of the walls. So it warps. Ralph
The roof is the same material, but no wood laminate and it has not warped (yet ?)
I’ve had no warping at all on my building that is 24" x 42". I did put some bracing on the inside of the roof and walls.
Is it possible that coating both sides of the acrylic with the same material would eliminate the warping?Wood on both sides glued.
I’ve only got one side covered on all my buildings. I tend to cover the outside… 
Bruce, I’m quite aware of your structures and techniques and also realize you have used Chemcast acrylic as well. If you have a piece of 1/8" chemcast acrylic cut a section say 12"w X 16" long, cover one side with(paint,wood, whatever) set it on blocks (or anything to raise it 12" to 16" off the ground), place it facing south in full sun from 10am till 4pm in the middle of July (when the cigar store was built) I’m telling ya’ it will warp. The acrylic that I’m building with is what was left over from interior storms on my REAL house in place for several years facing south, taking more sun than my RR in July, screwed together pine frames, NO WARPAGE!!
I absorbed all responses, just an issue I have to figure out on my own I guess. I knew Bruce has used this material but I feel his RR is more shaded than mine and if I would have built it and sent it directly to Jon I would be willing to bet there would be no warpage. Jon, It needs to stay outside…don’t fear it exposed to “Mother Nature” as it will only get better with time! The redwood will darken , the cedar will gray, the corbels will rot, and the doors will need replaced (but you know the company that made them). This was a fun whipped together project and a learning experience as well but this is what makes this hobby so great! P.S. Mother Nature has big boobs!~
Bruce -
I think it might be the brand and/or thickness. It’s pretty thin stuff, perhaps 1/8".
Bruce Chandler said:If all the walls are acrylic, they will expand together in the heat. I think the problem was the acrylic floor with a different material for the walls.
I've had no warping at all on my building that is 24" x 42". I did put some bracing on the inside of the roof and walls.
I used 1/8" on a bridge. It’s only about 12" long. But it is in the sun at least 1/2 the day. I’ve had no warping at all.
Ralph
Ralph - The wood laminate might have something to do with it, but I don’t think the walls have anything to do with it. We are talking about this floor…
(http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f72/Shortybear/The%20Railroad/Scratchbuilding/June09009-1.jpg)
It slides into a slot routed out in the sidewall frame and is not attached at the rear, so lengthwise expansion would just push the back out a bit.
You’re right, Jon.
With routed slots and an open rear, it should have had plenty room to expand.
Ralph
It may have something to do with the wood. If there was any moisture in it when it was applied and has since dried out, it would pull on the base as it shrank. Since the roof doesn’t have the veneer and the floor does, that would be my thought.
That makes sense Ken. I wasn’t there when Dave had it outside, but I’ll assume the clear roof was on at the same time. The warmth from the sun dried the wood and there ya go !
I’m also thinking the oven route may have helped to make it worse. Try soaking the wood and see what happens, as I’m just guessing here.
Probably right. I can try soaking just for an experiment. If it flattens out wet its just going to warp again when dry.
Jon,
Kens theory is a good one as I never thought about that…however that stuff came out of a very old house in Tioga 10yrs ago or so and was racked in my shop for quite some time judging by the grain and it’s history I suspect it is old grow stuff. Honestly I think that it needs ventilation in the structure. The plexi is warped and it’s done.
I had the same problem with the roof on Eberly Lumber and it sat in slotted screw grooves. Didn’t really realize the warpage on the cigar store to much later. Ship the floor back and I will make you another. Or you could just slide it in and lock it in place but that defeats the purpose of making the bottom floor accessible for changing things inside.
It hasn’t quite been a year yet and the Cigar store has found a home outdoors. I still need to finish the roof and add a back door, but I think this is a good spot for it; in view of the Big Indian. [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post/CigarStore_01-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/Post/CigarStore_01-800.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post/CigarStore_02-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/Post/CigarStore_02-800.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] The site is only accessible by rail so the dock here will double as a freight dock and a passenger drop-off. Since the dock is located on the main, only small deliveries will be handled, no cars will be left. For now, the store faces the rails, but in the future I think I’ll turn it around so I can photograph both the front of the store and the Indian together. [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post/CigarStore_03-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/Post/CigarStore_03-800.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post/CigarStore_04-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/Post/CigarStore_04-800.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color] Tough sun angle in this shot… [url=lsc.cvsry.com/Post/CigarStore_05-1200.jpg]
(http://lsc.cvsry.com/Post/CigarStore_05-800.jpg)
[/url][color=blue]FF: Click to Enlarge - IE: Right Click Photo and select Open Link in New Window to Enlarge[/color]
