Guide to HO Scale Model Railroad Trains 4 x 8 Foot Benchwork

Building bench-work for the first time for your model railroad is an exciting moment! To create a good first layout for HO scale model trains, a great way to start is with a basic plan for 4 x 8 foot bench-work. You are essentially building a table from a piece of plywood and will construct your exciting new layout on that. Below are some instructions for building a good, solid bench-work for your layout, starting with a materials list and moving into instructions.

The materials you will use include the following:

Ezine Publishing

1 4 x 8 sheet of plywood (a good size for HO scale model trains; use 5/8 inch B-C grade plywood)
3 1x4 x8' (for edge supports)
4 1x4 x8' ripped into 1x2 stock (for 5 joists, plus bracing)
1 1x4 x10' ripped into 1x2 stock (for bracing between legs)
1 2x4 x8' ripped into 2x2 stock (this is for the table legs and is enough for a max height of 48 in)
1 box (100) 1-3/4" dry wall screws (will use 72 of these)
8 1/4x3" carriage bolts (for bolting on the table legs)
8 ¼" washers (for table legs)
8 ¼-20 nuts (for table legs)
1 pint yellow carpenter's glue (not white, use yellow since it is waterproof)

Guide to HO Scale Model Railroad Trains 4 x 8 Foot Benchwork

The tools you will use include the following:

2 saw horses (optional)
1 saw (Almost anything will work - a saber saw or "Skil" saw or table saw or hand cross-cut saw. If buying a first saw, a saber saw will probably be most useful in future model railroad endeavors.)
1 3/8" reversible electric drill
1 bit to fit drywall screws
1 5/16" drill bit (for carriage bolts)
1 1/8" drill bit for pilot holes
1 adjustable crescent wrench or open or closed end wrench to fit nuts
1 carpenter's square

You'll start with the tabletop, a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood. This is a good size for HO scale model trains, because it allows space for a track layout a bit more interesting than a mere oval or circle. You only need one good side on the plywood, and while that does need to be fairly smooth, it doesn't have to be grade-A perfect, since you'll be covering it up with track, accessories, scenery and other details. So go with the B grade for the good side, it's less expensive than A.

This large sheet of plywood is rather floppy on its own, so it needs support to stiffen it before you set up a model railroad on it. The first step is a frame around the outer edge. Build the frame first, and then screw the plywood to it. Take two 8 foot lengths of 1x4 and two 3' 10-1/2" lengths. You will want to screw and glue them together, because nails tend to work themselves loose with the vibrations of the model railroad and the occasional jostling of the table.

Prepare the end of an 8' side piece by drilling two pilot holes where screws will go into the shorter end pieces. Don't make the holes too big. They should be just large enough to pass each screw. Prepare the end of one of the 3' 10-1/2" end pieces by rubbing yellow carpenter's glue into the end grain until it's fairly well-saturated. Then run an additional bead of glue along it. Press onto end of 8' piece and screw together using pilot holes. Repeat at each of the four corners. Allow to dry.

Now, take the sheet of plywood and screw it onto the frame, good side up (B side up, C side should be touching the frame). Do not glue the plywood to the frame, as you may need to remove it from the frame later to build a lake or adjust the levels of your track.

You can drill this together in two ways; you can use a "pilot drill" and No 8 x 1-3/4 in flathead wood screws. Or you can use drywall screws with regular drill and drywall screw bit. With drywall screws, they are self-tapping, meaning you will not need to predrill any holes except if you are at the end of a piece of lumber and trying to avoid splitting.

Now the plywood has been stiffened on the edges and you are ready to add joists to firm up the middle. Turn the apparatus over so it is frame-side up. Take five 1 x2's the same length as the short end pieces (3' 10-1/2") and screw them at intervals to the side pieces of the frame in such a way that they bear up against the plywood. Do not screw them to the plywood tabletop.

Now you are ready for the legs and bracing. You need to decide on the height you want your layout to be, whatever seems appropriate for HO scale model trains. For ease of viewing those lifelike details on the model railroad, it's common to make the display height fairly tall, just below eye level. I've seen recommendations ranging from 42 to 56 inches. (For comparison, most writing desks or dining tables are around 28 to 31 inches.) If your viewing audience includes children, consider a lower height, such as 30 inches. Also consider ease of working on the center part of the scenery and track.

Cut four 2 x 2's to your chosen height. Contrary to what you might think, the legs should not be mounted at the corners of the plywood. You will have a much sturdier table with less flex in the middle if you mount the legs 20% inward on each end. For an 8 foot long table, this means mounting the legs 19" from each end, measured along the long side.

Turn the table upside down (frame side up). Drill one 5/16" hole all the way through the side piece of the frame and into a leg. Leg should be flush with the plywood, and hole should be about ¾ to 1" up from the plywood. Stick a carriage bolt through from the frame side. Using fingers, tighten down a washer and nut onto the inside of the leg where the carriage bolt is sticking out. Now check that the leg is at right angles, using a carpenter's square and carefully drill a second hole to keep it there.

The second hole should be ¾ to 1" from the other edge of the frame (the edge temporarily facing up) and you will add another bolt-washer-nut. Now use a wrench to tighten both nuts down solidly. Repeat the process for the other three legs. You really want to be sure to use the square to measure in both plains that all four legs are perpendicular.

Now you could stop here, but even so the table would be a bit wobbly, and you don't want that when you are setting up your model railroad. For maximum stability, you will need to install additional bracing. At each of the shorter ends, use "X" bracing. Take two 1 x 2's and fasten them as close to the floor as possible on one end and as close to the table as possible at the other (this makes four braces in all).

Then you will want to install double bracing on the long sides. Attach a 1 x 2 as close to the floor as possible and run it to the other end of the table. Attach another 1 x 2 as close to the floor as possible and attach it to a point towards the middle of the table (this makes eight braces in all). This bracing may seem unsightly, but it is worth it. You can hang cloth curtains from the edge of the finished table to hide it, if you like.

Finally, if your floor is not level and even, you can make the legs adjustable. Drill a 5/16" pilot hole into the bottom (the end) of each leg in the center. Hammer in a ¼" T-nut. Now thread on a ¾" bolt. This makes each leg independently adjustable to compensate for the unevenness in the floor.

Congratulations! The fine new bench-work for your model railroad is now complete! Turn the table over and you have a solid and sturdy platform on which to enjoy constructing your new layout for HO scale model trains.

Guide to HO Scale Model Railroad Trains 4 x 8 Foot Benchwork

Joe Kanooga is a father of two kids, a successful business owner and the author of numerous articles about model railroad. Click here to download our free HO scale model trains guidebook filled with helpful tips, ideas and information.

watches cell phone Best Offer Crack Of Dawn Kayak Rudder With Stuhrling Original Apocalypse Skeleton Cheap

Publishing Scams: Six Red Flags That Scream "Rip Off"

It's heartbreaking. You go to a local fair and there at the author's table is a row of smiling hopefuls, eager to sell their books. A few are beautiful books, either self-published or produced by traditional publishers. But so many are poorly written, poorly produced, with amateurish covers and cheap bindings. The author's smiles are wearing thin as they realize that the world isn't flocking to buy their books, and they're just beginning to wonder if there's something wrong with this picture.

Score another for the vanity presses. The poor authors, with no knowledge of the business end of publishing, have been snookered out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars and now have cases of unmarketable books serving as very expensive doorstops.

Ezine Publishing

In these days of POD (publish-on-demand) technology, the vanity presses may promise to ship the books when they are ordered, which at least relieves the author of having to warehouse the books. But the vanities still charge large amounts of money and the author is still left with an empty bank account and shattered dreams.

Publishing Scams: Six Red Flags That Scream "Rip Off"

Or worse. Some scammers take money from hopeful authors and deliver nothing at all.

The good news is that with a little knowledge, it isn't too hard to spot a scam. Here are some obvious red flags to look for:

Red Flag #1: "We'll publish your book for ONLY 5!"

Remember this one rule above all: legitimate publishers pay YOU for the rights to publish your book. You should never have to pay anyone to publish your work unless you choose to self-publish.

To get a book published, you have to write the very best book you can. You must study the market, and use a current market guide to select the most appropriate publisher. You submit your manuscript using a standard manuscript format, which is described in most good books on writing and publishing. While you wait for a reply, you go to work on your next project. If a publisher is interested, an editor will contact you and make an offer. The publisher will pay you an advance against royalties, and once the advance is earned back, you will earn royalties on further sales. You or your agent may also sell other subsidiary rights, such as foreign translation rights or movie rights. Chances are high, however, that your manuscript will be rejected. If that happens you select the next publisher on your list and send the manuscript there, then go back to work on your next project.

If you want to self-publish, the best way to go about it is to create your own small publishing company. You give your company a name, you choose a good printing service, you buy the ISBN number and file for copyright. If you pay for "publishing," but the book bears the imprint of another publisher, that company is a vanity publisher. A good printing service will encourage you to use your own imprint. You have a much better chance of getting a distributor to carry your books if you use your own imprint. Most distributors steer clear of vanity publishers.

If you want only a few copies, such as a memoir meant only for family, look for a good book binding service.

Red Flag #2: "Authors wanted by major publisher!"

No legitimate publisher ever has to advertise for authors. All major publishers have gigantic slush piles stacked high with far more manuscripts than they will ever be able to use, most of which are of poor quality. If you see an ad in the back of a magazine that offers to "publish" your book, or suggests that they "need" authors, chances are high that it is a vanity press.

Red Flag #3: "We know the secret for instant success!"

There is no "instant success" in the publishing world. Most famous authors worked hard for years to become an "overnight success." Sometimes a lucky break will propel a new author to the top of the bestseller list, but remember, their story is just one out of millions. Most authors never get that kind of fame. If the opening page of the site talks about how your book could be a best-seller, be cautious. Real publishers don't make those kinds of promises, because they know the reality of the publishing business.

Red Flag #4: "Traditional publishing is dead/a rip-off/not worth your time."

A publishing company that disparages traditional publishing is almost certainly either a vanity publisher or an outright scam. What they are disparaging are long-established honest businesses that carefully select the manuscripts that are most likely to sell and pay the authors for the rights to publish these works.

Red Flag #5: "We'll list your books on Amazon.com!"

Getting your book listed on Amazon.com is as easy as going online and filling out a form. Anyone can do it. And a listing on Amazon isn't a guaranteed path to success. Even in this day and age of online commerce, something less than 10% of all books sold are sold online. The vast majority of books are sold through bricks-and-mortar bookstores. While you may possibly be able to talk your local bookstores into carrying your self-published book, the only way to get it into bookstores across the nation is by getting a distributor to carry it. That can be expensive (which is one reason that the vanities don't bother with distribution), and distributors won't touch vanity books (which is the other reason). Distributors and bookstores also don't like POD (publish on demand) books, because they can't be returned if they don't sell. Booksellers, unlike most businesses, expect to be able to return or destroy unsold books and get their money back. It sounds crazy to other businesses, but that's how it is. If the publisher can't offer distribution services to get your book into bookstores, it's not a publisher that will serve you well.

Red Flag #6: Bad review on Preditors and Editors and Writer Beware

Yes, it's really spelled that way, for alliterative purposes. Preditors and Editors is a website chock full of scam warnings and wise advice to writers. Writer Beware, on the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America website, has a list of current scam alerts. Both are useful when researching a potential publisher. If any publisher disparages either of these sites, beware!

If you can spot these red flags, you can avoid most publishing scams. The best way to protect yourself, though, is to educate yourself about the publishing industry. Read as many books on writing and publishing as you can get your hands on. Find out how the industry works, and find out how to market your work in the genre you are writing for. Stay abreast of industry trends by reading Publisher's Weekly or visiting their website. With a little education, you can help put the scammers out of business.

Publishing Scams: Six Red Flags That Scream "Rip Off"

Karen E. Bledsoe is a children's book author, and has written many books for the school and library market. For more information on writing for children, see her website at http://www.gkbledsoe.com

mobile phone watches Buy Edgesounds Native Russian Volume 1 Ni Kontakt Buy Best Quoizel Ok8604Ho Oakland 7 1 2

Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms

Your body requires very little vitamin b12 or cobalamin and most of us get sufficient quantities of it in our normal meals to satisfy our daily requirements. Although it's rare to see vitamin b12 deficiency symptoms it can still be useful to be able to recognise them just in case.

You're most vulnerable to vitamin b12 deficiency if you've vegan and don't use the available dietary supplements containing vitamin b12. Infants breast-feeding from vegan mothers can also be at risk. Vitamin b12 supplements are generally regarded as safe because there are few known adverse effects of overdose.

Ezine Publishing

The main symptom that arises from vitamin b12 deficiency is a type of anemia that causes you to feel tired, weak and lethargic. You might also feel nauseous, constipated and become very flatulent (gas). You may also lose your appetite and suffer weight loss.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms

More severe cases can give vitamin b12 deficiency symptoms, which include:

Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet Insomnia Loss of memory Dizziness Lack of balance Depression Digestive problems Dizziness Liver enlargement Eye problems Headaches Hallucinations Inflamed tongue Breathing difficulties Loss of memory Palpitations Neurological damage Tinitus or ringing in the ears

Vitamin b12 is commonly found in animal products like eggs, dairy, fish, meat and animal organs. B12 is rarely found in vegetables, which is why vegetarians and especially vegans who don't eat dairy products or meat, are especially at risk. If you fall into this category then you should consider using vitamin supplements containing b12.

It's also important to realise that the operation of vitamin b12 is dependent on sufficient quantities of other vitamins being present in your body so you should take care to get a balanced diet to avoid vitamin b12 deficiency symptoms.

Summary:
Your body requires very little vitamin b12 or cobalamin and most of us get sufficient quantities of it in our normal meals to satisfy our daily requirements. Although it's rare to see vitamin b12 deficiency symptoms it can still be useful to be able to recognise them just in case.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms

Free up to date information on vitamin deficiencies and symptoms: Vitamin deficiency at http://vitamins-and-health.magicblur.com

watch mobile phone Buy Mauviel Cuprinox Style 11 2 Inch Round

Tips On How To Use Affiliate Marketing To Fund Your Primary Business

There is certainly a great deal of opportunity available on the Internet to anyone who is looking to branch out and set up their own business. The difficulty with this, however, is actually finding the time to do so, especially if you have a day job that you need to commit to in order to cover your financial obligations. One way of getting around this, however, would be to use affiliate marketing to fund your primary business.

The great thing about affiliate marketing is that you can take it up gradually and slowly build up significant incomes trains that will enable you to quit your day job and focus most of your attention on building up your main business. Even if you wanted to commit solely to affiliate marketing itself, you could still make a great deal of money as a result.

Affiliate marketing, as a form of moneymaking, is relatively simple in its most basic form. All you really need to do is promote various services and products to potential customers. When any sale is made as a result of your actions you will get paid a commission from the merchant who is actually selling the product.

Due to the fact that there are so many niches available on the Internet and so many products and services within them there is quite literally an unlimited amount of potential wealth available for anyone to tap into. It is likely to take a number of weeks or perhaps months to fully get started, but once everything is set up then a lot of the money that you make will be on a hands-free basis.

By creating a hands-free income you may well be able to replace, at least in part, your current working income. This means that you will be able to commit a large part of your time and energy to building up your main business. Whether you want to build up a business on the Internet, or off-line, this form of moneymaking will be there to provide you with the funds and the time that you need to do so.

This is certainly something that has been done regularly in the past and it is certainly something that will continue to be done into the future. And, of course, through this process you might actually begin to really enjoy your affiliate marketing business itself. There is no reason why you cannot turn this is self into a full-time business, making many thousands or even tens of thousands month.

Whichever path you are looking to take, the Internet is always going to provide the potential opportunity that you need to make a success of yourself and build a profitable business.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6940547