This method uses the corrugated plastic found in yard signs and some produce boxes. You can also purchase it from many big box hardware stores or even Amazon. All images are also available at https://imgur.com/a/h2ruivZ
In my case, I had two leftover yard signs, a blue political sign that was approximately 18in x 12in , and "Congratulations" style yard sign that was the more 'normal' size of 24in x 18in. The blue one happen to also have denser corrugation.
The tools list
The tools you will need are pretty basic, you should be able to get them from any store that sells craft materials or even basic hardware materials.
- razor blade to cut the sheets
- metric ruler or measuring tape
- straight edge to help with cutting (A metal meter stick will work great for both this and for measuring)
- Hot glue gun
Hardware Needs
You will also need four 1/4" x 20 carriage bolts , and four 1/4" x 20 wood insert lock nuts for the leveling feet.
++Note about the photos
We were looking for 2 modules that would hold "re-railers" to be added to the ends of our already long yard modules. To minimize the overall length, we opted to make two odd-lengths modules. One would be to hold 124mm of track (the length of a Kato re-railer track) and one 186mm of track (re-railer, plus a 62 straight piece). Together these two would equal a single. To keep things simple, I will actually describe the making of a standard t-trak-n-single, but note that the picture you will see are of these smaller modules.
Cut list/Parts list
You will need a total of 5 sides: top, front, back, left and right. You will also need 4 more 'scrap' pieces to serve as mounts for the feet.
Note that you will need to know the thickness of your material, because you will subtract that from some of your dimensions.
- Deck - 1 piece - 308mm wide by 365mm deep (NOTE: to give yourself a little extra wiggle room, you can make this 306mm wide. )
- Front & Back Fascia - 2 pieces - 308mm by ( 69mm MINUS the thickness of deck)
- Cut the to full width, but then you have to subtract the thickness of the deck so the height of the box does not exceed the 2.75 inches/69mm.
- Left & Right Fascia - 2 pieces - ( 69mm MINUS the thickness of deck) by (365mm MINUS thickness of Front AND back fascia)
- The side edges need to fit inside the front and rear edges, so you need to remember to subtract those two thicknesses as well as it has to be same height the other two fascias.
- Feet Mounts - 4 pieces - cut approximately 2in square pieces from the scraps to mount the feet.
Below is a possible cut diagram for a 24"x18" sheet. Note that the dimensions for the 4 sides are listed at the "full size" before cutting down for the thicknesses. Link to original image
Construction
Now that you have all your parts cut out, you are ready to put them all together. Place the deck on the table face down, and glue the front and back facia pieces on top of the deck. When glueing, make sure you keep your edges square. Next you will glue the left and right facia pieces into place between the front and back facia pieces.
The picture above is looking down on the completed module, the same way you will be looking at it as you are gluing it together. Note that arrow is pointing to the 'front' of the module. In the upper left corner, you will see how the front facia extends beyond the side fascia, and the same is true at the back. This is why we needed to subtract the thickness of the material. You can see here how the side fascia is sitting inside the front and back fascia.
Now you will need to cut holes in the four 'scrap' pieces for feet mounts. If you have a drill, great you can use it- but if you don't, just use the razor. Cut it to a little smaller than the nut. You will note that I cut the hole a little too big in the picture above for the lower left corner. I probably should have tested on a piece of scrap first :-D Screw in the four lock nuts into the holes and make sure they are secure.
Glue the feet mounts to the bottom edge of the module as seen above, and then screw the 4 carriage bolts into the nuts once the glue is set.
At this point, they are ready for painting. I used a Matte Rustoleum spray paint that was safe for plastics.
Now you are ready to mount your track, and start adding scenery!!!