Adjustable trestles

CornCrake
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Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2015 2:03 pm

Adjustable trestles

Postby CornCrake » Thu Dec 05, 2019 2:48 pm

Noticed in Lidl this morning some Powerfix Adjustable trestles for £14.99.
A number of preset height so not infinitely adjustable out of the box.
Has anyone used this, and is how easy to make infinitely adjustable?
Steve

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Noel
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Re: Adjustable trestles

Postby Noel » Thu Dec 05, 2019 3:47 pm

https://www.lidl.co.uk/en/p/diy/powerfix-profi-height-adjustable-trestle/p27854

As the moveable verticals have holes, I assume that they are pinned to maintain height, so probably not easy to alter to infinitely adjustable.
Regards
Noel

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Re6/6
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Re: Adjustable trestles

Postby Re6/6 » Thu Dec 05, 2019 3:57 pm

We have used these, or ones purchased a few years ago from Screwfix at a similar price for use on our Balcombe and Ouse Valley layout and find them ideal, so much so that we'll will never again use wooden home made trestles.

The adjustable height starts at 800mm from floor level and the next at 850mm and then in 100mm increments up to 1300mm. It would be simple to create your own height adjustment by simply drilling the required holes.

They are not 'engineeringly perfect' but are sufficiently robust for our purposes. The one pain with them is that the top support bar can become stiff to pull in and out but this can be cured with adjustment.

We use 25mm² mild steel tubes, obtainable from the local steel stockholders, resting on top and the baseboards on top of those.

All in all, they're ideal for the small home layout to the large exhibition layout.
John

Mark Tatlow
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Re: Adjustable trestles

Postby Mark Tatlow » Thu Dec 05, 2019 4:36 pm

Sorry to disagree but I found they were a bit more flimsy than the Draper ones.

I modified mine to be fully adjustable as the basic builder's trestle only jumps in 100mm increments; see here:

https://highlandmiscellany.com/2014/04/ ... -supports/

And this is what they look like with the boards sitting on the beams (the final picture in this):

https://highlandmiscellany.com/2015/04/ ... back-home/

Am pretty pleased with this solution although they are bulky. Like the Balcombe team, I probably won't change to something different the future.
Mark Tatlow

Enigma
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Re: Adjustable trestles

Postby Enigma » Thu Dec 05, 2019 5:03 pm

These are available very readily on the tinterweb at competitive prices and are used on virtually all the layouts in the Wakefield club, even on a very heavy 'MDF box baseboard' design American O scale layout. If you need more adjustability then jig drill some more holes.

nigelcliffe
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Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:31 am

Re: Adjustable trestles

Postby nigelcliffe » Thu Dec 05, 2019 6:22 pm

I've seen a large layout use similar trestles, but fit an additional beam to the upper beam, and provide that beam with simple screw adjusters up/down. Similar in concept to the adjusting pads Mark shows in his link, but an entire beam over the width.

I might take the car down to Lidl tomorrow at £15/each.


- Nigel

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steamraiser
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Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 4:49 pm

Re: Adjustable trestles

Postby steamraiser » Thu Dec 05, 2019 6:32 pm

I find them pretty useful.
I have seven so far and I may buy an eighth.

Gordon A

Terry Bendall
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Re: Adjustable trestles

Postby Terry Bendall » Sun Dec 08, 2019 9:42 am

These trestles are certainly effective and have the advantage that they can be set at different heights - low for working on the layout and then higher, if needed for display purposes. The disadvantage to me is the amount of space they take up in a vehicle when taking a layout to exhibitions. We continue to use simple three leg wooden trestles with legs made of timber about 45 x 32 mm cross section. When closed up, these take up minimal space which in a car is often needed. If space is really limited it has been known to tie these onto a roof rack which would not be desirable for the metal adjustable trestles. The trestles are held at the correct height by a length of chain over a hook which means that height adjustment is easy and having three legs they don't rock.

Terry Bendall


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