BACKDROP

My two previous layouts didn't have a backdrop so I decided that this one will. I want to take pictures of this layout and I didn't want paneling as my backdrop. I was going to go with Masonite for my backdrop until I posted a question on the Atlas N-Scale Forum and was told about Vinyl Flashing. Its comes in a large roll and easy to use. When I was at Home Depot getting my OSB, I went to check out this stuff. To my surprise they didn't carry it, website order only. Off to Lowe's with OSB tied to the roof of my car. Lowe's did carry it and for a 50' roll 20" wide it was $48.00. Ouch! I priced 3 sheets of Masonite and it came to about $38.00. I went with the Vinyl Flashing due to the fact that I won't have seams to fill and its looks much easier to handle than the Masonite.

Got started on the backdrop on 01/31/09. I secured a few feet of the Vinyl Flashing with a couple of C-clamps just to see how it would look. This stuff is so thin! What to secure it with, screws, nails, or adhesive of some sort. Then I remembered seeing some Velcro strips at the $1 store. So off I went. 1 pack comes with 12 sets of very strong adhesive tabs so I got 10 packs. Just might work!

I put the tabs together exposing the adhesive and placed 3 of them on the first 1 x 2. The adhesive on the tabs stuck well to the 1 x 2. With the glossy side towards the studs I unrolled about five feet of the Vinyl Flashing and secured about three feet of it with my C-clamps. Working from top to bottom of the stud I pressed it onto the tabs. Instant securement! It took me a couple of hours to do the whole room. I got curved corners and no seams.

I don't know if securing the Vinyl Flashing like this is going be the long term answer but it was so easy doing it like this. No screws or nails to cover up! A least for now! All I got to do now is paint it. Hopefully the Olympic Flemish Blue I got is the answer to a good looking sky.

I painted the backdrop with the Olympic Flemish Blue on the morning of 02/28/09.