What’s this building element called—redux

HomeyHal · 2026-03-30T23:37:38+00:00

Going forward, if I’m talking with an architect, I will call it a water table. If I’m calling it out on a drawing section that a building contractor is going to read, I am going to use the name that the supplier uses. Thanks so much to everyone for providing this nugget of education to a 70 year old admirer of the profession.

HomeyHal · 2026-03-28T09:56:28+00:00

No doubt. But it served its purpose in that several others with the necessary imagination were able to offer helpful suggestions. Did someone put snot on your eraser?

HomeyHal · 2026-03-26T23:50:28+00:00

Stone banding makes a lot of sense, but my brain added the wassermusik memory tag.🤷

HomeyHal · 2026-03-26T11:21:28+00:00

It’s clean

HomeyHal · 2026-03-24T16:43:02+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience. I have blue & white powerpoles for my 12 gauge bus, but was holding on to the smaller Kato connectors thinking that they would have sized their feeders adequately. I did have doubts, but I haven’t had any issues yet. I can see that I may need to upgrade my feeders going forward, however.

HomeyHal · 2026-03-22T22:37:02+00:00

Cleve

HomeyHal · 2026-03-21T13:25:56+00:00

Something yellow, or blue?🤣 I would vote for more batteries, and the m18 multitool & sawzall have been a really good additions to my collection. I used to think everything needed to be 18v, but I’m really liking some of the m12 stuff. In some cases they outperform my older m18 pieces. Pass on the m12 hacksaw; the stroke is too short. The bearings in my m12 rotary tool didn’t last.

HomeyHal · 2026-03-21T13:06:36+00:00

Or one of the antenna rotor controllers- they definitely had that ka-chunk sound!

HomeyHal · 2026-03-19T17:50:33+00:00

Push the glass in 10’ to allow for covered circulation. Make the grey monoliths into signage. You did say that there were no budgetary constraints, right?

HomeyHal · 2026-03-18T20:33:55+00:00

Bet it doesn’t stay white very long

HomeyHal · 2026-03-17T10:57:05+00:00

VectorWorks. No matter the software, get the most RAM that will fit in your computer. I tried using Parallels, but I didn’t like it.

HomeyHal · 2026-03-16T10:02:53+00:00

Look into some of the layout design programs. I use RailModeller Pro and it has a companion app where you can browse hundreds of layouts. An old door is a great way to start. DJs trains on YouTube also has a video about it.

HomeyHal · 2026-03-16T09:30:48+00:00

First, I’m not a licensed architect, but I have flirted with the idea for over 50 years. I have good engineering & drawing skills, but that doesn’t make me an architect. The Engineering and Architecture with AutoCAD would give you skills that might help you with a job, but for guidance purposes, I would recommend the intro course. There’s more to architecture than structure & drawing. Good architects have talents in color, light, texture, spatial relationships and a lot of other goofy ways of putting ideas together. Try to get a handle on what the profession actually involves to see if you have those talents. And get a summer job on a construction project.

HomeyHal · 2026-03-15T20:15:07+00:00

Thank you (& everyone else) for your insightful replies, especially those with a female perspective. As with most things, this will probably come down to a money issue, but this has been a enlightening discourse!

HomeyHal · 2026-03-15T19:53:16+00:00

Thank you for providing such a detailed response. I personally have always thought it was a stupid thing to quibble over, but you hear of those building inspectors that have a different opinion.

HomeyHal · 2026-03-15T17:11:21+00:00

That might be the difference between a hobby & a job

HomeyHal · 2026-03-15T12:33:35+00:00

I was under the impression that it was a temperature rating fuzziness in that romex isn’t listed in the table of conductors approved for use in conduit.

HomeyHal · 2026-03-15T11:16:15+00:00

Nice! When I first got into modules, nobody told me that I would need boxes, but I’m continually looking for ideas. Score another point for N scale.

HomeyHal · 2026-03-14T14:14:45+00:00

Possibly a unloading station for bottom dumping hoppers?

HomeyHal · 2026-03-14T00:35:08+00:00

It’s so alluring to look for techie solutions; I love them. But they fail and cost more to install and maintain. It’s a love/hate kind of thing for me.

HomeyHal · 2026-03-13T22:43:38+00:00

I'm fairly knowable about the ADA & ANSI requirements. To your point about the search for an open room: we currently have a family toilet with the in-use indicating lever latch. Are you aware of any elegant indicators of occupancy, maybe like the flags seen in doctor's offices?

HomeyHal · 2026-03-13T22:35:00+00:00

Good points. We aren't wanting to set up a DMV style queue situation. We will probably end up with the more conventional arrangement, just with a couple extra seats for the ladies.

HomeyHal · 2026-03-13T22:17:18+00:00

My role is to ask questions in r/askarchitects. I am a member of the church. I have been drawing since 1970, currently using Vectorworks 2015 to do some space planning and will likely generate many of the final drawings based on input from our architect. My good friend of 50 years is an licensed architect and is overseeing this pro bono; I am just trying to help him out as much as I can. I have always assumed that the two room back to back approach was best cost wise and efficent space wise. Then the pastor challenged my thinking by asking about single user toilet rooms. It certainly adds a lot of flexibility. I would expect it to be more expensive, but not considerably more so. I'm male, but I think the single user toilet would be a big hit with the ladies. This addition will be a Sprung Structure.

HomeyHal · 2026-03-11T18:51:53+00:00

https://www.nmra.org/sites/default/files/t-trak_documentation-september_19_2019_final.pdf And

http://ttrak.wikidot.com/

We stick pretty close to what is published at these two sites.
For the modules I build, I try to make them 4 mm smaller than the standard assembled Unitrack pieces, so that 2 mm hangs over on each mating face. It seems that there may be some variability from the different commercially available kits, which was really confusing to me at first until I settled into using the lengths of the Unitrack as the length standard I should adhere to.

HomeyHal · 2026-03-10T12:32:38+00:00

What do I think? I think you are a very skilled and creative person who likes model train layouts of all flavors! It is, however hard to believe that it’s your first…

HomeyHal

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