Laser cut baseboard designs - angled joints

[dpgibbons]

Slanted baseboard cross members (ie at angles other than 90 degrees to the sides) seem to be the best way to get torsional rigidity. But these would require angled joints, so I'm wondering how I might design them into a laser-cut baseboard so as to provide a secure fixing at each end.

 

Any thoughts please? 

Edited March 7, 2021 by dpgibbons

[Giles]

Have gusset plates top and bottom on the flat,  slot and tab - so you transition to the flat plane at each end for the connection. This will also beef up the corner joints and set the corner angle nicely if you design it right.

[Fen End Pit]

I've done two things..

Either cut the diagonals a few mm over length and then sand the end to ~45 degrees, works but is a bit too time consuming for my lazy nature.

alternative, the easier method is to buy some 45 degree timber trim about 10mm x 10mm. As most of the angles are around 45 degrees a short length of this can be used to butt up against the diagonal brace.

David

[dpgibbons]

What are the dimensions and material thickness of your board please? That much bracing would give me issues locating point motors etc - did you find that you needed it, or was it a belt and braces approach? 

[Fen End Pit]

That baseboard is roughly 2 x 4 feet. It is only 50mm deep, made of 6mm laser ply from slecuk. I find you don't need to have the braces in every quadrant, missing one out to work around point motors wouldn't be a problem. I found that without the diagonals the board would flex by about 10mm if you lifted up one corner, once the diagonals were added the flex is virtually nothing.

David

[dpgibbons]

My V1 baseboard also used 6mm board and 50mm sides without diagonal bracing and like yours flexed very readily.  

 

So I tried 80mm sides/cross members with bracing provided by a 3mm baseboard bottom with large cut-outs (pic). The orange pieces pair up to provide double thickness for the ends. This design has cured the flex but adds weight and lasering expense, hence my thinking about other bracing options.