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Has anyone used OSB for baseboard building in an outdoor setting ? 

I'm considering it as I can get it for £9.50 per 2.4mx1.2m sheet.

Obviously painting it and covering it with felt, and it will be mounted on posts, not at ground level.

I'd use marine ply but on a restricted budget its difficult to justify.

 

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I can't see it lasting to be honest. Why not use decking boards as others have done. If you need a wider area for a station, use the dearer ply. I understand the budget thing, especially by the time you buy the track and everything else. Buy cheap, buy twice is the saying. You really don't need to do it all in the first year either.

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Whatever type of timber you choose you've got to be prepared for it not lasting - the point being how long it will last.

I would never have considered OSB for outdoor layout construction but when you read further it all depends on the quality. It's the same with plywood, there's some quality plywood out there and a lot of very inferior grades. OSB is widely used in garden building construction for roofs and flooring so I would think that if you can keep it well protected then you might get a few years use out of it.

I've used plywood on my raised sections and so far it's been okay. It wasn't a high grade plywood, certainly not marine ply, just the basic DIY store grade. It's edged with treated battens all round and at intervals across its width before being sealed and covered with roofing felt. I'm sure you could do something similar with OSB but as to which would last longest I really couldn't say.

I've used decking boards before but over time they do buckle and warp and even if only slightly then it's a massive hump in an OO gauge layout. I don't think I'd go down that route again. If you aren't able to utilise something like bricks or aerated/concrete blocks then a flat manufactured board will give you the flattest smoothest surface and if you batten them well they should retain their shape better than decking boards.

As with anything to do with garden railway construction you just have to try it but be prepared for the possibility that in a couple of years or so you may have to redo it! 

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It was ok. The posts were great - they will never rot!

The boards did suffer with a bit of expansion during periods of hot weather. It was a bit odd, in that I only got problems with track breaking in certain places - maybe the corner that got the hottest of the sun - other than that it was fine.

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