As the layout was built, we added support legs where we needed them, generally in areas where the span of the structure was too long to effectively cantilever from the center line structure or the wall.
Most of these spots got "temporary" legs made from the same 3" wide ripped strips of 3/4" plywood that was not straight enough to use elsewhere.
As an aside, we realized a few years in that our ripping technique was causing non square cuts near the end of the rip cuts, causing all sort of issues. Once we had a tablesaw to use, our accuracy was improved immensely.
Now, a 3" wide support will impede the view and can potentially made access a bit tricky, depending on some other factors as well.
Readers familiar with Version 1 will remember that one of the helixes was suspended above another helix via a system of 3/8" threaded rod (aka all thread) and metal straping. When Version 1 was torn down, all that metal was saved for potential use on the next layout.
I am now getting to where I can remove the temp support and install some permanent ones, so I broke out the hacksaw and cut the 3' long pieces in half to 18".
Having nipped myself on the threads, I decided that I needed to figure out a way to protect people from the threads if I was going to use it again.
I came up with an idea to use styrene tubes (1/2") to protect the threads, which is working great.
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