A really big neon sign in 1/87

[Ken Hamilton]

What an absolutely gorgeous piece of work.
You ARE bringing this to CSS, right?

[JohnP]

And out of the sky drops...Super Modeler!

First the stack o' styrene inspires awe, then the sweet letters cause gasps, then the painted and installed assembly photos create confusion (that is the real thing isn't it??), now the graffiti goes on and it looks like you have had practice tagging autoracks in your younger days.

It is very nice to see a unique but believable model come along. Thanks for sharing.

John

[Ray Dunakin]

Great work! The graffiti is spot-on.

[finescalerr]

Utterly disgusting. And most satisfactory. -- Russ

[BKLN]

Thanks for the kind words everybody!

Seriously, I am very excited to get such great feedback from such talented people. So often I find myself browsing thru these threads, blown away by the dedication and great execution of your models, but it leaves me speechless. People like Chuck, Ken and Marc are really a big inspiration and motivation. The discussions here are far more refreshing and informative than in many other places.

I took a lot of pictures of the sign in preparation of this project, but lately I have been discovering so many things that I missed. I live close by and just this morning I discovered that the eastern side wall has a lot more detail than I thought. So tonight it's back to to the workbench to fix at least a few minor things. Yet, I still see so many flaws, angles that are crooked, paint that's too thick. 

Russ, "disgusting" is a wonderful compliment for somebody who loves industrial decay. I guess this the "Rustlovers Therapy Group" anyway.

Ken, I am not sure if this thing is save for travel. But I'll see if I can work this out somehow.

[marc_reusser]

I have been watchingthis all come together, trying to think of what to say that everyone else hasn't already....to no avail...this is just an amazing piece of work....you must have the patience of a saint, and one heck of a steady hand.
Just beautiful.  Thanks for jumping in here and sharing this project. Look forward to more on this and any other builds.

Marc

[BKLN]

I just realized that I never posted any pictures of the finished sign. I promise to do that as soon as possible. In the mean time I have a very serious request.

This sign, that has been looming over the Gowanus neighborhood (my neighborhood) is in immediate danger of being torn down under the cover of the night. Luckily, concerned neighbors have caught wind of the hush-hush operation and alerted local preservationists. I don't want to get into any political discussion here, but I believe in "responsible gentrification", but that's a different story.

I ask you to help to preserve this important landmark of Brooklyn's industrial heritage by signing the petition in this link:

http://bradlander.nationbuilder.com/kentile

Thank you very much
Christian

[BKLN]

Here is a crappy little snapshot just to catch every ones attention.
(the image quality will probably get my fired here, but I included a can of quality Mexican beer to make up for it)

[finescalerr]

Nice beer can. The model is okay, too. -- Russ

[Chuck Doan]

Great model of a great sign. Hope they save it, but it looked like the scaffolding was already up.

[Mr Potato Head]

that is fantastic!
what did you use for the light tubes, will it light up some how?
love to see that thing in person!
MPH

[BKLN]

@ Chuck,
yes, they put the scaffolding up, but it seems that the public outcry has at least halted them for now.

@ Mr.Potatohead
The whole thing is pretty much all made from Evergreen and Plastruct profiles. The bases of the letters were lasercut. The neontubes are just very thin styrene rods.

Here is the REAL sign in it's full beauty, 8 stories towering over the Gowanus - a small but vital industrial area in South Brooklyn.

[BKLN]

And here are my humble attempts of cultural preservation en miniature.

[BKLN]

And here is my buddy Mark taking the shots above.

Again, please help by signing the online petition to save the sign:
http://bradlander.nationbuilder.com/kentile

[Chuck Doan]

Those are wonderful pictures of an amazing model! Just outstandingly good. A perfect capture of the real thing.

Petition signed, hope it helps!