Westlake Publishing Forums

Greetings --

New guy on the forum here.  Recently started work on a 1/35 auto repair shop that will eventually be part of a small narrow gauge layout.  First photo is a preliminary sketch of the shop -- it's an adaptation of Mike Chambers' Faulks Oil Co. and being built as part of the "Chambers Challenge" on the Railroad Line forum in memory of Mike's contributions there.

This is my first "serious" project in a larger scale ... and it will take a ton of "bits, pieces & clutter" to fill up the place.  So, after discussing that briefly with Marc on the Gn15 forum, decided to sign up here.  Plenty of inspiration already taken from the work of modelers on this forum, and I'll welcome any comments and criticism as I get into the various detail projects and post pictures.

Meanwhile, the second photo shows preliminary work on the building foundation.  I've flipped the garage doors to the other side of the building to make it fit the future layout better.  Currently doing fill-in work on the stone foundation ... and did some tests last night to plan out the coloring techniques for the stones ... when done, walls will be similar in tone to the floor.

No "big deal" or replies really needed here ... just making a place to put the photos as the projects get underway ... and seeing if I can pass the test on posting photos!   :-\

Cheers,
Dallas

Aha...so now it begins! Great to see you posting your project here.

So is this where it stands now...or are you farther along already?...reason I ask is to make sure any comments recommendations are still possible, and thus worth mentioning

Marc

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These photos are up-to-date.  I did a little fill-in work around the wood framing on the doors, the sill plates for the walls and some general fill-in of shallow areas (on the front edge shown -- haven't gotten that far on the other walls).

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Completely open here to ALL comments/suggestions ... criticism or critical review welcome and appreciated ... no "thin skin" issues here.  (On the flip side of that, if I get a perfectly good suggestion and seem to ignore it on this project, it just means I'm saving the idea for next time!)

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Nearing completion of my first 1/35 figure ... "Curt Mudgeon" the chief mechanic.  When I originally painted the face, I got a bit of iris color from his left eye onto the eyelid.  Went back and fixed that tonight.  Not perfect ... but right at the very edge of my ability to control a paint brush here.  Archer makes some eyeball decals, but they seem to indicate that their smallest is .050" diameter (and then go on to say "anything smaller than that shows no detail) ... irises on this figure are about .015" diameter ... pupils too small to easily measure.

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Better idea of actual size ... yes, it's a gigantic head on a gigantic penny ... no magic!  ;D

Hi Dallas,
Interesting name... ;)
The figure is well executed.  Please make sure you include the other shots of the body as well, the finish is very "satisfactory" as commonly refered to around here.

What is it with the size of the currency in the USA...no wonder credit cards are so popular these days. 

Dan

Welcome aboard!

That sculpted head is fantastic! I dabble in figure sculpting myself, at 1/24th scale which is tough enough. Smaller scale such as 1/35 requires better eyes and a steadier hand than mine!

Hi Ray --

I agree ... the figure is very nicely sculpted, but I can't take any credit there.  Have several figures from the "civilian" range made by MK35 in France (www.mk35.com) and they're all well sculpted and well cast in resin.  They also produce a series of 1/48 figures, but I haven't seen any of those in person yet.  Made a little more progress on a welding cart for the shop today ... pix of that with the assembled figure when I get a chance.

Alright! Nice to see you over here Dallas! I like your figure painting.

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Alright, Mr. Mudgeon is "finished for now" ... the close-up photos show me some areas that will need attention and some things that I might change later ... but I'll wait until the structure / diorama is further along so I can see what he looks like in the scene before making changes.

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"Progress" shot on re-working the welding cart ... lowered the wheels, replaced the molded axles, added a support doo-hickey underneath and a strap across the front, replaced the molded handle.  Still need to paint, weather and touch-up the new bits and add chain and hoses. 

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Those close-up shots are a mixed blessing ... shows me all sorts of things that'll drive me nuts, and a few things that I can actually fix.  (And really makes me appreciate the stuff that Chuck, Marc and others are doing that actually looks "real" when shown larger than life).

This shot is roughly actual size on my 19" monitor ... I can live with that view!  ::) 8) ;D

The figure is quite nice Dallas, good flat finish on the clothing. I also like the finish on the tank cart. Look forward to seeing more.

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Well, I'm still no Marcel Ackle ... but a little better at miniature masonry than I was a month ago.  Finished the stone foundation for the structure and started experimenting with staining/coloring as shown here.  The little building is an O scale shed plunked on top temporarily ... the 1/35 structure will get bigger siding boards, which will overlap the wooden sill on the foundation ... which needs a bit more coloring work ... and so it goes ...

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One of those cruel, much-larger-than-life shots ... just to torture myself!  8)

The stone wall looks great! Are those real stones, or carved, or what? I like the rough texture of the mortar.

Ray --

Thanks!  I'm not quite sure "what" they really are ... the stones are Woodland Scenics "talus" ... it's rocky, but you can break the stones easily with a knife and they have sort of an open-cell texture inside.  They're not foam ... not solid "rock" ... curious if someone actually knows what they are.  Coloring shown here on the stones was done with Vallejo inks, thinned with water ... will do some additional layering of colors/weathering effects as the building construction gets underway ...

Started building up the wall stone-by-stone with larger pieces ... whole lot of trial-and-error (heavy on the error) ... ended up building the walls with larger stones, then facing them with smaller stones.  The mortar is Liquitex "Ceramic Stucco" with a touch of gray acrylic paint added.  It's an acrylic medium found at art/craft stores, has plenty of working time, dries with a rough texture, but still can be carved or cut with a knife.

Again, whole big trial-and-error thing on my part (cuz all I know is that Marcel had to start somewhere!) ... full recap of the misadventures in stone masonry here:
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=29357&whichpage=7

Includes shots of a homemade pastry bag and modified syringe that proved useful in applying the mortar with some degree of control.

Cheers,
Dallas

Cool. The wall turned out remarkably lifelike.

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Mr. Mudgeon says:  Enjoy the holiday weekend, but don't drink any dang blasted kerosene!

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Okay ... starting to experiment with coloring some siding.  Started trying some of the "resist" methods with so-so results ... Chuck describes using mineral spirits and several layers of paint ... Mark describes using turpentine and a single thicker layer of paint ... obviously, I'd need some more practice to "get it right" on these ...

BUT ... was quickly reminded that trying to work with turpentine, mineral spirits, etc instantly gives me a nasty headache ... and I'm gonna need to treat a couple hundred boards here.  >:(

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Made some slight improvement to the first group of boards using some Vallejo inks ...

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Now, I'm trying to find a way to get the desired effects without using the nasty stuff.  Boards were stained with artists inks and rubbing alcohol (which doesn't bother me) ... then used acrylic crackle medium as an ersatz "resist" topped with Vallejo paints and inks ...

The six nearest boards have more paint remaining and are closer to what I'd like to use ... seems like this is headed in the right direction, but would welcome any criticism, ideas, suggestions, etc. on where to go from here ...

The image has a color cast, maybe a little too much cyan, making it hard to discern how the wood really looks. Overall it seems pretty good but none of us knows what you have in mind. -- Russ

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Oops!  Here's an attempt at getting better white balance ...

Desired effect is neglected paint/whitewash, eastern US ... nearest boards seem to be approaching what I want ... would like to build up more "paint" remaining on boards, so I'll continue experimenting, but again welcome any ideas ...

Thanks!
Dallas

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Still experimenting with paint techniques ... looking to find an approach that represents peeling/chipping lead paint without mineral spirits or turpentine (to avoid headaches from those chemicals) ...

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These were done with multiple layers of acrylic crackle medium and acrylic paints.

Yea or Nay on the texture/look of peeling lead paint?  ::)

It looks a little too speckled to represent the effect you probably want. Paint tends to peel in strips.

Try this while you are experimenting: Gordon Birrell posted here (and I also published) a technique of using pastel pencils over stained and distressed wood. His results were quite good. Years ago I "invented" a similar process using pastel chalks over stained wood. I preferred the finish to paint because it was, well, chalky. It seemed to emulate age better than paint.

Russ

The no paint technique is on page 3 of this thread.

http://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?topic=128.0

Gordon Birrell

http://www.flickr.com/photos/77318580@N00/

Well, Shazam!  Thanks Gordon ... that's incredibly simple and effective.  Just tried it with some soft pastels and a scratch pen and it looks great ... will have to get some hard pastels and experiment some more.  Ya know, I'd seen the outhouses ... they look fantastic ... but the technique didn't sink in.  Much appreciated.

Russ, thanks also ... was able to go back and do some scratching and streaked stains on those boards to break up the speckled effect a bit ...

Back to playing with the pastels and such ... thanks again for the quick feedback!

Cheers,
Dallas

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Well, just for kicks, I put together a photo-etch shelving unit that was included in a package of Verlinden details ... think this is the first photo-etch thing I've built since being traumatized by a Joe Works kit as a child!

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Holding a 1/35 scale screwdriver steady enough to take aim at these tiny screws was one thing ...

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But doing that while holding these teeny-tiny square nuts against the back of the screws was just too much ... so I had to leave some of those off ...

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Oh crap!  When did y'all install one of those in here?  Alright, alright ... the Verlinden kit didn't come with any hardware, so I stuck some Tichy rivets in the holes, sliced some screw-slots in a few of those that MIGHT show ... and the stupid dang square nuts  were a photo prop made from styrene ... hard enough transferring them on to the dime ... no way I'd try putting them inside the shelving unit where they'd never ever show.  Dang stupid BS Meter!  >:(

Wow, if it weren't for the dime I would have guessed that was a photo of prototype shelving! Great kit!

You had me going for a second there with those nuts and bolts!

That shelving unit is GREAT!
The color is spot on also, really great.
I was gonna mention Gordon's pastel trick but I see I am too late.
Great job on the B.S. meter.
-Marty

Neat! Glad you got over the PE phobia!

That looks really sweet! Nice assembly and finish

Ido You happen to have the part number for that unit?...I have been looking for something like that for a while now.

MR

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Here's another piece under way ... circuit breaker box and cut-off switch from another Verlinden set.  Thought about gutting the breaker box and retro-fitting it as a fuse box (or scratchbuilding one) ... but made a "time management" decision based on the zillion-item "to do" list on this project and decided just to dress this up a little.  Still have a couple small bits to add ...

Marc -- The metal shelves are on an etched sheet that also includes a piece of pegboard and some teeny little two-prong hooks for that.  It's available separate as Verlinden #2545 Metal Shelves ... but it's also included in the #2574 Military Workshop Stuff set, which includes a mess of containers to put on the shelves, some wheels, tires, a V-8 engine, etc.  While browsing the Verlinden stuff, you might also want to look at the #1360 Tiger Engine Disassembled set ... haven't ordered that yet, but looks like it will provide a bunch of useful pieces for this build.  I've been getting the Verlinden stuff from ScaleHobbyist.com -- good prices and reasonable shipping.

PS -- Assembling a miniature metal shelf is just like assembling the 1:1 version ... metal shelves flopping all over while you try to get it together ... photo below.  ;D

But , Marc , as you think all Verlinden products are crap you , of course, won't be buying it . Ha ha .

Nick

Crikey Ogden....you have the memory of an elephant! ;D

MR

The Verlinden stuff is a bit hit-and-miss ... I'm finding lots of useful bits, with some crappy bits in between ...

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I'm using several pieces from their electrical fittings set, but their outlets are crude and grossly oversized (more than 10 scale inches tall for a double outlet!) ... the Verlinden piece is shown in tan resin ... I've started making my own in styrene.  Mine are crude in the extreme enlargement, but much closer to correct size and US style.

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This is about 3x actual size on a 19" monitor, so with a decent paint job they should be suitable background details ... made two plates so far, have to make a few more ... including a couple double boxes with outlets and light switches ... the insanity continues!   ;D

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Finished the rest of the plates ... time to put boxes behind them, let the glue dry and then paint ...

Those outlets and wall switches look great -- and in 1/35th! I just made a wall switch yesterday for my drugstore in 1/24th, that was hard enough.

I agree, those are neat!

Thanks guys!  BTW, it would have been easier to do old-fashioned porcelain type sockets with just two slots for each outlet ... but my feeling was that "curiosity" things like that invite closer study, and I just want these to become background objects.  Seems that the modern style of outlet like I've modeled was patented in 1928.  Suspect most of them were done in brown or black Bakelite, but I'll probably paint a lighter color so they don't disappear.  Have a neat vintage radio in the works that'll make a more interesting foreground object ... and maybe I'll put up a cliche Vargas poster just to irk Marc.  ;)

Those are really neat...and cutting those slots??!!!....your definitely a bit nutters! ;) ;D ;D

...Oooooh old posters...please remeber to not thin the paper down, and then do a curling or torn edge, so we can see that 1/35 scale paper is a 1/2" or more thick.  ;) ;D ;D ;D


M.

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Yeah, I know Mr. Mudgeon's out of focus .... but the photographer is still cross-eyed after wiring all those perfectly-modeled sub-miniature electrical connections INSIDE the outlet boxes ... where they'll never be seen!  8)

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Guess I should include a shot that actually shows the outlet boxes ... the over-under boxes at right will straddle a workbench that hasn't been built yet ... ::)

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Marc -- Many moons ago, I narrowed and ground down this little jewelers screwdriver to emboss the vertical spaces in between individual N scale bricks for some kits I used to make ... the size of the outlets was determined by the smallest circle punch I had (for the flattened-circle socket part) ... and the ole brick embosser happened to be just right for cutting the slots ... pix of some old N scale kits with insane numbers of tiny little hand-embossed bricks in the masters below ... (and the bricks were pretty darn close to scale) ... but heck with that tiny stuff ... now I'm off to make a slab of Vargas poster (just one!)  ;D

Careful everyone...Marc's popped two of his sarcasm pills this morning instead of the usual one ;)

Dallas, there should certainly plenty to find in the garage when its finished.  Nice efforts with the electrical bits.  It really is a shame the effort we go to in our models, to then cover most of it up with walls, and only the builder know truely minds what is actually inside.  Screw driver into the electrical socket...thats a bit daring, did they have safety switches back then?

Smokin Dallas.....

Cheers,
Dan

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PS -- I borrowed from Marc's insane approach to individual nailheads (Feldbahn caboose project) ... which contributed to the cross-eyed by the end of the day business ... there's a tiny little inspection tag on the emergency cut-off box that was cut from super thin paper ... I'll go back and fatten that up at some point then shoot a better close-up.  ;D

Dan -- You're right!  Fortunately, this building will have a big pair of wide-open garage doors and sit right at the front of that layout.

Great work on all that electrical stuff!

None of the modeling counts unless the conduits work and the sockets are live. Satisfactory nonetheless. -- Russ

Mr. Constant ,

   Very nice work and in the right scale as well . However , I am not very impressed with the electrician as he hasn't clipped the cables !

   Nick

Up to the 1950's the wire would have been black as it was cloth wrapped and impregnated with tar. PVC insulation and jackets were introduced about 1950. The wiring in my house (which was built in 1950) was all two-conductor black cloth wrapped. There of course wasn't a ground so it only had the two prongs on the outlets. The NEMA Type A .. with two blades and no ground has been prohibited in the US and Canada since 1962 but remain in many older homes (like mine). The outlets you have are NEMA Type B which along with the white PVC insulation sets the garage after 1962. :)

Etraxx, think you're spending way too much time on wikipedia, man!  ;D

Grounded outlets and circuit breakers were "available" in the 20's .... although fuse boxes and un-grounded outlets remained far more widespread.  I spent a couple summers working on old houses and often found wiring with braided WHITE insulation (actually white jacketing over the insulation) ... went so far as to paint some braided stuff intended for 1/24 scale car guys to get that look, but it was more than twice the diameter of what I ended up using ...

So, there have been some choices made for "time management" ... some for "artistic license" (using "familiar" rather than "curious" items in the background) ... and whether there's Method to the Madness  or simply Madness in the Method will always be a fine line that I'll walk in a zig-zag.

All that said, I really DO appreciate ALL criticism, ideas, etc ... this diorama will never go into a contest, so there's no hang-up or need for antlers there ... main focus for me working in the larger scale at this point is (a) to improve skills a bit and (b) make stuff that I find enjoyable and/or amusing.  "Accurate" modeling will always be a bit hit-or-miss with me, as I tend to like at least a bit of caricature and (gasp) whimsy in the models ... but also wish to develop skills to the point that I could make extremely realistic models when I want to!  ;D

Quote from: finescalerr on June 17, 2010, 01:02:13 AM
None of the modeling counts unless the conduits work and the sockets are live. Satisfactory nonetheless. -- Russ

Russ -- I'm working on a 1/35 scale fork and toaster combination especially for you right now!  Dallas

So the screwdriver in the outlet isn't enough for Finescale Safety Day? Toaster fork too? I put a hairpin in a light switch when I was a kid. Spectacular...

I am truly impressed by the electrical work here. That is all about pride there whether someone notices it or not.

How about some knob & tube next time?

John

John,    Here's some knob & tube.  Got this pic somewere a couple days ago??   Is this cool  ;) ;D     Craig

What is the white porcelain doohickey in the first photo??

I think its a light switch.....the knob is just on the bottom to turn it on and off.

Hey Craig --

Neat photos ... thanks for posting them where I might actually find them again!  I'll simply bow in deep respect to anyone who has the patience to model those bits convincingly in 1/35 scale ... I'd consider giving it a try in 1/24 ... and if I ever switch to 7/8" scale or 1:12 scale, then it'll be a must!  ;)

On a related, but simpler note ... here are a couple of early porcelain fixtures for more contemporary wiring.

PS -- All this reminds me of some very, very early electric train catalog I saw that showed kids how to make their own batteries using a fish tank, lead sheet and acid!  Ah, those were the days.  BZZT!   :o

Cheers,
Dallas

Yes sir knob & tube- when your first home is an old farmhouse that was bought to do a little fixin' up, there is no end to the wonders of what is behind the horsehair plaster. Indeed, on that house I could see where they cut the lath to install the new-fangled electric lights!

I think DaKra Dave could make those switch plates for you. Of course PAP would work for the porcelain fixtures.

John

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Started on some windows following one of Ken's tutorials:
http://public.fotki.com/khamilton/models/model_how-to/
(Thanks Ken!)

These will be large, horizontal windows with one sash fixed in place and the other sliding ... hope to get to the frame assemblies soon ...

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Well, no-one has said so, but those muttons, muntins and/or mullions did look a bit heavy ...

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So I replaced them with smaller mullions cut from styrene and painted to (approximately) match the stripwood ... before and after shot above ... now it's on to the casings or outer frames or whatever the mutton those parts are called ... thanks again, Ken.

Cheers,
Dallas

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First time I've scratchbuilt a working window ... and it actually does work!  One sash is fixed, other slides .. exterior view above ...

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Interior view ...

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Very close to actual size of 1 x 1-7/8" on a 19" monitor ...

Cheers,
Dallas

That's just so .. so .. cool.

What you have built there , Dallas , is a Yorkshire "jack sash" sliding sash window .Just in case you wanted the technical term . Originally found , yes you've guessed it , in Yorkshire , England .

   Nick

Satisfactory. -- Russ

Very nice. The thinner mullions are definitely a big improvement!

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Well, I've just been making little bits of progress here and there, so I'll post a "work-in-progress" shot ...

-- Used Magic Sculp to add glazing to the window panes, a bit of a chore, but it shows up even in this photo ...
-- Printed the large Sinclair sign on very thin paper, stiffened with ACC and weathered ... then installed with genuine, authentic fake scale nails.  (That is to say, the real fake nails ... not some cheap knock-off)  8)
-- The large wood sign looks a bit wobbly, cuz it's just held up with poster-tack now ... that was initially done by laying dry transfers onto some white paint, then peeling them off after the red paint was added ... then I went back and re-shaped and outlined the letters in an attempt to make it look like it was done by a local sign painter.  Hoping that Mr. Mudgeon will get up that ladder soon, pull down the poster-tack and nail the sucker in place.
-- Paper signs are just place holders ... genuine fake tin signs underway ...

-- Also, there are nails in the siding, but none in the battens yet ... I've gathered a collection of extremely fine wire and still have to sort out which type to use for the smaller nails in the battens ...

Stay tuned ... but don't hold your breath or anything drastic!  ;D

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Planning to add some shelving inside the shop, and want it to look like the shelving is a fairly recent addition ... so dug out some scraps of pine that have been kicking around here (indoors) for a number of years.  They've never been stained, sealed, etc ... just seem to take on a golden tone as the wood ages.  Mixed up some Daler Rowney Acrylic Artists Inks (Raw Sienna and Sepia) -- first thinned slightly with water, then added to 91% isopropyl alcohol to make the stain.  On each level above, the first piece is raw basswood, second piece has been dunked in the stain once, third piece dipped twice.  Good starting point ... also useful "as is" ...

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Let the stain dry for 15-20 minutes, then brushed on some diluted Vallejo inks:

LEFT:  These were done by brushing on diluted BROWN ink ... while that was still wet, I scraped the tip of an x-acto blade sideways down the grain to varying degrees ... then used the blade as a scraper down the length of each board ... again with varying amounts of pressure.  Thus the slight variations in the effect here.

CENTER:  This one was done using diluted SEPIA ink ... scratched with the tip of the knife while wet, then scraped a bit.

RIGHT:  This one was done with BOTH of the approaches described above ... it looks a bit rough here, cuz I caught the woodgrain with the knife a bit funny ...

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So I sanded down that funny board a bit ... and it has an interesting effect (which could be further varied with more scratching, scraping and/or sanding) ... need to practice this one a bit, but it looks promising.

Cheers,
Dallas

That color looks pretty damn good to me!
Thanks for the info!
-Mj

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I've been using one of Marc's approaches to using styrene rod to make little "nails" to secure the siding, etc ... and that's worked quite well.  Wanted some smaller nails to secure the little battens and framing around the windows, so started experimenting with fine wire.  Treated some lengths of wire with Neolube to blacken, used a sewing needle to start a hole, touched end of wire to ACC, then pressed in place and clipped with fingernail clippers.

Sent the above photo to Russ and, after reminding me that there's an invention called a tripod (thanks!  :D) ... he suggested using a blackening agent rather than paint on the nail heads (exposed wire end after cutting) ...

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So, I tried it "my way" just using some Vallejo paints and a teeny-tiny brush to paint the wire ends ... and quickly found that the paint rubbed off with handling.  Then blackened the ends with Neolube as Russ suggested and went back with various shades of grays, browns and worn white to make it look like the nails were hammered in place when the structure was built and (hopefully) the discolorations have taken place as the nails, siding and paint have weathered and aged.

Photo above is about 4x actual size on a 19" monitor ... not necessarily "finished" appearance here, but wanted to make sure I could get this far before planting a zillion more nails ...

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Also trying to walk a fine line here between "illusion" and "realism" ... this photo is roughly actual size and all those tiny little nails start to disappear.  So, trying to make them prominent enough (ie, slightly exaggerated) to add some visual texture / detail to the siding when viewing the actual structure ... but subtle enough not to look crazy in the close-ups. 

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One of the tricky things about planting the tiny wire is making small enough holes ... I've been starting them with a fine sewing needle for now, but you have to be real careful not to press too deep because of the flared taper of the needle.  Did some looking and found that there are "felting needles" that look like the photo above and come in 36, 38, 40, 42 and 43 "gauge" sizes.  Haven't found out if these correspond to wire gauges yet, so ordered some to find out.  Doll makers also use them to plant (extremely) realistic hair, and they call them "rooting needles" ... so hopeful they'll prove useful in making tiny holes.

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Here's another extreme close-up.  After all the other zillion little nails are placed on the end of the building and touched-up, I'll work on any that stand out too much, etc. ... then try a few more subtle weathering effects here and there.  Figure if it looks "decent" at 4x actual, then it should work okay for most normal close-ups.  Any ideas or suggestions for improvement, etc are welcome.

Thanks!
Dallas

Sometimes, if the needle depressed a little too much wood around the nail, a small drop of water will swell the wood back into shape. -- Russ

Or spit.

I know what you mean that the nails tend to disappear. It gets really bad in ¼" scale.

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Hmm ... I really like the idea of Gary's 1:8 scale Fiddletown & Copperopolis trains ... but just don't have enough room to model in a really big scale ... ooh ... unless I do it in miniature!  This works out to roughly 1:5 scale ... as seen by a 1:35 scale dude.  ;D  :D  8)

Cheers,
Dallas

Please seek therapy. -- ssuR

I want what he's taking! Someone who is an excellent, experimental modeler but doesn't take himself seriously at all times. Splendid Dallas, a fine ending to my weekend.

John

LOL!

What is that boxcar, an Nn3 model, or something even smaller?

Well, the kind folks at the looney bin are letting me use the computer for a few minutes ...  :) ...

The boxcar is approx. 1/2 size for HOn30 ... so about 10% smaller than an Nn3 car.  Made up a dummy loco and several pieces of rollingstock years ago ... cast them in resin ... and used them for testing 3-D layout mock-ups and possible scenery arrangement (back before you could do that stuff on a home computer).  I think the truck frames were cut and molded from Nn3 trucks.

Went digging for some other stuff and stumbled across these old pieces ... which prompted the photo.  ;D

Cheers,
Dallas

No wonder my car isn't ready yet...

Quote from: Malachi Constant on August 22, 2010, 11:16:08 PM
Made up a dummy loco and several pieces of rollingstock years ago ... cast them in resin ... and used them for testing 3-D layout mock-ups and possible scenery arrangement (back before you could do that stuff on a home computer).  I think the truck frames were cut and molded from Nn3 trucks.

Wow!

Detailed planning has never been my strong suit. For me, planning _might_ include a crude sketch and maybe a foam core box in the dimensions of the building I intend to model.    :D

Dallas, your into nails  ;D have a look at this link http://www.shorpy.com/node/8871

Its a great photo of the kids but for us sad people have a look at the blown up version lots of nice little details on the siding and the support post plus the stone foundations and brick setts

Looking back at where Dallas made the outlets and switch plates. Geeze. Enlarged them .. quite remarkable. Just how the heck he did it now ...

Thanks Ed --

Those were handmade ... and in some of the enlargements, it's a bit obvious where the slots aren't quite lined up perfectly, etc. ... but as the foreground details fill in, those should do quite nicely.

Meanwhile ... making significant progress on my third shot at sculpting a head for Mr. Mudgeon's new assistant ... and she's already expressed a desire to help him get organized by hanging some tool racks, new shelves and other goodies to get the shop rolling again!  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

Decided to take a little break from the figure sculpting and do something in the garage for a change ...

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Took a look at the label area on the little 1/35 fan belts and found that it's only 1x2mm ... so virtually any printing there is pretty much going to disappear.  Meanwhile, I was planning to make a fictional brand of tires as a remembrance of a local modeling buddy who passed away recently.  Rick Baier was one of the friendliest guys you could hope to meet ... and if you never had the pleasure, safe to say you would have liked him ... instantly!  In addition to being really nice, he was quite powerful too -- a former Green Beret who served in Viet Nam.  When Rick was happy to see you, he'd come up alongside you, throw his arm around you and pretty much smash your entire rib cage in one quick motion.  Then slap your back and ask how you're doing.  He was also the culprit who steered me toward doing something in 1/32 or 1/35 scale ... and he really liked the die-cast cars, so it seems fitting to bring his memory into the garage here.  Sadly missed, but sure glad to have known him.

Anyway, since the belts are going to hang on the wall at the back of the shop, and the labels are so tiny ... decided to make a display board that would make the brand clearly visible when peering in thru the open garage doors.  Printed the sign on paper ... laminated that to some .005" styrene ... colored the edges and did some light weathering with pastels ... then added the little hooks using .004" stainless wire from Ngineering:
http://www.ngineering.com/other_detail_stuff.htm

This wire is really nice, because it's straight and springy.  You can bump it a bit and it bounces back.  Used the felting needles to make the holes and bent the wire 90 degrees so it could be glued flat on the back.

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Here's the display board temporarily placed with some poster tack.  Expect to add some peg board below that to keep tools handy ... then litter the place with the rest of the Vector Cut goodies ... gaskets, fans and such.

Cheers,
Dallas

WHAT???? Rick is dead? Please tell me I misunderstood? He was YOUNG! -- Russ

Well, I hope I'm not confusing things if you know someone else by the same name ...

Sadly ... (Frederick) Rick Baier of Baltimore, MD, passed away recently after a quick and devastating bout with pancreatic cancer.  Believe he was 59 or 60.  He left a lovely wife, two grown children and a young son with special needs ...who shared his enthusiasm for trains.

One helluva nice guy!
Dallas

That looks great. I like the 'scale coloring' of the board.. the whole thing looks very real.

Marc

Agreed... the belts & display board look great, very convincing.

Paul

I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. Working his name into the model is a nice way to pay tribute to his memory.

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Haven't forgotten about the garage project either ... in the process of accumulating a massive amount of junque, spare parts, clutter, details, etc.  Here are a few of the many in the "metal parts" category!  ;D

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Made a whole mess of radiator hoses (about 20, me thinks) from styrene rod ... will do some additional coloring on these, but have to know which way each one will be placed so I don't end up highlighting the bottom or something.  ::)

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Rebuilt a plastic wire wheel with metal spokes and doing some other little nutty bits ... some parts will get additional work, some will get edited out ... just part of the process, cuz it sure takes a lot of little bits to fill up one of these places!  Won't bore you with all of the details, so to speak ... just thought I'd drop in and show that things are still moving ... will post some more pix as these things find their way to the walls, parts bins, etc. ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

The details are looking good. I know what you mean about the quantities needed to fill such structures! It's the same with stores and other types of buildings, it seems to take forever to produce all the stuff needed to realistically fill even a small space.

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More experimentation on painting the "metal" parts ... (which are all plastic or resin) ...

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This is about 2x actual size on ye olde typical home monitor.

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Extreme close-up (obviously, eh?) ... trying to make it look like they're all "metal" without making them all look the same ... so they can be placed individually or piled up in bins, etc and still have some differentiation of the individual pieces.

Open to all thoughts, feedback, criticism, etc. Thanks in advance!

Cheers,
Dallas

Dallas,
I really like your new parts. The add a lot of dimension and depth to the benches. It is very easy to get lost in "flat" clutter like wrenches and other tools, but you created a believable pile of junk. I am having a hard time putting these more voluminous (is that the right word?) spare parts together in 1/87 so I am following your project with great interest. 

Christian

A few inches of diorama consumes hours worth of clutter in a few minutes. That may be one reason I have been doing abandoned scenes that have been "picked".

Chuck,
that's a nice understatement.
Your scenes don't look "picked" at all. Too me they seem more like the detail truck just dumped off a big load.

Dallas, very nice coloring of those metal parts. The larger piece to the far left (muffler?) was that done with the Testors liquid cement, hairspray and Bragdon pigments? By the way I´m done with all my radiator hoses and tons of other stuff for D. Krakow Auto Repair. Will post pics. within the next couple of days. Great to follow your excellent work as it´s quite similar to what I´m struggling with.

Anders ;D

Thanks all!  I set up to do a batch of 20 parts and started getting pretty punch about half way thru ... thought it was time to stop and get some feedback ...

Suspect that 1:24 or 1:25 would be the "ideal scale" for doing an auto shop, because you can get every little automotive detail right down to spark plugs, hose clamps and key rings!  With a little creativity, I'm finding some pretty useful bits in 1:35 scale ... some of the plastic vehicle kits have detailed engines, and there are some engine parts available as separate items.  A lot of those are geared toward tanks and other large vehicles, but there's enough to scavenge some useful bits.  Imagine it would get pretty dang tricky in HO scale ...

Anders -- I have used the cement + Bragdon's method on some other parts, but these were all done with acrylics.  All painted over a base of flat black spray paint.  Some of the resin parts already have surface texture.  Some of the larger pieces received additional texture just by applying a coarse layer of spray paint to start.

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I've tried a variety of acrylic metallics and like the Reaper Miniatures the best.  This palette only has two shades of metallic on it ... all the other colors were used to mix / blend the shades from warm to cool tones, cast iron, etc.  The Reaper metallics have extremely fine pigments, take well to thinning/blending and have much more muted (subtle) appearance than the Vallejo metallics (to me).  Also, you can buff them to a degree using brown paper from a grocery bag.

Also, while I'm thinking of it ... a lot of the Vallejo non-military "colors" seem rather bold, weird or garish to me.  Finding a lot of very nice colors in the Reaper Miniatures Master Series ... reds, greens, blues, yellows, oranges, etc that all look really good out of the bottle ... many of the individual colors are offered in various shades with different complementary colors, so they provide a real nice way of painting parts in a variety of subtle and varying colors.  Can't stand it when all the detail parts are "basic blue, basic red, basic green" etc ... been guilty of that myself in the past, and hope to be moving on with a better approach now!  ;)

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"Battle scene" ... mixing colors on the palette ... making little washes, etc., etc.  Used a variety of cheap brushes for most of the work and a very good sable for some outlining and fine blending.  Some colors blended on the palette ... some blended on the individual parts ... some parts received lots of "blotching" of different colors to build up uneven bases (and/or add texture) followed by top colors brushed over to blend things together a bit.


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Really like the way blending Vallejo "Flesh Base" and "Shadows Flesh" work together to make a weathered oxide red and a variety of rust colors.  (Think they're hideous as actual skin tones though!)  ;D

Alrighty ... got a bunch more metal parts that are prepped or halfway done ... and ordered a 1/35 engine kit and another bundle of parts to scavenge ... we'll win this battle one square inch of detailing at a time.  :o ::) :P

Cheers,
Dallas

Very helpful photos. Excellent results. -- Russ

Dallas,   excellent tutorial on those paints. I´m not familiar with the Reaper brand but will check it out. Thanks very much!

Anders ;D ;D ;D

Reaper has two different sets of paints -- the "Master Series" comes in little dropper bottles like the Vallejo ... the other ones come in little open-mouth jars.

Reaper web site:
http://www.reapermini.com/Paints/master

I've been getting them from MiniatureMarket.com -- they carry both Reaper & Vallejo ... nice discount, quick service, reasonable shipping.  (They don't give me a kick-back, but I'll take one if it's offered!)  ;D

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Thanks again for the positive feedback, finished that batch of parts last night ... scavenged parts from various sources including a Verlinden "Tiger Tank Engine Disassembled" ... a couple of the larger parts are a bit "odd" for the auto shop, but should work nicely at the bottom of a bin or pile, etc.   Very pleased now with the way that palette has worked out to provide a variety of tones while sorta "batch painting" a lot of pieces.  These will all become "background" details, so the level of finish should work out okay there.

Have a couple more (different) sets of engine parts on order, meanwhile will work on some other bits, figures and various details.  Oh yeah ... one of the reasons for all this "now" is that I want to hang a variety of replacement parts and stuff on the back wall, put up some shelves and make some "built-in" parts bins ... so I want to get the details worked out and placed before the walls get glued in place.

Cheers,
Dallas

Go with Master series over their Pro Paint line. The "Pro" paints are their older line, aimed at gamers who want a tough opaque coating on their figures. (Read: Thick, grainy, not suited to detail work.) The Master series was developed in the last few years (I want to say 2003 or so) for painters who are producing display pieces.

Fun fact: the agitator in the bottom of the Master series bottles is a tiny pewter skull.

Yes -- What Bexley said ... the Reaper "Master Series" paints are top-notch.  They have a nice range of colors and make a great compliment to the Vallejo selection.

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Check this out -- 1/35 scale doghouse with laser-cut license plates used as shingles -- built by Greg Shinnie (aka Ensign) on the RR Line Forum.

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I'm working on customizing a couple of figures for Greg's HO scale "Chambers Parts Store" -- a great model based on the famous Walker Evans parts store photo:
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=31508

In return, Greg offered to build a doghouse to compliment my 1/35 scale build.  He came up with the clever idea of using the license plates on the roof and had them custom cut by his buddy Joe Rutter at "Full Steam Ahead"

Guess, I'll have to hurry up now and make some more progress on those little HO figures!  Lucky dog has four walls and a cool custom roof ... poor old Mudgeon is still waiting for walls on the shop ...  ::)

Thought y'all would get a kick out of the doghouse and the cool laser-cut license plates ...

Cheers,
Dallas

haha, I love it.   Just the laser isn't really the right tool for this job, because it leaves a rough texture on engraved surfaces.   Since the plates are meant to be stamped tin, even factoring rust and weather, photo etch is the ideal method.  But still, its an economical compromise.  Anyway, using the plates for the doghouse roof is great!   

Dave
   

Very cool. I've been wanting to get some 1/24th scale plates done somehow, as it is very common to see rusty old plates nailed to old buildings.

Dave -- You're right about the surface texture ... BUT ... there is an easy fix.  Mix some Reaper brush-on primer and some Vallejo mat varnish, thin them just right and apply ... viola ... level the surface.  There's some stuff called Mr. Surfacer or something like that which may be intended for the same purpose ... never tried it ... but the home-brew can be used very effectively.  The mat varnish alone can be used as a light adhesive, and you can paint over it ... so mixed with the brush-on primer and slightly diluted it does make a nice self-leveling "resurfacer" (which apparently isn't a word, but is exactly what I mean!)  ;)

Ray -- I'm talking to Joe at Full Steam Ahead about having some 1/35 plates custom made for myself ... interestingly, he actually researched the individual plates he made for Greg's project ... so if you read them, they're from the right state and time period!  Have also broached the subject of doing them in other scale, so I'll do an update as things progress.

Gotta get back to sculpting the little figures now ...

Cheers,
Dallas

Really fun idea! Very nice work by Greg.

Anders ;D

Hey Dallas

Your surface levelling mixture would be a big breakthrough for me.  Before I buy the ingredients to try it, would you do a demo here so I can see how it works?  Thanks!

Dave

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Dave --

Yes, gladly ... might be a few days before I actually get a round tuit and post pix.  Will do a demo with some of your gears or something.  Meanwhile a few notes/thoughts while they're occurring to me:

-- Scale:  You're pretty geared to thinking in 1:87 and I'm geared toward 1:35 at the moment.  In the smaller scale, the surface texture in question might be far too rough for something tiny like a license plate.  Pretty well convinced it will "do the trick" in 1:35 and come in handy for at least some surface issues in 1:87.  So I'll do that demo when I get a chance.

-- Photo above:  After priming the figure above and doing the flesh tones on her face, I went to paint the eyes and realized that the lower eyelids on the plastic figure were a bit gnarly and unpleasing.  So, I went in with a knife, and reshaped the lower eyelids ... which, of course, removed some thin layers of acrylic paint and primer in the area.  Rebuilt the area with the combo of brush-on primer and mat varnish mentioned before.  Now, if you look closely, you'll find a few lumpy-bumpy areas on her cheek where I built up the paint unevenly, but real dang smooth around the eyes.  So you'd never know that the paint had been peeled away there and the surface repairs hold up well.  (And, this enlargement is about 5x actual size on a 19" monitor.)

-- Origin of the idea:  While viewing the Mig Jimeniz video on using Vallejo paints, I noted that he used their Mat Varnish as an adhesive to fix laser-cut paper leaves (ie tree "leafs") onto a tank.  That sparked the notion of using the adhesive quality of the mat varnish.  Likewise, having good results with Reaper paints and found that they had a brush-on primer.  And, occasionally have problems where I'm handling an object too soon after painting etc and "chip" the paint (but not in a desirable way).  Did some experiments and found that the combo mentioned is useful for repairing surfaces and getting a nearly-invisible repair (smooth surface).  Then, after the repair is made, you can brush on a thin layer of the mat varnish, feather it out into the adjoining areas and get a fairly bullet-proof repair to the chipped paint issue.

PS -- Tamiya Fine Surface Primer gives one of the smoothest primer surfaces that you can get from a spray can ... that's a great starting point.  Acrylic paints thinned with wet water won't always "grab" onto that primer, so a very thin preliminary base coat diluted with Testor's acrylic thinner creates a good base for subsequent layers of acrylic paint thinned with wet water and/or dry-time extender.  In my case, that preliminary base coat is brushed on and it's fairly thin.  Just enough to get a bit of color and that thinner over the Tamiya surface.  As mentioned before, there are some "Mr. Surfacer" and related products that seem to be geared toward the same issue ... I haven't tried those yet.

More when I get a chance ...
Dallas

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Thought I'd better give this a try before I take off to sculpt a busload of miniature reform school girls!  ;)

These are a couple of Vector Cut gears (from the large set, I believe) ... as Dave mentioned, the laser leaves a pebbly texture where the relief is etched (engraved, cut, whatever) below the main surface ...

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Another view of the pebbly surface ...

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The plan:  I've used the Vallejo Mat Varnish, Reaper Brush-on Primer and (choose your color) very successfully to do surface repairs on figures, etc., where paint has been chipped or rubbed off ... or where I've made changes to the object after painting.  Both of the Vallejo varnishes shown here appear to be "the same thing" -- just numbered differently for their different paint series.  I've chosen the light green color not so much because it looks pretty  8)  ... but hoping that it will photograph well here ...

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Sprayed the gears with several very light coats of Tamiya Fine Surface Primer -- which is about as good as it gets for spray can primers -- no grainy stuff obvious here on the smooth surfaces.

Mixed up some goop as follows:  2 drops Mat Varnish, 2 drops Brush-on Primer and 2 drops paint.  Dampened a fine sable brush in "wet water" (90% water, 10% Liquitex Flow Aid) and applied the goop to the areas with the pebbly surface.

Let that set a few minutes, then added a drop of wet water to the mix and applied another thin coat.  Let THAT sit a few minutes, added a 2nd drop of wet water to the mix and applied another thin coat.

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So, this is what I've been doing to "repair" unwanted paint chips and blend-in reworked areas on figures etc.  On those, I've mostly been working with a SMOOTH surface and the goal was to patch a small area and bring it level with the surrounding area.  As seen here, it seems to work rather well on the little laser cut parts where a flat, solid color is desired.

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More experimentation here and trying to really push and scrutinize the effects ... so, brushed on a thin layer of paint (normal dilution, not the goop) over the previously unpainted areas and went over it with a thin wash of brown ink.  The high contrast shows where the goop made an improvement, but certainly did not make a super-smooth surface ... so we'll keep going ...

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Brushed on some shiny metallic paint which further exaggerates the surface texture ... which prompted another idea ...

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Brushed on some Vallejo GLOSS Varnish with just a touch of wet water (because it has too much surface tension to settle down by itself unless spread over a large area) ... let that set ... then hit it with a coat of Tamiya Clear Flat spray.  The gloss varnish was applied over the ENTIRE recessed area, so it makes an improvement in the previously-pebbly area and levels out the area treated with goop even further.  This looks very promising ... even in this really extreme enlargement.  (Hold yer entire hand up to that fingertip!)

Additional thoughts / ideas:  Would play with using the "goop" mix and the individual components (primer, varnish) using just a bit of Liquitex Flow-Aid (instead of water) to break the surface tension and get the flow needed without reducing the viscosity.  Might take a fair bit of experimentation to find an ideal mix ...

This last shot of the shiny gear on my finger tip looks very promising for the effects I'm after ... would also suggest looking into Mr. Surfacer, etc. to see what else is out there.  Have fun!

Cheers,
Dallas

It seems no matter what method used there will be some surface blemish in the removed surface area. I find even etched parts have surface irregularities where areas have been surface etched.  CNC may be another option that would provide and interesting result. The one thing I am trying to keep in context is how small the parts are and the fact that they are being significantly magnified in the photos. The painted areas look good and I am sure in real life my eyes without the aid of my reading glasses  :o would not see the surface marking.

Great experiments and eagerly watching your results. Mainly due to wanting to use the laser cutter to do name plates etc... If they are cast gears the un-machined portions would be rougher than the machined areas.

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Ferd --

This or a similar technique should work fine for 7/8th's nameplates, etc.  In the photo above, the inset is about 2x actual size on a 19" monitor ... outer diameter of the recessed area on the actual part is about 1/4".  Significant part of the speckly effect still visible comes from the metallic paint!  Suspect this approach will be fine for smoothing out any details on my 1/48 and 1/35 projects ...

If Dave & others working in HO find this useful, they may need/want to refine it further for dressing tiny parts ...

Further to the nameplate issue ... if they're supposed to represent sand-cast parts, then some of that pebbly texture might actually be desirable.  It's all a matter of what the part is supposed to represent and how crazy we want to get with the individual pieces!

Cheers,
Dallas

Hi Dallas
At 2X it looks great. Is this cut on lazerboard?  I have had some good etchings on 1/32 aircraft ply probably due to most of the material being glue. It tends to sizzle and smoke more than any other wood. thanks Ferd

My guess is yes on the laser board, but Dave's the one who'll know for sure!  :)

If you look at the unpainted parts at the top of the previous long post, you'll see that they're tan with brown spots where the material has been scorched a bit ...

Cheers,
Dallas

Dallas,

thanks for showing your methods and results.   I've experimented with thinned auto putty, thick paint, dipping in Future floor wax, etc and gotten very similar results.   To my eye, none are smooth enough to adequately represent stamped sheet metal, and not nearly as good as photo etch. 
   
Dave   

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Mr. Mudgeon's follow-up question:  What keeps the dang horses from just falling apart?

Still bouncing around different aspects of the project ... haven't done the final shading on Millie's arms and legs yet ... just little bits of progress here and there.  And the occasional outbreak of full-blown dementia!  ;D

Thanks to Greg Shinnie & Joe Rutter for the cool dog house!

Cheers,
Dallas

Next time, keep the dog away from the bandsaw!

Dallas, please seek therapy before it's too late. -- ssuR

Dallas, please don´t........not only a great diorama also some hilarious cartoons.

Anders ;D ;D ;D

Reminds me of the half-dogs in the movie Return of the living Dead.

Plates Looks PDC to me



8)

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First attempt at modifying and painting an HO figure.  Started out as the Woodland Scenics piece shown at left ... turned head, transplanted arms and sculpted clothing.  Trying to capture something of the look shown by the girl in the Walker Evans photo (center) without doing a full sculpt.  This is the first of two for Greg Shinnie's HO Chambers Parts Store ...

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Cheers,
Dallas

There is nothing better than seeing the results of a successful modeling weekend. Nice job, Dallas!

"Gulliver" speaks excellent English - saw him for sale at a French site so I guess he´s an immigrant. Nice work Dallas and great cartoon as usual. ;

Anders ;D

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Thanks guys!  Extreme close-ups are naturally a bit cruel on this tiny stuff ... but goal was to make her look okay at about 2x actual size to allow for some close-ups of Greg's structure ...

Anders, yes, Mr. Mudgeon (aka Gulliver in that last photo) has French origins ... as do I ... three of my four grandparents spoke French as children, and even my father learned French before English.  Really like the MK35 figures ... have several more on hand ready to assemble and paint.  Also, they're quite nice to deal with and will answer in French or English if you send them emails!  ;)

I'll have to try some of their O scale figures eventually ...

Cheers,
Dallas

quite pleasing now!

The first picture looks as if her panties are around her ankles. Are you violating the code again or is that complimentary "flash" goop from woodland scenic?

Funny!  Yeah, the Woodland Scenics figure came with a massive armored coat of paint, including the giant blob between her tree-trunk ankles.  Whittled down her ankles and shoes as much as I dared ... still not ideal, but I really, really didn't want to crawl around the floor looking for HO feet!  ;D

Cheers,
Dallas

Beautiful! I can't even imagine trying to do that with an HO figure.

I also enjoy your humorous pics w/captions.

Another mechanicette for Dallas. 

http://www.shorpy.com/node/2988?size=_original (http://www.shorpy.com/node/2988?size=_original)

I liked it better when I though they were reform school girls.

Don't worry, Chuck, we can still bend the truth and make a busload of reform school girls to make occasional field trips to the garage!  ;)

I even have the little bus kit on hand now ... gotta finish the pick-up truck for Baier's Tires and make some actual progress on the garage ... then we'll turn our attention to the Doane Valley Reform School or Harry Novak School for Wayward Girls or whatever it should be.  ;D

Dave -- Thanks for the extra photo ... suspect now that there are a series of those, so I'll have to track those down.

Cheers,
Dallas

Yes, please keep this thread focused on reform school girls. How refreshing.

(Chuck, please go stand in the corner.)

Russ

Hmm ... guess that one's really my fault.  Chuck posted this link over in the thread on RR Line:
http://www.shorpy.com/node/2974

And I said they looked like a bunch of reform school girls and it would be fun to have them visit the shop!  ;D

Neat old photo ... well worth a look ... Russ, you'll be disappointed to see that they're wearing rather baggy overalls ... but, if you look twice, you'll see they're all wearing high heels!  That girl Corinna was a real cutie ... but she'd be about 100 years old now (literally) ... wonder if she has any great granddaughters?

Going to visit Chuck in the corner and work out devious plans for a busload of reform schools .... Dallas  8)

Busload of reform school GIRLS please, i don't need to deal with a bunch of Jimmy Cagney wannabe's!

Settle down, Chuck ... we'll make sure they're all GIRLS with pleasing little shapes and pretty little faces ... no Jimmy Cagney look-alikes.  Maybe some Jimmy Durante music in the background, though.  ;D

Now, if you'll excuse me ... I still have to finish up Ginger, so she can be the ring-leader of the gang ... and get a whole 'nother mess of detail parts painted to clutter up the shop walls a bit ...

Cheers,
Dallas

Interesting stuff here in the corner!

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 :o 8) :P :D ;)

Well I hate to burst all your bubbles, but reform school girls don't look anything like that, more's the pity... firstly it takes about six of them to make up a full set of teeth...

Paul

Now, now, Paul -- there's no call for THAT degree of realism!  ;D

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Dave's Fan Club

Seems our buddy Dave from VectorCut is developing quite a fan club ... even has TWO HO repair shops being built in his honor.  Now let's see, already have a name for my shop ... guess I'll honor him with ... um ... a couple lousy detail parts!  (Sorry Dave)  But ... they really are "fans"  ;D

Special ordered a few items from Dave for upcoming parts of the project, and asked him to include some of the window fans he makes in HO scaled up a bit ... but not all the way to the same size in 1/35 ... had them done to make 20" box fans.

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First one will be propped in the window and is inspired by this old fan with a belt-driven blade ...

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Cut the fan loose from its backing piece and twisted each of the blades a bit.  Got an asst. of the small & large nuts, bolts & washer's from Dave and used some of those as spacers, etc, in the assembly.

Cut a piece of .005" styrene the same size as the outer grilles and started building a box on that.  The thin sheet helps keep things square and is easily cut away after the glue dries.  Lower surface at top and bottom provides proper mounting height for the new fan supports.  Once that's mounted, the remaining area gets filled in with bits of styrene to match the sides.

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The motor is made up from a couple of pieces out of a 1/35 halftrack engine kit that I bought to scavenge for shop parts.  (Great War Hobby L3517 German Maybach HL42 Engine for those interested.)  Fan belt is just a thin strip of ordinary paper.  32 gauge wire for electrical supply -- added another wire after this was shot.  Will add a control knob up top later.

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Same thing with a base coat of paint and the second wire in place.  Will do some interior detail painting before gluing the grilles in place ...

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Here it is about 2x actual with the grilles loosely propped in place and the little "K" for "Krakow Kool Aire" fans on the front!  ;D

Have to do some final detailing ... screws, control knob, handle on top, electrical cord ... and then final painting.  Since this one will get propped up in a window, the "back lighting" from outside should show the interior details of the fan and make it more interesting ... I hope!  ;)

Also working on another "fancier" Krakow fan that will be placed on the floor in the shop ... more later.  (Thanks to Dave for the custom parts!)

(PS -- Zoinks!  My interior DETAILS now have interior details.  Where does it end?)  ???
Cheers,
Dallas

Dallas.....incredible work. That Krakow "K" is a fantastic idea. Wonder what the fancier one will look like? Might be Art Deco inspired? That Krakow guy is now all over this place with all rights.

Anders ;D ; :o

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Did a little bit of shading/highlighting on the interior parts, then cut a strip of paper a little wider than the outer frame of the fan and glued that around the edges.  Smeared a thin coat of Vallejo mat varnish all the way around the outside of the fan box.  Let that set, then applied another thin coat to each side as I wrapped the paper around ... worked well.

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Notched the corners, folded over the paper and glued the edges the same way ...

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Added screw heads sliced from .015" styrene rod, a handle and a knob ... colored with Reaper paints and Vallejo black ink wet-blended on the surfaces ...

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Propped in the window to check it out ... still have to add a power cord to the interior side and "plug it in" to the handy electrical outlet near the window.  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

That turned out satisfactorily. -- Russ

Dallas, while I was suprised by the choice of color you made on this detail, I must say it looks very good on location.

Thanks, Unc ...

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Sometimes it's just "little bits" of progress ... made a few power cords like this for things that will get "plugged in" to the outlets ... just some .010" styrene rod and a couple little bits of styrene shaped together.  First couple attempts at making an "unplugged" cord with the prongs exposed failed ... but have another idea to try ... we'll see if that works.

Frederic -- I'm curious what color you might have expected ... there's still another fan to do!  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

Difficult question, Dallas, since in fact I'm not sure I was expecting something (or maybe a dark green), but rather was not expecting this gray, and yet I think it perfectly fits. So I wouldn't suggest any change.

Nice job again Dallas! Just a thought......1/87 scale? The outlets I have from DaKra but this... Hm.... ??? ???

Anders ;D

Very nice! But in that "giant" scale you should be able to make this thing moving!  ;D ;D  ;)

Edit: I saw in another forum that you were concerned about bending the propellers into shape. It's obviously too late now, but the lazerboard stuff can be bent by carefully soaking it in water and taping it around a support shape until its dry.

Kool, I like it!   Nice color too, looks like the baked on metallic paint used on old industrial appliances. 

Christian is right about wet-bending Laserboard.  Works well and maintains its shape when dry.         

Dave

Quote from: Junior on February 07, 2011, 02:43:15 AM
Nice job again Dallas! Just a thought......1/87 scale? The outlets I have from DaKra but this... Hm.... ??? ???

Anders ;D

Here's a thought:  You can buy 36 gauge single-strand electrical wire.  It would be a heckuva job to drill a small enough hole in a small enough bit of styrene, etc, to shape the end of a power cord effectively ... but ... you could drill a tiny hole in the face of the outlet, glue the wire in place, then shape a tiny blob of putty where the wire and outlet meet to make the "plug".

Christian & Dave -- Ah-ha!  Guess I got lucky with my efforts to bend the fan blades ... THANKS for the wet-bending tip, that will keep me from destroying other parts in the future!  ;D

Below is the grille for the second fan, which will be used as a portable job on the floor of the shop.  Grill was narrowed; letters are from Royal Models etched alphabet set (small) applied with Vallejo mat varnish.

Cheers,
Dallas

Great looking fan grille Dallas! First thing tomorrow - plugs! Your´e a genious.......... :o

Anders ;D

This grille is fabulous, Dallas. I don't know if you or Dave, and probably both, must be congratulated for this, but it is gorgeous for sure!

Thanks Anders -- Look forward to your results.  If I get possessed to make a set of rubber-nipple spark plug wires to lay around somewhere, I'll use a similar approach.  (Yes, I did use the phrase "rubber nipple" just to send Russ into a tizzy!)  :P

Frederic -- I've had another look at Dave's latest HO offerings (well worth a visit to his website!), and they're quite inspiring.  He's providing a lot of neat stuff ... some of it is "just right" as it comes from the lazer ... then there are all the little bits like the nuts, bolts, gears, etc that make great add-ons.  Really appreciate his willingness to make custom items and his constant efforts to push forward in creative new ways.  (And, I think he'll be glad to see that I used photo-etched letters instead of asking him to laser cut those for this particular use!)  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

Holy cow, that fan (and the second, fancier grill) look great!!

Prognosis: Severe case of detailitus. Appears to be accelerating rapidly.

Only promising treatment: staring at this painting for 2 weeks straight:  http://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/25855

Quote from: Malachi Constant on February 07, 2011, 12:43:30 PM

Quote from: Junior on February 07, 2011, 02:43:15 AM
Nice job again Dallas! Just a thought......1/87 scale? The outlets I have from DaKra but this... Hm.... ??? ???

Anders ;D

Here's a thought:  You can buy 36 gauge single-strand electrical wire.  It would be a heckuva job to drill a small enough hole in a small enough bit of styrene, etc, to shape the end of a power cord effectively ... but ... you could drill a tiny hole in the face of the outlet, glue the wire in place, then shape a tiny blob of putty where the wire and outlet meet to make the "plug".

Christian & Dave -- Ah-ha!  Guess I got lucky with my efforts to bend the fan blades ... THANKS for the wet-bending tip, that will keep me from destroying other parts in the future!  ;D

Below is the grille for the second fan, which will be used as a portable job on the floor of the shop.  Grill was narrowed; letters are from Royal Models etched alphabet set (small) applied with Vallejo mat varnish.

Cheers,
Dallas

Broke my last no. 80 drill bit on the third plug. Stay tuned!

Anders :-[ :-[ :-[

Oh, Anders, I hate it when that happens!  But a #79 would probably be close enough?

Make sure the bit is STRAIGHT in the pin-vise ... make sure you're holding it straight, applying LIGHT pressure and NO lateral (sideways) pressure ... AND ... bonus points here ... touch the tip to some thick liquid hand soap before drilling ... drill a little, clean the bit, soap again ...

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-whacky110.gif&hash=33f59f7dc4ab9090ff7b67c5cfbc810237cb9723) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)

Thanks Chuck!  I was staring at the Kandinsky paintings and getting too much "action" ... the white painting is much better!

-- Dallas

A double sided Kandinski?

BTW, great info on your topics. Thanks for taking the time to put them together.

That three panel white painting is pure genius. I thought contemporary "music" lacked substance; contemporary "art" extends that to less than zero. -- Russ

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bouldervalleymodels.com%2Fimages%2Ffsrr%2Felectrical-11.jpg&hash=db0bd3bf26ed560694444ced4f3f70895dbfb508)

Hmm ... fourth try, and I think this is about as close as I'm gonna get ...

Plan to have the second fan sitting on the floor somewhere against the wall with the cord wrapped around it, so I had to make one of these little plugs ... cuz having the plug "offstage" behind the fan would just be too easy! (https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freesmileys.org%2Fsmileys%2Fsmiley-whacky078.gif&hash=a90fcbf10095dd00546a368021627ac797d65d72) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)

Cheers,
Dallas

The nice thing about civilian modeling, maybe also the difficult thing, is how everyone can immediately recognize the details.  Military modeling requires specialized knowledge of the subject matter, but everyone knows an electrical appliance requires a plug.   I think the kick for the viewer is in the instant recognition of something familiar which you don't expect to find in miniature.  Like the plug on the end of the cable.  Nice job as usual, Dallas.

Couldn´t be better in my opinion. Excellent Dallas!

Anders ;D

Dallas

Beautiful work!!

Jerry

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Thanks all!  Couple simple (literally) details to add, then the second fan will be ready to paint and assemble ... meanwhile, almost forgot another photo I used to check and make sure the size of the plug looked okay.  :)

Quote from: DaKra on February 09, 2011, 05:50:53 AM
The nice thing about civilian modeling, maybe also the difficult thing, is how everyone can immediately recognize the details.  Military modeling requires specialized knowledge of the subject matter, but everyone knows an electrical appliance requires a plug.   I think the kick for the viewer is in the instant recognition of something familiar which you don't expect to find in miniature.  Like the plug on the end of the cable.  Nice job as usual, Dallas.

Thanks ... hoping to include enough of the "mundane" and often-overlooked details of the real world to give the scenes some extra depth and maybe a sense of familiarity ... and some other unexpected items that will (hopefully) make the viewer want to visit or "investigate" the place a little more ...

Cheers,
Dallas

An outstanding detail. And Dave's insightful comment about "civilian" modeling makes me wonder why there is no specific category for it. Or is there? -- Russ

Sorry Dallas your´e too late - it´s already plugged in with a vintage twisted cable. Seriously I´m not sure it´s worth bothering with but thanks a lot for your help. The outlet measures 0,8 x 1,8 m.m.

Anders  ;D

 :o

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Second fan is ready for paint ... grille loosely placed for photo on right ...

Anders -- That's really tiny!  Hard to tell exactly how it looks because of the blurry photo.  Might be worthwhile to set the camera on a tripod or at least a rag or something underneath it to stabilize and allow a steadier photo and/or better focus.

Cheers,
Dallas

Quote from: Malachi Constant on February 10, 2011, 10:13:53 AM
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Second fan is ready for paint ... grille loosely placed for photo on right ...

Anders -- That's really tiny!  Hard to tell exactly how it looks because of the blurry photo.  Might be worthwhile to set the camera on a tripod or at least a rag or something underneath it to stabilize and allow a steadier photo and/or better focus.

Cheers,
Dallas

Dallas, it´s extremely tiny - one would need a macro lens. Super COOL fan should look even better when painted.

Anders ;D

I'm just glad this thing is a fan and not a heater.  Then it would say Krakow Hot Air.   :D   But seriously, that's another one of those why-didn't-I-think-of-that little gems you keep coming up with.
Dave         

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Quote from: DaKra on February 10, 2011, 12:29:28 PM
I'm just glad this thing is a fan and not a heater.  Then it would say Krakow Hot Air.   :D   But seriously, that's another one of those why-didn't-I-think-of-that little gems you keep coming up with.
Dave         

Ah-ha -- that's the answer!  I'm planning to use one of the other fan grilles to make an electric heater that hangs up in the corner of the shop ... almost had an aneurysm at the prospect of laying out individual letters to spell "Krakow Electro Furnace" ... but "Krakow Hot Air" is direct and to the point.  ;) :D ;D

1/35 scale heaters:  Royal Model makes some really nice looking radiators (#585) and Verlinden has an assortment of coal stoves (#2575) with a couple there that might work ... but I'm a bit pressed for floor space in my relatively small shop.  (There are also a couple different makers of oil drum heaters out there too ... Tamiya and somebody else makes 'em.)

Krakow Hot Air:  Photo above shows the radiator casting from a Verlinden M2 Halftrack Engine kit that I got to scavenge for parts to lay around the shop and fill the parts bins ... have a couple more sets of Dave's fan parts on hand, and the grille just happens to fit over the fan on this piece ... so I'll rework the casting a bit to make some variation of wall/ceiling mounted heater sized in between the two "prototype" pix.  Have to play around with design on that one a bit before I actually get going on it ...

Cheers,
Dallas

Dallas,

is the housing of the second photo fitting over the diameter of the verlinden fan in the first photo ? 
If not, the fan will be hard pushed to turn  ;)

very nice work sofar. Lots of tips for my next project, .......... no no no, not a Krakow workshop  ;D ;D

Jacq

Just a quick question. Having seen the switch, Dallas, are you considering the nano motor now?


27 July 2003
Physicists Build Nano Motor
by Kate Melville

Only 15 years after University of California, Berkeley, engineers built the first micro-scale motor, a UC Berkeley physicist has created the first nano-scale motor - a gold rotor on a nanotube shaft that could ride on the back of a virus.

"It's the smallest synthetic motor that's ever been made," said Alex Zettl, professor of physics at UC Berkeley and faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "Nature is still a little bit ahead of us - there are biological motors that are equal or slightly smaller in size - but we are catching up." Zettl and his research group report their feat in the current issue of Nature.

The electrostatic motors represent a significant step foward in nanotechnology, and prove that nanotubes and other nanostructures several hundred times smaller than the diameter of a human hair can be manipulated and assembled into true devices.

Zettl and other scientists had previously made transistors from nanotubes, but this device is different, he said.

"It's the first device where you can put external wires on it and have something rotating, something you can control," he said. "We are pushing a lot of different technologies to the edge."

Such motors could have numerous uses, Zettl said. Because the rotor can be positioned at any angle, the motor could be used in optical circuits to redirect light, a process called optical switching. The rotor could be rapidly flipped back and forth to create a microwave oscillator, or the spinning rotor could be used to mix liquids in microfluidic devices.

The motor is about 500 nanometers across, 300 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. While the part that rotates, the rotor, is between 100 and 300 nanometers long, the carbon nanotube shaft to which it is attached is only a few atoms across, perhaps 5-10 nanometers thick.

The motor has highlighted some unexpected difficulties. Measuring the motor's speed, for example, can only be accomplished crudely. The team's scanning electron microscope (SEM) can take pictures every 33 milliseconds and no faster, so they can't tell whether the rotor spins or flips faster than 30 times per second.

"We assume you could go much, much faster than that, probably to microwave frequencies," Zettl said. "There's no way we can detect that right now, but in principle the motor should be able to run that fast."

Microwave frequencies, common in communication networks, are above a billion cycles per second, in the gigahertz frequency range.



The motor's shaft is a multiwalled nanotube, that is, it consists of nested nanotubes much like the layers of a leek. Annealed both to the rotor and fixed anchors, the rigid nanotube allows the rotor to move only about 20 degrees. However, the team was able to break the outer wall of the nested nanotubes to allow the outer tube and attached rotor to freely spin around the inner tubes as a nearly frictionless bearing.

To build the motor, Zettl and his team made a slew of multiwalled nanotubes in an electric arc and deposited them on the flat silicon oxide surface of a silicon wafer. They then identified the best from the pile with an atomic force microscope, a device capable of picking up single atoms.

A gold rotor, nanotube anchors and opposing stators were then simultaneously patterned around the chosen nanotubes using electron beam lithography. A third stator was already buried under the silicon oxide surface. The rotor was annealed to the nanotubes and then the surface selectively etched to provide sufficient clearance for the rotor.

When the stators were charged with up to 50 volts of direct current, the gold rotor deflected up to 20 degrees, which was visible in the SEM. With alternating voltage, the rotor rocked back and forth, acting as a torsional oscillator. Such an oscillator, probably capable of microwave frequency oscillations from hundreds of megahertz to gigahertz, could be useful in many types of devices - in particular, communications devices such as cell phones or computers.

With a strong electrical jolt to the stators, the team was able to jerk the rotor and break the outer wall of the nested nanotubes, allowing the rotor to spin freely on the nested nanotube bearings. Zettl had made similar bearings several years ago, but this was the first time he had put them to use.

"The real breakthrough came a couple of years ago, when we discovered a method for peeling shells off multiwalled nanotubes and grabbing the core with a homemade nano-manipulator operating inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM)," Zettl said. "We showed that you could pull out the cores and they really did slide, they really did behave as a bearing. That technological leap allowed us to go full bore on the motor and really have confidence we could make it in the laboratory."

Interestingly, the rotor does not continue spinning for long once the electricity is turned off. It is so small that it has little inertia, so any tiny electric charges remaining on the device after it's turned off tend to stop the rotor immediately.

"The nanoworld is weird - different things dominate," Zettl said. "Gravity plays no role whatsoever and inertial effects are basically nonexistent because things are just so small, so that little things like residual electric fields can play a dominant role. It's counter intuitive."

Zettl expects to be able to reduce the size even further, perhaps by a factor of five. For the moment, though, he and his team are trying to make basic quantum measurements, such as the conductance through the nanotubes and the amount of friction in the bearings.

"There are many very fundamental questions we are trying to answer," he said. "The flip side is, we've got this incredibly neat little motor that's smaller than any other electric motor - let's try to integrate it into some larger architecture where people are making microelectromechanical devices or nanoelectromechnical devices. People will build on this."
Cheers from the Heart of North America
Will

Try to be more careful with your cutting and pasting. A link would be preferable to a complete repost. And I had to edit out a lot of garbage that transferred from the website.

If possible, go back and replace the text in this post with a link to the page where it appears; it's slightly off topic anyway.

Thanks,

Russ

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Feedback invited:  Here's a shot after the preliminary painting on the second fan.  Looking at the larger copy, I kinda feel like it needs something on that center circle -- a brass star maybe?  (Have a little star that would fit nicely)  ;)

Looking at the smaller copy, I'm not as sure if it needs anything else there.  This one will get the cord wrapped around it with the little plug on the front side.

Your thoughts are welcome ... and, yes, I know the grille is crooked ... it's just loosely propped in place for the moment!  :)

Thanks!
Dallas

It's strictly a matter of taste. A lot of fans have no medallion in the center. I think it looks fine right now. -- Russ

Quote from: finescalerr on February 11, 2011, 12:47:05 PM
Try to be more careful with your cutting and pasting. A link would be preferable to a complete repost. And I had to edit out a lot of garbage that transferred from the website.

If possible, go back and replace the text in this post with a link to the page where it appears; it's slightly off topic anyway.

Thanks,

Russ

Sorry Russ. I'll stand in the corner now.
Will

Dallas, brass star or not it´s great looking. I made up a somewhat less elaborate fan in 1/87 scale that I will refer to as a handmade Krakow prototype. ;) Excellent work and info. as usual.

Anders ;D

Anders -- Sounds interesting!  I hope you'll post some photos of the new (little) fan.

Meanwhile, I decided on a tiny blue dot placed over the center of the fan grille ... got that painted and placed and wrapped the cord around the fan ... which turned out to be a lot trickier than expected and resulted in a number of paint abrasions and such.  So, I'll have to do some touch-ups and refinishing before posting the final pix on that.  Then it's on to some more crazy details. 

Cheers,
Dallas

Dallas.....Sounds great with the cord and new crazy details ::) ::)  By now I have made to Krakow prototypes - will post together with other new pics. at my thread within a couple of days.

Anders ;D

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bouldervalleymodels.com%2Fimages%2Ffsrr%2Fmudgeons-toys.jpg&hash=16af91fc5a0689140bbc61a93d7de4b627d8977a)

Assembled a few pieces from the Verlinden Workshop Tools & Equipment set.  Almost "stock" assembly with a few small modifications / added pieces.  The set doesn't include any instructions or diagrams ...  >:( ??? ::) ... so I've posted a fairly detailed set of assembly notes and photos for these piece in my Railroad Line thread here:
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=29357&whichpage=37

Meanwhile, appears that Mr. Mudgeon has caught the "hobby bug" after watching me assemble these little doohickeys. Guess he's eager to get to work ... goofing off!  ;D

Cheers,
Dallas

Can't wait to see the box opened and all the 'bits' laid out .. wait .. is that a plastic kit or .. balsa and tissue? :/

Yeah, well Dallas. You certainly set yourself up for trouble with this one.  :D Can't wait to see that kit.

And I am not sure about how Millie will react to the new hobby.

Hah....hope he has a better glue this time. That dog fell apart.................  ???

Anders ;D

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bouldervalleymodels.com%2Fimages%2Ffsrr%2Fairplane-01b.jpg&hash=2a8271e03c7a2fd64f1dfbd5994dad33c20958a9)

That seems reasonable.  Let's see, a 1/35 scale dude wants to build a 1/20 scale airplane ... guess that means Mr. Narrator is going to have to locate a little 1/700 scale kit.  No problem!

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Fortunately, there's a whole "micro" niche in the scale hobby devoted to building little ships (including aircraft carriers!) in 1/700 scale.  Found this neat kit from Admiralty Model Works:
http://www.admiraltymodelworks.com/index.php/vmchk/1/700th-Scale-Accessories/WWI-RNAS-Biplanes/flypage_new.tpl.html

Kit sells for $18.00 and builds two each of the Sopwith Camel, Strutter and Pup.  Well, actually, I figure we'll be lucky if we can build one each with just one complete set of spare parts.  BTW, had some difficulty ordering on the company's web site ... sent an email, got a quick reply and received the order a few days later.  We'll start with the Sopwith Strutter, since that's the "largest" plane in the set!  8)

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Did as much clean-up as possible before removing the fuselage from the sprue, then used the back of a knife blade to gently scrape alongside the fuselage to remove it from the sprue -- very light touch, over and over until separated.  To sand the tail wings, I held the part with tweezers very close to the area to avoid breakage and sanded with a very, very light touch and very fine sanding stick.

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I think he "might" be fibbing a little about the balsa-and-paper construction of the fuselage!  ;)

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Any lunatic can weave a basket!  This is for the truly crazy people.  ;D

Cheers,
Dallas

Dallas .. man .. you are totally insane (in a good way)

Man, this is great morning entertainment. Who wants to read the news if you can start you day with this?

Very funny!

Insane is the word :o :o :o....will definitely use Chuck´s trick with the coin. Awesome work Dallas!

Anders ;D

*meh* .. what's the big deal anyhoo? :)

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 ;D :o :o

Shoot, now everybody knows!

Haha, miniature-miniatures.  Just don't build a model of the garage for inside the garage, because it will need another model inside of that, and you'll get caught in an endless loop of ever smaller models.  

The airplane model is a neat idea, sometimes you'd see a stick and tissue model hanging in an odd location like a gas station office.  Not so much anymore.   There was a bar near here with a big cardboard cut out B-17 that hung in the window since WW2.  A couple of years ago, I drove past, the bar was still there but the model was gone.  End of an era.   :-\

Dave

What a nice story, Dallas. You alone are sure exploring more concepts along one topic than many in many topics.
I love the fake coin image...

Dallas, you really must spend more time with your therapist .... -- ssuR

Quote from: finescalerr on February 15, 2011, 12:30:47 PM
Dallas, you really must spend more time with your therapist .... -- ssuR

Oh, I dunno ... the little airplane kit cost $18 and it builds SIX planes ... took me about 2 hours to build one of them ... so that's about $1.50/hr ... cheaper than any therapy ... and you have to stay really, really calm to stand any chance of getting one of those tiny little parts to go where you want it!  Put one part in place, put down the tweezers, push back, breath deep ... it's quite ... well, it's quite insane really ... but very meditative.  ;D

Touching on what Dave said ... we used to see those airplanes and such hanging in shops, because more of them were privately owned and reflected the personalities of those individuals ... now it's all cookie-cutter franchises and chain stores.  So, we'll step back in time and throw in a few "personal" items amidst the "normal" auto shop details ... couple of models here and there on the shelves, etc.

PS -- Not to brag or anything, but Mr. Mudgeon has the biggest fake coin around ... 35x actual size!  ;D

Cheers,
Dallas

Of course you will do the rigging on those planes, right?

You better not feed his madness, Chuck...

Geez Dallas,
I'm not really sure which part is more insane...the actual effort of putting together the micro plane kit, or the "alternative" SBS documentation of the build process.  Perhaps let me suggest for next time though, take a few extra of those "therapy pills" the Doc gave you, and try a bit of stop-motion animation with the SBS to load up on youtube, complete with overdubbed pretend comments and modelling tips from the little dude building toys in the garage...thats bound to get you certified for sure!!!

Creative, entertaining and ...scary.  Thanks for letting the quirky side of your model building be captured in an interesting fashion.  Always good to drop in on this thread to see where your head has gone too today ;D

Cheers,
Dan

What fun!! Certainly made my very rough day a little bit brighter.

Thanks all!  Assembling that little airplane with a pair of tweezers in each hand was certainly an interesting experience ... had a lot of fun putting together the cartoon panels.  ;D

Most recent efforts have gone to organizing all the little bits and pieces that are starting spread all over the place.   Got some nice little boxes at Ikea to hold Vallejo & Reaper paint bottles ... some others to store the growing collection of photo-etched and laser-cut parts safely ... some neat little jewelry containers from Michaels to hold the little detail parts as they get painted and store them safely until they're fixed in place ...

Also made a pair of "soft touch" tweezers by taking an extra pair and coating the tips with "liquid electrical tape" -- so I can handle painted parts without scratching, etc ...

Figured out a bunch of the detailing I'd like to do for Mudgeon's workbench ... so look forward to getting to that as soon as I finish sorting all this junk into the proper containers!  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

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Starting to prep and sort out possible details to go on a shelf over Mudgeon's desk ... it's just a small shelf above the bench and below the window.  Any/all thoughts and ideas welcome.  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

The little key is awesome, and an ideal part for photo etching in nickel silver and brass.  Actually a repair shop would likely have a little board of hooks for customer's ignition keys etc.   Might want to make one of those.

The Wehrmacht gas mask canister is an unlikely object for a prewar US gas station, though after the war, they might turn up in odd places as vet souvenirs. 

I see the small VC wrench is way too thick.  I do make them in a thinner black colored material, included in the small tool and Old Car Junk sets.   If you don't have any, LMK, I will send some. 

Dave   

Silly me ... I was looking at that canister as a Thermos!  Guess I'll have to make some modifications to that ... maybe if I just chop off the top and reshape it.  Will have to cruise the old web for some photos.  Speaking of which, the blobby gray thing is an "apple" from a Tamiya set ... I'll either reshape that to actually look like an apple or make one out of Magic Sculp.

More keys?  Yes ... there will be tiny nails along the front of the shelf with a bunch of keys ... and a couple on the little tags as shown.

Hmm ... little black wrenches might be handy ... I'll take you up on that.  Thanks!  Dallas

Looking great Dallas! What´s in the background - another of Mr. Mudgeon´s hobby projects? Maybe a boat ??? ???

Anders ;D

Thats an apple? Maybe cut off the stem and it could be a stale muffin...

Maybe it´s an apple in a flower pot ??? ??? ???

Anders ;D

Quote from: DaKra on February 23, 2011, 06:00:40 AM
The Wehrmacht gas mask canister is an unlikely object for a prewar US gas station, though after the war, they might turn up in odd places as vet souvenirs. 

Eh ... coffee ... mustard gas ... what's the difference?  ;D

Well, I found another generic canister that I'll use on the end of the shelf ... thought about making up a thermos, but this will be partly obscured by the drill press and I just want something about that size at the end of the shelf.  Who knows ... maybe it's a cookie jar.  Got in touch with Dave, and he'll send me some of those thinner tools ... meanwhile, I have a couple photo-etch pieces  that will work.

The apple/muffin/pin-cushion ... well now, we'll just have to see.  Might be able to reshape that, but it's hard as heck to hold!  Keeps flying out of my fingers (maybe a bit of wire glued into one side or bottom) ... or I'll just sculpt one.  Like the idea of the apple, silverware, lunch-type things up on the shelf ...

Maybe it would be easier to make a muffin ... we'll see ... or maybe I could find a fuzzy lint ball the right size for a peach.  :D

Anders -- Yes ... it's a boat, and there are some tiny little photo-etch parts to go with it.  Got three different sizes of little boats ... thought they'd make interesting shelf items for our little hobbyist!

Cheers,
Dallas

I think the tools need to be a bit larger, too. I suppose they could be hobby-sized, but given that the fork appears to be much larger, the first impression upon seeing them is that they are wrong.

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bouldervalleymodels.com%2Fimages%2Ffsrr%2Fapple-01.jpg&hash=bc87204ea35abbf63903b33e556da57e15f83e56)

Mixed up some Magic Sculp last night and rolled out a bunch of little prospective apples.  Dark gray one in corner is the funky Tamiya piece.

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Pretty tricky getting a decent shape and making them so they'll sit upright ... so made almost a dozen in hopes of getting one or two that will look right.  Next big trick will be trying to figure out how to paint an apple convincingly.  :-\   ???  :P

Fortunately, there's no shortage of painting tutorials on the web.  This one deals with "painting" an apple on a computer, but has the palette laid out nicely:
http://media.photobucket.com/image/how%20to%20paint%20an%20apple/nikokanakis/Myapple.jpg

Quote from: Bexley on February 24, 2011, 07:15:47 AM
I think the tools need to be a bit larger, too. I suppose they could be hobby-sized, but given that the fork appears to be much larger, the first impression upon seeing them is that they are wrong.

Thank you!  Really appreciate you guys taking a close look and offering the critiques.  Bexley -- definitely agree.  Tools come in all sizes, but there should be some balance here.  Looked thru a variety of tools that I've prepped, found a couple that seem to be idea replacements for these ... then ... dang camera battery had to be recharged.  So all the little bits got "tweezered" back into the little jewelry containers for safekeeping.  Will do more set-up and test shots as things get closer.  (Requires tweezers in each hand when arranging these things loosely, as one little bump turns the whole "composition" into an abstract.)  ;)

Thanks!
Dallas

He's completely turned mad...

For miniature food details, the doll house ladies are very helpful.  

http://www.cdhm.org/tutorials/learn-to-sculpt-miniature-apples.html

Stems are a bit too thick, otherwise, looks like an apple.

The walls of the coffee mug are too thick. Can't you do anything right? -- ssuR

Russ, I´ll bet Mr. Mudgeon would be very happy if you made him a paper cup!  8)

Anders ;D

Take yer gas mask canister, stick it in your rechargeable drill and turn the canister cap details off at slow speed with a sanding stick, and give it a bit of a shoulder.  Cut yourself a round top - either just the vacuum cap shape, or the thermos style cup and Baaam! your thermos is ready.  Some where I have a pic of one I did for my current project - I'll see if it is handy.  You can use cut down the ball point pen end cap (the thin metal chromed ones that go over the clicky thing <tech term> for retracting and extending) for the drinking cup that would screw on the flask as well.

Thanks for the link to the apple colors - I have three magi-sculpt versions that look awful as a result of my paint job - salvage job coming up.

Cool project, sir.

Paul

Your NUTS I telle ya....just plain NUTS!   ;D

Why must you do this to me....now I am getting a total inferioriy complex......sheesh! ;D


M

Paul -- Welcome aboard!  I'm enjoying the progress on your 1/16 diorama and hope that a bigger bottle is on the way to help you thru the initial hazing here.  ;)  Well worth it though, these guys are a big help with all the critiques, suggestions and so forth.  Regarding the Thermos, I found photos of another early type with fluted sides, gave that gas mask some thought ... and settled on another more generic canister for the end of the shelf.  Think I'll put a coffee pot and a hot plate in the office area so a Thermos won't be necessary!  (Sometimes it's nice to take the easy way out for a change.) ;D

I've done some initial prep for painting of the apples ... if it works out, I'll post some notes.  If not, I'll just keep trying ...

Marc -- Yeah, right!   :D  Thanks for dragging me over to this forum ... keeps me on my toes.  (And not just practicing ballet for the forum recital.)  ::)  :P

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Mr. Mudgeon liked the idea of the apples so much, he asked for more crispy snacks.  Since 1/35 scale almonds and cashews are out of the question, we decided to try making some pretzels.  The ones with the "correct" pretzel twist look a bit too chunky, but some of the ones with the simplified twist (like upper right) might work.  So, I made a bunch more like that (not shown) ... will try painting them with a modified version of the "salt technique" and see how they look ...

(Like the apples, I made a lot more than I need so I can pick thru them later and select the better looking ones.)

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By the way, did I ever show y'all the nifty little tweezers that Mr. Mudgeon uses for working on his little boats and airplanes?

Cheers,
Dallas

Dallas, I´m very impressed by Mr. Mudgeon´s hobby stuff and snacks. Thought he might have to relax a bit so I sent him two bottles of red Bordeaux in 1/35 scale.

Anders :o ;D

You're right, Dallas. Pretzels with salt will taste better.

cirederF... (Paraphrasing ssuR...).

Wow Dallas.  You continue to amaze me.  Both with your skills, and with your apparent insanity.

... apparent ... ???

You guys are missing the point. Mr. Mudgeon will recoil at the taste of resin pretzels, salt or no salt, wine or no wine. -- ssuR

Ha!  They're not resin ... special batch of sourdough, from the finest milled flour and other tiny little ingredients in earth.  Gonna get Nick to build a scale brick oven so they'll be baked to perfection.  -- Dallas  :)

You will also need scale mustard. No cheating with paint!

Hmm ... scale mustard, eh?  I was thinking of these as hard pretzels (no mustard) ... but if they turn out to be soft pretzels (must have mustard), then we'll have to figure that out.  :)

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On the RR Line forum, Frederic mentioned that this project is starting to remind him of Zeno's paradox of Achileus and the tortoise.  ;)

Well the goal here was to get one good apple to sit on a shelf behind the workbench, and I think that should work out ... maybe even a couple others to use elsewhere.  Some have better shapes/size than others, etc., so I'll pick thru them later and select which one(s) to use.

This is the first time I've painted fruit of any size or type.  Pretty pleased with these, but wide open to any/all thoughts, comments, criticism, etc.  Have some photos and notes on the painting process, so if they look okay to you guys and/or anyone is interested, I can post some of that info later.

Cheers,
Dallas, Mudgeon & the Tortoise!
(Achileus is on this own)

The fruit is cool but did you steal that old radio from my music website (www.westlakerecords.com (http://www.westlakerecords.com))? -- ssuR

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No, this is a far more rare and valuable vintage radio ... it's a genuine Vectrola!   ;)

-- Dallas

Ah, so it is. Mine is similar. -- Russ

Again, Dave has worked wonders!
This 1:35 garage will have been a fantastic opportunity to expand VectorCut's line of unexpected items.

excellent! You Nailed it again!  :o

Gads.... I wish I could do that in 48th

Beautiful paint job with the Vectrola and what a great Art Deco design by wizard Dave! Neat apples too - wonder what Tamiya was thinking about when they designed that other muffin/apple? ???

Anders ;D

Quote from: Philip Smith on February 28, 2011, 05:49:37 AM
excellent! You Nailed it again!  :o

Gads.... I wish I could do that in 48th

Think that from 1:35 to 1:48 is like a 73% reduction. Wonder if Dave could do that readily enough?

The radio would be nice if offered in 1/48.....and 1/2 inch  ;D

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Went to make some coffee and the unbleached coffee filters caught my eye .... very thin material.  This is just a quickie test.  The filter material is really thin, but also very fibrous ... so I'm not sure if it would need some varnish to settle down the fibers ... or just use a different material, like unbleached napkins ... or ... anyway, chalk this one up as experimental for now.  Getting the appropriate creases and folds was relatively easy in this scale, just a matter of very carefully and lightly scribing the folds, including the little triangular bits on the lower part of the sides.

Full credit to Dave for the cool radio!  (www.vectorcut.com)

It seems that he's constantly experimenting with different ideas ... and then refining those depending on what works out best.  From our conversations, I gather that he's trying to work out exactly how he'd like to do this as an O scale detail ... I think the test pieces that I was fortunate to receive (thanks Dave!) went together beautifully for 1/35 (and I know Dave is curious whether something like this would sell the 1/35 crowd) ...  

So, it seems likely that he'll add this as an O scale detail at some point, and if you allow him a bit of time he may do the 1/35 for 1/24 as a special order .... but check with Dave, cuz I don't want to get in trouble here with my dealer!  8)

PS -- Ed is right ... O scale is roughly 3/4 the size of 1:35.   In reverse, 1:35 is about a third larger than O scale.

Multiplier is approximately 1.37 (or .73 if you're going the other way) ... so, there's not a "big" difference when looking at a single dimension, but when you multiply that out (1.37)cubed, a three-dimensional 1:35 item occupies about 2-1/2 times the volume of the same item in 1:48 scale.  So, in that sense, it's 2.5x the size and somewhat easier to work on the little bits ... if you completely ignore the insane urge to model the smaller and smaller little details as you move into a larger scale!  ;D

I suspect that only Frederic remains interested once we go into mathematics  ;) ... so let's end on a happy note and say, "Dang, Dave that sure is a real cool radio!"  ;D

Cheers,
Dallas

The funny math point is that these multipliers are quite exactly the same as those from HO to S, which easily explains why S looks so more massive than HO.
The filter trick is great. And I love your attention going down to shaping the triangles in the bottom sides...

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Here's another little experimental piece ... I was looking at the plastic cup (left), noticing that the thickness of the rim needed to be evened out and wondering how to paint that item ... whether to finish it as a shiny metal cup or what.  Then decided to have a go at making a little glass (center).  Found a piece of clear plastic sprue in a 1:32 auto kit, cut that to length and drilled out the inside ... that produces a hazy/frosted surface, so I hit that with some gloss varnish.  It needs another coat of that, but I used a brush that wasn't properly cleaned on the first coat ... thus the brownish bit around the rim (lesson learned!).  This one is a bit small ... but back in the day it was awfully common to "recycle" by using jelly jars as drinking glasses, etc.  So, I'll dig around in other kits to see what size sprues might be available, make a few different glasses ... varnish them with clean brushes (!!) ... and pick one.  BTW, that bit of styrene rod is to test the idea of using the jelly jar as a pencil cup ... think it's neat to have a see-thru piece with some interior detail!  ;)

Again, to be clear and give full credit where due ... the cool, fancy radio was ALL Dave's design and idea ... I was just the very fortunate recipient of the test piece (since he had some other stuff to send me anyway) ... and it was a real delight to put together a fancy, ornate neat-looking detail that really didn't take a lot of thought or fumbling on my part!  (I really, really enjoy taking the easy way out when it's available!)   :)

Cheers,
Dallas

PS -- Greg Shinnie does some (really) neat detailing in HO scale ... he saw that "huge" radio and suggested installing an LED to light up the dial.  Think I'm going to try to sneak by on that one ... but the radio is big enough to make that possible.  Food for thought for other insane people to enjoy!  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

The glass doesn't bother me a all. It looks as though somebody drank milk or a shake or a float from it. The paper bag is insane. -- Russ

 
   

QuotePS -- Ed is right ... O scale is roughly 3/4 the size of 1:35.   In reverse, 1:35 is about a third larger than O scale.

   a good sample of aritmatics  ;D ;D ;D

   fantastic modeling and presenting it, keep up these exercises  8) 8)

   Jacq

Math... makes my head hurt, I'm still counting on my fingers.  :-\   I always liked Geometry though.     

The LED illuminated dial is a good idea.  Actually the prototype for the radio model is an HO version with a lighted dial.   I scaled the kit up for Dallas, but removed the cut outs in the relevant parts to house the micro LED.  Over on RR-Line Dallas mentioned adding an interior, which is also cool.

But I think the radio in a car garage should be more of a prop and not call too much attention to itself.    Put the effort into a disassembled motor, that would be such a great focal point for this diorama.     

Anyway, glad the radio went together so well, it really looks the part.   The apples and paper bag look great, too.     

Dave
 

Dave, Ponder this.
Why not make it a larger floor model radio in 48th......

Nice additions Dallas!

Hi Phillip

For an O scale floor model I'd do an illuminated juke box, anything less is cheating.   ;)   This radio kit is no problem to scale down to 1/48.   Its right behind a couple of other projects.

Dave     

Quote from: DaKra on March 01, 2011, 08:04:20 AM
Its right behind a couple of other projects.    

One of those dang well better be the {top secret} special order item!  Remember ... you've got a deadline and we can't have you cracking under pressure:

Dallas, methinks you require urgent therapy. -- ssuR

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Well, I was fortunate to receive a nice little package of goodies from ScaleHardware.com for my birthday ... so I got to looking at those, and the various other laser-cut and photo-etched hardware items on hand ... started thinking about "normal" uses for these parts ... and quickly skated off on another demented tangent!  ;D

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While exploring the dementia, I couldn't help wonder if that idea might be a little too "modern art" for our 1940s garage scene.  So I consulted our old friend the internet and quickly found this article in the January 1946 issue of Popular Mechanics ... and we were off.  (Of course the pun is intended)

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Quote from: finescalerr on March 01, 2011, 01:27:28 PM
Dallas, methinks you require urgent therapy. -- ssuR

Oops ... should have read this first, I could have made a nuts-n-bolts therapist while I was at it!  ;D

Cheers,
Dallas

I'm speechless. (oddly enuf I can still type).

I have one of those from the restaurant years. It' s a waitress a customer gave me wife years ago.
Pretty cool episode, keep it up!  8)

haha  :D    Its always a kick to see where and how VC parts turn up; I would never have imagined this one!

Dallas,     Heres something that might be of interest??

It certainly is!  Fills the mind with all sorts of distracting notions ... but I'm on a mission now ... no more bolt sculptures until a few other things get put together.  :)

(I especially like the motorcycles with the hex nut wheels -- if those are fat enough, you don't even need a kickstand.)

Thanks!
Dallas

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Time to start making use of those electrical sockets.  One cord goes from the outlet to the fan, which seems to make sense ... the other two just seem to dead-end. Yup ... those are dummy ends for the grinder and drill-press that go on the bench. Each of those will get a cord with an end glued to the back of the bench to make installation manageable.  ;)

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And here we place the bench to see how things look.

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Installed the shelf brackets with little scale nails that will probably disappear into the shadows and never be seen ... but you just never know!  Also, the fan got a neat little photo-etched ID /serial number plate. Found this in a 1/35 Maybach engine kit scavenged for shop parts.

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And some really, really tiny nails that definitely will be seen to hang the keys. This is the .004" steel wire from Ngineering.com -- neat stuff! Used a felting needle to VERY carefully poke a hole in the edge of the shelf, then pushed the wire in place with a tiny dab of ACC on the end. The keys should be touched up with slightly varying shades of color ... I may or may not remember to do that!  ;D

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All comments, thoughts and ideas welcome!
None of the stuff on the wall is glued in place at this point, so NOW is the time ... and I'm a bit cross-eyed from those tiny little key nails and stuff ... so your input really is valuable! Too much junk ... not enough junk ... wrong junk ... whatever your thoughts might be (a few notes below regarding certain items).

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Ah-ha! Mr. Nutty's shelf (new name for the bolt man). The boat is still mounted on its original casting blob. Plan to use a slightly larger boat (which is shorter than the base of this one) ... possibly convert it to a sailboat ... and mount it on a suitable little display base.

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Again ... all comments, thoughts and ideas welcome (and appreciated)!
None of the stuff on the wall is glued in place at this point, so NOW is the time ... and a few quick notes:
-- The wagon wheel looks a bit heavy in its black base coat ... but that will get a rather worn white-wash, so it should drop back a good bit.
-- The girlie spark plug sign is a fresh copy ... have another one that's been thinned and toned down quite a bit.
-- Not concerned about the items on the metal shelf at this point ... just put a few things there so it wouldn't be starkly empty for the pix.
-- The area to the left of the bench will get a tire rack with various details below ... so that area isn't being addressed right now ... and, of course, one day Mr. Mudgeon will get a proper bench that isn't stuck together with scotch tape!

Cheers,
Dallas

It's really coming along. -- Russ

Great to see all details in one place now. I wouldn´t change anything and when all the primed parts gets some paint they will blend in beautifully. Even the fan is improved - incredible! Wonder if those Italian keys will work in the US? ???

Tiny N-scale loco speaker in the radio and Russ´ new CD on the air would be neat............ ;D ;D ;D

Anders :o ;D

Between yours and Anders', these garage threads will have features an unbelievable amount of great work, Dallas.
What's the size of these keys (I'd guess between 1 and 2 mm considering the size of the real ones...) and how did you get them?

I keep meaning to ask (and am too lazy to read back through the whole thread to see if you mentioned it) but where did you get the PE keys?

Love the cords plugged into the outlets; its the everyday stuff like that which makes a miniature fascinating, but is so often neglected by the model builder because it is so mundande in full size.

Couple of things that come to mind.  I'd figure a workbench for power tools, and a desk for the paperwork.  Power tools and paperwork sharing a writing desk suggests a shop that has run out of work space, so you should have some very dense clutter everywhere else to make that a more believable scenario.  

Also from shops I've seen and worked in, it seems that bulky heavy stuff tends to congregate at or near floor level, also stuff that gets tossed aside in the heat of the moment, and stuff that one thinks one needs ASAP (but forgets).   So I figure something like the car door would more likely be propped up on the floor, maybe outside.  Also the wagon wheel, same thing.  To me it looks a bit too deliberate, like Cracker Barrel decor, the way its placed up front and center, not the natural flotsam and jetsam of a gas and oil garage.    

Of course anything can end up anywhere in an old shop, but being as ordinary and usual as possible, helps believability.

Dave  

     

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Bexley & Frederic -- The keys are from a set intended for 1/24 scale, but a number of the items seem to work quite well for 1/35.  Got them from www.DetailMaster.com while exploring Gn15 as my "large scale" option ...

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Close-up of the parts on this set.  The middle-size keys are about 2.5mm and the others are just slightly smaller or larger.  A number of the items are out of my time period and some are over-sized for use with the 1/35 scale, but the keys, silverware and knives (including Swiss army type) seem to cross-over nicely.  BTW, the handles of the slip-joint pliers were used to make Mr. Mudgeon's tiny 1/35 scale tweezers!  ;)

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Rather than relying strictly on measurements, I had a look at the details compared to the 1/35 figures, etc.  Here's one of the keys mounted on a fob with a rather crude Tamiya 1/35 hand reaching into the picture.  Based on that, and the fact that the little keys were so beautifully shaped and recognizable, I decided to go for it.  Many of the keys are two-side (more modern), but I decided to ignore that concern ... again, because they were immediately recognizable as keys and neatly done.

Quote from: DaKra on March 04, 2011, 06:23:45 AM
Love the cords plugged into the outlets; its the everyday stuff like that which makes a miniature fascinating, but is so often neglected by the model builder because it is so mundane in full size.

Couple of things that come to mind.  I'd figure a workbench for power tools, and a desk for the paperwork.  Power tools and paperwork sharing a writing desk suggests a shop that has run out of work space, so you should have some very dense clutter everywhere else to make that a more believable scenario.  

YES!  Definitely trying to include a lot of the mundane everyday stuff for that reason.  I don't really have the skills (yet!) to do photo-realistic modeling ... not quite sure that I really want to go "there" at this point anyway ... kind of going for a cross between realistic modeling and a detailed theatre or movie set.  A place that invites the viewer to suspend disbelief and become involved in the story.  So, all those little "everyday" details become even more important than the exact size of nuts-n-bolts.

The shop is VERY small -- about 18x28' footprint.  There will be two workbenches and one desk.  The one shown with machinery will be a sort of cross-over ... machinery was placed on that because it's a sturdy metal desk/bench.  The keys are there and the work orders will be laying on the bottom of the drill press and the desktop will be densely cluttered both with work and play items (the hobby stuff!) and snacks and all ... not unlike some of my work areas!  ;)  There will be another wooden workbench along the back wall with a greater concentration of hand tools and such.  And a small actual "desk" near the front door where gas sales, book-keeping and such gets done ...

Quote from: DaKra on March 04, 2011, 06:23:45 AM
Also from shops I've seen and worked in, it seems that bulky heavy stuff tends to congregate at or near floor level, also stuff that gets tossed aside in the heat of the moment, and stuff that one thinks one needs ASAP (but forgets).   So I figure something like the car door would more likely be propped up on the floor, maybe outside.  Also the wagon wheel, same thing.  To me it looks a bit too deliberate, like Cracker Barrel decor, the way its placed up front and center, not the natural flotsam and jetsam of a gas and oil garage.    

Of course anything can end up anywhere in an old shop, but being as ordinary and usual as possible, helps believability.

Dave      

Actually, the wagon wheel WAS intended as Cracker Barrel decor ... a piece of nostalgia hung up on the wall by the kinda guy who would build little airplanes and ships in the shop whenever he gets a chance.  That may or may not work out ... which is why I put everything up temporarily and asked for feedback (much appreciated!)

I'm planning to do some dry-lath on the back wall to make it easier to hang hoses, belts and all that stuff.  Might end up extending that onto this end wall ... and/or ... maybe put a shelf up over the window and metal shelf "to get more crap out of the way" as one would do in a small shop with little floor space.  So, I'll let the things sit in their temporary positions for a while, mull it over and consider any/all additional feedback. 

Again, all of that is MUCH appreciated ... really helps to have your thoughts and ideas throughout the process.

Cheers,
Dallas

Further to the keys ... Royal Model makes a 1/35 photo-etch set "Wing Nuts, Keys & Padlocks" (set #038):
http://www.royalmodel.com/en/catalogo_dettaglio.php?id_art=399

Those really are Italian keys, as suggested by Anders ... but I used the 1/24 set I had since the size seemed okay, and they were already paid for!  To the extent that anyone might agree that the 1/24 keys worked okay in 1/35 ... well, the 1/35 keys might be passable in 1/48.  YMMV.  ;D

Have the Royal Model set on my wish-list and will get those when the need for padlocks arises ... maybe when I get as far as building the garage doors ...

Cheers,
Dallas

Thanks! I was going to ask about the fork too, but forgot. I tried the Verlinden 1/35 dinnerware set, but it's awful. It's in brass thinner than tinfoil, and about as rigid. Many of the pieces have to be glued back to back, but they're so fragile, it's hard to get them in position to glue without damaging them horribly. I gave up on them, which is a shame, because they looked really good.

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Bexley --

Just checked the Detail Master sheet and it seems to be .004" thick ... BUT, it's etched stainless, so the parts are relatively sturdy.  I put the spoon on a scrap piece of Taskboard (pressed paper board, not as dense as the stuff on the back of a notepad) ...pressed into it with the tip of a ballpoint pen and wiggled that around to try to approximate a spoon shape!  ;D  Curves were done by pending over styrene rod or whatever ... if the fork spikes/tines/bits (whatever they're called) seem uneven, that's okay ... I've eaten off many a similar fork!  :)

ALSO ... they ARE "oversized" for 1/35 ... the fork, bent as shown, measures a touch over 7mm which translates to an actual fork just under 10".  The forks in my kitchen are about 7-1/2" long, so the set is "right" for 1/24 scale ... but, placed amongst the various objects and compared directly to the figures they seem quite passable to me.  (In other words, my eyes don't tell me what the calculator seems to indicate -- your mileage may vary!)  ;)

(This also ties into my theory that since some of the finest details are necessarily oversized -- for lack of appropriate materials, etc -- that some of the other details should be purposely oversized to create a visual balance.  Not grossly oversized, of course ... anyway, it's a fine line at best ... and perhaps a flimsy theory altogether ... but I'm pleased with the results so far!)  8)

The Swiss Army knife is made up of five pieces, which I've painted separately ... I'll snap a photo of that and the other knives when I get them assembled/painted.  I did manage to assemble some Verlinden brass tools, but they were a bugger and really delicate ... some of those will make it out into the shop, others will be used to fill the bottom of drawers or toolboxes.

FWIW, I laid the keys and other photo-etched parts on blue painter's tape for painting (or at least priming) and carefully lifted/flipped them using a very DULL chisel blade ... worked that under each part carefully to lift almost completely free of the tape before using the tweezers.  And ... I've actually gone ahead and ordered the Royal Model keys/padlock set (#038) because I really wanted to check out their workshop accessories (#039).  It will be interesting to compare those keys ... but pretty sure I'll stick with the ones already in place, as anything smaller would completely disappear in most shots (back to a corollary of that crazy theory).  Interestingly, it was cheaper to order the parts from a dealer in Australia than direct from Royal Model in Italy.  Essentially the same price, but much lower shipping.

PS -- Anders:  Received your package -- many thanks!

Cheers,
Dallas

Going thru the evening emails and a buddy reminded me that Hauler (www.Hauler.cz) also has a set of padlocks -- looks like their set has more locks than the Royal Model set, but no keys.

A few of their items that might be of interest:
-- HLC35004 Horseshoes
-- HLU35011 Padlocks (have Royal Model on order)
-- HLU35031 US Pigeons of War (resin pigeons in PE cage)
-- HLU35032 German Pigeons of War (different style cage)

The pigeons could be interesting as something to keep the dog out back entertained ... but Plus Model has a rabbit hutch kit that might be even more fun ... and Mantis makes some 1/35 bunnies doing things that bunnies like to do!   So many cool things out there ... too much reality in the budget.  :-\  Oh well, at the rate I'm going, I can keep collecting a few more packs of parts each month and it'll all work out.  :)

Cheers,
Dallas

Dallas, I think it looks good in that larger scale. If you hadn´t mentioned the various scale sizes and dimensions I wouldn´t have noticed.

Anders ;D

Dallas, I think their should be an interest in gathering all the fine references you've posted along this thread to provide a sort of 'catalog' of sources for extreme parts.

Frederic --

Yes ... at some point I want to make an index of this thread and the one on RR-L forum ... including a consolidated list of the various links ... but first I want to make more progress on the modeling!  ;)

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Some crazy Swede tried to bribe Mr. Mudgeon into fixing a Saab by giving him a couple bottles of wine ... so far, no work has been done on the Saab ... I've been throwing those little scale bricks at him all day, and he's only just starting to become responsive.  (Thanks a lot, Anders, your little care package has been a really big help!)  ;D

Cheers,
Dallas

Mr. Mudgeon......two bottles of vintage Bordeaux gone in a second  :o. Those were a special import from a wine merchant in Scotland by the name of Accurate Armour

Back to modeling. Dallas, here´s a set of 1/35 scale cutlery from Aber that you might not have seen. Don´t know anything about the quality.

Anders ;D 

http://www.hlj.com/scripts/hljlist?Word=aber%201%2F35&Dis=2&DisplayMode=images&Sort=std&qid=UJ4MNJ3G7WQ&q=1&Page=2

Ah!  Thanks ... for the bottles ... and the info.  I hadn't see the little BEER bottles on the Accurate-Armour site ... those might be small enough to work for soda bottles.  (I have some clear wine bottles which are too big.)

Also, I went to the Aber site (www.aber.net.pl) -- they have pdf copies of the various instructions posted and they suggest shaping spoons with the tip of a  ballpoint pen too!  ;)  Their set appears to be brass, so it would be tricky to get those tiny items shaped properly without mangling them ... will have to give it a try sometime.  Meanwhile, I have some brass buckets to assemble, so I think I'll practice on those first ...

Thanks again!
Dallas

Dallas,
Now if you can just get a shot of him blind drunk on the floor, and wearing the 3D glasses from that details etching set, that would really complete the scene.

Bricks...thats a hangover cure I haven't tried before ;D

Cheers,
Dan

Dan --  That would be a little too much like those really scary 1960s Brasilian "psychedelic" movies ... whoa, make it stop!  ;D

Continuing on the bottles, I ordered some little "1:43" scale Coca-Cola bottles from an ebay vendor (under $3.00 for 10 of them with shipping) ... thinking that they might match the little "pony" bottles that I remember from childhood.  Those arrived today and they are almost perfect 1/35 scale size for the old 6.5 oz bottles -- in 1/35 they measure about 2.5" diameter x 7" tall (quick eyeball measurement with scale rule).

These were produced for some sort of mass-market Coca Cola delivery truck or something ... need a little clean-up on the bottom of the bottle and then probably some retouch with clear gloss, but they should do neatly.

Also, quick curiosity, during WWII the green tint went away from the bottles, as that was produced by adding copper to the glass and the metal shortages eliminated that option ...

Anders -- If you need a few of these, I'll send them along ...  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

Coke bottles - that would be great - thanks Dallas. ;D Are there any 1/35 detail parts on this planet that your´e not aware of? ???

Anders :o

Yes!  And it's quite a job sorting out all the usable "civilian" goodies from the various artillery and infantry accessories offered in 1/35, so I really appreciate it when you guys chime in with the various other sources and suggestions.

Speaking of which, I will take the suggestion made by Frederic, "M" and a couple others and eventually create an index of all the links in this thread and the one on RR-L ... but first, a little more muddling and modeling!  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

"Quite a job" - that´s a big understatement! It´s a fantastic job your´e doing sorting out everything for us.

Much appreciated! :)

Anders ;D

Yer both lunatics.

The very first non "white styrene" improvement I can remember making was turning clear plastic sprue in my old battery powered hand drill to make 1/35 bottles... coke bottles are harder to do obviously  ;D, but modern water bottles and vodka are no brainers... polish and Future and they look very nice.  Getting two alike - weeellll - that takes longer...

I now keep all of my transparent sprue for this reason.  Keep it coming boys, I love watching you fill up the desk space. At this rate, I'll have the know how to make my 1:35th desk look as cluttered and unusable as my 1:1 version  ::)

Paul

Heh. I've made many, many Nuka Cola bottles that way. I tried making molds and casting them, so I could put a drop of clear resin in first, followed by caramel-colored resin, so that they would look like full bottles, with air in the top. But after about a hundred tries, I think I only got one to turn out right, so I ended up just painting on the soda color using a mix of Tamiya clears.

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Alrighty!  Let's start our trashy little tutorial with a happy face and some "googly" or "wiggly" eyes as found in the craft store -- you can get a pack of assorted sizes for a buck or so, and they're handy when you need little dome shapes, domed lenses ... or trash can lids!

These little wiggly eyes used to be pressed together, but now they seem to heat-seal them.  Tried using a razor blade to slice them, but found that a little photo-etched saw worked much better.  I got an assortment of these from an ebay seller (search "DreamModel Photo Etched Saw) ... or you can find an assortment of other brands by searching "saw" on www.BnAModelWorld.com in Australia.  (Good place to see a fair selection; just placed my first order with them a few days ago -- so can't report on delivery time just yet!)

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I put the little saw blade on a scrap of .040" styrene as shown in previous photo and turned the wiggly eye against that to get a good groove all the way around as shown above left -- then proceeded to cut through and sand the edges with a very fine sanding stick.

Originally, I was planning to use the domed portion for the can lid ... and that would make a handy, simpler solution for the smaller scales.  But, after I cut the wiggly eyes, I liked the bottom half better for a can lid ... and worked out the embossing pattern as shown above right.

For reference, I used 18mm wiggly eyes for my 1/35 scale can lids -- they're about 2' scale diameter.

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Embossing the lids:  Used a circle cutter (found at craft store) to cut a disk of .010" styrene to fit inside the bottom part of the wiggly eye and used a paper punch to put hole in the center of that.  Used some rubber-tipped tweezers to hold that inside the wiggly eye lid ...

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Then used a cheap mechanical pencil with .5mm lead to emboss the circle.  The plastic is quite sturdy on these little eyes, so you have to start lightly and work up with increasing pressure.  Also, found this works much better on a piece of cardboard (as found on back of a notepad) than a rubber mat -- you need some "give" in the material underneath to allow the embossing to work.  After the circle was done, I hand-drew the radial lines and traced over those repeatedly with increasing pressure until they looked okay from the opposite side.  The embossing changes the shape of the originally-flat lid to a nice little "pressed steel" dome as shown at far right.

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The mysterious case of "invisible" trash cans!  Figured it would be easier to see what I was doing with the embossing if I could see thru the material being used, so I grabbed some of this stuff ... and it worked quite well in that regard.  If you want to make dented or dinged trash cans, you might want to try .005" styrene sheet, heavy foil, etc., as this material is hard to shape in that regard.

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Height:  Made my cans about 30" scale height -- they come in lots of different sizes, and that just looked good to me!  Length of wrapper:  Should be Pi (3.14) x diameter of the tubing that you use inside (see below), plus a little extra to allow for overlap and gluing the edges (about 1mm will do).  Since I don't have a decimal ruler handy, I found it easiest to measure the diameter of my core tubing in millimeters, multiply that by 3.14 and determine the length needed ... then mark that with a metric ruler.

Emboss the horizontal lines:  Marked out the dimensions on the clear stock and taped that to a piece of Evergreen #2025 V-groove siding (.025" spacing).  Used the mechanical pencil to LIGHTLY emboss each line, then repeated each again with a little more pressure.  It takes a little practice to get the right amount for the desired effect, so it pays to practice embossing on a scrap piece before starting.

And, if somebody's repeating this exact process in 1/35 scale ... the top band is 1 groove below the top of the wrapper (red rectangle), second band is 1 groove below that ... then skip 3 grooves and make 2 more bands.  Bottom bands are 2 and 3 grooves above bottom edge.

Not sure how much you can put in a single post here ... so hang on a minute ...

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Emboss the vertical lines:  Remove the tape and lay the clear stock over some Evergreen #2060 V-groove (.060" spacing), tape it ONLY in the CENTER as the material will curl as you emboss ... start by embossing the center vertical line and work out to one end, then the other.  (For an O scale version, seems like #2040 V-groove would be a good choice here.)

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I tried doing a couple with just a little disk of styrene at the bottom ... but that tended to produce a funky, oval-ish shape toward the top.  I think you could overcome this by assembling the wrapper over a cylinder covered in wax-paper or some other non-stick coating, then sliding the wrapper off to mount on a bottom ... but I opted for a simpler compromise as shown below.

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Found that by assembling the wrapper over a piece of styrene tubing that was roughly half the height of the can would produce a nice round shape.  For 1/35 scale, I used 5/8" tube.  For other size cans & wiggly eyes, be sure that the size of the tubing plus 2x the thickness of the wrapper material is a little less than the inside diameter of the lid.

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Detailed bottom:  Just for kicks, I made one of them with a detailed bottom, so it could be displayed knocked-over.  Cut a disk of .040" styrene slightly smaller than the tubing and tacked that to the tubing with a glue stick (UHU, etc) -- let that set while embossing the wrapper, then glued the wrapper to the tubing and knocked off the little .040" spacer underneath ... then used a circle template to emboss some concentric circles on a piece of .005" styrene which was trimmed and glued in place where that spacer had been.

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Handles:  These were made just by cutting a thin band of ordinary paper to about 1" scale width, then marking the desired bends and folding those with fine-tip tweezers.  Above left, you can see the false bottom that I added on top of the styrene tube ... figured that would reduce the amount of "detailed trash" that I have to produce!  ;)   And, at right, you can see that I still haven't decided on the final finish.  ;D

Cheers,
Dallas

Dallas .. was Gobsmacked on RRL Forum .. and find myself still so. Man .. that's beyond cool. Not sure what that would be .. Hyper-Cool I suppose ..  :o

I was searching last night for pipe fittings (ended up ordering from Prastruct) but .. found this

135th Construction Battalion kit #CO 0102, Plumbing Fixtures (http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=829)

Thought it pretty cool

"Wiggly Eyes"..... :o who would turn those into trash cans except for you Dallas? ??? Excellent job and as always well explained with good pictures. Great tutorial but it seems to be a lot more work than I thought on the other hand they turned out just perfect.

Cool link there Ed! ::)

Anders ;D

I'm a big fan of making "something from nothing" using low tech and common materials.  Proof that clever thinking and skill will always trump high tech and funding.  Stuff like this is so inspiring, thanks for sharing your ideas Dallas!

Dave

Quote from: Junior on March 13, 2011, 05:17:30 AM
Great tutorial but it seems to be a lot more work than I thought on the other hand they turned out just perfect.

Anders -- Gee, I hope the "excruciating detail" of the SBS didn't make it look harder than it is!  ;D  But, as you get into your 1/35 scale stuff, I think you'll find that each little detail has the possibility of becoming a project by itself.  Each one has the potential for super-detailing, fine variations in the coloring and such.  Working out the process of making the first trash can successfully took a while ... after that, making two more went very quickly!

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Tonight I'm working on adding more dimension and depth to the stick-built walls using watercolor pencils -- literally "coloring in" some shadows, additional woodgrain, color variations and so forth, then blending those tones into the woodwork using a paint brush and some isopropyl alcohol ...

Did a bunch of practice stuff first (of course), then did this first round of coloring on the end wall ... stopped to shoot some photos and do some comparison and review before moving on.

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After reviewing the previous round of interior shots, the coloring/tones on the wood walls seemed a bit "flat" to me ... just all sort of blended together.  So, I'm trying to create a little more depth & shadow here and some additional variations in the coloring ... plus some dirt/dust accumulating on the horizontal surfaces.

Not "finished" yet ... but if you compare the end wall (left side of photo) with the back wall, I think you can see a substantial difference.  The back wall (at right) hasn't received any of this treatment yet, and the wood tones all sort of blend together.  Going to study this a bit more and do some more work on the end wall, then do the longer back wall ...

PS -- Dave:  Don't worry!  All that "Cracker Barrel" crap on the wall is coming down!  I took it down to do this round of coloring, then put it back up again just to make the comparison more effective (for myself!) ... will be replacing that stuff with shelving, cardboard parts boxes, etc.

Cheers,
Dallas

Those shadows really made a difference - looking great! I used tons of pastel powders for my garage interior but as you said 1/35 scale is different everything shows so be careful with those. Oh yes, I have started on some details in this monster scale and spent about six hours on a rundown ladder. In 1/87 scale it would have been finished in about half an hour but lacking most of the details. A lot of fun it is and sometimes very rewarding - as you mentioned a model in itself.

Anders ;D

Hey! No fair!

I just used Googly Eyes as the end piece on my little green motor - I was sure i was the only one who had come up with using those  ::) - is there no such thing as an original idea anymore?

Nice looking little trash cans, Dallas - and the bottom detail is the kind of stuff that makes it work.

Nope!  All the original ideas are all used up.  :D

Can't remember when/where, but I picked up first pack of googly eyes years ago based on comments by yet another modeler on the useful shapes ... so it goes.

Cheers,
Dallas

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Working on a little adjustable window screen to fill the space above the fan in the end wall.  This is the screen material that Dave provides with the little HO screen doors he makes ... looks even better in the larger scale.  ;)  Framed one side of each with .010 x .020" styrene to give it a little strength, then used matching strips of paper on the opposite side to keep the overall thickness reasonable.

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Here's some more to add to the zillions of links ... DioArt makes a nice range of printed items for 1/35 scale, many of which are also suited for O scale. For example, the little minis in the pin-up set (aka playing cards) measure around 3x5 to 4x6" in 1/35 scale ... or about 4x6 to 5x7" in O scale. Posters are roughly 11x14 to 13x18" in 1/35 and 13x17 to 18x20" in O scale.

Recycling some old fruit and vegetable crates to sort and store auto parts seems reasonable, so I've got some of those labels too. The crates shown are actually Black Dog Mining O scale parts (item M004) available from www.pepper7.com

The DioArt web site leaves a bit to be desired in terms of photos, etc -- but the range is nicely illustrated on the BnA Model World site in Australia here:
http://www.bnamodelworld.com/military-section/diorama/scale-135/posters-signs?zenid=d0b4e1606dde17469735b563d757a7fc

(If that link doesn't work, go to BnAModelWorld.com and look for Posters & Signs in the 1/35 scale diorama items)

I got mine from Dave Reed Models in the US. Dave is an On30 railroader and 1/35 military modeler and a dealer for several lines. He also has some neat toolboxes from Inside the Armour:
http://www.insidethearmour.com/pages/addOnArmour.html
and a selection of neat accessories from Reality in Scale:
http://www.realityinscale.com/

So, I made my shopping list by browsing the BnA site (plus some calendar pages and clock faces that are coming soon), then sent Dave an email.  No website, but you can email Dave Reed Models: dave37167(at)hotmail.com

I got to know Dave thru the On30 stuff, and he's been helpful as I start to research 1/35 accessories -- thanks, Dave!

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Test-fitting the window screen sections in place ... had to go back after this and use a felting needle to open up a few tiny squares that filled with paint.  Will paint the frames on these (aluminum or wood, haven't decided yet) then put them together with a tiny bit of hardware to make an "adjustable" window screen out of the two panels ...

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Another shot showing the changes in the siding/framing using the watercolor pencils ...

Cheers,
Dallas

Looking good that window with all the little details such as keys etc. and now even more parts to check out it´s almost becoming a full time job. ;)

Anders ;D

Yeah, and this is all just "background crap" ... wonder if I'll ever work my way to the foreground!  ???  ::)  ;D

PS -- Since we've just bounced to a new page ... posted new photos and links on the previous page this morning.

-- Dallas

Dallas,

just wanted to thank you for such an enjoyable and useful thread. All the links you have posted have opened up a completely new world for me .... they are also costing me a small fortune as I can't resist some of the items, like those tank tool boxes .......... looks like the next project is going to have to be 1.35 scale tried to resist this odd scale, I struggle to get my head round the conversion factors  but at least it would please Marc to have another convert ;D

Quote from: gfadvance on March 16, 2011, 12:34:37 PM
Dallas,

just wanted to thank you for such an enjoyable and useful thread. All the links you have posted have opened up a completely new world for me .... they are also costing me a small fortune as I can't resist some of the items, like those tank tool boxes .......... looks like the next project is going to have to be 1.35 scale tried to resist this odd scale, I struggle to get my head round the conversion factors  but at least it would please Marc to have another convert ;D

Hey Gordon --

It apparently works in reverse too!  In thinking about your conversion factors, I wanted to re-check sources for scale rulers and just ended up ordering a new one from the UK.

1/35 scale steel rule (or ruler):
Yup, I have a couple plastic rulers and wished that I had a STEEL rule for 1/35 until Gordon mentioned it ... now I've just ordered one.
-- Made by:  Expo Tools in the UK  (http://www.expotools.com/)
-- Ordered one from a UK-ebay seller (treadhead2004), item listed as:  Expo Tools MODELMAKERS 1/35 SCALE STEEL RULE 74135  (Ebay item #380308008883 while that listing lasts)

"Scale Card" and plastic rulers (1/35 and almost any other scale):
-- Scale Card (brand) makes pocket-size cards that are handy for reference, plus 6", 12" and 24" rulers:  http://www.thescalecard.com/
-- They don't have any on-line shopping, so ordering might be a hassle internationally (sorry!)

Other plastic rulers (1/35):
-- CTT, Inc. (no web site) makes or made 12" plastic rulers.  They're only marked with feet and a mark every three inches (no individual inch marks).  Saw a note about them being discontinued, but they still show up in dealer inventories, ebay, etc.  (Try searches for 1/35 scale rule and/or 1/35 scale ruler)
-- Tom Fassett (ebay seller "tomfassett2") has 6" and 12" acrylic rulers that have individual inch marks.  These ARE nice for being clear (see-thru) and having individual inch marks, but they're also a pain because those marks are in white on a clear ruler  ::) ... so that's a mixed bag, but I've found these handy ...

And, now I'm looking forward to getting that steel rule and hoping it has individual inch marks and such ... and, like Gordon, think I'm going to take the plunge and get that Inside the Armour toolbox set too!

Cheers,
Dallas

Or, how about FREE printable rulers:
http://www.miniature-planet.com/scale_rulers.php

Could glue to plastic or a spare metal ruler, etc ... they also sell a lot of textures, etc in various scale ... haven't tried those.

-- Dallas

Dallas,

if you have ordered the Modelmakers rule then they have inches marked on them .............. if its the 3 sided version (with multiple scales, including 1/35) they do not ......... think the divisions go down to 2 scale inches

Reminds me. I had intended to make up a scale 'Pocket Guide' .. something credit card size that I could keep in my wallet .. with like a profile of a man, the front of a car/truck, scale feet/inches down one side .. that sort of thing. The idea is that you can pull it out in a store and compare to 'stuff' to see if it will work on the layout.

Gordon -- Thanks for the info.  I ordered the "Modelmakers" version for 1/35, so that should be a nice addition to the tool set here ...

Ed -- The "Scale Card" wallet cards have figures, measurements and such ... printed on a sturdy clear plastic the size of a credit card ... worth the price, IMO.  I printed a paper rule for some other scale stuff & stuck that in my wallet ... ended up making a mess of it, crinkling it with other cards going in and out of the wallet ... Scale Card holds up well to the abuse.  Comes in handy when you're at a train show, hobby shop, etc. and looking at items marked for another scale that seem close to what you might actually need ...

Cheers,
Dallas

Let me put in my highest recommendation for anything by the Scale Card. Jose makes the cards, of course, but also scale rules of 6 and 24 inches. The are incredibly precise and quite robust and available in every scale. I use them almost exclusively.

I have bought or received samples from various rule manufacturers. The Scale Card's are the best. Period.

Russ

I bought a Scale Card but didn't want to walk around with it in my wallet for fear of damage. So I scanned it and printed it on manila card to carry around. When it gets a little rag eared, I print a new one. Keep the original on the bench.
Dallas, this thread is loaded with info, thanks. And very nice work to boot.

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Playing around with the layout for some dry-lathing (aka "boards") on the back wall for hanging tools, belts, hoses, gaskets and so forth.  These boards are thicker than I'd use, but they happened to be stained the right color!  ;)

Everything is kinda wiggly and crooked here, cuz it's all stuck together with poster-tack ... which really doesn't stick to wood very well.  ANY and ALL thoughts and ideas welcome here.  Still very much in the planning/thinking stage.

BTW, the wood boards under the workbench to the left are there to remind me to raise the height of that a bit when I build a replacement bench ... and, no, at this point I'm not planning to build the other bench on top of Coca-Cola crates!  :)

Cheers,
Dallas

At this point I have no suggestions. I just like it a lot. -- Russ

I was wondering about those high impact bench pedestals you had going on there... out of curiosity are those bottle cases cast in clear resin and then painted (I can't see the bottles).  If they are shown somewhere in the previous 40 pages let me know, I'll go back and find them - but I didn't remember seeing them :)

Any chance of a peg board in 1:35th?  I'm trying to think where I saw a perforated pattern that made me think of it, and have lost it in the cobwebs of age (I think it may have been speaker cover from an old cell phone or the like).  I think the boards are good fodder - but those over thick mock ups are hard to love ;D

I'm still waiting on that case of wall plugs and light switches to arrive  ::)  I just did a couple in 1:16th, and will sub- contract them when I go back to 1:35th  ;D

As always - great stuff Dallas.. keep it coming!

BTW - I'm just re-noticing the stone foundations... nice variation - good visual.

Russ -- Thanks!  (Hope you're okay, you seem a little talkative there.)  ;)

Paul -- The metal shelf is a Verlinden item, photo-etched in stainless steel, and the fret contains a section of pegboard ... which is about the size of the scan of PE wrenches shown in this snap shot.  Think I'm going to forego that and just use ye olde nails in the wood lath to fit the scene better.  (Pegboard is in the Verlinden "Military Workshop Stuff" set, think the metal shelf is also sold separately -- pegboard on that fret.)

The Coke cases are from a 1:43 Coca-Cola truck or other promo done by Franklin Mint, Danbury Mint, Junior Mint or something! ;D  They seem a touch oversize for 1:43, which makes them just about perfect for 1:35.  I think that some careful weathering, glazes or something will tone them down a bit.  (Search "O scale bottles" on ebay -- crates and bottles are inexpensive.)

The stone foundation would have benefited from slightly larger stones, but it was a reasonably satisfactory outcome at my first attempt at scale masonry ... still have to go back and do some coloring and a lot of weathering on the floor ...

Cheers,
Dallas

PS -- In addition to being thinner (definitely needed), the lathing boards could be about HALF the width shown here.  That would make sense in terms of using cheaper material (regarding "actual" construction in our little world.)  Open to all thoughts ... Dallas

Since you asked for comments...
The gaps in the dry-lathing boards seem a little off to me. I agree, that they would not cover the whole wall, but if somebody makes the effort to put them up, I would assume that there wouldn't be any gaps between the boards.

Christian

Dallas -
By "lathing" do you mean the thin boards they put up as a base to hold the (horse-hair) plaster of the final wall? If so, I believe these boards were rough-cut and small (about 1/x2's or 1X4's) of irregular lengths, and they left haphazard spaces between where the plaster could ooze in and grab hold. Does this help, or am I way off?
Carlo

Looks awesome. Endless possibilities..

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Thank you! -- Really appreciate your thoughts, ideas and patience as we work through the clunky phases of sorting things out.  I probably confused and confounded the issue by using the word "lath" to describe the horizontal boards.  I'm NOT trying to get the delicate little lath boards used with plastered walls ... but after the juxtaposition of horizontal and vertical elements, along the lines of the photo shown above.

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So, let's try again ... this time you'll have to look past the unstained stripwood and the profuse quantities of Scotch Magic Tape!  ;D

Hoses will have little spring clips in the ends and hang on nails.  The area behind those will be open framing with just a little rail along the bottom to keep them from tipping back and falling down in the wall.  So, the cloudy tape will disappear and there will be open space behind those.

Not worried about the exact placement or even selection of tools and details at this point ... it was a game of tiddly-winks sticking the boards in place with tape and sticky wax and then adding another layer of tape to hold the various details.  So those are all just sort of random to give a better idea of what happens when the boards start to fall into the background.   Think I might add another shelf top right if everything else is more-or-less okay.

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Say what you will!  It's all just loosely tacked in place and open to revision and modification.  Really appreciate everyone who has taken the time to have a look and voice an opinion.  Reviewing the first round of photos and YOUR notes is tremendously helpful in sorting this out ... and, hopefully, there's at least a little improvement here!   :-\

Thanks!
Dallas

Just a generality- but shop workbenches tend to be placed below windows.   

Dave

Dallas,

the whole scene looks too "arranged" to me.
It lacks randomness, normally found when equipment is used / in use.

Jacq

Lot of nice details Dallas but I have to agree with Jacq... it has a stage-set, shop window display type of feel to it.

Paul

I think it needs an Oriental rug and reclining chair. -- ssuR

Okay ... so, an Oriental rug, a reclining chair and some randomness ... think I can tap into my life experience to put that stuff into play!  ;D 

Thanks,
Dallas

Found this sign .. thought it was great. :)

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Hey Dallas, in order to maybe make some suggestions it would be most interesting to see the other two walls and maybe an overall shot of the building.

Anders ;D ???

Wise guy!  (Or, in keeping with Ed's sign:  Weisenheimer!)  ;D

Walls?  Oh, c'mon ... EVERYBODY does four walls ... it's so cliché.

Sorry, I have to agree with the stage set look "issue".....also have to say I don't really care for the lath look. How about just a big sheet of plywood with maybe the tool outlines drawn around them...you know so the dummy pump monkeys can find the right spot when they use one without the bosses permission...or you could always have Dave laser cut you some peg-board. ;)  Tools also seem just a tad too ar apart....and where's the mallet?

...also feel the layout/spacing of the coke bottle crates is a bit off...they would likely be together...and maybe both don't go all the way up...and mabe have an empty crate or two sitting in or leaning against a stack....don't forget to weather these a bit, as they were probably reused by the delivery co, and so got a bit of a beating and wear.


ED...that is a great sign...very Mel Brooks

Marc

Thanks again!  Been mulling over the various comments, especially about the "shop window" etc ... getting some new ideas.  Gotta work on some sculpting projects and such, so it'll be a little while before I get back to sorting this out ... so, if there are any additional ideas, etc ... keep 'em coming!  -- Dallas

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Playing with the computer here ... while considering the issue of the the previous photo looking "too arranged" or too much like a "shop window" ... I started thinking about how to fix it ... AND ... the OPPOSITE question:  How to make it worse!  ;D  Well, actually, how to make it look more arranged and more like a shop window ... which led to this "official" Sinclair affiliate  tool rack and display ...

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I've made a dozen or so variations on the computer ... NOTHING is glued in place (and a bunch of the stuff in these shots is "fake" just to add other little bits of color or shapes) ... this is the latest version.  Open to your initial thoughts and impressions here ... and always appreciate the input!

Thanks,
Dallas

Err..umm...still look like IKEA to me (I think it's the slats)...and the fact that each item has it's own hanging board/backing is getting a bit busy and distracts from the scene.......somewhere there were photos a machine shop (maybe in the photos by memebers section aon RRL...I believe Ed Traxler provided the link here somewhere)....and it showed the tools and such hanging on a wall with solid _x12sheathing ...to about 1/2 height...and the benches were just placed in front of it as well.


but what do I know...I never even get this far ;D

M

......I see a Fat max tape measure, claw hammers, rubber coated side cutters, modern scissors and a stanley screwdriver. What  era are you working on? I have to agree , the shop look orderly and almost military with tool shadow boards. When I was in the USA sergeant's would visually inventory tools at close of business to see what was missing. I would be inclined to think the employees would have there own hand tools.

Motto......   "In god we trust, everyone else signs a hand receipt" ;D

I noticed the shelves are now trimmed. I think I would add a couple of 45degree braces for each shelf. The electric plug for the radio would be out farther flush with the lathing. I also thought the desk needs some shorty legs.

overall its looking good. tons of details 8)

Philip   

Quote from: marc_reusser on March 25, 2011, 06:09:08 PM

but what do I know...I never even get this far ;D

M

u don't have to cause ur a wizard ;D

Quote from: Philip Smith on March 25, 2011, 06:43:41 PM
......I see a Fat max tape measure, claw hammers, rubber coated side cutters, modern scissors and a stanley screwdriver. What  era are you working on? I have to agree , the shop look orderly and almost military with tool shadow boards. When I was in the USA sergeant's would visually inventory tools at close of business to see what was missing. I would be inclined to think the employees would have there own hand tools.

I can't be held responsible for the contents of that tool board -- it was copied-n-pasted from Anders' shop!  ;D

I'm actually imagining a piece of pegboard the size of that "shadow board" with a proper assortment of wrenches (mostly), tin snips, etc ... maybe even a fancy torque wrench if I get inclined to make one!

This shop is TINY ... about 20x28' with ONE service bay ... and would be a two- or three-person operation at most.  One to fix cars and/or go out in the two truck.  One to pump gas and record sales, etc.  So, I imagine that all the tools would be "house" tools ... no big snap-on boxes owned by the non-existent "fleet" of mechanics!  (And I say "service bay" loosely ... it's like a converted barn with a couple big doors to open to that bay ... no fancy lifts, etc.  Hand-jacks and such.)

Quote from: Philip Smith on March 25, 2011, 06:43:41 PM
I noticed the shelves are now trimmed. I think I would add a couple of 45degree braces for each shelf. The electric plug for the radio would be out farther flush with the lathing. I also thought the desk needs some shorty legs.

overall its looking good. tons of details 8)

Philip   

Yes, well everything that is "really" there is stuck in place with tape or sticky-wax ... and then there's some fake stuff in the photos (like the fake bench legs, fake cardboard boxes, etc.)  All the appropriate shelf bracing, etc will be added when the design/layout is decided.

And, regarding the lathing or Ikea slats over the workbench ... well, I was just too lazy to trim those out of the photo, because I'd have to mask the radio, apple and misc. part ... consider those gone!

Appreciate the continued input ... hope to get this properly sorted out before I started gluing things in place and messing them up on a more permanent basis!  ;D  -- Dallas

Quote from: Malachi Constant on March 25, 2011, 06:57:52 PM
Appreciate the continued input ... hope to get this properly sorted out before I started gluing things in place and messing them up on a more permanent basis!  ;D  -- Dallas

And thanks for being so receptive! At Casey Feedwaters old dig they would cut my fingers off at the knuckle, or bamboo shutes under the fingernails, or so a few would kick me to the curb for being blunt. I lost my master mold to my coffins..You ever do that?  I have looked everywhere..did find the lid though.......Always something.  :-\

Heck, I signed up here for the bluntness ... seriously!  ;)  I got sick of looking at the really good stuff and saying "I wish I'm going to do that" and decided it was time to just work at it ... and the criticism is a big help.

Yeah, I've lost things like that ... spent weeks looking for one of them.  MOST of the time:  I make an original master mold and set that aside as "archive" piece, then make others ... AND ... make FIRST POUR castings from the archive master mold, check the size of those and store those in an off-site location just in case.  Despite various "safeguards" ... mysteries arise here fairly often.  I'm actually trying to get the 1/35 shop to look like I organized it at one point and then worked there for a couple years messing it up!  :)

Cheers,
Dallas

Russ & the pro's mind there model p's and q's. Tough love I guess. When I first joined it was hell on earth! It's pretty cut and dried when someone post and no one responds. Oh no, rejection! :o  Normally no one will respond to a model that sucks if the postee acts as if his poop doesn't stink. If that person ask's for a real critique, then the pro's will chime in with sound advice and words of wisdom. Most folks aren't getting off there high horse if there being attaboyed at other forums. It's a comfort level thing. Modeling evolves if you listen. If you don't then you just watch the trains run in circles. I know my old stuff was hideous but my newer stuff is starting to improve somewhat.  It's kinda like a R/R crossing here. Stop ,look, and listen.

The lost mold ??? I always make the 1st or 2d copy an archive, but still like the originals. Good idea about an off-site stash. you never know... fire, flood, or other in this day and age of crazy events. I need to create a stash.
Philip :)     

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Well, one more for now ... then I'll let it stew ... let's pretend that the selection and placement of tools is correct for a piece of pegboard (that can be fixed later IRL) ... and the workbench is covered with an assortment of tools and parts under repair ... and all that stuff.  (The colors and tones of the "fake" cut-out tools on the pegboard might also be distracting at this point -- easily fixed IRL)

Maybe I'm just cross-eyed from putting little dots on the pegboard, but somehow this arrangement seems to push the whole wall back and make the workbench become more of a focal point ... and thus seems to relief some of the picture-frame effect on the back wall ... I can't tell at this point!  :)    

Yeah, I know I'm being a pesky bugger, but any/all thoughts, ideas, impressions and so forth are welcome ... plenty of time to work it out before anything gets glued, nailed or otherwise fixed in place.

Philip -- Hope your mold shows up!  If your place is like mine, you have to look in each "possible" place 3-5 times, then look for all the "other" places where you've actually scattered the stuff ... or remember why you set it down in some odd place while having that in your hand and going to do something else ... oh yeah, I know the drill.  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

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Took that last computerized photo, printed it to roughly the right size and stuck it in place ...

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Used the sepia filter to try to get rid of some of the color issues ...

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This one introduces some serious perspective problems on the workbench -- photo angle doesn't match original angle of print -- but if you can look past that, it gives an overall idea ...

The version with the pegboard looks good to me.

I like it much better, looks more realistic...however the peg board does bother me a bit...maybe it's just the PS image/representation.

Marc

If I were building this, I would turn to making the finished furniture, before working out placement of the clutter.  Because the furniture will better fill in the scene and determine where a lot of the small things go.    In other words, if the small things are the icing on the cake, then you need more cake.

You have a lot of wall space, that's going to demand a lot of clutter.  To coin a phrase, neatness is skin deep, but clutter goes to the bone.  So i'd think again about a large window over the work area.   It adds a contrast to the blank wall, is typical shop practice, and should be less work than several shelves of junk that you otherwise need to make to fill that space.    

Another thing I just noticed, your clutter layer seems to be a nice even spread across the wall, I don't think thats realistic.   Junk tends to accumulate mostly within the armspan of the person who works there, and a thick layer on work surfaces and the floor.     

Again, this French artist has perfected the old garage vibe.              

http://www.graphite-garage.com/illustration/ATELIERS/ateliers.html

HTH

Dave

This time, it's not me, Dallas. :)

This being said, the generalized use of English based abbreviations is certainly natural for English speaking people, but doesn't make the reading very easy to non-natives...

I'm with Marc on the peg board. Were they common in the era you are representing? Would a plywood sheet with nails have more character? Or is the problem just the way the peg board looks in your image? All in all the diorama is coming together nicely both conceptually and in fact. -- Russ

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Talk about your window shop!  1919 setting here with a lovely tin ceiling, various parts in a glass case ... nice display of shiny new bumpers in the background ... NO, I'm not building this scene next!  But have a look at the large size on Shorpy here:
http://www.shorpy.com/node/3996?size=_original

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Been searching to find the "start date" for pegboard with no luck ... think it would add some nice dimension and texture, but that's still up in the air.  This board is from a photo that looks like late 1940s based on the cars that I've cropped out ... looks like a basic shadowbox/plywood board ... mostly wrenches, ratchets, sockets and extensions.

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This one ties in nicely with Dave's "arm's reach" comment ... thanks for the notes and reminders there, Dave.  YES, the Atelier drawings are outstanding and I have those for reference.  I assure you that my "even spread" of details and such is just a matter of trying to simplify the computer manipulations and create a BASE LAYER for all the crap!  And, look, Dave .... no window!  (Yeah, I like your idea, but this particular setting in this particular building -- no window, sorry)  ;)

Thanks again for all the input & ideas!
Dallas

I like this last picture, Dallas. It's not a mess, yet seems more in current use than the one above (morning shot vs evening shot?).
Are the many black dots on the wall nails not being used?

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Quote from: Frederic Testard on March 26, 2011, 03:31:03 PM
I like this last picture, Dallas. It's not a mess, yet seems more in current use than the one above (morning shot vs evening shot?).
Are the many black dots on the wall nails not being used?

Repeated that photo here since we've gone to a new page.  Zoomed in on the photo and it looks like there are a variety of empty old nails in the wall ... and places where nails have been removed, or maybe worked loose and fell out.

I like this one a lot too ... perhaps because it looks like a "real world example" of those fabulous Atelier drawings!  ;) 

Likely that I'll pick up a lot of little details from this shot:
-- The workbench is a very suitable design and the wooden stool is quite nice!  :)
-- I'd already planned on using a variety of recycled wooden crates to store parts as shown, so that's a nice reinforcement of that idea.
-- The small benchtop and/or wall-mounted parts cabinets are a must for little screws and fittings, etc
-- The little cabinets on the floor at left are nice too ...
-- Fire extinguisher somewhat buried in the other details ...
-- Planning a similar manual tire mounting machine ...
-- Of course, a variety of unused nails from things that used to be hanging and scrapes, scratches and holes from things that have been removed from the wall.  (And check out all the abuse on the front of that workbench)
-- Don't know if I can get away with a piece of CHAIN as shown in upper left portion of photo, but there's a nice prototypical application of a couple Vector Cut rings/gaskets that I have!  ;D

There's not much stuff near ceiling level here ... but that's only because the guy in this shop never heard of the old trick of driving a nail into a long stick so you can get those things.  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

The Shorpy photo appears to be the "auto parts store" portion of the building, rather than the repair shop itself.

Dallas, that last picture with the wooden stool is really great so much to discover. Why not concentrate on for instance that picture only and then add your tool board to the right or left. Arguments about what´s prototypical or not would then be unnecessary.

Anders  ???

Clients on waiting list.....  foot tapping ::)

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Philip

Dallas, I've made a search on the Library of Congress site with keywords such as "garage repair". It didn't give tons of results, and most of them don't fit what you're interested in, but there are a few pages that might interest you.

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http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/wy/wy0400/wy0496/photos/374274pv.jpg

A few pictures there : http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/CA2019/

Here you'll find one in a nice setting (for the diorama you plan to build around the garage in 2056) : http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/MD1072/

The four last shots in this one show the inside (much cleaner than you want probably) : http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/NJ1636/

Quote from: Junior on March 27, 2011, 02:52:18 AM
Dallas, that last picture with the wooden stool is really great so much to discover. Why not concentrate on for instance that picture only and then add your tool board to the right or left. Arguments about what´s prototypical or not would then be unnecessary.

Anders  ???

That would just be too sensible!  ;D  Actually, I have a hard-headed desire to carry-out my freelance adaptation of Mike Chamber's freelance adaptation of the tool shed on which the structure was originally based ... and modify it into an auto repair shop in at least a somewhat sensible or convincing fashion.  Obviously, I have to struggle with that at times!  >:( :-\ :)

Frederic -- Thanks for those links ... I had cruised the HABS photos years ago and forgotten about that.  The Bonfield garage is about halfway between where I live and where I envision the setting for the 1/35 garage!

Philip -- That's a nice big bus, but Chuck has steered me toward a smaller bus full of reform school girls for later.  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

Frederic,    I have a picture of the Bonfields Service Station in my files :) but only had one pic of the building.........the best part i think is the porcelain sign with the clock out front ::) never seen that type of sign before..... with a clock made to fit as part of the sign.......COOL SIGN ::)

reform girls? =  Dirty ole man

Don't mind me, just doing a little research here ...

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Holy contraption, Batman!  Wow, a gasoline-fired water heater in the shop ... oh wait, the article goes on to show this thing installed in the dining room of a restaurant!  :o

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bouldervalleymodels.com%2Fimages%2Ffsrr%2F1938-tool-rack-3&hash=54b44120a923024e0414448bbd07844c708164dc)

Wow, that's extremely organized ...

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bouldervalleymodels.com%2Fimages%2Ffsrr%2F1935-tool-rack-2.jpg&hash=7666f2fd141774b7a4ba3d2db68a5561ad1d6278)

Okay, that makes sense, and I've got those G scale milk crates from Wild Hare Models ...

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bouldervalleymodels.com%2Fimages%2Ffsrr%2F1940-tool-rack.jpg&hash=ff0fcc39b9d7f2c20ed0a7f2645f6a87223511f4)

This cracks me up a bit ... BUT ... S-hooks were around for many, many years by this time ... so, you stick some pieces of metal milk crate, old oven racks, whatever on the walls and use some S-hooks to hang things ... sure, why not.

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bouldervalleymodels.com%2Fimages%2Ffsrr%2Fmasonite-1938-01.jpg&hash=ea82795896de8978c7c622a48781b5e64349c602)

Eureka!  Ah-ha!  So, Mr. Mudgeon sent away for the little pamphlet from Masonite in 1938 ... then got around to organizing things just a few years later.  Yes, it is Masonite ... NO, it's NOT pegboard.  First mention of pegboard (as such) that I can find is 1953.  Which means, I don't have to drill a billion tiny little holes!  ;D

Cheers,
Dallas

Kinda thought so .... -- Russ

Dallas,

FWIW, Found this info about Peg Board (Perforated Hardboard) and it's history.

Pegboard:

Peg board, or perforated hardboard, is a type of board material that is used to place hooks or pegs in for hanging tools or other items that require a hook.  Commonly seen in retail stores and workshops, with tool outlines drawn on it, pegboard is amazingly versatile and can be used in a variety of conditions.  It has evolved since the basic pressed hardboard variant and now encompasses a vast range of foundation materials in the creation of other products, and a diversified customer facing product made from steel (sometimes referred to as punch panel), or other metals or wood, all of which can be painted and customised to the customer's needs.  Its most common use is around the home; however it still the most common store fixture used in the US market for retail display. It is the beginning of many pieces of furniture, and part of shop fitting and construction, alongside games and other uses.  It is provided in a variety of widths, and distance between holes, allowing greater versatility whilst preserving its usefulness.  You can hang boxes, pegs, or hooks from it, allowing you to attach practically anything to it, generally the holes are spaced one inch apart, and in Europe and Australia the holes are spaced 25mm apart.

The History of Peg Board:

Perforated hardboard was first seen at the beginning of the 20th Century and has been used for tool storage ever since.   Pegboard is a specific design of hardboard, which is created using one of two processes – wet manufacturing or dry.  The wet manufacturing method is simpler, and involves pumping pulp onto a smooth surface then pressing the top side flat, before drying and drilling holes.  Some hardboard manufacturers use one smooth side, one side with the predesigned holes, like pegs, when pressing.   The dry process simply presses the wood.  This provides a more cohesive lattice effect within the board, with fibres pressing into all three angles, making it much more rigid and strong.  This is a more modern process, but the basics of making hardboard and then drilling it with holes has been used throughout its history.  Both types are then drilled if not already pre shaped with holes, and allowed to cure fully before being used.  For the home garage use the holes are usually 4mm diameter but for shop application and more robust use a 6mm hole is preferred. The Slatbox Hobibox is designed for use in the 6mm holes (the more commonly used commercial board) and is available in both metric and imperial peg spacing.

Where Peg Board is used:

Currently used everywhere from furniture construction, to shop fitting, its most common use is shop fittings and store fixtures, used commonly in hardware stores right through to high end retail stores such as Wal-mart. But it is still commonly used domestically for hanging tools above garage and workshop benches, the Hobibox works really well for storing small things such as screw, nuts and bolts in your home garage application.  It's also used, coated in other materials in soundproofing and beyond.  Pegboard, which is a brand name, is quite literally used in almost everything.  The holes in it allow air to circulate more readily, for example, in wall construction, which in turn can prevent the build-up of damp on one side of a coursing or wall.  Its solid construction, like its sibling, hardboard means that it's versatile enough to use anywhere that requires board of any description.  It has acoustic dampening properties, so coated with plastic, it can be used as a soundproofing treatment to any room – and it's versatile enough to even be used beneath paint canvasses to allow for superior drying.  The stretched canvas should not touch the pegboard, but can instead 'hover' above, allowing the circulation and replacement of air beneath the canvas.

Features and benefits of Peg Board:

Pegboard comes in a variety of sizes and thicknesses, and in set sized panels, so is incredibly easy to fit, and maintain. The most common type is steel pegboard (referred to as punch panel in some markets)– it's stronger, and more easily maintained.  Once in situ, it can be painted, and drawn on – in the case of storing tools, this means you can allot a space for everything, and see at a glance what is missing or hasn't been put away.  As it has regular holes in it, you can use it between walls, or flooring, to provide airflow, much like air bricks and allows for acoustic dampening properties, even untreated.  It's versatility allows it to be used almost anywhere, and is most commonly used as a basis for shop fitting – as tiles or floating walls can be attached to it easily, it's often found in the 'frame' of many buildings.  As drilling into pre-treated hardboard can cause it to splinter, perforated hardboard, or PegBoard is the choice of anyone looking to attach or hang anything from board.  Pegboard is also used as a final wall, where shelves, pegs, or Slatbox plastic storage bins can be hung to display products.

Pegboard adaptors:

Most of the Slatbox bins are manufactured to fit slatwall and other slotted wall systems except for the Hobibox range which is manufactured with small pegs that slot straight into most common pegboard wall systems including metric pegboard and imperial pegboard. Slatbox have developed a unique patented pegboard adaptor so that any of Slatbox's range including Popbox, Shelfbox, Storebox, Cratebox can be fitted directly onto any pegboard wall system.

The Manufacturers of Peg Board, and their Locations:

Manufactured the world, over, Pegboard is a brand name, so you can find more results for it if you search by perforated hardboard.

Marc --

Thanks, but I do suspect that the Slatbox "history" is somewhat anecdotal.  As a parallel, here's an "official" reply from Masonite Corp:

Pegboard or (HardBoard) was first introduced by Masonite in the
early 1930. I just used google search engine and typed in early Masonite
products.

Um, yeah ... google search is a good starting point, but you do have to sort the wheat from the chafe and the sheepdip from the shinola!  ;D  Masonite developed their hardboard process in 1924.  Low-density fiberboard was available LONG before that, but the Masonite hardboard process was apparently very successful at popularizing it ... add to that the depression-era need for low-cost materials and then the WWII need for alternative materials, and the stuff became really popular.  (That said, Masonite was promoting their "plain" hardboard for use in tool displays in 1938, the pegboard doesn't show up in popular use until the 1950s -- if I've missed "real" references, I'd love to see them!)  :)

There ARE references to the use of "perforated hardboard" in sound-deadening applications prior to WWII.  It seems as likely that the idea for this arose from the availabiility of such material ... but that's not clear.  However, as suggested below, I did find MANY illustrations of various hardboard and/or plywood panels used to create various "tool board" organizers, and, in that regard, the pegboard doesn't seem to show up until 1953 ...

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bouldervalleymodels.com%2Fimages%2Ffsrr%2F1927-tool-rack.jpg&hash=5029c65c90d69960c498a1523f0f3fef3eb4cd34)

The "Ikea-look" (slatted walls!) circa 1927 ... oh no!  Looks like I could have stuck with my first horrifying design ... and I even could have added an Ikea spice rack to store the small hardware.  :o  ;D

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bouldervalleymodels.com%2Fimages%2Ffsrr%2Fworkbench-1924.jpg&hash=560b4c3e72191a875346a5f889e7dbe151f18735)

Found many, many interesting references -- searched both Popular Mechanics and Popular Science magazines using Google book search and setting a custom date range of 1920-1945.  Most useful searches were "tool rack" and "tool board" ... "workbench" provides way too many results to really sort, but a few interesting ones popped up.  This one looks practical for a modeling scene.

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bouldervalleymodels.com%2Fimages%2Ffsrr%2F1938-tool-rack-4.jpg&hash=03dbfd3a6103eede30e051876e353fc1c0945302)

This one looks like it would be really cheesy in real life ... and even cheesier in a model scene! 

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bouldervalleymodels.com%2Fimages%2Ffsrr%2F1932-tool-rack.jpg&hash=9cc46b20ee887c50ef14556e1ef08f334c3100e3)

Lots of hardboard tool panels!  Found many examples.  The "Portable Tool Rack" (May 1938) shown in a previous post illustrates a nice arrangement of automotive tools.  The one above has the shadow-box framing, which shows up often ... and there are many references to painting tool outlines/shapes on the hardboard.  Also, many different types of material used to fasten tools to the board:  scrap leather belts, scrap rubber (inner tubes), bits of galvanized pipe strap (at least as early as 1927 there), various wood blocks, bits of wire, old coil springs, wire mesh and so forth ...

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bouldervalleymodels.com%2Fimages%2Ffsrr%2F1933-tool-rack.jpg&hash=62c122e802797a7ba079e0b4d70078966d397128)

Several like this take it a step further and have shaped inserts or holders for the individual tools.  Guess they didn't have routers handy then, but surprised they didn't suggest a jigsaw for the cut-outs!

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bouldervalleymodels.com%2Fimages%2Ffsrr%2Fmasonite-1938-03a.jpg&hash=fd4deff40ad75d4f0ee0a5c6f2e221fedc959a83)

Historic "proof" that my hardboard tool panel is authentic ... Mr. Mudgeon perusing the May 1938 issue of Popular Mechanics!  ;D

Again, searching thru the old issues of Popular Mechanics and Popular Science illustrates a lot of interesting and "period authentic" ideas ... some very practical, some a bit nutty and some quite fanciful.  (Even saw an "ultra modern" Frank Lloyd Wright-style workshop in a 1939 issue.)  Not sure if the google book search will work internationally -- sorry if that's the case -- but a neat resource.

Also, there are various companies like the one below that specialize in "vintage" equipment, fixtures, etc. from old industrial shops.  Some neat examples of 1920s-1940s metal furnishings and other stuff to be found:
http://www.urbanremainschicago.com/default.aspx?pageID=44

Cheers,
Dallas

See if this works:

http://books.google.com/books?id=BtYbqYNbg0QC&oe=UTF-8

Dyke's automotive encyclopedia. Has chapters on garage equipement and usefull shop devices. Learn how to listen for axle hum in your flivver!

Chuck --

Cool link, thanks!  Page 848 has enough "food for thought" to outfit a whole little shop / scene specializing in replacement of convertible tops.  (No, I don't read that fast ... that page just came up in one of the previews!)  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

Another couple photos that might be of interest/use to you

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hitmanek/2514235153/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28549427@N07/3555480449/

Gordon --

Thanks for the pix ... obviously gonna need a zillion more detail parts than originally anticipated!  ;D

Guess I'd better hurry up with the sandwich shop, make some sandwiches and get back to work on painting up greasy tools.

Cheers,
Dallas

found this for you...

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/--wfwq9K5svw/Suel4bVDdbI/AAAAAAAAC1M/Q4R7uXbHmQ8/s800/Oldpics3.jpg)


M

Some interesting stuff there.   Looks like the tool panel on the wall is made up of three 12" planks ... dig the little LIGHT FIXTURE with bare, clear bulb and tiny reflector over the center of the two benches ... picture of a guy with goggles on his forehead in place of a girlie poster  ??? ... and a psycho on the drill press!  (Maybe the guy with goggles on forehead is taking the picture, and psycho has had enough already with that guy)  ;D

Simple, "functional" wooden benches ... electrical cord running on floor in front of benches ... yaddy, yaddy ... goes in file for future study/reference ...

Thanks!
Dallas

Drill press guy is scary!

Quote from: Chuck Doan on August 15, 2011, 07:41:03 AM
Drill press guy is scary!

  The guy on the left looks like Marty . Sort of .

He also looks like Marilyn Monroe, sort of, except for the mustache and a few other details. -- ssuR

I like the fact that the drill press is one of those that used a regular 1/2 inch heavy duty hand drill.

Michael

Where'd Mudgeon go? 

Yeah...what the heck!!? All this time and no progress to show!? I call, "Slacker".  ;D ;D ;D



M

BUSTED!  ;D

Yeah, what the heck!?!  Daggone real life has been eating into my modeling time like a friggin' piranha and I'm starting to get as pissed off about it as Mr. Mudgeon!  >:(  :-\  :P

Closest thing to modeling:  last week I ordered some blackener to use on the side rods for the 35n2 steam loco and "thought" about some of the painting.  Oh man ....

If this keeps up, I'm just gonna take December off to do some modeling and tell everyone that Christmas has been postponed.  ;D  (Of course, when you're self-employed being "too busy" beats the crap out of the alternative ... so maybe I'll just have to be content if I have some money to take time off in January or whenever.)  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

QuoteWarning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days.
Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic.

???  ::)  :P  :-[  :-X  :-\

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.railroad-line.com%2Fforum%2Fdata%2Fdallas_m%2F201241418178_02-miniart-combo.JPG&hash=560608cd300786c8130af9aca4467200f27e16ef)

Well, first of all ... don't get too excited ... I'm not going to show any actual progress here! [:D] [:-blindfold]  I have made some progress on a couple of figures who may appear in our story line at some point, but those are a secret for the moment.  Meanwhile, I've been keeping an eye on some new releases from Mini-Art ... they now have a couple versions of the GAZ (Russian-built Ford trucks) available.  The "MM" version is shown above right ... and shows that these new kits are pretty detailed!

http://miniart-models.com/  

The "AA" version (shown above left) is coming soon ... and once that stupid sammich shop is finished, Mr. Mudgeon's going to need a tow truck so he can "drop by" and check on Millie's car for her ... and so forth ...

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.railroad-line.com%2Fforum%2Fdata%2Fdallas_m%2F2012414182155_01-weaver-combo-01.JPG&hash=db28f403070fa3c1260f966f701f941898dec735)

Which leads to ... the actual reason for my post!  I have a folder full of vintage tow truck reference pix, but it's really hard to make out the details on the actual lift mechanisms, etc., but ...

Found a Gold Mine of info on the Weaver Auto Crane (hand- or power-operated tow truck mechanism from the 1920s) ... plus loads of info on all sorts of various vintage accessories ... lifts, jacks, jack stands, towing accessories, tire tools, etc.

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.railroad-line.com%2Fforum%2Fdata%2Fdallas_m%2F2012414182924_01-weaver-combo-02.JPG&hash=dba72e2bcd01b9e755b0a6a01a963b4ee3fc032f)

The site has many LARGE brochures with CLEAR illustrations of the mechanical parts ... and pdf files with PATENT DRAWINGS of many of the items.  It's hosted by Castle Equipment, which tookover the old Weaver line:

http://www.castleequipment.com/Museum/menu_weaver_history.htm

Note:  I greatly reduced the ads shown here just to give a preview ... nice BIG copies on the site!

Well worth a trip for anyone considering a vintage garage scene!

Gordon (GFAdvance) -- You're gonna love all the little gizmos on this site!

Cheers,
Dallas

Great find, Dallas! Thanks for posting it.

Oooh..oooh...great to see you back on this build!

Thanks for the Mini_Art info and the link!


Marc

Thanks Dallas ...................... what I did not need at this moment was that LINK.

I cannot see my workbench for unfinished projects, going to have to stop starting things until I finish something/anything.


Mind you that Auto Ambulance might not take long, and that those Presses look sort of nice...........................but in 1/24 am fiddling with a quick? little project in 1/35 and its driving me nuts

Dallas,   I'm going to have to check my stash of Tow Truck and Garage stuff i think it might of wandered off to your garage :o The weaver site has been in my stash of goodies for years....thats what i was useing for my O scale Tow Truck Build ::) another one of my build's thats sitting waiting to be finished :-[ along with my 1/25 Gas Station...and a couple other project's.  I take it your going to build a Tow Truck ;)

Quote from: Mobilgas on April 15, 2012, 06:56:52 PM
I take it your going to build a Tow Truck ;)

Yeah, and sometimes being slow can pay off!  I've got one of the "old" Gaz kits (Toko, Zvezda or Eastern Express -- think those are all the same) and some photo-etch parts for that ... but it looks like the new Mini-Art kits are a big step forward.  There are several reviews and/or builds on these showing really nice detail ...

So, I think I'll wait for the "AA" version to come out and go from there ... there are lots of crane/towing mechs out there, but having one that's clearly illustrated and suited to the period will be a big help.

Cheers,
Dallas

QuoteYeah, and sometimes being slow can pay off!

never was a truer word spoken in jest!

We all need to slow down, it will save the planet!

Michael

Only half in jest!  Learned along time ago that if I don't "roll with it" (whatever the "it" happens to be at the time), I'll go completely nuts.  ;)  And, to those who would suggest I went nuts a long time ago ... that's true ... this approach allows me to be a happy lunatic.  : 8)  :P

Along those lines, my Mom broke her wrist two weeks ago ... nasty break with metal plates and all that "fun" stuff, so I've been spending a lot of time helping her out ... especially the first week or so when the pain was really intense.  Things have settled down now, and I'll just be adjusting my schedule to take her to physical therapy twice a week for the next month or so.  Fortunately, it was her mother, my grandmother, who fostered the "roll with it" attitude in the family ... so she's doing well ... and it'll all work out.

Modeling time is shot to heck, but I figure the real joy in the hobby is when you do get those "precious few moments" (sometimes that's all you get) to get deeply involved and "taken away" with whatever the project is.  That's fun stuff.  And, when those aren't happening, it's especially nice to come to the forum for a few minutes and piggyback onto the fun of someone else's project that happens to be moving at the moment.

Have a few new 1/35 figures begging for attention here ... in a state where a few minutes would further each one, so it'll all work out ... and we'll see some more progress here ... whenever! 

Cheers,
Dallas

Hi Dallas--Hope all is going okay on the home front and your mother is a lot better.  Got a bunch of ideas from this build, and really look forward to seeing how you pull it all together.  Best to you.

"Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days.
Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic."

I'm not afraid of dusty old topics!  ;D

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11336;image)

I've been thinking for quite some time that it would be nice to have a "Mr. Chambers" at Chambers Gas & Oil ... and that it would be awfully nice to have him resemble that cranky but loveable curmudgeon that Mike Chambers had adopted as an avatar ...

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11337;image)

One day, while perusing 1/35 scale figures, this set from MasterBox caught my eye ...

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11338;image)

So, I cruised on over to the MasterBox website (http://www.mbltd.info/) to see if they had any actual photos ... and thought that this looked like a pretty good starting point ...

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11339;image)

Grafting the head from Mike's avatar onto the other body in the MasterBox set caused me to get pretty excited about the idea!

Now, just to be perfectly clear, I certainly would NOT want to caricature Mike in any way. So, this fellow will be "Mitch" Chambers ... a cranky but loveable old guy who just happens to have the same last name and hopefully reminds us of Mike's wonderful sense of humor!

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11340;image)

Here's the actual head from the MasterBox set ... he looks a little too easy going at this point, but that will disappear ... once we "rearrange his face" a bit!  ;D

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11341;image)

Of course, that should be "easy" because 1/35 scale heads are so "big" ...

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11342;image)

Work in progress! Still have to fine-tune his chin, nose and ears ... customize his hat ... and add a disheveled shirt collar ...

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11343;image)

Smashing some pictures together to check the comparison ... definitely needs a much bigger hat and a little more chin ... will also make a few other little refinements ... but it looks pretty encouraging at this point!  8)

Cheers,
Dallas

Impressive!
Also a nice way to remember Mike.
I thought right out of the box was close, you will be spot on when finished!
-Mj

Looks fantastic so far! Well done Dallas and great idea as usual.

Anders

Looks good.... buy the time your done it will look just like the picture

Better look out. Mike just sent a cease and desist order .... -- Russ

That is so awesome!

Definitely awesome!

What kind of clay/putty are you using?

Quote from: Ray Dunakin on October 07, 2013, 12:10:49 PM
Definitely awesome!

What kind of clay/putty are you using?

Thanks, everyone!  I think Mitch will end up being a lot of fun ...

Ray -- It's a two-part epoxy called "Magic Sculpt" ... it air-dries ... has a good working time ... and smooths/shapes very well ... it dries quite hard, but can be sanded & carved after it hardens.  Available from Tap Plastics and various sources:

http://www.tapplastics.com/product/mold_making_materials/sculpting_materials/magic_sculpt_compound/110

A couple of notes:

-- When applying the putty to a figure, I first smear on a thin coat of Vallejo matt varnish ... let that tack-dry (for just a couple of minutes) while mixing up a little bit of putty ... then apply.  If you don't do this, the putty may or may not actually stick to the figure ... if you do this, it sticks well!

-- You have a good bit of working time ... the putty is quite soft for the first 15-30 minutes, then it gradually starts to harden ... after an hour it's quite firm, but not fully hardened ...

-- For most of the fine work, I use three tools most often:  x-acto knife w/ #11 blade, angled plastic toothpick, blunt sewing needle in a pin vise (for shaping the really small stuff) ...

-- At the early stages, dust the tool(s) with talc (paper powder) to start pressing / shaping the putty ... and thus avoid causing the tool to drag or grab the material ...

-- As it starts to firm, you can dip the tool in a little bit of thick hand soap or aloe gel, which will allow you to glide the tool across the surface and smooth/refine shapes ...

After it's fully set, you can do additional carving / sanding as needed ... for really tiny stuff, a wooden toothpick is actually "rough" enough to do some smoothing ... and you can sand down the toothpick to make it even "finer" grit!  ;D

Cheers,
Dallas

Thanks for the info, I may have to give that a try some time. I've heard of Magic Sculp and some have used it for details on outdoor models, but this is the first I've heard of it being used for figure work.

That's very interesting. Stunning result! You're an artist, aren't you? Do you use a head-worn loupe for your sculpting?

Cheers,
Volker

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11346;image)

Quote from: Hydrostat on October 08, 2013, 12:06:54 AM
That's very interesting. Stunning result! You're an artist, aren't you? Do you use a head-worn loupe for your sculpting?   Cheers, Volker

Hi Volker --

Thank you!  And, yes, I can call myself an "artist" in the sense that, like most of us here, I feel the need to "create" simply for the pleasure of it ... and I sell kits based on my original designs, which is a form of commercial art ... but allowing that there are some really, truly gifted & talented "real artists" ... I'm more inclined to call myself an "aspiring artist" ... !!!  ;D

The photo above shows my first original 1/35 scale head sculpt ...

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11349;image)

I wanted a cute female sidekick for the grumbling old mechanic in my garage, and saw Ginger Rogers in a 1940's movie called "The Primrose Path" -- where she was a smart, tough tomboy character who seemed just right for the job ... and even rode in a little tow truck that would fit well!  ;D

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11345;image)

But as an "aspiring" artist (in this case, a complete and total "hack") ... I found the task of sculpting a human head unbelievable challenging ... especially in miniature ... I ended up spending over 100 hours on the project.  As you can see from the photos above, the first and second efforts were rather miserable.  But I was VERY determined to get past that.  In addition to basic the complexities of the human head, sculpting an attractive female is perhaps even more difficult ... because the curves in the face have to be very pleasing to the eye, and the cheeks and such all have to be very smooth and ... well, pretty!

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11348;image)

Before I even started on that, I ordered a sculpting DVD from Creager Studios:

http://www.creagers.com/A%20NEW%20DVD%20Page.html

... and found it immensely helpful.  Even though the doll artist shown here is working in a MUCH, much larger scale, the basic techniques of placing and shaping all the elements that make up the face and head were very helpful.  And it still took me over 100 hours of trying to get where I wanted to go!  ::)  :P  But I got there eventually!  ;D  8)

(BTW, I was rather burned out after all that -- and Ginger remains unfinished.  However, I have finished all of the body sculpting and clothing and just need to go back and figure out how to make some cute little pigtails.  Feeling rather refreshed now with the current figure project, so she'll be getting more attention soon.)  ;)

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11342;image)

At the risk of patting myself on the back ... (oh, what the heck) ... I'm completely amazed at the likeness achieved on the current project ... AND ... this represents only 8-10 hours of sculpting work.  It seems that the determination and hours spent on the previous project actually paid off ... yippee!

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11347;image)

One thing I learned while working on Ginger was to have as many reference photos as possible ... the head is, of course, a 3-dimensional object ... and the contours have to look right from a variety of viewing angles.  On the current grouchy old man project, there is only the one picture that was Mike Chambers' avatar ... and I had some initial difficulties constructing the facial contours in a way that looked good from various viewing angles.  So, I did some surfing and found that poet RS Stewart (shown above) had a similar facial structure ... and I was able to find a variety of photos showing him from different angles.  So, I made a collage of those and printed them to sit on the workbench alongside the original image of Mike's grumpy avatar.  (RS Stewart was described as a "curmudgeon" which is how he came up in my searches!)

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11344;image)

And, yes, I definitely have to wear a headband magnifier and work very carefully!  The image above shows the head approximately actual size on a 19" monitor ...

I'm sure this is a much, much longer answer than you wanted!  ::)  :P  8)   But, I wanted to encourage others to try this sort of thing if they're interested ... it can be incredibly challenging for us "challenged" but aspiring artists ... but with some determination and the willingness to study the lessons offered by the "real" artists, it can be done!  (And I am extremely pleased at how much "easier" it is getting now!  "Yippee!" again ...)  ;D  ;D  ;D

Cheers,
Dallas

Good stuff! I really admire your drive to figure this out. It is a such unusual project, because you are dealing with a character here.

Dallas,

thank you very much for your considerable answer! It'll be very exciting to watch your next steps on that. As far as I've understoos everything right you seem to have a typical artistic approach for you sculpting.

Cheers,
Volker

Quote from: BKLN on October 09, 2013, 06:13:48 AM
Good stuff! I really admire your drive to figure this out. It is a such unusual project, because you are dealing with a character here.

Yeah, and if it works out ... he should look "realistic" and yet have a likeness to that caricature, which ... fortunately ... isn't too abstract!  ;D

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11365;image)

Well, let me state the obvious first ... I haven't started on his big ears yet! (https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11364;image)

Okay ... made a little more progress ... he looks "good" from one side and front ... cheek contours need to be pulled back on the other side (far right in photo) ... AND ... I'd like to do a variety of "little things" to try to get the resemblance as close as possible: jut the jaw forward, angle the nose and mouth a bit to give that little "sneer" he's got going and so forth (not to mention the various fine-tuning once we get to whatever point will be "close enough") ...

Now, I'd LIKE to try all these things ... but it's also a bit SCARY to start into such changes once you've gotten this far, cuz one little slip of the knife can make a mess ... and one "bright idea" about cutting away and reshaping some feature or another can cause a major set back ... so whaddaya do?  ???  :P

(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=2266.0;attach=11366;image)

Well, I decided to STOP at that point and make a two-part mold so I can cast the head in resin ... now I'll make a few of these ... try all my "bright ideas" and attempt to get a closer likeness without worrying about having to go all the way back to the beginning! Screw up one Mitch ... toss him out ... send in the clones!  ;D

Off to make some clones now ...

Cheers,
Dallas

Just ... wow ..

suppose that COULD be the beer .. but ... nah ..

Looks great but if you must make some change, maybe more chin out and lower lip out more.

Quote from: Malachi Constant on October 16, 2013, 04:57:47 PM
... I'd like to do a variety of "little things" to try to get the resemblance as close as possible: jut the jaw forward, angle the nose and mouth a bit to give that little "sneer" he's got going and so forth (not to mention the various fine-tuning once we get to whatever point will be "close enough") ...

That's first on the list ... but maybe I shoulda said it better!  8)  ;D

Thanks again,
Dallas