Old Gas Pump Drawings or Measurements

[Chuck Doan]

Those would look great in a night scene!

[DaKra]

Project resurrected due to an "aha" moment that gave me an idea I wanted to try.  On the previous version, I wasn't happy with the uneven light spread inside the globe, and the clear frosted "glass" of the globe.  On the originals, the globe is milk glass brightly and evenly lit inside.  Something very difficult to do in 1/87 scale, as I found out!

Also the meter face should be slightly recessed, and lit from the front top.  Previous version was flush with the front and back lit.  Not a lot of room in there, but I figured out a way to focus and bounce the light around to where I needed it. The globe is lopsided, because I yanked it from its mold too quickly, also still needs decal, nozzle, etc.  Just a test shot so far!

[Ray Dunakin]

Very cool.

[finescalerr]

Substantial improvement. -- Russ

[Hector Bell]

I always wondered who made those pumps.  We had exactly the same pattern over here.  In fact there's one, to this day, in my old village and although I took measurements an age ago, I've lost them, so I could go back and measure it for you, me and posterity.
I did a/w for a p/e face and front panel in British O scale, but never got round to making it.  However I do need one for my little Lantern Yard dio.  Gotta fill the canal boats somehow!

I learned technical illustration from a guy who worked for Gilbarco, in fact he actually learned HIS skills with them.  Must be an English division at work somewhere.

If I can get my daughter to lend me her car and camera, I'll pop down to Nordelph and take some shots of Old Man Simpson's garage remains for us.

Martin

[DaKra]

Please do, Martin.  We like old garages and gas pumps!   

I've been experimenting with miniature lighting special effects for a couple of years now, its difficult because, unlike oil paints or styrene, you are dealing with strict sets of limitations.  And those are in addition to the strict limitations set by 1/87 scale.   Like Scotty said on Star Trek, I can't change the laws of physics.   

Plus there isn't much information, or respectable aftermarket parts.   The science fiction guys have done some very nice work, but most of their applications don't translate well to civilian real world prototypes. 

That's my thumb again in the photo, lower left.  This sign will hang over a storefront.

Dave

[Hector Bell]

I'll see what I can do.  I have the car this afternoon, so, as long as Norfolk County Council, who shut roads at the drop of a hat for resurfacing, will let me through to the High Street, I can get some pics for us.
Assuming the local laddos haven't trashed it.  It's a good few years since I last was there, even though it's only two miles down the road!

More anon.

I like that sign.  It can't be easy lighting one up especially in tiny HO scale.

Martin

[Malachi Constant]

Good grief!  And keep 'em coming ... amazing touches on those tiny little projects.

Cheers,
Dallas

[Hector Bell]

Well, I popped down to the old garage and the pump is still there in one piece, so I'm going to go down tomorrow with a camera and take a few measurements too.
It's all gummed up with brambles since I left the village.  Even the church has gone!  Every last Arts and Crafts period brick, cleared.
In these parts soil subsidence is critical and the poor wee church started to fall in two and became too dangerous.  Someone got some lovely woodwork out of that!

Martin

[Ray Dunakin]

How'd you do the sign? Looks like maybe, laser-etched the lettering out of clear plastic with black paint on top?

[DaKra]

Ray, the neon sign is made in several layers, the top layer of tubes is clear plastic as you described.  But under that is a red and white decal, for the painted sign, because it must also look correct in daylight.   Its a complicated design problem.  Hope to have a working demo with me at CSS10, but I've got revenue items to prepare that are a higher priority!

Dave

[Philip Smith]

Dave,

Stand in the corner, your to good!

inbedding LED's in resin, Yes?

philip

[DaKra]

hey Phillip, yeah I started adding resin into the mix recently, it makes a big difference because now I can cut the shape in whatever material works best for the laser, then make a clear part out of it.   Aside from Acrylic, many clear plastics don't cut well at all, they melt and burn, so they are off the table.   Also when the LED is embedded, it keeps everything compact.   

The Nolan's sign is back lit, but the next generation and ultimate goal is  a sign that hangs over the sidewalk, so everything must be self contained in a very thin wafer.  Unfortunately EL sheet is not bright enough so I have to do it with small LEDs.    Some LEDs are the size of a grain of sand, just about the correct size for an HO scale light bulb.  Incredible, but very difficult to work with.       

Dave

[Mobilgas]

Dave,   I like the light up sign interested in more info on how your using the small LED'S.  Messed around with trying to add some neon to a gas sign i started  long time ago.....but i was using clear fiber optic .....heating and bending to get the shape i wanted plus had to make 2 so they had to match .....was trying to get the look of gas dripping out of the gas pump nozzle Oh well thats as far as i got     Craig

[DaKra]

Hi Craig,

That's a neat idea for a sign, nice to know other people are interested in scale neon.    I hope you will resume work on the station and post your progress.

Fiber optics have their uses, but very limited.  The problem is they channel light, and only emit it at one end.  If you rough them up to cast light out, they don't emit an even glow like neon tube, they rapidly dim down as distance from the source increases. 

What you need for your sign is EL wire.  Its basically a strand of wire that lights up just like a neon tube.   The finest diameter is a little too thick for HO scale, but would be perfect for your scale.   Actually, EL wire is one of the reasons why I'm considering working in a bigger scale.  You can find this stuff online. 

Everything I know about micro LEDs and small scale soldering I learned from my friend Bill Sartore (Slim Jerkins on the forums).   He's developing a website (microlumina.com) and I believe a DVD or written tutorial on the subject of miniature lighting. 

Dave