Uncle Paul's 03

Still waiting for Titanium White paint (for the Shingle Shed). I managed a rare weeknight hour on Uncle Paul's.  Here is where the facade stands, with the paper windows set in (not quite aligned).:

 I am currently wondering what color to paint the windows, door, and vent.  I think it is safe to say the vent would be white, but, I am not sure about the windows and doors.  I am getting excited about the "laser through" brick technique.  Here are some details:

 The Lintels are yet to be cut, but I am looking forward to getting them on.  I went ahead and primed the windows with my usual "Chocolate Brown" spray paint. . . . but that is a good base for both light and dark in my book.  The spray paint, when allowed to soak in and applied to both sides, does a lot to strengthen the paper.  Sealing the paper is critical--otherwise it will absorb too much water from the acrylic paint. 

Candidate colors for the windows, in no order: Medium Green, French Grey, Olive Green, Tan, White. . . I have been looking at historic paint chips to get the right tonality--but frankly, am all ears when it comes to suggestions.

Uncle Paul's 02

Well, The Shingle Shed and Shifty Shack are still moving forward--however, I am waiting for a few bits to arrive by mail (probably Monday): some lighting and paint.  I decided to light the Shifty Shed to show off the gaps in the boards--and, I ran out of some of my more used basic colors!  Silly me. 

In any case, I did have what I needed to continue Uncle Paul's.  The concept was simple, paint, then cut: the goal being a pre-painted, pre weathered brick wall.  My earlier experiments told me that if I had the settings just right I could get some white showing around a laser engraved line--

Here is where I am now, I will follow with the process:

The first draft has an alignment problem:

Fortunately, I printed multiple decals on a sheet (or as they say in Canada, "Deckels"):

The process began by priming a wall, I set up my work piece with stops in the laser cutter, so that I could use a template to guide my painting, and "Deckelling".

The process is pretty clear from the above--save for the coat of clear lacquer that does not show (it is clear after all), applied prior to decal.  You can see the evidence of the template in paint and pencil.  And, that is how we get here from there (twice).

OK, Time to put the animals (farm animals) to bed, and get on with Christmas Tree decorations!

Uncle Paul's 01

If it seems that there is too much going on, well, it's because there is.  I was stuck on the phone for a while today and managed to work up artwork for "Uncle Paul's Pawn Shop." I have been fascinated by a prototype photo of the building that has been posted in various places (including on the Railroad-line forums). I don't know where the image came from.  If anyone knows, I would love to learn more--and, if it is copyrighted material, let me know and I will take it down.  I suspect from its age that the image is likely in the public domain, but one can't be sure. 

I straightened the image, and did some work in photoshop, and am close to having the sign art done.

I had to do some re-working, first with contrast, and then filling in missing information.  Fortunately, I had already started an HO version--I just needed to make the art hold up at a larger size.  I am laying the various bits out to print as a decal sheet.  Currently scaled to "O": it would be fun to make this in any scale!  Just have the awning to finish up.  Have an "evil" plan for doing some neat work with the laser to boot.  I managed to make a cut file while on hold as well.

Now I am developing a healthy back log--so down to the workshop with a podcast for me, will hopefully tune into Model Rail Radio.  I'm going to refrain from starting too many more--it is just that I have had more free moments at the computer (20 minutes here, half an hour there) than continuous time in the workshop. . . 

Virgin Church 03

The clapboards for the church:  I drew the likely stud locations on the walls in order to plot the nail impressions.  The lengths are coordinated with the building facades, and there is a mix of straight and varied boards--it should work well cut from railroad board (.015), similar to poster board.

It seems silly to me that I chose to incorporate CAD drawing into my model making when I spend so many hours each day working on a computer.  Doing a little at a time, and keeping things simple seems to keep it from getting to be too much like work.  I am building up a raft of files to cut, so, I should be heading to the laser cutter soon.

Water Tower 01

In the past week I read a few posts on the Railroad-line forums that discussed conical shingles, especially the fact that straight shingle strips would not look good on a cone.  It seemed most people would resort to individual shingles.

The first thing I did was draw a developed (flattened) conical pattern based on an elevation, which is easy in a computer.  Where: D1 * 360 / D2 = the angle included.  Using this formula, you can determine exactly how wide the resulting "PAC MAN" needs to open his or her mouth. 

I staggered PACCY's mouth just a bit so I could overlap two sections and get a smooth cone.  I then drew custom strips of shingles to fit the cone.  Once one comes to terms with the radial situation, some clever mirroring and odd repeats can speed things along.  That said, however, it did take several small sessions spread over the last couple weeks.  It seems to me that one could develop a couple cones at common pitches--and the diameter adjusted by adding or removing courses. 

I am going to use this conical roof on a water tank for a building I think.  It is scaled to a sturdy cardboard tube that came in some art paper--the future core of the tower. 

I have added my "frets", so this one is just about ready to cut.

Virgin Church 02

Here is the Virgin Church under way as a CAD file.  The drawings for these models are quite simple, especially compared to those I might make for a construction project.  That said, even on "1:1 projects" I endeavor to make drawings as simple as possible, and suited to their purpose.  As someone who learned how to draw when drawing meant drafting with pencils on a drawing board, I maintain a sense of the purpose and scale of the ultimate output--combining such an efficient approach with the facility of CAD allows one to work very fast.  All of this is changing once again, as modelling and simulation supplant drafting....but that is another story.  I have the pleasure, fortunately, of being in that hinge generation that left school drawing with pencils, and entered the workforce using computers.

Virgin Church 01

In addition to working on the Shingle Shed and the Burros this weekend (sorry Shifty Shack, you can't have all the fun), I managed a little CAD time.  I drew a compressed version of the old Virgin Church--one of the few public buildings constructed in this particular part of Utah during the Civil War.  It was finished so that it could be used as a fort to defend against attack by Native Americans--there was an increase in such attacks during the Civil War.

I am going to model the building in a more original state.  Although the building is an adobe structure, it is a unique form of adobe in which the adobe bricks are stacked between wood framing members.  The stucco is a 20th century addition.  The building was originally clapboard. 

The cracking in the stucco reveals the framing clearly--it also shows where an old transom window over the door was covered.  There are three large windows on each side, and similar to many LDS buildings, two doors in the back at the altar end of the building.

I also photographed a small house from Hurricane Utah a little while back, as it would make another good subject.

 The builder and his wife had. . . .gasp . . . seven children!

I am thinking that the clapboard of the church and the novelty siding on the house will round out my siding repertoire a little, and each will provide some welcome challenges.  I did some other cad work, but, I will wait until there is something interesting to show.  Doing it in little fits and starts makes it less like work . . . .