Luke's Garage & Gas Station

[Bill Gill]

Stuart, That looks terrific!
I am woefully ignorant of the rendering process to create the file that is used for printing items like your compressor. Did you initially import that catalog image and convert it? If so how did you do the nonvisible sides?
Did you import the catalog image and use it as a template to draw the 3D image on top off?
Or, did you just use the catalog picture as a refernce and draw the 3D version fro scratch?
Some combination of the above?

[Chuck Doan]

Wonderful!

[Stuart]

Hello Bill -

The SketchUp program will allow you to copy and paste photos, line art, sketches, etc. into your working environment.  I have used that method a few times on other projects but in this case, with the air compressor, I used the available sources I gathered on-line as reference only.  Pretty much all I had to go on was the image I show in my previous post and a few others shown in this post.  Not too much to go on.  I just kind of flew by the seat of my pants.

I started with basic shapes (cylinders and rectangles) and pushed and pulled them until I felt I had the spatial relationships near to what they should be.  After I had the basic shape blocked out I then proceeded to work on the details of each one.  It was a labor intensive process and took a number of hours to work through but I feel I was able to accomplish fairly reasonable results or at least something that resembles the original image I began with.

Of course, having an actual real life air compressor to take measurements from would have been ideal, but no such luck in this case. So, to answer your question, I just used the catalog picture as a reference and drew the 3D version from scratch.

Stuart

[Bill Gill]

Thanks, Stuart. Impressive!

[Stuart]

What would a gas station be without gas pumps?  I've waited to the end of my tread to at last review how I am approaching this part of my diorama.

When I started this project I had anticipated creating the typical gravity fed style pump, the kind with the large glass cylinder perched high on a metal column.  Such a pump would have been accurate for the time period I am modeling in, but then I thought, nearly every old-timey gas station I have seen modeled uses the same style gas pump.  I wanted to do something a little different so I began researching gas pumps of the 1930's and found that Tokheim manufactured a clock face style pump from 1930 to 1939.  This was what I was looking for.  What made it even more intriguing was that I was able to find dimensions for the main body and some of the smaller components of the pump. 

Now that I was armed with some real dimensions, I worked up a 3D model in my SketchUp program and then had the parts printed by Shapeways.  Here are some photos of how things are going so far.

The gasoline nozzle was a different story, however.  I had no dimensions for this part of the project but found some excellent photographs of one that would have been used for this particular pump.  I imported the photos into my SketchUp program and used it as a pattern.  It worked out well.  The ones pictured here were printed in an acrylic material and are very fragile.  I think I will have them reproduced in brass which will give them a little more heft and be a bit more rugged.

I also want to include a crown globe at the top of each of the pumps but have not yet figured an easy way to fabricate these.  It may come to a sculpting effort which would then be cast in a milky white casting resin.  In addition, I want to place a small electric light bulb in each one so that they will actually light up.




Tokheim Cut 850 gasoline pumps, commonly called a clock face pump.




How things are looking thus far.




The various 3D printed parts.  The main body of the pump is a piece of 1 1/2" OD Plastruct tubing. 




Gas nozzle

 

[finescalerr]

It seems to be looking rather pleasant thus far. Chuck went through the same basic procedure a few years ago when he needed a gas pump. Your results and his are most impressive. -- Russ

[Stuart]

Thanks Russ.  Yes, I have been quite impressed with Chuck's various gas pump versions.  I'm hoping mine will measure to his level of expertise.

Stuart

[Daniel]

The gas station is really beautiful, Stuart!

Daniel

[Ray Dunakin]

Very cool!

[Stuart]

Just want to send out a big thank you to all of you for the encouraging words and helpful suggestions.

I have pretty much reviewed where I am currently with my Luke's Gas & Garage project.  So now I need to buckle down and start making progress on it again.  As I said earlier, I began this project back in the early 1980's and I want to get it done before I expire.

I will keep posting as I go and will look forward to your helpful suggestions as well.

[finescalerr]

The model I started in the early 1980s was my first Strathmore structure, an HO scale two story depot and, as you, I had to put it aside for a few years. But I finished it late in 1987 while you are still dragging your heels. Go stand in the corner! -- Russ

[Stuart]

But Russ, let's be realistic.  How can I possibly get anything accomplished on my model while standing in the corner? 

Stuart

[Mobilgas]

Stuart,  I like the Gas Pump the Tokheim 850 always was one of my Favorite gas pumps. I to have a old build that I never finished years ago that was a gas station in 1/2 inch scale.   The gas nozzle for the 850 is called a double roller.... the gas pump collectors I know would pay big money for one of them nozzle's

[Stuart]

Craig - Thanks for the info on the gas nozzle.  It is kind of unique with the way the trigger is arranged and maybe even a bit advanced over the the standard single lever type. 

Stuart

[Bill Gill]

Neat gas pump!

Some years back Dave Krakow (AKA VectorCut) had a laser cut parts business. He designed and made incredible stuff,  ask anyone here on the forums. Alas, he is no longer in busines.

But, He once made a really nifty gas pump that was lit internally by a micro LED. It is not what you have, and a quick search online didn't find an even an image His was HO scale, so lighting your pump for Luke's should be a piece of cake even if standing in the corner (although the corners do get crowded at times.