Bits, Pieces, & Clutter

[mobilgas]

Craig,

No real reason...I just always like dthe way those old signs looked, and thought it would be fun little build (also something you don't see often on models)....plus would make a unique and interesting pice of clutter/scrap in some kind of a scene....the kind of thing where it is leaning against an old wall with stuff leaning against one part of it, clutterans scrap all around...maybe even a rag or tarp covering part of it....the kind of thing that someone said "Hey...I could use that"....but then never does and it just sits rusting and collecting dust.
                                                                   [ Marc,  heres one of my orig signs i picked up and sold it was double sided had a few more old ones that were neat but..... never took pictures of them  ]Craig


M

[Mr Potato Head]

These letters are so cool! I see these all the time when I am out in the boonies, how about some fiber optics with a flickering no vacancy.......................... Sort of like a "bates motel" ? I have a cool sign from a fruit stand in Yakama  i will have to dig it out and send it to you
Gil

[marc_reusser]

Great sign Craig, thanks for posting. I had to look twice to make sure it wasn't one of your model creations.

Gil; I hear they're all the rage out in your neck of the woods....though there is supposedly this new-fangled thing called LED that may be coming there soon....well...maybe first you'll get those scrolling signs that look like Lite-Brite.     Maybe I can machine a flat surface on some small fiber optic strands...heat form them, and then paint the round (non machined) surface white...Yep.....I'll get right on that.

M

[Ken Hamilton]

Great stuff, Marc.  I really like the letters, and that barrel rack
my well show up on one of my future dioramas...

Nice job with the salt technique, too.  Some model car guys have been
doing that with very good results.  I'll find & post some pics..............

[mobilgas]

Marc,   heres some pictures of a sign project i was working on years ago for my mobil station.   My idea was to light it up with 2 light shades on a pole  on top of the sign shining down on its face.....  plus i wanted to light up the fiber optic DROPS comeing out of the nozzles.  I dont know if the light would travel through the drops?? as its not made all in one piece, havent tested it out yet........  and what watt bulb ill have to use for it to work good???...... Heat might be a problem......if heat will be a problem then ill have to make the sign  out of brass..... Open to ideas about POWERING the sign on the POLE for it turns real SLOW    want to use some thing cheap for the motor???... What... i dont know  [anyone have any ideas]  Craig

[marc_reusser]

Very cool sign idea.

I would consider using LEDs instead of bulbs....much smaller, higher light output (that I think could be moderated using a resistor, and the light could be tinted "warm-yellowish" using a clear paint...like Tamiya)...but best of all...no heat to worry about.


For turning the sign, you could use a hollow pole (K&S alum tube)....then put a shaft through it that runs from the sign to under the scene/dio, and then use a geared down motor set-up from there.

Caveat: I suck at motors and gearing stuff.......but Micro Mark seem s to make a motor set-up specifically for scenery/animation type of use...  http://www.micromark.com/MOTORIZED-PLANETARY-GEARBOX,8179.html..... it seems to have a min rotation of 13/rpm...which is probably still faster than you want...but you could physicaly gear it down one more time to someting like 1/4 that speed or less by using another 4:1 or 6:1 gear set-up between the motor and the shaft. ......just a thought.



Marc

[lab-dad]

Marc is right, LED's are the way to go. (FYI all LED's require a resistor)
Using something like a microphone or speaker jack at the base of the pole would allow continuous contact with the wires to the lights in the sign.
If you look on the 'net you can find slower motors, and reducing the voltage would slow them down more.
Using fiber optics for the drops would work great and they'd ba small enough to be invisible.
There is a company called Ngineering that does amazing things in Nscale with LED's and micro tubing.
Let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
-Marty

[Ken Hamilton]

Speaking of 3-D signs, here's one from an on-going (IE: "stalled") project:

[Ray Dunakin]

That's really cool, Ken! What happened to stall the project? It looks pretty far along in that shot.

[mobilgas]

Hey Guys,        Good info......... LEDs that sounds good, never thought of that,.... dont have to worry about the heat problem then... and dont they come in different colors to??        Marty, the company Ngineering do they have a web site? like to check them out.     micro Mark,  ill order one of there catalogs and see what they have in motors../ gearing kits???                                                                                                                                                                                   thanks  Craig

[MrBrownstone]

Hey Ken,

That Wall and Diner is seriously cool... you will show us this jewel one day... yes? 

Mike

[marc_reusser]

Ken,

Nice scratchbuilding work on the sign!


M

[finescalerr]

Why aren't your fingers in the lower photo? -- Russ

[jacq01]

    SMD led's are THE way to go for signs, lights in cars,trains,etc.  I am using them for illuminating the sawmill.
    the smallest are 1,2mm x 1,8mm with a very good light emission, colors ranging from gas-yellow to hard white.
    0805 has the following dimensions 2,1x 1,3x 0,8 mm and can be used to represent globes together with a shade if wanted.
    0603 is  0,9x 1,6x 0,8 mm  this can still be soldered without using a magnifier. 
    0402 is 1.0x 0.5x 0.5 mm : very very difficult to solder the leads.

    With the correct resistor(s) they can be powered direct from the AC 14 - 18V power supply or DC.

    Jacq

   

[Ken Hamilton]

What happened to stall the project? It looks pretty far along in that shot.

While reaching for something on the bench, I did a "Godzilla" and stuck my hand through the wires.



Just about everything you see here is gone.

On the upside, I didn't like the stretched-sprue wires or the epoxy-blob insulators anyway.
I've now got piano wire and better crossbucks for when I can bring myself to get back to it.