Stanton Street, New York City

[Chuck Doan]

After visiting your website, I am even more impressed! This is some great modelling. I like that elevator? thing in the sidewalk. The brick looks great too.

To me, you can't beat something based or copied directly from the real thing.

[Don Railton]

We met at CSS.  I can assure the rest of the guys that although it looks good, the photo doesn't do your work justice.  I saw the buildings live at and HO kits don't get any better.  The "not perfect" brickwork (just like the real world) made all the difference.  I am also a fan of super detail (bathroom visible through a side window). 

I look forward to seeing a new creation next year.

Regards, Don

[chester]

I have always liked your builds Dave, nice to see you sharing here.
Love the NYC shot, much emotion.

[DaKra]

Thanks again everyone.  This is a notoriously tough audience, so the reaction has been gratifying and motivating. I'm looking forward to getting back to work on the next NYC diorama and trying to do better.   Looking at the photos I realize I was a little soft on the weathering, especially the middle building.  I got scared and backed off with the chalks and oil washes before it was done.  Next time I'll be more aggressive.   

Chuck, those trap door covers are still a common sidewalk feature.  As a kid, I remember jumping on them to make a horrific BANG, then being chased off by the shopkeeper.  Probably just cement stairs underneath an oldie like that, though many have electric elevators.     

Agreed on working from 1/1 prototypes.  The little details that often go unnoticed in the 1/1 world because they are so common or plain or unimportant somehow make a bigger impact in miniature.  A good portion of the details in the photo, such as the cat door in the middle building, just didn't register in my mind until I started building the model. Its as if there is another dimension you can only see when you have your model builder / artist goggles on.   

Don, glad to hear from you again.  Enjoyed chatting with you and comparing notes at the show and nice to see you here!   Hope you'll post some detail views of your abandoned shed and other work.  Didn't bring my camera to the show and regret it.   

Dave



   

[Ray Dunakin]

Agreed on working from 1/1 prototypes.  The little details that often go unnoticed in the 1/1 world because they are so common or plain or unimportant somehow make a bigger impact in miniature.  A good portion of the details in the photo, such as the cat door in the middle building, just didn't register in my mind until I started building the model. Its as if there is another dimension you can only see when you have your model builder / artist goggles on. 

That's what I've found too. The most difficult thing about doing freelanced models is trying to "think up" all the small, often odd, little details that might be found on a real building.

[DaKra]

Hi Russ, saw your reminder about the surface textures over in Marc's thread, which I didn't want to hijack.  The bricks, cobblestones and stucco are all laser engraved using vector graphics.   As was discussed on other forums, laser engraving brick tends to produce "computery" results, the main problem being the graphic software's strong tendency towards perfection in lines, alignment, duplication, etc.   So in order to produce a realistic result, the graphics need to be adjusted by eye to compensate.   Enough to be perceptable, but not so much as to look cartoony.  Time consuming, but further proof that even with  high tech, its the man, not the tool, that matters more.   

Dave

[finescalerr]

That's what I was hoping you would answer. So now my follow-up questions:

Are you able to make changes to the surface of individual bricks, as in making some a little higher (seemingly impossible) and others a little lower?

Is it a very expensive process given all the cuts the laser must make? I was told brick sheets would be too time intensive to produce by another laser guy, and thus would sell for too high a price.

Have you tried bricks and stones in 1:48 or 1:32 scales? If so, with what results?

Now aren't you sorry you answered?

Russ

[Belg]

Dave, are these brick pieces something you will be producing in the future as I don't see them listed on your site? The side joint is a good idea, I think if the color matched just a little better it would be hidden even more. Pat

[DaKra]

Hey Russ

Ask away, I love talking shop. 

Actually the rough side bricks are engraved as you describe, some higher and lower than average, as are the cobblestones.  Unfortunately the effect was lost in my photos.   I use the 3D option in the laser driver, a great feature that is seriously underutilized by laser operators. 

Speed  is  an open ended question.  Its a function of material, power and how well the machine's precision stands up at higher speeds.
It can be a problem but I've come up with some practical solutions to manufacture brick structure kits.  The first one is almost ready for market. 

I've not yet tried any architectural subjects larger than 1/87.       

Dave

[DaKra]

Hey Belg

The model's wall parts do not join at the "sawtooth" pattern.   They actually join on the corner, but the seam is invisible.  Here is a picture of another brick corner in the diorama as a clearer example.   All will be revealed when kit #1 goes on the market. 

The "sawtooth" and color variation on the side of Stanton #328 deliberately replicates a typical corner where a higher quality front facade brick interfaces with the lower quality brick used on the alley sides.  There are several different brick patterns in the diorama.

Dave 

[Belg]

Hey Dave, I was totally fooled by that. I think its something you should let people know so they don't make the same assumption I did. To think its a bad joint.

Looking forward to your first set of brick products. Thanks Pat

[finescalerr]

The photos on your website suggest varying brick levels; that's why I asked. But the fact that you have high, average, and low bricks is stunning, especially in HO. I look forward to seeing your first official release. -- Russ

[Hauk]

Ask away, I love talking shop. 

Ok, here is another.

I took a look at the ship decks in wood that you offer for sale.
What struck me was that the engraved lines between the planks seemed to be entirely free from burn marks.
What I usually find annoying with laserengraved siding are those dark brownish-blackish lines beteween the boards.

Your scribed deck look like they could be stained with great results, and I feel that laser-cut structures would make a quantum-leap forward if those burn marks could be avoided.

So how did you do those decks?

Regards, Håvard H

[DaKra]

Hi Hauk

That's sort of a tough question, because I never really had a problem with scortching, so I never had to develop a technique to avoid it.  Generally I use the lowest power to highest speed ratio, mostly as a matter of efficiency. 

If you have a particular idea for a laser engraved wood structure, I'd be interested to know more.  Send me an PM or whatever.

Here's a photo of the HO scale rough side brick I engrave in 3D.   Thats a US dime on the left for size comparison.  The photo had to be cropped pretty tight to allow an upload here, but you get the idea.


Dave
 

[jacq01]

fantastic achievement. Will this also become available as sheet material for scratch builders ?

Jacq