Hey!

    Just take your time on this. I did a two story car dealership in Evergreen Plastic years ago, for a model show in our club. It was in 1/25 and had various Chevrolet cars, people and ad stuff. It also had a fully equipped service bay. All of the building, Glass and interior was Evergreen. The service Bay was equipped with Evergreen,tamiya and Hasegawa parts and pieces. I got "Most Unusual" model for it! Inside I had one of the slow spinning AMT turntables and a Corvette on a see through Balcony! The Lighting was Grain of wheat and Grain of rice. Model Railroad stuff at that time.

Project510

Cost way to much money for what is considering how expensive plastic is nowadays but if I take my time and do it right, it could be really cool.

Check and see if there is a sign shop comfortably near you.  Especially ones doing blow-moulding or vac-forming signs.  They will often have excess material they just dispose of.

The thckness may be stouter than is ideal, and could be in gaudy colors, but pennes on the dollar s pennies on the dollar.

If it helps any, that storefront uses standardized metal parts.  It's very typically 2" wide an 4" or 45" deep.  Easily 80% is center glazed, where the glass falls in the middle of the 4" depth.  Spacing of the vertials is typically 48" or 60" on center (the photo looks like 48" from the width of the door).  The horizontal is probably 30-33" above the floor with another at the top of the door

(I've been detailing storefront for commercial architecture a long time, it's near second nature any more.)

Hope that helps

Tanker-Builder

Hey!

    Just take your time on this. I did a two story car dealership in Evergreen Plastic years ago, for a model show in our club. It was in 1/25 and had various Chevrolet cars, people and ad stuff. It also had a fully equipped service bay. All of the building, Glass and interior was Evergreen. The service Bay was equipped with Evergreen,tamiya and Hasegawa parts and pieces. I got "Most Unusual" model for it! Inside I had one of the slow spinning AMT turntables and a Corvette on a see through Balcony! The Lighting was Grain of wheat and Grain of rice. Model Railroad stuff at that time.

 

Yea so far all the supplies are evergreen. Sounds awesome!

CapnMac82

 

 

Project510

Cost way to much money for what is considering how expensive plastic is nowadays but if I take my time and do it right, it could be really cool.

 

 

Check and see if there is a sign shop comfortably near you.  Especially ones doing blow-moulding or vac-forming signs.  They will often have excess material they just dispose of.

The thckness may be stouter than is ideal, and could be in gaudy colors, but pennes on the dollar s pennies on the dollar.

If it helps any, that storefront uses standardized metal parts.  It's very typically 2" wide an 4" or 45" deep.  Easily 80% is center glazed, where the glass falls in the middle of the 4" depth.  Spacing of the vertials is typically 48" or 60" on center (the photo looks like 48" from the width of the door).  The horizontal is probably 30-33" above the floor with another at the top of the door

(I've been detailing storefront for commercial architecture a long time, it's near second nature any more.)

Hope that helps

 

Thanks! Thats some great info! I was actually planning on visiting a local tap plastics to see if they had any cut offs or cheap scrap. Thanks again for the tips and info.

Getting a feel for how it will come together. I made the stairs in two pieces so each level can be removed. Also, ignore my clearly incorrect first try at the windows haha. Way off.

What I think will be the trickiest part is this 2nd floor car storage. In order to make the roof removable, I dont think I can really attach it up their for support. So I will have to get creative.

I have a suggestion - if the garage is an actual one, use Google Maps to find it, then switch to "street view" to drive around the block.  That way you can at least have a look at the building and see any prominent features like color and signage.

I have "visited" my grandparents' old house as well as some hobby shops that way.

Real G

I have a suggestion - if the garage is an actual one, use Google Maps to find it, then switch to "street view" to drive around the block.  That way you can at least have a look at the building and see any prominent features like color and signage.

I have "visited" my grandparents' old house as well as some hobby shops that way.

 

Thats exactly how I got the photo of the exterior in the pics above 

Project510

Also, ignore my clearly incorrect first try at the windows haha. Way off.

Yeah, it's a sublte thing, but typically, the tops of windows and the tops of doors align.  It's something we architects have drummed into us early in school.

It can be a handy way to "scale" photos, too.  Since doors tend to be 3 feet wide (US commercial ones have been so for about 50 years, and a minimum 7 feet tall), you can use that to guesstimate the height.  From that, you can then get a goog guess on the window height by measuring "down" from what you can see in the photo.

Looked it up the other day, in apan, the doors are typically 90 or 95cm wide and 210-215cm tall.  Kawneer's most typical storefront in Japan uses 5cm x 12cm aluminum extrusions (although they also sell 5x10cm).

Door frames are narrower and wider, about 4.5 x 15 CM

Hope that helps.

 In case you want to dive deep into the weeds, google "Kawneer 451T storefront"  There are piles of details on their site.

Oh!

     Now you're making me jealous! The only Type of shop like "TAP" we have is in San Antonio. They don't even have the intelligence to use "Non-Glare" external sheet Acrylic for an  Exterior Museum Display. If I asked for Cut-Offs they might think I was referring to an article of clothing!

    The Tap I  used to be a customer of, back in the 90s in Concord, Ca. did sell Cut-Offs and Scrap Bags. I don't know about now. I bought a lot of R.C. Hull material from them! And Cut-Off Rod and Tube(Textured and Twisted Surface) for really attractive Ship and Plane stands!

     Note! On your windows. Remember, many jobs called for Custom sets for commercial uses. Standard windows were always available, But I do know in two buildings we Designed and Built( Cromwell, Levy, Truemper, Gatchell and Smith in L.R.ARK.) they were custom Sizes!

CapnMac82

Project510

Also, ignore my clearly incorrect first try at the windows haha. Way off.

 

Yeah, it's a sublte thing, but typically, the tops of windows and the tops of doors align.  It's something we architects have drummed into us early in school.

It can be a handy way to "scale" photos, too.  Since doors tend to be 3 feet wide (US commercial ones have been so for about 50 years, and a minimum 7 feet tall), you can use that to guesstimate the height.  From that, you can then get a goog guess on the window height by measuring "down" from what you can see in the photo.

Looked it up the other day, in apan, the doors are typically 90 or 95cm wide and 210-215cm tall.  Kawneer's most typical storefront in Japan uses 5cm x 12cm aluminum extrusions (although they also sell 5x10cm).

Door frames are narrower and wider, about 4.5 x 15 CM

Hope that helps.

 In case you want to dive deep into the weeds, google "Kawneer 451T storefront"  There are piles of details on their site.

 

Wow, amazing info! Thank you! Dont be surprised if you spot a private message from me soon haha! Ive been waiting on supplies but now I can do some research and get some numbers!

Tanker-Builder

Oh!

     Now you're making me jealous! The only Type of shop like "TAP" we have is in San Antonio. They don't even have the intelligence to use "Non-Glare" external sheet Acrylic for an  Exterior Museum Display. If I asked for Cut-Offs they might think I was referring to an article of clothing!

    The Tap I  used to be a customer of, back in the 90s in Concord, Ca. did sell Cut-Offs and Scrap Bags. I don't know about now. I bought a lot of R.C. Hull material from them! And Cut-Off Rod and Tube(Textured and Twisted Surface) for really attractive Ship and Plane stands!

     Note! On your windows. Remember, many jobs called for Custom sets for commercial uses. Standard windows were always available, But I do know in two buildings we Designed and Built( Cromwell, Levy, Truemper, Gatchell and Smith in L.R.ARK.) they were custom Sizes!

 

Im not too far from Concord (Hayward) and also almost ended up in Texas. Was house shopping prior to covid but now the area we were looking at is too expensive for us. Go figure. Cant afford Ca, and now we cant afford to leave.

Hi!Project-510

         I lucked out in that I had just gotten Married for the second time. Waited three years and couldn't hack it anymore. We traveled the States on our Honeymoon. Texas was a Fluke.We returned to the San Joaquin/Sacrameno delta to live. I had a forty-Foot River Queen and was a member of the San joaquin yacht club. We would do cruises for the Assoc. for the Blind and the Lion's Club. Used to have to drive by the Jelly Belly factory at least twice a month!

        We left in our Fifth wheel for points East. Wifey no 2 had never been to our Nation's Capitol. So we went. Did Udvar-Hazy and the Smithsonian museums. We stopped in Texas, Liked it, Bought a house, She had three strokes in a row and I lost her. Sold the house and moved in with some friends Who were Co-Workers at Wal-Mart.

     I didn't have to work, But after everything I would've gone nuts without something to do! So I am still here! Texas ain't Bad, But I just wish they knew how to do business like elswhere! Check and see, There was a place called Just Trains there in Concord. Joan would find what you need! Oh! is Sun Valley Mall still there? I used to go there and People watch going into the holidays.

      That way you get to see what really goes on with people when they are supposed to have "Good Will Toward Men" Very educational, for sure! Plus they had a GREAT food Court! Houses here, in New Braunfels were 185 to 250 thou six years ago, now it's 450 to 800 thou. Ridiculous! Grid hasn't changed that I can see. Oh My, Brown Outs, caused by Electric Autos?? What's Next??

Hey!P-510

   Here's a thought. If Plane builders can do it and Submarine builders too, You can. Use Clear Lucite rod or Tube to support the suspended area. It will hold the weight and have the appearance of the "Suspension Factor!

Ohhhhh very cool Project510! Please keep us informed on how this goes! 

Tanker-Builder

Hey!P-510

   Here's a thought. If Plane builders can do it and Submarine builders too, You can. Use Clear Lucite rod or Tube to support the suspended area. It will hold the weight and have the appearance of the "Suspension Factor!

 

I think this is the way to go. Easiest and cleanest option, and even if visible, the fact that its clear will make it obvious its meant to be unseen haha

Gamera

Ohhhhh very cool Project510! Please keep us informed on how this goes! 

 

Your project has inspired me to look into making a 1/144 model of the famous Radio Kaikan Building in Akihabara.  There is a small scale model of the building, which I have been able to procure.  So once it gets here it's game on!  The scale I decided on was specifically so I could pose my Gundam mecha next to it, to pay homage to the anime nerd (otaku) culture.    It's cooties I tell you.  See how it spreads...

Real G

Your project has inspired me to look into making a 1/144 model of the famous Radio Kaikan Building in Akihabara.  There is a small scale model of the building, which I have been able to procure.  So once it gets here it's game on!  The scale I decided on was specifically so I could pose my Gundam mecha next to it, to pay homage to the anime nerd (otaku) culture.    It's cooties I tell you.  See how it spreads...

 

Project510

My first instinct is to simply use interior flocking, but I dont think i will get the same clumpy kind of look. The flocking will be very flat and even like carpet.

At 1/64, flocking might be perfect. 

As a nitpick, it's not insulation per se, but fireproofing (which protects the steel by insulating it from flmes).  The actual material, at arm's reach length range looks like paper maché.  It's a sprayed-on paste that used to use asbestos fibers, but nor more typiclly detures perlite particles.  In the industry, we've moved away from the sprayed coatings and have adopted "non tumescent paint" which is an epoxy product shot on in layers and meant to bubble up if in a fire.

Now, if the scale were larger, say, 1/24, I'd think using thinned white glue and one od the fine grain cellulose ground work plasters would be the trick.  It would be fibrous and glumpy, and close to spot on.

At 1/32 or 1/35, I'd be more inclined to thinned white glue and some sort of grit sprinkled over.  Perhaps cork board run over a fine rasp.

At 1/64 the granules would be so fine they would need exageration--within reason.  Say, a heavy coat of paint, perhaps brushed on, then apply grit made by grinding chalk pastel over a coarse rasp. 

Bears thinking about.

The other tricky finish will be the epoxy floor coating on the concrete.  It's a medium gloss, but will hve some discoloring from use.

CapnMac82

 Project510

My first instinct is to simply use interior flocking, but I dont think i will get the same clumpy kind of look. The flocking will be very flat and even like carpet.

 

 At 1/64, flocking might be perfect. 

As a nitpick, it's not insulation per se, but fireproofing (which protects the steel by insulating it from flmes).  The actual material, at arm's reach length range looks like paper maché.  It's a sprayed-on paste that used to use asbestos fibers, but nor more typiclly detures perlite particles.  In the industry, we've moved away from the sprayed coatings and have adopted "non tumescent paint" which is an epoxy product shot on in layers and meant to bubble up if in a fire.

Now, if the scale were larger, say, 1/24, I'd think using thinned white glue and one od the fine grain cellulose ground work plasters would be the trick.  It would be fibrous and glumpy, and close to spot on.

At 1/32 or 1/35, I'd be more inclined to thinned white glue and some sort of grit sprinkled over.  Perhaps cork board run over a fine rasp.

At 1/64 the granules would be so fine they would need exageration--within reason.  Say, a heavy coat of paint, perhaps brushed on, then apply grit made by grinding chalk pastel over a coarse rasp. 

Bears thinking about.

The other tricky finish will be the epoxy floor coating on the concrete.  It's a medium gloss, but will hve some discoloring from use.