Yūrakuchō

[Kamome442]

On 7/17/2021 at 6:27 PM, cteno4 said:

Btw for stripping fine wires, these strippers are the best I’ve ever used.

 

Thanks jeff - I am more than happy to take the advice of someone with a heck of a lot more experience than me! I ordered a pair this morning 🙂

 

I did mention a long time ago that I would show how the baseboard design changed over time and it changed quite a bit! Hopefully this will be interesting/amusing to anyone who is planning a layout. 

 

The Curvy Board

 

I nearly always start by creating a fantasy design and look at what I have to trim off or simplify to make a project workable. From the very beginning I wanted the make an incredibly thin and strong board. Partly for ascetics but also to save space when transporting the layout around. The first design was very thin indeed, at least on the outer edges.

 

The idea was to use a swallow curve on the underside. This gave more space in the middle, all the wiring would then be channeled to the centre. 

 

The original design also had a few mildly over the top elements that never made it past this stage. One of these was having the power switch moulded into the curve of the board. 

 

Other ideas were dropped and then returned at later stages. From the beginning I had planned to include electrical connections on the ends of the board. The current design has a space for this feature however I have adjusted the design to allow conventional pinned connectors to fit in the space as a failsafe. 

 

One thing that has probably changed more than anything is the name of the layout, at this stage Yurakucho Station was not part of the plan. As the track was between Yurakucho and Shimbashi, I felt the latter was easier to pronounce!

 

 

I drew up this design not long after watching a programme on Discovery about NASA building boosters for SLS. They had a process of building ring segments from thick metal alloys and then milling out over 90% of the material leaving an intricate diagrid pattern to reduce weight without loosing any strength. I don't have the budget of NASA and perhaps more importantly I don't have a mill. I do however like to take note of clever ideas and add them to a mental scrapbook for future reference. The next stage was to make something a little more down to Earth.

 

The Not So Curvy Board

 

This was my attempt to simplify the design into something that I could actually produce this time using laser cut wood. I also realised I could drop the curve on the back of the board as it wouldn't be seen anyway. This gave more space for wiring and meant the layout would not be rocking back and forth every time I tried to work on it. The development of this board was pretty short lived, I was rapidly going off the idea of having a curved profile on the layout and without inspiration I stepped away to work on other parts of the layout.

 

Welcome to the Jet Age

 

So I stepped away for around 6 months, drawing up the structure of the arches and making test sections of narrow gauge track. When I came back to the board I decided to start from scratch. I wanted to see if I could make the board as light as possible and use the minimum amount of wood. Fresh from reading about 30 St Mary's Axe (the Gherkin building in London) and watching a programme about the Capital Gate tower in Abu Dhabi, I came up with a design that had X shaped brace and a a structural wing structure on either side. Sadly I couldn't think of a good name for this design.

The top:

 

The bottom:

 

This design used a single sheet of wood for the top deck with a very stiff lattice structure supporting it below.

 

The underside was completely open to access the wiring and I planned to use pinned connectors that could be clipped out of the way for transport. I carried over the little lip on the outside of the perspex screen. The screen dropped into a small slot running the length of the board. I added an identical slot to the back edge for the back scene, at this stage I was still planning the viewing side to be reversible (between shows they could be swopped over to make the front the back). I was also planning the add a nice veneer of cherry to the small lip to give a clean finish to the visible part of the board. I made a handful of quarter scale mock ups to check it would work, the design was incredibly strong with the structure slightly tensioning the top deck of the board.

 

 

The wings along side were the deepest part of the board and have a step back to protect the wiring if the board is placed on the floor. This also added a lot of rigidity to the design. The plan was to attach the curtain to the back edge of the wings with velcro, to give a simple clean line around the layout. I was considering running an LED strip along the back edge to cast light down onto the curtain.

 

 

To be honest I was very happy with design and it was very nearly what I used. At this stage I was still just planning 3 straight boards, when I decided to add curved boards this design became a whole lot more complex. 

 

Keeping it Simple

 

As you can probably tell I do like to set myself strange and somewhat unnecessary challenges, I think the problem solving part of modelling is one of my favourite aspects. Once the I made the decision to drastically expand the scope of the layout I decided to make the board design as simple as possible. I figured it was better to spend time working on things that people could actually see! That brings us to the final design which is little more than a box.

Top view:

 

Bottom view:

 

Looking inside the bracing is very simple too, little more than wooden strips that slot into 3D printed blocks, these act a recesses for legs and attachment points for the back scene. Boxes for electrical connections at either end are also 3D printed.

 

I cannot lie I do miss the little wings along sides, despite getting a mixed response when I showed the design to others. I have included 4 hidden attachment points on the current design to maybe one day they might return!

 

Joe

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by Kamome442

[Tom C]

4 hours ago, Kamome442 said:

 I was considering running an LED strip along the back edge to cast light down onto the curtain.

Oooh, I love this idea. Are you keeping it ? 

 

Overall presentation of a layout is so importent. Often a beautifull scene can't be seen because a messy baseboard edge detracts the attention. One only needs to visit an art gallary to see the importence of presentation. 

 

I'm currently working on a Japanese style cabinet to house my Akita mountain layout. It will serve to protect it and also to focus ones attention into the miniture world by framing it.

[Kamome442]

2 hours ago, Tom C said:

Oooh, I love this idea. Are you keeping it ? 

 

Cheers Tom! I would like to include it however it would be final dressing once the layout is complete so its safe to say not for a few years yet. I have a render somewhere of the lip running around the whole layout and the curtain/fire blanket mounted behind it. I will post a picture once I have found it. 

 

2 hours ago, Tom C said:

Overall presentation of a layout is so importent. Often a beautifull scene can't be seen because a messy baseboard edge detracts the attention.

 

I completely agree and my baseboards are going look quite scruffy with the curtain just slapped on the side. There is are 2 rows of 4 small holes running along the underside of each board. At the moment they are just blocked off from the inside but the idea is to add a magnet in each hole if I go with wings.

 

Here is how the front screen fixs to the layout, there are 3 attachment points one in the middle and at either end.

 

The only place to really attach the curtain at the moment is directly onto the perspex screen with some velcro strip. That does mean there will be visible lumps for every hex nut which won't look great.

 

To add the wings all I need to do is glue in the magnets under the board and replace hex nut with a thread that sticks out further. I can then create the wing shape with blocks to slide over the thread and a set of magnets that will snap the those on the board locking it in place. Something like this:

 

My thoughts are that the they could be offset to help disguise baseboard joins. I would also try and build them to act like a crumple zone so if a board was ever dropped it sacrifices the wings to minimise damage to the layout.

 

As part of the presentation I like idea of having a thin lip with the layout name and details or text about the area to engage people. I was also considering something more cryptic like musical notes of Yurakucho's departure melody, that would just look like a random pattern to the most people but carry a deeper meaning to those in the know.

Source: tk's midi YouTube Channel 

 

I am not sure yet but I am looking forward to doing some of the detailing around the layout when the time comes.

 

2 hours ago, Tom C said:

I'm currently working on a Japanese style cabinet to house my Akita mountain layout. It will serve to protect it and also to focus ones attention into the miniture world by framing it.

 

Ohh I am very much looking forward to seeing what you come up with, the work you have done on Akita Mountain is simply stunning.

Edited July 23, 2021 by Kamome442

[Kamome442]

2 hours ago, Kamome442 said:

I have a render somewhere of the lip running around the whole layout and the curtain/fire blanket mounted behind it. I will post a picture once I have found it. 

 

I couldn't find the old picture but it doesn't take long to redraw them. It would look something like this.

 

 

[cteno4]

11 hours ago, Kamome442 said:

Thanks jeff - I am more than happy to take the advice of someone with a heck of a lot more experience than me! I ordered a pair this morning 🙂

hope you like them, not cheap, but well made for a little plastic thing, but I just loves it strips fine insulated wires so nicely. I’ve stripped countless wires from like huge gauge down to tiny and the tiny ones would alway vex me no matter how careful you were randomly a strand or two could come off and that huge in a tiny wire with only a few strands! Strips the wrapping wire like a champ stupid simple.

 

those are gorgeous designs! I’ve kind of had day dreams of doing stuff like that, but then time usually gets in the way, too many fun things to do. love how you are thinking of the human visual interface/frame pieces. We do this a lot in museum exhibits and try to make soft arcs like that and always use stained or natural finished wood if near the artifact. No metal or Formica surfaces in that area. I’m constantly cringing at the standard Ttrak box 2.75” of horridly painted plywood framing Ttrak setups. Just the worst visually. I’ve played with other designs looking more like a sushi tray to help make a better interface edge/frame for the scene. I may have to steal your arc ideas there!
 

Like 10 years back I did some experiments on ultralight modules like this with a few different bracing to see what you could get away with. It was wild what an internal structure could do. I remember doing a few tests with foamcore and was shocked how stiff you could make things!

 

have you ever looked at Ultraboard for your internal bracing? It’s styrene faced styrene foamcore. Super stiff and light and no water issues and very tough stuff. Not cheap but not so bad at decent thin ply prices these days. Only downside is cutting it on the table saw results in little irritating bits to the skin so you need good dust handling and cleanup. But amazing stuff. Usually at plastic supply places or sign makers (used a lot in point of sales displays as light, stiff and tough.

 

jeff

[Kamome442]

Thank you for the kind words as always jeff.

 

19 hours ago, cteno4 said:

We do this a lot in museum exhibits and try to make soft arcs like that and always use stained or natural finished wood if near the artifact.

 

Those are exactly the things I like to look at when I am out and about, sometimes I spend more time looking at the box than the object inside. The materials used, the lighting, how they are connected and how the space in a room is set out. It can make such a difference to what you experience. Hopefully I will be able to bring some of that to the layout.

 

19 hours ago, cteno4 said:

I’m constantly cringing at the standard Ttrak box 2.75” of horridly painted plywood framing Ttrak setups. Just the worst visually. I’ve played with other designs looking more like a sushi tray to help make a better interface edge/frame for the scene. I may have to steal your arc ideas there!

 

I love the idea of a sushi tray, The way the wooden pieces are joined is already so much more interesting than most ready made boards. They would be great for making dioramas (I am sure people already do!). I am glad you like the arc (steal away 😆) that was actually a carry over from when I was planning Harajuku, I was planning to cover the whole thing in a cypress veneer to match the Meiji-jingu Torii gate. Then I looked up the price of wood veneers and the idea of a thin strip on the edge was born. What can I say I'm cheap ☺️.

 

I have at several times considered offering ready made boards that are more compact and sleek to see if there is a market for stuff like that. I like the idea of treating them more like a piece of furniture using a nice wood and maybe choices of colours to match the different railway companies. It would mean a lot of work creating a range of different sizes and shapes. I was thinking curved boards to match set track radius' and even 'Y' shapes to split of branch lines etc. It would be a hoot to your designs on other peoples layouts.

 

19 hours ago, cteno4 said:

have you ever looked at Ultraboard for your internal bracing? It’s styrene faced styrene foamcore. Super stiff and light and no water issues and very tough stuff.

 

I haven't really looked into any alternatives, working on this project has made me realise I probably should. You may have noticed none of the earlier designs even have location points for legs! The design I went with was actually the first time I really thought about things practicality. Using the 3D printed blocks was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am not entirely sure where I got the idea but turning the baseboard into the jig so it keeps itself aligned saved so much time. I will certainly try and incorporate that into everything else I make.

 

Joe

[Kamome442]

A quick update on the street lights, seeing as I managed to finish the design of the first one today.

I started with the simple one, the first step was to get the proportions right, after looking at some reference pictures I went with a height of 37mm for the pole. This brings it level with the catwalks. The wider part at the base is 10.5mm. Then I starting playing around with different thicknesses of brass rod, I settled on a 0.6mm and a 1.2mm diameter so I have pretty much committed to either stripping one wire or using the brass as the common return. 

 

For the top I wanted to get close to the shape of the original, for this I took a couple of screen shots from Streetview and placed them in Illustrator. I drew over the shape and then slightly stretched the drawing to adjust for the camera angle.

    

 

Then I transferred the dimensions into 123D Design. From there I extruded the image up about halfway and and tapered it out by 10 degrees. I mirrored the shape so that it would taper out at the middle then back in for the top. The design of the top is a little more complex and curvy so I had to play around chamfering various edges to get a shape I was happy with. It isn't 100 percent but at just over 4mm there is a limit to how much detail will be visible. 

 

The prototype:

   

 

Basic shape (left) and after a little tweaking (right).

 

The view from another angle:

 

 

Overall design, I am not sure what the bit on the back of the pole is but I would guess it is a light sensor.

 

The first batch on tops are printing at the moment so hopefully tomorrow I can test fit all the parts and see what it looks like.

Joe

[cteno4]

7 minutes ago, Kamome442 said:

Those are exactly the things I like to look at when I am out and about, sometimes I spend more time looking at the box than the object inside. The materials used, the lighting, how they are connected and how the space in a room is set out. It can make such a difference to what you experience. Hopefully I will be able to bring some of that to the layout.

LOL I have to pass this onto my design partner, we always joke we work so hard on details like this in design and the craftspeople we work with for fabrication but none of the visitors consciously see it. But that’s the big win here our subconscious, intuitive side picks up on it. Jobs understood this the best 8n our contemporary culture that the most important aspects of the design just feel right to the eyes first, then the finger and it’s all just monkey brain working below our conscious level. The subtle curves on edges were painstakingly doe to be just right to feel good. Go into an Apple store and you will see everyone touching the devices all over even when they don’t need to! The store themselves used very simple wood tables that are so clean and natural texture that the eye totally accepts them and loves them w.o saying a word to the conscious mind about it but just that pleasing calm feeling. The edges are all routed with just enough round to make them nice to the touch and not sharp, but visually still have the crisp contemporary look. All this work for something folks don’t notice consciously but it sucks them in to get closer and touch and hand on the tables! Brilliant! I use to wonder about the Lower height of them as I’m tall and never all that comfortable, but it forces me to bend over and put an hand on the nice table and envelope the device I’m looking at. Also pulls the kids and adults to all the same level around the devices and if you look around the store there usually are many more groups than individuals. Again brilliant.

 

23 minutes ago, Kamome442 said:

I love the idea of a sushi tray, The way the wooden pieces are joined is already so much more interesting than most ready made boards. They would be great for making dioramas (I am sure people already do!). I am glad you like the arc (steal away 😆) that was actually a carry over from when I was planning Harajuku, I was planning to cover the whole thing in a cypress veneer to match the Meiji-jingu Torii gate. Then I looked up the price of wood veneers and the idea of a thin strip on the edge was born. What can I say I'm cheap ☺️.

I always love seeing the dovetail joint on simple sushi trays. Always reminds me of the Japanese esthetic of showing off beautiful joinery in simple ways, wonderful twofer. Western design usually tries to hide all the joinery but slowly it’s creeping in.

 

I have become such a fan of veneers, I have been building up a nice variety from 1-3” wide in the shop with heat adhesive backing. When I was younger my father had an impressive collection of hardwoods he would bring back on his ship from the South Pacific so we had large planks of Philippine mahogany and teak and such so I never used plywood. As I grew up he was no longer going to the sounth Pacific every summer so I began using nice plywood’s and just milling nice thick edge strips of our hardwoods to cover them (but I learned the really nice 11 layer marine plys it was actually nice to see the 11 ply edges if designed right!). Now I have only a small supply left of his collection of hardwoods and try not to buy new stuff (unless if fsc, but even then hardwoods take so long to grow and usually low board feet per tree and usually more sensitive environments) and am resorting to veneers. It’s great as the base work does not have to be absolutely perfect, I just clean up on the vertical oscillating belt sander and then carefully veneer and trim. Then finishing is a breeze! 
 

the concept on the sushi tray is to have the legs held in place by neodymium disc magnets so they can come off to reduce transport space in roadie boxes. One thing I did not like is they felt a bit too sharp edged. Your curved edge on the bottom is brilliant and I think will fix this. I can just mill this out of some hardwood for the edge piece of the module. Could even try to veneer it but veneer if on curves like that is tricky and a lot of work. I’ve experimented with cheaper soft woods and wood dies too make interesting looking grains and colors out of more sustainable woods. This now gets me to set up the new big router table I bought last year on a really good sale!

 

that edge curve is also on many suspension bridges these days to help with wind flow and it’s wild as it makes the usual boxy deck that kind of looks like it’s just stuck i the sky fly when there is that nice curve under the outside edges.

 

43 minutes ago, Kamome442 said:

I haven't really looked into any alternatives, working on this project has made me realise I probably should. You may have noticed none of the earlier designs even have location points for legs! The design I went with was actually the first time I really thought about things practicality. Using the 3D printed blocks was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am not entirely sure where I got the idea but turning the baseboard into the jig so it keeps itself aligned saved so much time. I will certainly try and incorporate that into everything else I make.

 

I love the leg attachment points that are also your bracing nodes. Two birds with one stone and locks the bracing to the legs more universally. Legs are always the hardest thing to deal with in furniture both for looks and stability! Our latest club layout we punted on legs and such and went to using the centipede bases with an interlocking slat grid that layer on top and modules just rest on top of this grid. Comes apart to small bundles but it’s super stable and you could dance on top of the grid! Leveling the whole grid is easy as level at the 4 corners and then just raise up all the other contact point leveling bolts to support.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Kamome442]

2 hours ago, cteno4 said:

LOL I have to pass this onto my design partner, we always joke we work so hard on details like this in design

 

Haha, glad I can be of help 😄

 

2 hours ago, cteno4 said:

I always love seeing the dovetail joint on simple sushi trays. Always reminds me of the Japanese esthetic of showing off beautiful joinery in simple ways

 

It is always nice to see good joinery, I like knowing how something was made. Like you said it is starting to become popular in Western design, also leaving materials raw seems quite trendy, especially glulam.

 

2 hours ago, cteno4 said:

Could even try to veneer it but veneer if on curves like that is tricky and a lot of work.

 

Ah interesting, I haven't used a veneer yet, I am glad I changed to an angular design. Maybe a vinyl wrap would give an interesting finish on a curve, they come in some amazing colours, as long as the shape is sanded perfectly smooth.

 

2 hours ago, cteno4 said:

Legs are always the hardest thing to deal with in furniture both for looks and stability!

 

I did skip over one design like the current one only deeper with legs that folded flush to the underside. I am glad I dropped it, it was a lot of extra work and I am pretty happy with the plug in design.

 

2 hours ago, Kamome442 said:

The first batch on tops are printing at the moment so hopefully tomorrow I can test fit all the parts and see what it looks like.

 

They printed faster than expected so I managed to get one made up tonight

A side by side comparison with a ready made light:

 

And a close up:

 

Next step will be to add an LED once my wire strippers arrive.

 

 

[cteno4]

4 hours ago, Kamome442 said:

Ah interesting, I haven't used a veneer yet, I am glad I changed to an angular design. Maybe a vinyl wrap would give an interesting finish on a curve, they come in some amazing colours, as long as the shape is sanded perfectly smooth.

you can definitely veneer curves and it’s used a lot on curved surfaces, just a lot more work to glue up and hold well in place. Also needs thinner veneer to gracefully curve. The heat adhesive stuff I use is usually just for flat edge veneering so it’s a bit thick (good for sturdy edge surface) and stiff and harder to try to tack bend on something like this, especially at the front edge transition where you would have a sharper radius at the point it has to be the most perfect. I’d probably just see if I can find a router but that can make a nice curve and see if I can mill something up thats interesting and then dye the wood if cheaper or use a nice stained hardwood.

 

the vinyl wraps and sheeting I really find does not give a nice look right near the interface, this is where we always try to do the finished wood as there is something with grain that is very universally accepted in the human brain on the subconscious, intuitive level that the painted, metal or wrapped/coated surface just looses out on. Also more natural wood grain hides many small imperfections that will scream and be accentuated by paint or coated wood. I’ve seen this happen in so ways, so many times.

 

if you want to play some really interesting colors and get wild, look at wood dyes. They can do really fun things and still preserve the wood grain effects at the same times and get you many of its benefit. Sometimes you need multiple applications but you can find interesting effects with different woods and works really well o  woods that don’t take traditional stains and oils well.

 

thanks for getting my juices going to get back in the shop to work on new module designs! I am so sick of building boxes! 
 

lights are grand! You need to start a side business selling these as you work them out!
 

Cheers,

 

jeff

[Kamome442]

Cheers jeff, interesting stuff. I will need to spend some time thinking about the materials I use to finish it all and make it presentable. I did a one stage consider dying the wood lime green to match the Yamanote line. I am glad I didn't go through with that as I don't think it would have worked next to red brick arches. 

 

22 hours ago, cteno4 said:

thanks for getting my juices going to get back in the shop to work on new module designs! I am so sick of building boxes! 

 

Your Sushi tray idea got me thinking about things that symbolise Japan. One thing that stands out is the clear umbrella with a white handle. That reminded me of the various art installations around the world where they hang umbrellas to make a canopy. 

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/81/31/36/813136005ffe4a46232731ace0dc2c4e.jpg

Source: Marilyn Marques

https://pic1.zhimg.com/80/v2-f3124a3f272210aafa5e5d8c0a4fed58_1440w.jpg

 www.Moomin.com (right)

 

I quite like the idea of using the clear umbrellas as a canopy/lighting over a layout. If you could get them to softy glow and change colour it would look like a bunch of deranged jellyfish from a distance. If you put them higher in the middle then curved them gently down before a slight flick up again at either end of the layout. I would give the effect of a waves and also reflect the roof shape on some traditional buildings. The downside you would need a hell of a big layout (and a lot of umbrellas) to get the look right and I am not sure I want to take on anther big layout anytime soon 😂

 

22 hours ago, cteno4 said:

lights are grand! You need to start a side business selling these as you work them out!

 

Yeah I am really pleased with the final look. I am not sure at the moment how I am going smush an LED in space I have but I won't stop until I find a way.

I would love to sell them, if I can get to a construction process that is relatively quick and painless I am more than happy to do a small run of them to see if there is a market for them.

 

I started the second light today. It is a tricky little sucker.

Source: Google Streetview

 

I got this far in drawing up the shape:

 

Now I just need to work out how to turn the 2D into 3D and with so many curves it will likely take a while. The only thing I can think of so far is to make slices at regular intervals. The try using the loft tool (something I have never had much luck with) to join the slices together. I got a bit carried away there the slices don't need to be that close together.

 

I might mean using my copy of Rhino as 123D will take one look at that and say 'no thank you'.

Joe

 

[cteno4]

3 hours ago, Kamome442 said:

Cheers jeff, interesting stuff. I will need to spend some time thinking about the materials I use to finish it all and make it presentable. I did a one stage consider dying the wood lime green to match the Yamanote line. I am glad I didn't go through with that as I don't think it would have worked next to red brick arches. 

they wood dyes can be quite fun. I started using them like 20 years back when I was given a bunch of cedar and started to use it. I had never used it except to make some small jewelry boxes and clothe close animals (to hang in closets for moth protection) when I was a kid. The cedar was so nice then I just oiled the jewelers boxes. On the new stuff I went to play with staining it and soon discovered it was unlike all the hardwoods and softwoods I had used as stains just would not penetrate cleanly and consistently due to all the oils and other organics in the wood (why it’s so aromatic). So the master woodworker we use on exhibits suggested using wood dyes and it worked wonderfully. I now want to start playing with it more on the Baltic birch ply as it takes really well to it and is so clean and consistent you can get a pretty solid color but still feel the wood grain. I’ve seen some wild things done with it by folks up at the woodshop. I’ve just been playing now to get a nice rich cherry wood color. It’s fun.

 

3 hours ago, Kamome442 said:

I quite like the idea of using the clear umbrellas as a canopy/lighting over a layout. If you could get them to softy glow and change colour it would look like a bunch of deranged jellyfish from a distance. If you put them higher in the middle then curved them gently down before a slight flick up again at either end of the layout. I would give the effect of a waves and also reflect the roof shape on some traditional buildings. The downside you would need a hell of a big layout (and a lot of umbrellas) to get the look right and I am not sure I want to take on anther big layout anytime soon 😂

cool idea, it was one of the few Christos I liked and felt really had the art spirit. Maybe there are little kid umbrellas you could use. With leds you could do some interesting lighting along the underside of the umbrella but a nightmare of wiring! Love that you think up in your layout to have something that frames and lights it without becoming the diorama box which I find for layouts kind of ruins the over all feeling with walls and low top. Love hour yout overhead concepts float.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[cteno4]

@#$& you Joe, you got me going engineering the front sloped edge for some new Ttrak modules! Creating the edge moulding at an oblique angle is tough, looking at deep dovetail router bits.

 

jeff

[Kamome442]

1 hour ago, cteno4 said:

@#$& you Joe, you got me going engendering the sloped edge for some new Ttrak modules! Creating the edge moulding at an oblique angle is tough, looking at deep dovetail router bits.

 

Ohh sounds like an interesting project 👍

I look forward to seeing the fruits of your labour!

[cteno4]

It’s going to make me set up the new router table! I’ve put off assembling it since I got it figuring I’d wait for a project to come along and I even gave away my baby router table to force the issue! I looked at trying to do the shaping on the table saw, but it’s just too thin and dicy to do it there.

 

now thinking of making some of my old girder supports as well to rest like 4 modules on and have 2 sushi legs to support thin girders. This way 4 modules get leveled at once. Thinking the whole thing may look like a nice floating viaduct. 
 

glad you got me thinking outside the box physically and literally on this as I have just been trying to dimension and finish the traditional box design for modules and was kind of bumping my head into a ceiling on it. I have a depressed module I has started to build and did not like the look of the base plate right down at the table to get the max depression depth and the edge feels clunky even when down to 12mm high. This way it can be more like 5mm edge then some float space to the eye out front even if all the way down on top of the table.

 

im liking this, just some fabrication work on shaping the edge pieces, but rest of the module is then dirt simple. 
 

jeff

[Kamome442]

On 7/31/2021 at 9:29 PM, cteno4 said:

I have a depressed module I has started to build and did not like the look of the base plate right down at the table to get the max depression depth and the edge feels clunky even when down to 12mm high. This way it can be more like 5mm edge then some float space to the eye out front even if all the way down on top of the table.

 

Sounds like it will give a nice crisp finish, hopefully once the router is set up it should be relatively straight forward.

 

My plan for the week is to take a scalpel to the arches. I have been putting this one off because it means hacking lumps out of the brickwork I spent ages making. It is however the last thing to do before painting so it will be worth it. 

I have just finished mapping the damage from reference photos:

 

It's safe to say the past 100 or so years have taken their toll.

[Kamome442]

Finally plucked up the courage to start ageing the arches this afternoon.

 

Work continued into the early evening. 

 

4 arches done with 5 to go on this board.

[cteno4]

Growing old sucks even for an arch! Nice job Joe they look like they are feeling their age.

 

jeff

[Tom C]

Looking good but, the last time I was walking under that bridge I looked up and saw a 3" crack in the therd brick from the left center four rows up and eight across. I see you have overlooked this and many of us will be desapointed by its omission on what otherwise is a most highly detailed and beatifully accurate representation of this bridge. Also of note, is the absence of the woodlouse that lives in the mortor joint two abouve and five left of the afformentioned brick. This could of course be time frame related though. 😉

[Kamome442]

Ah yes, well spotted Tom. Note self: must try harder 😊

 

Thankfully the 3" crack was an easy fix, though I can't help feeling I got a decimal point in the wrong place when scaling down the woodlouse.

[Tom C]

Wonderful 👍👍👍 I think you got the woodlouse just right. Looks spot on to me 🤪

[Sheffie]

Looks great for a disaster theme. 

[Socimi]

Looks like something straight outta Neon Genesis Evangelion.

[Kamome442]

23 hours ago, Tom C said:

Wonderful 👍👍👍 I think you got the woodlouse just right. Looks spot on to me 🤪

 

Good good, I need to trust my mathematical skills 😆

 

20 hours ago, Sheffie said:

Looks great for a disaster theme. 

 

I wonder if I could get away that at an exhibition? I would certainly save on a lot of wiring, though I might need bash up the arches a little more!

 

11 hours ago, Socimi said:

Looks like something straight outta Neon Genesis Evangelion.

 

I am ashamed to say have yet to watch this despite owning the branded 500 series. I better add to my watch list 🤔

[shiniji]

I can't find words for it, that's perfectionism that you practice. my respect for this work.

I  follow this topic with pleasure. thats so inspiring ☺️