Neon Noir Designs

[SL-san]

Lanterns are Live! 

Just received my small long lanterns from NeonNoirDesigns...wow they are amazing!!  🤩 Thank you Joe for continuing to produce such a range of terrific products and making them available.  I can't wait to dream up some scene to show them off to full advantage.  I will keep an eye out for examples on my upcoming trip to Japan.

Graeme

[Kamome442]

Thank you @SL-san good to know they arrived safely. I am really looking forward to seeing what you do with them.

 

If anyone has not received their lanterns by the beginning of next week, please do message me.

 

I received some more etches yesterday. I took some quick pictures apologies for the poor lighting. The next product will be HO animal barriers going live at some point this weekend. Here are some big bunnies next to baby bunnies:

 

I mentioned before there were also a bunch of test pieces. A range of manhole covers in various sizes and scales:

 

I still need to look over each one in detail but on first impressions more etched than I expected:

 

The planter grates also look rather nice:

 

Joe

 

 

[cteno4]

Is that a manhole coaster I see?!

 

jeff

[Kamome442]

Expanded Neon Noir Cinematic Universe

 

On 4/29/2023 at 8:19 PM, cteno4 said:

Is that a manhole coaster I see?!

 

 

Funny you should say that...

Source: https://www.redbubble.com/i/coasters/Origami-Manhole-Cover-by-NeonNoirDesigns/138495527.E5I3N

 

I threw a handful of designs on a Redbubble store a couple of months ago to see they would be popular. Short answer is not really but it was worth a try.

 

Big Barriers 

 

I have added the 1:80 scale animal barriers to Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1472976881/180-scale-etched-animal-barriers

I decided to use an orange background for HO so that it will hopefully be nice and clear for anyone ordering to not accidentally buy the wrong thing. I had a few lighting issues so some of the images are a little dark I will retake them when I have time.

 

Fences Redux

 

I received the the fence etches in brass the other day and I have had a chance to look them over. The quality of the etch is so much nicer but unfortunately they are so fine and far too fragile to really be viable.

 

The issue with the steel

circled above is a feathered edge that is visible on some of the finer details. It seems to be a buy product of etching process not fully etching the part.

 

It may well have been a one off with timing not being quite right when they rinsed the etch and it actually isn't noticeable at a normal viewing distance. Steel really is the only metal in the etchers range that is strong enough to hand such small parts so I will order first six designs tomorrow. I may just sell off any with obvious imperfections at a reduced price making it clear that they are not 100%

 

Buses

 

Finally, now that I have a better understanding of the tolerances for using 0.1mm steel and playing with the sample fences, I am going to have a go a making some bus mirrors. I drew up a rough design just looking at photos.

 

I have searched several times for accurate dimensions but I am yet to find any. If anyone can help out of give some clues of where I could search it would be much appreciated.

The design would need involve several parts, the mirrors and frame to put them and it would also require two careful folds on one of the struts to align the mirrors correctly. 

 

The finished look should be pretty close to the real thing. 

 

They well be too fiddly for anyone consider it worth but I am certainly willing loose my temper trying to make them for the buses on Yurakucho. I will add a couple to the next test sheet and see what they look like.

Joe

[cteno4]

Looking nice! I have a lot of busses that can use these! Sure Sammy’s fleet could be your retirement fund.

 

Jeff

[Madsing]

Nice, good idea! I like the bus mirror design and would be happy to add these to some of my buses.

Would there be a better way to attach them to the bus (instead of just glue)? Maybe drill one or two .3mm holes in the bus chassis?

Marc

 

[cteno4]

Ha marc, that was wiggling around in the back of my brain tonight during a boring meeting!

 

yes small holes and pins would be good and a tiny dab of glue. I’m sure Joe already has ideas churning for the next phase of development of these.

 

jeff

[Kamome442]

As it goes, I originally had two little folding tabs at the base. I removed them because I worried that suggesting drilling holes in your bus might be considered sacrilegious 😬

[cteno4]

LOL! I’m sure this would be racing in sammy’s head!
 

could put the tabs on and then folks could just nip them off if they wanted glue only maybe?

 

jeff

[Kamome442]

@cteno4that would certainly be the best solution. It would keep both solvent fans and the drill wielding psychos happy.

[cteno4]

Well heck partner, I’m a solvent and drill wielding psycho! Yahoo!

 

jeff

[maihama eki]

18 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

Well heck partner, I’m a solvent and drill wielding psycho! Yahoo!

 

jeff

Belt and suspenders.

[cteno4]

Youbetcha! 
 

jeff

[cteno4]

Batch of very nice looking lanterns just showed up today! Can’t wait to plant them on a few buildings.

 

jeff

[Doddy]

On 7/9/2022 at 11:06 PM, Kamome442 said:

Finally, I have been building up some artwork for the front of the street signs, I stumbled upon a sign that baffled me. I drew it up anyway, just because it was cute, but I have no idea what it is meant to be or even if it is real! 

 

A Giant Japanese Salamander.

 

It's a species of fully aquatic giant salamander endemic to Japan. With a length of up to 5 feet (1.5 m), and a weight of 55 pounds (25 kg).

 

The species was designated as a special natural monument in 1951, and is federally protected. It is one of the few six species of giant salamanders in the world.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_giant_salamander

[Kamome442]

Thank you for the info @Doddy an intersting read and rather unique and beautiful animal. I had also assumed for quite a while that is was a salamander. It turns out that the sign is decoration outside an eel restaurant. I have spent some time browsing the web for a Giant Salamander sign. I assumed there must be one somewhere, it seems not. I decided to right that wrong and create my own:

 

I have received the first batch of fences, ready for sale. I will be making them available from tomorrow. I switched from 0.13mm steel to 0.1mm steel and that seems to have made a big difference to the finish. There are no obvious rough edges:

 

Finally just a little house keeping as I have also tidied up the text on these etches. I had originally used mixture of fonts in order to get things out quickly to the extent that the branding 'neon noir' isn't really the name of the shop. That name was already taken so we had to add 'designs' to make it unique. I have now changed over to a font a little more in keeping with the style of the logo and added the letters 'SS' to indicate it etched stainless steel. Any future etches in nickel silver will show 'NS' to help identify the material you are working with.

 

 

Edited May 20, 2023 by Kamome442

[Doddy]

Seems like a habit of mine - getting legless.

 

There are a few animal related signs in existence though, but like yourself, I found no Salamanders.

 

http://okinawa.seepoo.info/animal-road-sign-001/

 

 

[Kamome442]

Oh good find, there are a couple of signs there that I have not done!

[Doddy]

No swimming with this one around . . .

 

https://www.gettyimages.co.jp/detail/イラスト/shark-swimming-road-sign-ロイヤリティフリーのイラスト/1403340980?adppopup=true

 

Foxy Lady

 

https://gazoo.com/column/daily/18/02/02/

 

Monkey, Bear, Horserider, Warthog, Squirrel, Deer, Rabbit and Cow

 

https://askz.sakura.ne.jp/column/cm207/

 

 

[Kamome442]

Well that should keep me busy for a while, here are the ones I have done so far:

 

Fences are Live

 

I actually managed to get the photography done before the light faded so the first 6 fence designs are now available:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1472140876/1150-scale-crossing-prevention-fences

 

[cteno4]

Joe,

 

nice work on the signs and the new railings! Just put an order in for some railings! It was already in a bunch of carts it looked like.

 

jeff

[SL-san]

Joe,

 

Not related to the signs but I had to share a manhole cover that I discovered in Tokyo last Monday.  I don't know why one fireman is sad and the other amazed!

 

Graeme

[cteno4]

I think he looks more determined and the other guy is just wowed by his determination. But does deserve to be on future neonnoir manhole set! Or maybe water running low.

 

love the manhole covers in japan. One of my favorite coffee table books below is always nice to spend a few minutes flipping through. Folks pick it up and just smile. Sadly oop and silly priced now. I was able to source a reasonably priced copy (should have purchased a lottery ticket that day!) to get to Joe, so maybe we will see a new set with the inspiration!

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CNKRDW8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

jeff

[Kamome442]

Thanks @cteno4 I hope you will be pleased with the fences, the fine details actually surpassed my expectations. I think they could be my favourite product now. The book was a lovely surprise and a great read. I have already picked one or two designs I would like to have a go at making. 

 

@SL-san Nice find, it looks like a rectangular version of this cover:

If I can work out the dimensions I will have a go at making them up as they would work nicely together. Unfortunately in N scale the faces are just too small to etch. I might be able to add them if scale them up to HO. It does look like the second guy is shocked at what his partner is doing. Maybe I need to do a second cover that show what he is blasting with the fire hose?!

 

I have been thinking about the road signs, I will probably bring them out in packs, as I have drawn around 1000 now. A lot of the more interesting ones are pretty obscure and I don't like the idea someone spending money for something if they are only going to use a small percentage of what is on there. I will start with a basic set that has the most common signs and then offer additional packs for anyone that wants the alternative/random designs.

 

I was going to link this post: https://note.com/roadsign/n/nb9a5c6a85b6c for @Doddy I found it a few weeks back and it shows a bunch of interesting animal signs. When I looked up the link this morning I noticed there was a newer post I had not seen and it is just awesome. In this article: https://note.com/roadsign/n/n9cbb16736f09 there are links to Google maps where the locations of different signs has been pinned! I can already tell I am going to be spending way too much time looking through them all.

 

I am going to order the tree grates tomorrow along with a test etch that will include the next 6 fence designs, bus mirrors and fire escapes. The later has taken longer than expected to get ready. I am still not 100% happy with the design but I would like to at least play around with how the fold lines work so that I can go back and refine the design. I will get one or two spares of each etched so if anyone wants to have play around them I can always post one over to you.

 

Fences so far are the 80cm type, I have also started working on the taller 110cm guard rail fences. Process so far:

 

I have not drawn up much so far but I will try to get the first batch ready for sale in couple of months.

Joe

 

 

 

[cteno4]

So when will the ufo traffic light be coming out Tomytec? The it’s up to marc to program an arduino to do the whole complex cycle.

 

jeff