I have been naming all the industries on my layout to help with car card operation. This meant that I also had to make a whole bunch of signs, so any guest to the layout could locate the correct building.
I chose to name each business using names of fellow forumeers from the various Forums I frequent. You may recognise a few. Here’s a sample…
I still have a number of signs to finish and it is becoming addictive thinking up businesses for fellow forum members
Jon
Looks like a fun project, how are you making all those signs, they look 3-d ?
Very nice Jon. I would also be interested in how you do the lettering, it is very effective.
I use plastic lettering from a British company called Slaters for the smaller signs, mounted onto 20 thou plastic sheet with liquid polystyrene glue, and edged with plastic strip.
For larger signs I stuck adhesive letters (from an artists materials store) onto 20 thou plastic sheet and cut round them. i then mounted them onto a frame made from plastic strip
For the ACME sign, I just stuck the adhesive letters onto a prepared base
Jon
Nice sigsn! They really add realism to the layout. You do good work. Tks for sharing your technique.
Terry[8D]
that layout looks familiar…
but great work!
Jon - I really like your industrial buildings. The Cold Storage and “NHAY” with the traveling crane particularly caught my eye. I recognize the kit used for the Cold Storage, but wasn’t sure about the other. Is it the Walthers Machine Shop that goes with the roundhouse? All of your buildings look fantastic!
I have been looking for some small plastic raised lettering for my future New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal. The prototype has some free-standing letters above the front entrance that read “Union Passenger Terminal”. The plastic letters you use closely match the font of that sign. They also appear to come in at least two different sizes. Could you tell me specifically who you ordered these from? A phone number or website address for the retailer would be most helpful if you have one.
Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing your artistry. By the way, the Blue Note Lounge sign is most impressive and very realistic!
This appears to be the Slaters web page, but they don’t show any pictures of the product, so it is hard to know what you are getting.
http://www.slatersplastikard.com/7mm%20Products/slaters%20alphabets.htm
Cliff, the link found by Simon is the right stuff - I used the 8mm letters (1108). I will take a photo of the sprue, with the remaining letters on.
Jon
http://www.slatersplastikard.com/Trade%20Customers/United%20States1.htm
Dealers for Slater’s in the U.S.
Gotta’ get me some! I remember businesses, Woolworth’s for one, using this style of lettering all thru the 60’s & early 70’s.
Mark Gosdin
Thanks Cliff - praise indeed from a master.
The building is indeed the Walthers machine shop, chopped in half. The slatted wooden construction on the roof was made from parts in the Heljan brewery kit, and the tank is from another British firm called Knightwing.
The industry will shortly have another sign saying Hay’s Heavy Engineering - I ran out of 'E’s - D’oh!!
Jon
Ya gotta love that acme sign!
Cliff,
here’s what’s left of 2 letter sheets from Slaters. These are the 8mm ones
Jon
Two more industries added and a new sign for Howes
Six more signs to go
Jon
fabulous! great layout! I’ll have to try those techniques on my layout.
Jon, GREAT WORK! Your Moss Lake Metals building looks like my “Green Bay Packing Company.” I’ve got to redo my sign! (I have a small add on the side that says, “We handle everything but Dolphins”.
Nice one Walter.
Here’s a few more to add to the pot
Not quite the Susquehanna Hat Co (Abbot and Costello) but close
Jon
Only a couple more signs from tonight’s work, but 3 more fellow forumeers have their names up in lights.
I’m just about out of useful letters until the weekend.
Jon