I want to scratch build a buiding called Book Tower. The actual building is in Detroit…475 feet tall and 37 floors. I will be building in 1/32 scale. The problem is that it would be indoors and the finished height is over 14 feet
…my ceiling is just under 10 feet. Should I just leave out a few floors? This postcard image doesn’t quite do it justice…it also has a fantastic copper mansard roof.
underworld
[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]
Underworld, if you build that you’ll need to change your name to Overworld, either that or venture into ‘N’ guage. A magnificent venture but perhaps a bit OTT for an indoors layout!
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]
I’d still have to be underworld…I really like the building because it’s kind of evil looking! [:p][}:)] There are quite a few evilish buildings in the downtown Detroit area. One of the worlds largest groups of prewar skyscrapers. The building is to go with some prewar Marklin gauge 1 trains that I have.
underworld
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Underworld, do you remember robocop and New Detroit ? How did you like those buildings?
Cool pic on your building, I turned my monitor sideways and it looked great.
Just kidding, I rotated it in an image program.
Check out this website, he has O gauge but some big buildings.
http://www.hobbyri.com/mr_mike.htm
Tim
Dear underworld;
Why don’t you do what we do; just you and your partner buy a kilo of prawns get a couple of bottles of nice cold white wine. Go out and find a nice quiet river, sit next to it consume your picnic and then have a nice long talk with yourself.
Failing that get “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” out from the video store and see what happened in that in a similar situation!
Rgds Ian
Rgds Ian
Underworld,
Since it’s the building’s looks that you like. why bother with being a spot on scale model of it? Build it to a way that highlights the areas you like about the building. As long as you have the basic shape and styling very few people are going to sit there and count how many floors you really have.
Later,
Jack
I like how you think-I’d love to do the Chrysler Building someday–Trompe l’oeil (french for Fool the eye)-a “fine” gardening trick-a fake door 3/4 size on a wall to give the illusion of depth-another space etc…the eye is easily fooled, which line is longer?
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(it doesn’t come off as well here-but you’ve probably seen these illusions)
I assume you are going to add this to a layout-anything you do-it is going to stick at like a sore thumb, so I wouldn’t build the whole thing to scale-pick a height you can live with. If you run a train/cars/trucks very close to the build-make the first couple of stories in “exact” scale (you said 1/32) -that makes the eye and brain “say” this building is in scale to the people/cars/train etc then start “compressing” the stories. Then force the prospective-taper the building as it goes higher-you might mock up one side of the building in cardboard-draw on the windows to see how it will look…either that or raise your ceilings and build it to scale…Good Luck-I’d love to see your finished project.
Underworld, just a thought. If you build it in the same plane as the pic the building will be 14’ long and about 1’ high - should be able to fit that one in![;)]
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]
Mr World, or can I just call you Under…
A few trick of the trade…you have 10’ for a 14’ building, heres a couple ideas…
First, omit floors, doing so in a way that retains the original buildings proportions. Architecturally speaking skyscapers like this are designed with a base (the first 12 floors) the Column ( the tower section 14 floors) and a Capital ( the ornate top 8 floors of the tower. Going off your postcard I have made a quick chopped version by selectively removing 4 floors from the base, 1 floor from the column and 1 floor from the gold section and 1 floor from the pink section. e-mail me so I can send you it.
Another thing to do is to reduce scale the higher up you go, starting at 1/32 scale or 3/8" =1’-0" for the Base floors, reduce scale at the tower column to 5/16" = 1’-0" then reduce the capital floor scales to 1/4" = 1’-0"
your fourteen feet vs. ten foot ceiling quandary implies that your layout is on the floor. If you build it to scale, then you can always cut a hole in the ceiling of your basement and have it pop up on the main floor. You could tell friends and family that it’s “art”. Besides, how close are you planning on running it to the nearest scale train tracks from that building. I believe the closest thing to it on rails is the people mover. I say down-size it or move it outside. Either way, good luck.
Mark
Tim Yeah, “New Detroit” was really cool. I think Detroit is perfect for Model railroading because you can combine all ages of structures…from pre 1900 churches and storefronts to 20s and 30s skyscrapers, to modern structures like The Renaissance Center and the arenas and casinos all mixed around and within many abandoned structures. Detroit has it all!!!:p]
Ian So do you think I should break out my kitchen window and build it with mud??? [:p]
Jack Yeah…now I’m thinking more about either building it in 1:48 or a few people have suggested reducing scale gradually all the way up the building. Someone has made a drawing based on the tapering scale that they are sending to me.
markn Yeah, I like the Trompe l’oeil stuff. I’ve thought about using that technique to make some of my own tinplate stuff. Been looking at a book lately that shows a lot of cool techniques.
Oops!!! Just got a phone call…got to go get some free food! I’ll respond to the rest later.
Thanks everyone!!!
underworld
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Ian Hey! The horizontal idea just might work…I could load it on to a string of low boy flat cars and just tell everyone I was moving it to another
town!!! [:p]
vsmith You can just call me under…no formalities necessary here! [:p]
Sounds like an interesting idea. I sent an email. [:)]
Mark Yep…the closest actual rail line is the people mover…but I am modeling in a sort of otherworldy fashion. [}:)] I would probably like the idea of cutting a hole in the ceiling but in my case I live on the third floor…and I’m not sure if my fourth floor neighbor is that much into trains!!! [:p] Out side would be an option but I live in an apartment and I think in my neighborhood someone would probably try to take it for recycling! [:p]
underworld
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underworld-unless you have already finished the Book Tower model-take a look at this web site for some ideas on big building models-http://www.modellbahn-wiehe.de/index1.htm-looking "galeries (it’s all in German)
Personaly I would take the drawings (or plans or whatever you are using to build) and make a 40% reduced sized copy and build it that way. What gives a building character is “proportion”. By compressing the entire building you will have retained the unique feel of the architecture and automaticaly build in a “forced perspective” of sorts. Either way it will be an impressive structure. Just my [2c]
[oX)]