Industrial Challenge - Ford Building

[pdx1955]

Of the many choices, I have decided my entry will be Portland's Ford Building. This building was built in 1915 as an assembly plant for Ford Model T's and lasted in Ford ownership until about WWII. Post-war it became an warehouse for the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (as it will be represented on my layout) and later a publishing house. It has been remodeled but luckily the exterior is virtually the same save for the add-on structures in the rear which have covered up the spur location and the loading docks which are visible in my purchased photos. The spur was only long enough for a couple 40-50' cars - it went back to the exterior stair tower about halfway back. I'll be modeling the rear view as this will be against the backdrop.

Google Streetview image showing the rear view:
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5035332,-122.6556339,139a,35y,39.53t/data=!3m1!1e3

Developer website - showing 1920's view of front (Oregon Historical Society image) and map location:
http://www.intrinsicventures.com/the-ford-district/

I have all the parts - its about time start using up the piles of Tichy windows before I buy more! Next up is converting sketches into usable drawings.

[pdx1955]

Yesterday, I started to draw out the building on a piece of taskboard from my derived dimensional sketches and notes. I cut out three window bays to better fit my space, but I plan to keep all of the major building elements. I will build up a basswood frame to support the taskboard which will give me a foundation for all of the brick sheet and other sheet styrene parts. I find it easier to build up walls like this from strips rather than to try cutting out windows multiple times especially when there can be multiple "layers" of bricks making up a wall. Alternatively, like what will be the left side wall with the three windows, this will give a pattern to draw from when cutting it all in one piece from the brick sheet as this wall is plain without pilasters or other accoutrements. 



Today, I completed the drawings of the ends and started cutting out the pieces and all of the windows.

[Philip H]

Reminds me of the Ford Plant (which later became a missle factory) that is now Federal Center South in Seattle.  Spent 4 years working there in the Corps of Engineers 2001-2005.

https://goo.gl/maps/nMKkBBfikxS2

https://goo.gl/maps/jsZDdRaGTzj

[mplsjct]

Developer website - showing 1920's view of front (Oregon Historical Society image) and map location:
http://www.intrinsicventures.com/the-ford-district/

That is one busy telephone pole on the corner.

[sirenwerks]

Reminds me of the Ford Plant (which later became a missle factory) that is now Federal Center South in Seattle.  Spent 4 years working there in the Corps of Engineers 2001-2005.

https://goo.gl/maps/nMKkBBfikxS2

https://goo.gl/maps/jsZDdRaGTzj

Which reminds me of the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria.





Which later became what was supposed to be temporary arts space, but has lasted nearly 50 years in that capacity. My Mother used to tell me how she remembered when it still made torpedos.

[pdx1955]

After getting my fill of curling, skiing and other alpine Olympic events , I needed to get back to this project. I had previously cut out all of the windows. The use of a corner punch in a arbor press worked very well to cut square corners accurately and repeatably. It did shred the taskboard a bit, but that's ok as everything will be encased in layers of plain styrene and brick sheet. I built a basswood frame and test fit it to its location. Everything fits just right...whew .



Today I cut out the first group of plain and brick strips to start on the outer skin. I did also manage to finish the 3-windowed wall along with making up the windows for this that will go in later. The cornice is just a layer of plain styrene while the other pieces are brick sheet. Next I'll cut pieces of plain styrene to fill in the columns before adding the brick pilasters.

[pdx1955]

Tonight I got all of the vertical elements installed, starting with filler pieces that went in between the horizontal brick stips that I showed in the last post. The 2nd layer brick pilasters went in on top. Next up will be the stone cornice accents on the far right end of the building (these only exist on the street side of the building and wrap just one window bay over on the back), the wall-topping capstones, and some loading dock doorway details.

[peteski]

The photos in your previous post looked a bit unimpressive, but not anymore. Nice progress!

[pdx1955]

On Thursday, I shot the building with primer to prep it for painting and to help show me my filing progress on the window fitting after I had finished the cornice and capstones. Friday's progress was to work most of the day on building up the 3 and 4-window banks.The picture shows the last of the 4-window versions drying before I cut the pilasters to size. I also prepped the boiler room stack by cutting down a one-piece Walther's stack and adding the stonework detail that wrapped around at the cornice level.



Today, I completed the windows and completed all of the filings of the window openings. Here's the first dry test fit (before cleanup/touchup) of the 3-window sets on the right side of the building after completing the filing for these windows. It was file, fit , repeat until all was done. I also got the elevator house put together and drying.



Next steps is to paint the walls and make up the combination door/window assemblies for the four loading dock bays before all of the windows go to the paint shop. It's nice feeling that the end is closer, but the March 10 deadline is also closer . Glazing, roof/floors, and a water tank are the last pieces other than the final assembly.

[pdx1955]

Today I completed the top floor windows by adding the rest of the pilaster which will match into the cornice. I also took most of the afternoon to make up the loading dock assemblies with have sidelights and clerestory windows. I realized earlier that I had glued on the overhangs too high so I took them off the walls and will reattach them in the space between the clerestory windows and the doors. I still need to do final sanding and fitting on these last four before I can start to paint them.



I also completed painting the boiler room stack and final assembly and paint on the elevator tower. I also started on the rooftop water tank using a empty Scotch tape refill. By the time I added a wrap of 0.020" styrene, the diameter just was what I was wanting - around 20'.  I made up a conical roof for the top and cut out 3 circles of "0.080 styrene (another use for my student draftsman's compass) which I glued together and filed and sanded until I got the rounded bottom that I needed.



Lastly, I started painting the building itself. I started with painting all of the stonework/concrete detail then worked with a micro-brush flowing the paint up to the raised areas but not over them.

[peteski]

You are making some good progress!

[pdx1955]

Thursday and Friday of this week I completed painting of the building and added a foundation of painted styrene strip and got all of the window and door inserts painted with the main color (Burnt Umber) and the brick/concrete/stonework colors.





Today I pushed into the final assembly mode with gluing and glazing the windows, doing touch-up painting as required, adding weathering (with powders) and adding the sub-floors (to allow for realistic lighting in the future)  and roof.....annnnd we're done!!



Here's the building in its final location waiting for its first liquor delivery!