Lagunitas Store Project

[jimmo]

The Lagunitas store challenge has come and gone but I still had an itch to build the structure. Unfortunately the competition fizzled before I had a model together. However, I did end up with a decent set photo reference so I thought that I would give it a go for my Shapeways shop. After a couple of hours today, this is what I have so far...

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Printing the entire structure in FUD or FXD is expensive but if I just print the doors and windows in the frosted materials the cost is not too bad. Printing the walls in White Strong and Flexible is much more affordable and the outcome is a stucco-like finish.

The facade is not exact as I took a little license with some of the details but the basic structure is the same. Your thoughts, criticisms or whatever, please...

[peteski]

James R. Will:
 

Couldn't you 3D-print the masters, then mold the parts in resin?  This is a nice looking building - I'm sure it would sell as one of your regular kits.

Or cast just the walls in resin and sell it with windows printed in FXD.  But have bunch of windows printed and include them in the complete kit (so people don't have to buy the walls, then go to your Shapeways shop to buy the windows separately.

I know several small model manufacturers do just that - 3D print the masters then used them for making resin copies.  if you carefully examine recent metal-cast vehicle kits from Showcase Miniatures, you can see the faint layering of 3D printed masters.  Tameo (a manufacturer of high end 1:43 scale F1 racing car kits) also uses 3D printed masters for their resin and white metal parts.

[tom mann]

I like it!

[jimmo]

James R. Will:
 

Couldn't you 3D-print the masters, then mold the parts in resin?  This is a nice looking building - I'm sure it would sell as one of your regular kits.

Or cast just the walls in resin and sell it with windows printed in FXD.  But have bunch of windows printed and include them in the complete kit (so people don't have to buy the walls, then go to your Shapeways shop to buy the windows separately.

I know several small model manufacturers do just that - 3D print the masters then used them for making resin copies.  if you carefully examine recent metal-cast vehicle kits from Showcase Miniatures, you can see the faint layering of 3D printed masters.  Tameo (a manufacturer of high end 1:43 scale F1 racing car kits) also uses 3D printed masters for their resin and white metal parts.

Great idea Pete! I actually have already started doing that with my HO-scale Buddy's Waffle Shop kit. It will increase the price a bit but the quality of the kit will be better. For example, the doors will be separate so they can be open. The windows will also be separate so they can be easily painted before installing for a neater finish. The back of the structure has a bricked-in window which will be an option with the new parts. Working out which parts will still be cast is still in the works, mostly because the cast resin parts actually grow as the mold gets seasoned so you either have to design in a bit of slop or make new molds more frequently. The buyer will not have to go to Shapeways for the detail parts because I will have the parts printed in quantity and include them in the kit.

One big advantage of doing the parts and/or masters in CAD is the re-scaling ability. So far the best seller in my SW shop is the Winnebago Indian in TT-scale! Who would have figured that? Certainly not me.

[peteski]

Great!

If you offer this structure as a multi-media kit (resin and 3D printed parts) I'll be buying one for sure. Now that you mentioned Buddy's, I have one already, but if you decided to upgrade the N scale version with 3D printed details (windows) I would gladly buy another one.

Using computer as a design tool is like you said a huge time saver.  Same goes for decal artwork.  Once I design decal artwork in vector format it can be easily resized, and the objects can also be easily reshuffled on the decal sheet as needed.

[jimmo]

Great!

If you offer this structure as a multi-media kit (resin and 3D printed parts) I'll be buying one for sure. Now that you mentioned Buddy's, I have one already, but if you decided to upgrade the N scale version with 3D printed details (windows) I would gladly buy another one.

Using computer as a design tool is like you said a huge time saver.  Same goes for decal artwork.  Once I design decal artwork in vector format it can be easily resized, and the objects can also be easily reshuffled on the decal sheet as needed.

It's just a matter of time my friend. Those N-scale windows and doors will have to be a little bulkier, obviously.

Another thing I have been working on are replacement windows and doors for the Model Power set of 3 houses that have been around forever. I have collected them for years and have yet to build one as stock. My original intention (and still is) to build a housing tract with most of the houses modified from their as-built status like several of the '50s and '60s built neighborhoods around where I live. I'm figuring that the replacement doors and windows will make the task easier as most of the time spent on the ones I have built already was re-working or replacing the doors and windows from their mostly European appearance. Seriously, who has a 10 foot picture window in their house?

I doubt that these replacement parts will be big sellers but I will buy several sets for my own sinister purposes.