Debra’s Fashions of Distinction - Scratch Build Using 3D and Laser

[Jim Donovan]

The roof top billboard sign was made using the laser to cut out the lady silhouette, which is from free on line clip art. The lettering was also cut cut using the laser. Scale basswood stripwood was used to make the rest of the billboard. Using Tinkercad I created a water tower for the roof.

[Jim Donovan]

In order to have electric lighting to each floor I had to make a compromise with the wiring. I ran the main lines to the outside controllers through a straw painted to look like a power pole. I will be capping the top of the pole once I am sure how much slake wire is needed for the floors to be seperated and their interiors seen. You can see the pole and wiring in this photo, it is located in the back of building so as not to draw attention. I have painted the wires using Delta Charcoal Black. The truck in front is an Inter-Action kit I made over the course of a year. Very fidgety to make with a lot of detail. It was made in 1908 and was electric powered.

[Jim Donovan]

The first floor of the building is the store and office on the front and a wedge shaped shipping area is located in the back. I will eventually fill the floor space with mannequins, clothing, more people and such but for now it is done enough for the grand opening.

[Jim Donovan]

The second floor is where the actual sewing is done for the clothing. While early factories did make some fancy clothing the majority was basic pants, dresses and underwear sold in large quantities to companies like Sears and Woolworths, thus the need for a railroad siding. The fancy dresses made a splash while the work pants paid the bills.

I used the laser cutter and 3 mill plywood to produce the tables. The legs are made from the legs originally designed for Singer Sewing tables. You can't see them in the photos but they are there. The laser cut them out of thin metal sheeting. The 3D printer made copies of the Singer Sewing Machine I found a free 3D file on the Thingverse.com website. The Windsor Chairs are also files I found free at this ever growing site. In the following photos you can see a few workers have stopped by to check out the new factory as well as catch up on local gossip concerning the owner Mrs. D. This early factory had employees using the outside staircases to get to the second and third floors so more space was available inside for production. Bathrooms were in outhouses.

[Jim Donovan]

The third floor was where the fabric was cut using scissors and templates. Offices for the managers were provided by the bay windows. Once cut to shape the material would be sent to the second floor for sewing then to the first floor for packaging and shipping.


The 3D printer made the wall cabinets from files found on-line at Thingiverse as well as the crates. The table was made like those found on the second floor. Not seen in the photo are the desks and chairs located within each of the bay window offices.

The Grand Opening sign as well as the USA buntings hung on the front of the building for the soon to be 'Grand Opening' were made using the Cameo 3,  2D paper printer/cutter. The designs are first printed to a inkjet printer having registration marks included. The Cameo can then read the registration marks to make exact cuts as well as creasing on the bunting to make a more realistic looking 3D banner.

[Jim Donovan]

And that completes this building journey along with the information of how tools like 3D printing and laser cutter helped make this building possible, I leave you with a photo showing the scene. The smaller building on the other side of the siding is the second craftsman kit I ever made, starting life as Deckers Tar Soap produced
 by FOS, my version is named after a friend Tom Schwarz. For those of you that know of Deckers it provides a good gauge as to the size difference of the two structures. 

You will notice the back warehouse area is an add-on made of wood to an existing brick building much like early factories looked at the turn of the century. I wanted to show the difference of marketing (the front) and production (the back). (There is a non-printable joke that goes with that which is how I got the idea). Thanks for coming along on this journey, I hope you found it interesting.

[Janbouli]

Amazing , what a great build , the details are to die for.

[Jim Donovan]

Amazing , what a great build , the details are to die for.

Thanks Jan;

Hope everything is well on your side of the pond. It sure was a fun project to build, now time to think of what next.

Jim

[GPdemayo]

Great job Jim, the building is a wonderful addition to the H&O RR. 

[nycjeff]

Hello Jim, what a wonderful job you have done here. I also very much like the wood structures out back. Congratulations. Can't wait to seee what you do next.

[Jim Donovan]

Great job Jim, the building is a wonderful addition to the H&O RR. 

Thank you kind sir, it was fun.

Jim

[Jim Donovan]

Hello Jim, what a wonderful job you have done here. I also very much like the wood structures out back. Congratulations. Can't wait to seee what you do next.

Thanks Jeff;

I hope the explication of how lasers and 3D printers can add something you can't buy helped. The wood structure directly behind is a FOS Scale model kit and the tarven is actually started life as a blue and white partially broken plastic building I bought for $1.00 and used in a contest to make it look like a wood craftsman kit. I call it the Flying Kettle tavern. It too was a fun project. Here it is as I got it:



And how it looks currently on the layout: