Carpenter's Sandwiches

[landman]

6 hours ago, Flat32 said:

Here's a link to the guy that restores them.  Neon is funny, looks like BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH up close in the daytime, but spectacular at night.

Got some progress on the sign computer model. There's some gingerbread I didn't do yet at the top.

That Hudson is hard to find with doors.

 

I believe it is one of two. There is one in Chicago whose owner took partly apart to send parts here to be copied.

[gasser59]

Well, I looked and couldn't find this font. This is hand lettered.  More to follow.

Now I'm getting hungry.

Edited June 11, 2020 by gasser59

[landman]

Nothing wrong with that, nice job.

[gasser59]

5 minutes ago, landman said:

Nothing wrong with that, nice job.

Thanks. Got the rest of the sign done. We'll see if 'Flat32' can use it.

[Flat32]

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Flat32

[Flat32]

32 minutes ago, landman said:

Nothing wrong with that, nice job.

I have a more discerning eye.  I've used online searches and came extremely close but haven't pulled the purchase trigger yet. I'm figuring I'll need two or three not free fonts costing $15 to $20 each. 

It's the BEN-HUR COFFEE logo that's a real pita to create.  I'm not doing very well digesting how to utilize Coreldraw.  Menu system is confusing and not intuitive to me.

 

[gasser59]

I can render this too, quite easily too.

[gasser59]

Done.

[Flat32]

You made that one look easy, but  can you do this version??

 

[gasser59]

I'm working on the word COFFEE right now then I can adjust them to fit.

[gasser59]

Here ya go. I can skew it to fit the above black & white pic of the sign.

[Flat32]

Don't know why the B&W COFFEE isn't straight at the bottom, but found it curious your rendition isn't straight either.  BTW, the letters are shadowed.  I originally thought they were protruding as I misinterpreted the shadow. Note the shadow direction on the B&W sign.

[gasser59]

38 minutes ago, Flat32 said:

Don't know why the B&W COFFEE isn't straight at the bottom, but found it curious your rendition isn't straight either.  BTW, the letters are shadowed.  I originally thought they were protruding as I misinterpreted the shadow. Note the shadow direction on the B&W sign.

Mine's not straight at the bottom because I used I used the photo as a template, easy enough to fix. I mimicked the slight drop shadow on the Ben Hur red background coffee can. That's easy enough to fix too.

[Flat32]

This might be helpful for "DELICIOUS DRIP". Please note that the most white is the lit neon tube and what looks like a dark shadow is the actual art outline, I think.

 

Edited June 12, 2020 by Flat32

[Flat32]

Another, maybe better rendition.

[gasser59]

Ok Ray, here's the rendered Ben-Hur Coffee sign. Let me know of any changes.

[Flat32]

1 hour ago, gasser59 said:

Let me know of any changes.

There are a couple adjustments I want to make, but I want to make them myself just to learn how. Not that they are necessary.

Your contributions to this effort are huge.  You have eliminated any excuses I have used for not starting the diorama build.  I'm now doomed to posting somewhat regular progress updates.?

[Flat32]

This is one of the items in the diorama scene that I need to create a model of. Using the same technique Brad uses for creating 2D artwork from a photo can make it much easier in Solidworks.  Learning and mastering what Brad knows will be a gamechanger for my reverse engineering efforts.

[Anglia105E]

Those lamp fittings are very ornate and particularly distinctive. It will be really good if you can reproduce those pieces for your diorama, Raymond.

David

[landman]

11 hours ago, Flat32 said:

There are a couple adjustments I want to make, but I want to make them myself just to learn how. Not that they are necessary.

Your contributions to this effort are huge.  You have eliminated any excuses I have used for not starting the diorama build.  I'm now doomed to posting somewhat regular progress updates.?

I would print this to scalethen bend soft wire of the correct gauge into the desired shape of the neon tubes then mount is proud of the surface. 

[Flat32]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pZLmBOkaNU

Pat, I just found this.  Only watched 30 seconds of it so far and had to immediately post the link.

[landman]

Neat.

[Flat32]

I think it would be very cool if the neon signs could light up but I have no information on what colors they were. The colorized daytime photo shows white letters on a blue background for the roof mounted one for instance, but what color the neon tubes were is a mystery. At any rate actually modelling the protruding neon tubes themselves won't happen. Beyond what I'm willing to tackle. The train guys have Miller Engineering EL stuff that's great, but uses special AC power supplies of some sort.

Lighting up the building is easily done as the tiered roof ones were simply backlighted while all the others were lit by lamps trained on them.

 

[misterNNL]

Fascinating project. This will be real fun to watch develop.

[Flat32]

Finding stuff that was at that intersection but outside of the photo.  Diorama will have to include a semaphore traffic signal with the Sunset BLVD and Vine St street signs on top.  There was a fire hydrant and at least one park bench also.  Surprising amount of historical information being preserved and studied. Wondered about the restrooms and come to find out L.A. had a city sanitary sewer system built around 1894. My Grandparents' rural farm homes didn't get indoor flush toilets until 1951.  I remember my uncles digging the cesspools. Even the victorian style street lights were quite a big deal back then and a world renowned attraction. Diorama will include two of them.

When the NBC building got built on the site (demolished in 1964 and replaced by a characterless bank building) Carpenter's moved across the street and got a more modern (uglier) structure. There's a Starbucks there now.