Been pondering an idea-UPDATED 1-6-07

[LOBBS]

I've been wanting to build a large motorsports garage diorama/display case for quite some time. Something along the lines of a scale 100' by 50' (4' by 2' in 1:1) building with 5 or 6 bay doors, a showroom, lifts, the works. I want to build it out of something durable (to survive future moves and curious kids) with scale correct thickness walls. From what I've seen, most of the pre-fab garage kits are made from thin plastic or resin and buying textured sheets from Plastruct/Evergreen to face a core of another material would be approaching prohibitively expensive.

While weighing my options, a thought struck me. I work for a tool and die shop and spend most of my waking hours around CNC machines. One of those things could kick out the walls of a scale garage in 1/4" or 5/16" sheet in nothing flat. Now the chances of getting some after-hours time on a Mori would be around slim to none but Craftsman just put out a mini-CNC that'll handle plastic. Of course, reality set in about the time my wife told me I couldn't have a $1900 toy to build a garage for my other "toys". As marriage is an art form of compromise and negotiation, I countered with the prospect of making garages, displays, etc for others to offset the cost. Now in the "I'll think about it" phase, I'm throwing some feelers out to see if there's a market.

With CNC, everything from the basic 1 or 2 bay garages up to the limits of the imagination could be offered in several different textures (cinder block, brick, cast concrete, stone, woodgrain) at a cost that I believe could certainly compete if not beat what's currently available while being scale correct in thickness and thus more sturdy.

Good, bad or indifferent I'm looking for input. TIA.

[Mr. Can Am Garage]

I am currently looking for a way to do an exterior facade for my garage and I've come upon the same idea as you. I've been looking at SMBC's stuff for about two weeks now and it's interesting but if it's resin, I'd rather not.

In other words, I'd be willing so long as the price is right.

Plastic is a whole 'nother story.

Count me in!

[Darin Bastedo]

It sounds like a good idea, and if you can produce them affordably I think they would be rather popular. But keep in mind that there is more to marketing an aftermarket product than developing the product it's self.

As seen in comments on this board and others there are many aftermarket compnies who make great products but drop the ball when it comes to taking care of the customer and in some cases delivering the product in a timely fashion or even delivering it at all.

You being a family man with children, have to take into consideration that if after a burst of publicity, (like a mention in a magazine, or being featured in a build on one of the boards) you may have an overwhelming number of orders that have to be filled. your family has to be ok with your free time being taken up sometimes for weeks at a time while you catch up to demand.

there is even a post in the rants and raves section here complaining of a two year wait for some parts. That kind of publicity can kill even an established aftermarket vendor much less a new one. my advice is possibly find out how long it will take to make all the parts for one garage, multiply that by the number of units you need to produce to make a profit, then subtract the total time from your available free time. If you don't have enough time left over after all that to keep the wife and kids happy, Don't do it. You want to make sure that you don't bite off more than you can chew, and end up not delivering what you promise. Or worse yet, keeping your customers happy and end up with visitation rights, and an ex-wife.

[62rebel]

i have to concur; amortizing a major purchase by spreading it out might not work out. it's a great concept, though, and in a perfect world all good concepts see reality. don't let it bury you if you can help it! good luck!

[dustym]

I voted no before I read all of it. What a undertaking that would be. But the reason I voted no was because I want to build it all myself. One of my projects are a 2 stall gas station, but it has been a year since I poured the first wall (plaster). Started over and now I have two walls. To me thats where I get a lot of satisfaction.

[Steve H.]

I think its worth noting that a lot of builders want to do it themselves, After all, thats what we do for fun and enjoyment. Depending on your plans, if you offer any options you'll probably get bombarded with special requests. Sounds like a good way to use up ALL of your spare time.

If I was building them, I would consider putting each one up for auction when it was done. That way you don't have to deal with orders, backlog, special requests, etc.... You'll also get to judge the market by the interest you see in bidding.

Good Luck, however your plans work out...

[Exotics_Builder]

I voted no mainly for the following reasons:

1) What was mentioned above by Darin

2) Steve’s comment on doing one yourself

3) There’s quite a lot of architectural supply stuff in G scale (scan Walthers Railroad website) that could already be applied

Whatever you decide, good luck.

  Quote

I am currently looking for a way to do an exterior facade for my garage and I've come upon the same idea as you. I've been looking at SMBC's stuff for about two weeks now and it's interesting but if it's resin, I'd rather not.

John, I may be wrong, but I think SMBC walls and such are foam core board based. Looking at the pictures, they appear as such rather than styrene or resin. His diorama stuff is resin.

[Mr. Can Am Garage]

  Exotics_Builder said:

John, I may be wrong, but I think SMBC walls and such are foam core board based. Looking at the pictures, they appear as such rather than styrene or resin. His diorama stuff is resin.

You may be right. I may have to get one of his garage kits just to see.

[kod38]

I would say yes.

I have an SMC earlier single garage.

It's poster board and has kind of warped over time.

It was only $15 when I bought it though.

I always get comments on it when I post pictures and it is really basic.

I would be down for a nice one if it were under $75??

Doug R

[Mr. Can Am Garage]

  George said:

I voted yes because i am always interested in purchasing some type of building for my diorama. Now, not to get quite off the subject, i have purchased 4 diorama building's from scalemodelingbychris, (1) two bay,(1) three bay,(1) showroom, and his newest offering the street scene photo backdrop and they go together quite well and are well made structure wise and far as looking like brick walls and the window cut outs.In my opinion his stuff is the best by far.

George,

Maybe you can answer a question for me. What are his walls made out of?

[Mike Whatshisname]

Kyle,

I appreciate what your trying to do but I have to express my reasons why you should build your own.

If everyone starts purchasing their own dioramas then everyone will have the same diorama (similar) and we'll get bored of the "same-old-dio". The art in dio building is putting your own nich (sp?) into building a dio. Everyone has done a garage scene...Build something else!!!!!! In my opinion, the SMBC dios are boring and "too white" if you know what I mean. I see a dio and can tell right away that it is a SMBC dio. Be creative . Having dio's available to everyone will cause us to have a "out-of-box" diorama catagory.

Just havin' fun. My Rant! What do YOU think!

[Mike Whatshisname]

  Quote

[LOBBS]

After reading your feedback and chatting things over my boss (a former project engineer) I believe I need to clarify what I was intending to offer. This will be a custom order business, no cookie-cutter layouts. The only stock I would have on hand at any given time would be the engraved material run in 4 to 6 foot lengths in the two offered heights.

When placing an order, you would first select your pattern (cinder block, brick, cast concrete, etc.). Next, you would have to choose which wall height you would like: 4-inch (8 scale foot at 1/24th scale) for typical home garages or 8-inch (16 scale foot) for industrial/large motorsport operations. Price would be determined by the linear inch at each of these two wall heights.

For example, if you wanted a 16 scale foot high by 20 scale foot long cinder block wall for a photo back drop you would place an order for 10 inches of cinder block wall at the 8-inch price point. A 20 scale foot by 20 scale foot home garage with cast concrete walls would require an order for 4 10-inch cast concrete walls at the 4-inch price point. You could then add features such as cut-outs for doors, windows, garage doors on any wall and exactly where you would like them and/or additional interior walls. A base, if requested, would also be cut at this time and my joining system added to ease assembly.

Upon receiving an order, I would pull the engraved stock and cut it down to your specifications. Single walls would be cut off straight. Adjoining walls would be mitered and the joining system I'm working on added. This would then be shipped in kit form like any other model. There are people out there much more proficient at graphic art than I am and drawing programs are becoming increasingly more user-friendly so I'll let them handle the signage. Paint, assembly, accessorizing, etc. would be left up to the individual builder.

By maintaining only the base stock, my hands-on time would be limited to loading raw material into the fixtures and starting programs. Once the program is started, I could "walk away" until the program ends and requires that the stock be flipped to engrave the other side or additional raw stock needs to be loaded. After an order is received, hands-on time would be what is necessary to cut to length and run the sub-routines for added features. That system seems to satisfy some of the concerns of eating into family time.

Waiting to hear your input.

[Mike Whatshisname]

Sorry about the mix-up gentlemen. I get all excited and forget who I'm talking to LOL!

Kyle, what you are offering there sounds fantastic! That makes much more sense than the "cookie cutter" dioramas. If the prices are reasonable, I think you would sell a few of those.

If something like that were to catch-on, we would probably see many more after-market companies jumping on the bandwagon and offer tools and 1/25th scale items for the garage. Wouls keep companies like Scale Equipment Lmt, Crbside dios, RnD Unique etc. thriving.

I hope it works for you and good luck.

[Mr. Can Am Garage]

I'm still interested.