Virginia & Truckee
Hi again....thought I would take it easy tonight and maybe share a couple more pics of something I built for my layout. Several years ago I owned a model company that produced some craftsman type kits. It was always a thought to me to be able to build a craftsman quality kit that the modeler could live long enough to finish. I produced several kits and had really good success at selling them...too much success. It became a real chore that I didn't enjoy any longer so I gave the company to a friend in California. It became a real chore to come home to "process orders" rather than do what I liked with the hobby. Where as it was financially super, it was also super boring. One of my most successful kits I show here to ya'll. In Virginia City there is a famous structure which is the Va. City Miners Union Hall. I was able to get the co-operation of one of the residents there to take about 200 pics of the structure for me and measure it. After a little designing and some selective compression I came up with the structure shown here.
I made the masters from foam core and then detailed them with brick paper and added individual bricks for the standouts. The windows are Grandt Line on the sides and doors also, but the second story front windows had to be made. I made one from strip styrene and then made a mold of it and cast 12 of them in Alumilite, thus making a master for the 12. That made it easy to make them in quantity. Using Campbell shingles, decorator tooth pics for the columns and Grandt Line railings, I had all I needed. Since I dont do this anymore, Ill share the intersting part with you. After building the pilot samples, and arranging to buy the windows and doors in quantity. and figuring the packaging, and hydrocal for casting...I figured I had about $2.24 in the model...I showed the finished product to a friend of mine that owns Smokey Mountain Model Works and told him I had intended to sell them for $19.95. He told me I was crazy and should try them at $79.95....i could always go down and it wasnt like I needed the sales to survive....well, he was right....before I got so bored with making them I had sold over 200 of the kits....profitable...but drove me crazy...from now on...I make stuff for me only. I plan to do several other historically significant buildings for my layout...soon...I begin the Carson City Shops...made with the same procedures...really pretty easy. I really like the comments I'm getting from ya'll...so lets see if we can keep 'em going. I really dont know how to look over this forum yet, cuz I'm not a puter whiz really, but I'm trying. I want to see some of you other guys stuff too....everyone always has good ideas to share. Still, if anyone has any ideas how to model them damn Pine Nut trees...Id love to hear about it.
thanks to all
Don