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wvrr
Fireman
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 Posted - 04/08/2017 : 11:39:49 AM
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Time for an update on the anthracite mine. My next structure will be the wash house. The term "wash house" can apply to a couple different things at a mine. In one instance, it was used to "clean" the coal, removing the rock and other impurities. That process changed a lot over the years. A second use of the term relates to the structure miners change and cleanup. These structures are usually distinguished with vents along the roof. I do not know if these are the only structures at a mine with vents on the roof.
I am going to use DPM modular walls for this structure, too. It gives all my masonry structures at the mine a consistent look. But, I've had thoughts on how to add some nuances to it to make it interesting.
The first is the entrance. I am using a DPM Street Level Victorian Entry (30141). I removed the windows on either side of the entry, added new wings to glue the pilasters to, and "filled in" the large window at the top.
That filled in area is how I will identify this structure to visitors. I found a font called "Wednesday Matinee". This will emulate engraved text that you often see in stone or concrete. What I am experimenting with is the color of the "shadow". I use Aged Concrete as the color for my concrete areas. To my eye, it looks like a shade of beige. So, should the "shadow" of the text be a dark gray or a dark brown. I always thought the shadow should be a darker color of the surface color of the object.
The other part of the structure that will be different are the gable ends. I wanted to add a little character to them. I have a lot of extra pilasters left over from other projects with the modular walls. So, I thought I could use parts of them, flip them on end, to create a "stepped" look. I had to draw a diagram to figure out which size of pilasters to use, since a wide and narrow version comes with the kits. I am using wide ones at the peak and at the bottom (not shown in the photo) and narrow ones in between.
I'm not sure I will make much more progress until I replace the wall I broke, yesterday, when trying to "influence" the bad warp in the wall.
Meanwhile, I am going to work on the billboard I designed, earlier. I have a GC Laser kit that the artwork will fit.
Chuck
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TRAINS1941
Engineer
Premium Member
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Posted - 04/08/2017 : 12:24:13 PM
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Nice work Chuck. I personally like the first one.
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Jerry
"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." A. Lincoln |
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wvrr
Fireman
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Posted - 04/08/2017 : 4:23:59 PM
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Thanks, Jerry!
Another quick update. Since I am as far as I can go with the wash house, I switched gears to build a GC Laser billboard using my artwork from a previous page of this thread.
The face of the billboard had a hump running the full width, right in the middle. It was almost as if it was a seam. I sanded it and a small sliver of wood came off, eventually. I'm glad I did that since it would have been noticeable.
I also used scrap wood from the kit to frame the sign. It didn't look right without it. The frame came a little too close to the artwork. But, I was too far along to change the artwork.
I stained it with a wash I have from Micro-Mark.
This will go on the roof of the office/warehouse building for the mine.
Chuck
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TRAINS1941
Engineer
Premium Member
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Posted - 04/08/2017 : 11:32:52 PM
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Nice one Chuck.
Hopefully we won't need anymore coal this year!!
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Jerry
"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." A. Lincoln |
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MarkF
Engineer
Premium Member
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Posted - 04/09/2017 : 09:50:05 AM
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That looks great Chuck!
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Dutchman
Administrator
Premium Member
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Posted - 04/09/2017 : 10:21:17 AM
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That is a great looking billboard, Chuck.
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Bill Gill
Fireman
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Posted - 04/09/2017 : 12:01:50 PM
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Chuck, nice work on the wash house entry. I think that font is supposed to represent raised letters with the light shining on them coming from the 'traditional' above-left position. You might be able to find actual 3D letters that small. If you print decals I would think a nearly transparent black would allow the paint color of the concrete to show through and that way most closely match the rest of the sign.
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Edited by - Bill Gill on 04/09/2017 12:04:16 PM |
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wvrr
Fireman
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Posted - 04/09/2017 : 3:16:09 PM
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Thanks, guys.
Bill, I hear what you are saying about the source of light. I wasn't aware of the "traditional" above-left position to represent raised letters. And, these are supposed to be engraved. I don't know if the printer can print in nearly transparent black. I will have to check that. But, I think I will go ahead and use the font to represent the engraved letters. The other option is to create my text in a dark color and again in white, overlaying the white on top of the darker to provide a shadow. But, I really like the angles in the font I found. So, I might stick to that. But, your feedback is appreciated. I learned something new!
Chuck
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Bill Gill
Fireman
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Posted - 04/09/2017 : 5:50:27 PM
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Chuck, the light source coming from the upper left isn't a specific thing for lettering. It's used in a lot of art (but not all). Even the Romans did it with most of their tile mosaics pictures, old mapmakers seemed to prefer shading the right side of hills and most computer icons or similar doodads use the convention of "shading" the right side and bottom of the image. Why?... theories say it has something to do with right handedness, reading and the sun's position. Some say it helps right-handed people distinguish objects that could be interpreted as either convex or concave depending on where the shadows and highlights are.
I think upper-left lighting was used to design the font you found. Look at the white arrowheads coming from the upper left on your sign (below here). The shadows are on the right side and bottom of the letters. The left side and top are are in the light so they must be raised up to shade the right and bottom.
However, if the letters are supposed to be incised, then look at the yellow arrowheads coming up from the bottom right. Now the right side and bottom of the letters are in the shadow because the letters are cut into the sign's surface and the face of the sign blocks the light from hitting there while the
left sides and tops get the light that angles over the incised cut to strike those faces. Since you rarely see natural light coming up from below, that led me to "see" the letters as raised. But, hey, they look good either way. I have seen building with raised stone/concrete lettering.
As far as "transparent black" do you have any kind of photo/image manipulation or paint program? if so you probably can open your sign lettering in the program and do something like reduce its "opacity" or increase the "exposure" of the image, or increase its "lightness". Any of those ought to reduce the density of the black which will allow more of your concrete color to show through the ink on the clear decal paper. it might take a little experimenting to figure out how much to reduce the blackness, but I think the effect will give you the best representation of shadows on your concrete sign.
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Edited by - Bill Gill on 04/11/2017 11:38:15 AM |
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wvrr
Fireman
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Posted - 05/09/2017 : 1:03:31 PM
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First of all, thank you for the additional information, Bill. I forgot to post a response. I wish I could have found a font that had the shadows the way they should be, based on your illustration. But, I forged ahead with that font, hoping no one will notice.
So, this structure is the wash house. It is where miners change from their street clothes to mining clothes. And, it is also where they clean up before changing back into their street clothes, after their shift.
Wash houses in those days used baskets instead of lockers. Miners hang their clothes from the baskets. The baskets are connected to a chain, which the miner uses to raise or lower the basket to the ceiling. He will then lock the chain to a stand in the wash room, securing the basket's contents.
These are photos I found on the Library of Congress website of the interior of the wash house for Bethlehem Steel, in Bethlehem, PA.
The outside of a wash house structure was pretty plain. I found several examples of wash houses, some of which I found on the LofC website. Many of them had vents along the peak of the roof. And, some had large expanses of glass to let in natural light.
Here are a couple that I found.
Now for my model. All of the walls and entryway are from DPM modular walls. I modified the entryway from the Street Level Victorian Entry, #30141. I removed the windows on either side of the doorway and plugged up the transom window at the top.
As I noted earlier, the ends of the structure were decorated with the tops of pilasters flipped upside down to make a cornice.
The roofing material is slate shingles from Rusty Stumps.
And, I added other details I thought were needed. I don't know who made the roof vent. I needed two, so I ended up casting a second one. The chimney is from Tichy. And, the electrical meter is scratchbuilt.
And, this will be the last structure for a while. I plan to work on some benchwork for the layout, now that the weather is turning nice outside, where I can cut some wood.
Chuck
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George D
Moderator
Premium Member
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Posted - 05/09/2017 : 1:49:48 PM
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Nice framing on the billboard, Chuck.
George
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Bill Gill
Fireman
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Posted - 05/09/2017 : 2:34:12 PM
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Chuck, Your wash house came out really good. Those wash house baskets are quite a find. Seems like something a Steam Punk Easter Bunny would want!
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Michael Hohn
Fireman
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Posted - 05/09/2017 : 2:52:44 PM
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Chuck,
Very nice. I think that is one of the best uses of the DPM modulars I have seen. And the slate shingles are outstanding.
Mike
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Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. James Baldwin |
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Dutchman
Administrator
Premium Member
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Posted - 05/09/2017 : 6:47:13 PM
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Nice, Chuck. I remember that the wash house up at the NJ Zinc Mine had wire baskets that they raised to the beams.
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| Bruce |
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Orionvp17
Fireman
Premium Member
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Posted - 05/09/2017 : 7:36:28 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Bill Gill
Chuck, Your wash house came out really good. Those wash house baskets are quite a find. Seems like something a Steam Punk Easter Bunny would want!
Nicely done, Chuck! And I agree with Bill-- the baskets are a Find indeed.
"Steam Punk Easter Bunny...." That's an image that's gonna be hard to "un-see!" 
Pete
in Michigan
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