My latest form of art…

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Yes, I forgot about that one. I first saw it in action in a Youtube video, being used by a model maker. I meant to go sniff it out at some point, but I guess I've been all sniffed-out for a the last few months and forgot.

I need to find a good DIY place along my travels. I live almost next door to a huge shopping centre with 20 clothes boutiques, 6 sports apparel outlets, perfumes and cheeseburgers galore... and not one of them sells a bloody screwdriver...

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Perfect! Thank you! I just ordered 2 sprays and two glues!

a reply to: Encia22

Thank you! I am gonna send you a screwdriver for helping me lol. You and Flyingclaydisk.

a reply to: Encia22

Oh boy, could I tell you some stories about polystyrene models! And, talk about the absolutely "perfect" glue (but it won't work on wood, JJ, sorry).

Early in my career I worked as an Engineering Drafter. Most of the work I did was in Power Plants and Chemical Plants. On this one job we had (at a chemical plant) we were re-fitting an entire unit (module) of the plant (like 1/4 of 4 modules). The place was a biblical maze of pipes, valves, tanks and you name it. This was long before 3-D computer modeling used today, but "collision detection" was still critically important. 'Collision detection' is where you avoid things like pipes going through structural members, or valves in areas where they can't be serviced, etc.

In order to do this collision detection we had modelers, and these modelers actually built an exact scale model of the plant. And when I say "exact", I mean EXACT. Every pipe, every valve, every tank, every steel beam, every duct,...literally everything. It was all built out of raw polystryene stock.

They had this glue, and I don't remember what it was called, but it came in 1 gallon metal cans like lacquer thinner. The stuff was so flammable it would explode if you looked at it wrong, but when it came to gluing stuff in this model together it was the best glue I've ever seen. I used to build some models myself back in the cay (aircraft mostly), and this was the best glue ever. Because my group was in the same trailers as the modelers I conned one of the modeling guys into giving me a gallon of this stuff. It lasted forever, and a tiny drop would instantly glue any model plastic instantly. You applied it with these wood Q-tip like things. Best stuff ever.

This model, when it was done, was about 20 feet wide x 30 feet deep x 15 feet tall. And what was so cool about the whole process was, the model had to go together exactly the same way the building would be built. There was no way you could 'cheat' and do something which was impossible (in the field) to the model. When it was done, the density of all the pipes and other stuff in the model was so complex that you couldn't even stick a pencil into the model (there wasn't room) without hitting something. It was truly incredible! Just fantastic craftsmanship.

For me, one of the coolest things was, I and the team under me, drew out every single one of those pipes, and valves, and ducts and tanks...first in pencil (on paper) and ultimately in ink (on mylar). So, I drew it, the modelers built it in scale, and when it all worked, then they (ironworkers, pipe fitters, tin knockers, millrights, electricians and other trades personnel) went and built it in the field. Talk about satisfying. All in an (88) day Unit shutdown window.

(Made the most money I ever made in a single day in my life on that job, even to this day as a Sr. Engineer. Worked a 24 hour shift on Christmas Eve through Christmas Day. Went out and paid cash for a brand new fully loaded Jeep CJ-8 (which were not cheap) on a single day's wages!)

True story too.

originally posted by: JJproductions
a reply to: Encia22

Thank you! I am gonna send you a screwdriver for helping me lol. You and Flyingclaydisk.

Ok, cheers, JJ! But just send the plastic handle... I'm not allowed to play with long, pointy, metal objects... doctor's orders.

a reply to: JJproductions

No need to send anything here either. Have every tool known to man already, and then some!

My reward will be hearing that this glue works for you.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Cool story, FCD! That glue sounds phenomenal... and dangerous!

Industrial scale model makers have always intrigued me. As an office junior, I worked for a property development company in London. One of my chores was to take blueprints of the latest and greatest shopping centre that was being developed to the model makers.

I got to watch some of the processes they employ and ultimately, the end results when I'd accompany the boss to view the finished model. What dumbfounded me more than the quality of each piece, was the cost. Each model cost between £20k - £50k. What saddened me the most was when the multi-million construction deal was done, with the aid of the models, they were usually trashed. Only some of the better ones did our company keep for display, marketing use and brownie points.

a reply to: Encia22

I've actually seen and participated in the building of many similar models (bigger and smaller). It was a fascinating process for sure. And yes, many of them got trashed once their purpose had been achieved...which was always a shame. The hundreds and thousands of hours that went into them just thrown into dumpsters. At least I had the satisfaction of knowing all of my design documents would live on forever in the form of as-built documentation.

You mentioned "Blue Prints", and there's a story there too. You know why "Blue" prints were blue, right?

The process for getting from a pencil drawing to a blue print was actually a multi-stage process.

1. First we drew what we called light-line pencil drawings (these were hard pencil leads like 4H and up). Once these were close to being correct, we then drew a heavy-line pencil drawing. But pencil was never the final drawing (and neither were blue prints, ironically). Some heavy line pencil drawings would go straight to "Sepias" (which I'll explain in a minute), but most didn't.

2. Once a heavy line drawing was checked by all the engineering staff, then we'd get out the inking pens and the mylar sheets. The heavy line pencil drawings would go down on the table, and then we'd put a sheet of mylar over the top of them. We'd then "ink" the mylar sheets by tracing the heavy line pencil sketches beneath in special inks. We didn't need lighted tables at this stage because the mylar sheets were clear. Once the ink had cured it was time to make "sepias".

3. Sepias were a special kind of paper which was photo sensitive. We'd lay a piece of sepia paper over the mylars and run them through a processing machine which would produce what amounts to a zerox copy, but it was a negative reproduction. These drawings were brown, and the lines were white. These were known as production sepias.

4. Following the sepias, "blue" prints were made. Because the sepias were much more durable than the mylars, the mylars went to the "golden archives". The sepias were used for making blueprints. To make the blueprints, we'd take another type of yellowish white photosensitive paper but instead of pairing it with a mylar we'd pair it with a sepia. We then ran both sheets through a process using Ammonia gas and light which created a positive image (from the sepia negatives) where the lines were dark blue, and the rest of the sheet was a lighter blue. The Ammonia process turned the finished prints a light shade of blue, hence the name "Blue" print.

Sepias stayed in the drawing reproduction area, and whenever blueprints were needed these were the originals they were made from. The mylars went to the golden archives. If, and when, the building ever changed, the mylars would be pulled out and changed (literally by cutting the ink from the mylar, or redoing it altogether). For minor changes, we could also use what was known as an 'eradicator fluid' which was a chemical process to make minor modifications to the sepias themselves.

Most probably never cared where a blueprint came from, or why it was called that, but now you know. For anyone, like myself, who lived in that world, I will never forget the smell of the ammonia process, so blueprints always bring back the smell memory of ammonia.

And now you know...the rest of the story.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Yes, cheers for the explanation. I remember some of those processes, but I didn't recall the order and the finer details. I was usually doing other chores and never got any quality time with any of the designers/architects/engineers... it was almost 40 years ago. Though, I do remember the strong smell of ammonia and could never tell where it came from.

a reply to: Encia22

Heh, I feel old now! LOL!

Now it has all advanced even beyond CADD. Anymore, we use 3-D modeling (where we do all the collision detection), and the output (from Revit, the 3-D modeling software) gets sent directly to the plotters for printing. A pencil rarely ever touches a drafting table anymore except for maybe hand sketches. Oh, and the inking tools? All that stuff is considered "antiques" anymore...mylars, sepias and all the processes...all long gone.

It's a lot easier now though, and that's a good thing.

a reply to: Encia22

I'm way off-topic, but one last thing related to models and then I'll quit. When projects didn't want to pay for modelers to build scale models we had to do collision detection using "light tables". These were tables where there were super bright lights mounted under a translucent top. To do the collision detection we'd have to lay blueprints on top of other blueprints (or mylars or sepias) and overlay them to see conflicts. Hence the engineering term "overlays". They were literally just that, drawings overlayed over the top of each other. The lights were so bright they shined up through all the sheets of paper, and where lines crossed when they shouldn't, you knew you had a conflict.

I only noted this last part because I had mentioned light tables in the above reply.

JJ, sorry for the diversion!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I am off topic, I live north of Detroit. My cousin works for GM His art is amazing because he designs cars full scale made out of clay over a foam overlay.

He invited me to the GM tech center. It’s amazing to see how he designs cars. So I looked it up because I think computers would be the best but I was wrong!

www.fastcompany.com...

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

a reply to: JJproductions

Oh yeah, now those clay model guys are fantastic! When I was kid we used to live north of Detroit, my father was an engineer for Great Lakes Steel (who supplied GM with all their steel). Got to see some of the GM modelers doing their thing back in the 70's. Incredible workmanship. They had friends who worked at Rouge Steel (Ford) so I got to see some of the Ford concept stuff in clay back then too. Too bad much of that stuff never makes it into production, IMO.

a reply to: JJproductions

Thanks for that, JJ. Yes, an industry that still survives due to the "Human element", as the article explains, which computers will never emulate.

a reply to: Encia22

Here here!!

a reply to: JJproductions

Very nice piece JJ, and Ter.

I have no problems with stupour-glue, and I'll prove it !

I'll just put a little dab on my right ring-finger, and I'llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

a reply to: KnowItAllKnowNothin

Haha. That worked perfect

a reply to: Encia22

I call it Wondrous Wurlitzer. You called high tech and yeah. I was trying for a high tech concept from the beginning of the last century, you know like som of those early Earth to the Moon images. Like tech from the movie Brazil. In a way I had Steam Punk in mind.

This one as well as others on a four prong foundation I can add another length of to the bottom petal copying the maze with a bit of alteration turning the piece into a Christian cross. Might call that Punk Jesus but that likely would be a turn off to many. Maybe Jesus and the Industrial Revolution.

Neat, I like it!