Announcing the Start of a Whole New Z Product Line

You know David, since you and Karin have been working so diligently and hard lately, I think you both deserve some time off. Why not just relax and take a well deserved break until after Christmas.

Knowing how patient Z scalers are, I seriously doubt anyone would mind if you delayed anything new until after Christmas... :o)

They can always get their Z fix and order a couple dozen coupler springs for something to play with...

John, I do have a very important role in all this melee.....I have the official title of LL&KP
That stands for Laser Loader and Kit Packer. I have a VERY important position in this. :o)

Good to see more laser kits for Z. Jim

Socalz44 wrote: Good to see more laser kits for Z. Jim

Well, to be strictly accurate, these are not "laser kits" in the traditional sense. There are some laser-cut parts in the kit, and the casting masters were made with a laser, but these kits represent something quite different. To my knowledge, this has not been done before.

Another suggestion-- A sheet of cut, peel, and stick-- City Signz in Z-- such as- Parking in rear-Pedestrian Cross Walks- Street arrows and STOP and RR Crossings for roadways- rooms for rent- Fire lane- no parking-cross bucks and stop signs-and of course names of different businessessess and advertizements - addinfanitem .......

David, Ok, I get it. I wish you guys much success. Jim

Tom Mann has started work on the first kit. Given his prowess with photography, it's a chance to see the process in vivid detail.

Follow along on The Railwire: www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=25070.0

Would rolling-stock be feasible to cast in Z, as it is in other scales? Again using additional detail parts that are either lasered or etched? I know your plate is full with the building kits, but do you see this as perhaps a future venture?

Kelley wrote: Would rolling-stock be feasible to cast in Z, as it is in other scales? Again using additional detail parts that are either lasered or etched? I know your plate is full with the building kits, but do you see this as perhaps a future venture?

In a word, yes. But not for a while yet.

David,
I've been working on the Thrift Store kit: nicely done and so far goes together well and looks good (although it will probably become a Coast-to-Coast store). I'm impressed that you're including the lighting hardware, a feature I personally feel as the realism in Z.
Unfortunately, light, like paint, leaks all over the place without proper masking. I'd like to suggest in the future providing some interior ceiling and wall masks for light control. Since you have the design dimension details, you'd know better than anyone the proper sizes, and they could be printed on the blank backside of the the product card.
Mark

markm wrote: David,
I've been working on the Thrift Store kit: nicely done and so far goes together well and looks good (although it will probably become a Coast-to-Coast store). I'm impressed that you're including the lighting hardware, a feature I personally feel as the realism in Z.
Unfortunately, light, like paint, leaks all over the place without proper masking. I'd like to suggest in the future providing some interior ceiling and wall masks for light control. Since you have the design dimension details, you'd know better than anyone the proper sizes, and they could be printed on the blank backside of the the product card.
Mark

Mark, thank you for the feedback. I confess that I made the decision not to include any light-blocking materials as it didn't seem to leak much of anything in my test. That said, I did not try it in absolute darkness, just a dimmed room. I will take this into account in future kits.

David,
Actually, the outside walls do an excellent job blocking light and with a bit of sanding they fit together very well. What I'm looking at is adding a ceiling/floor to separate the shop lighting from the upstairs apartments and a divider or two to control the lighting in the upstairs windows.
Maybe I'm too critical about lighting, but in most buildings, lighting varies in intensity in the windows and I try to model it that way. FYI my plan for the shop is a couple of fiber optic lines in the upstairs window, replacing the over the door light with a fiber and use your LED for lighting the store.
Mark

Mark, you're doing just what I do to virtually every structure I assemble: control the brightness, color temperature, direction and diffusion of the light for each individual space, according to how that space would be illuminated in real life. I've often thought of writing a clinic on realistic structure lighting. That, however, assumes I can find sufficient spare time.

In general the problem with light shining through you have with every polystyrol or resin kit.
Just Lütke provide inner masking walls, but this can also create new problems. The best solution is to paint the inside with matt black. That does the job always.

I just recieved the first two TBS kits. The detail and quality can't be beat!! The pecision of the lazer, coupled with the molding process makes for a very fine model. Hold it up to a light where shadows are cast to see the fine details. I'm impressed and look forward to future offerings. Now to read the instructions----
Fred
PS- Barrister Jargon--I'm in no way associated with TBS- Just a happy hobbiest!.........

I just finished mine. It was pretty much fun to build it. I only had problems getting off the paint. Next time, I maybe won´t let the paint dry completely. It fits good to the Micro Structures series. I´m, looking forwrd to the bank.
Greetings
Mattias

I'm not criticizing, but just wondering, would perhaps a slightly more reddish tint to the mortar perhaps blend in better? I know that mortar is usually a gray cement color so was just wondering.......

That was also my thought when I was finished, Loren. I took Off white as it is described, but would go for a grey next time.
Greetings
Mattias

I think when David first showed how to get good looking mortar it wasn't so much about pushing a certain color as it was about showing how clearly defined the mortar can appear using his technique.

Gray of the right shade does seem to make sense to me, but that is my opinion.

I'm not passing judgment on anyone's color choice......but just be sure to use re bar if you live in an earthquake zone. :o)