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Post by Vermin King on Mar 24, 2019 11:13:01 GMT -9
For those of you who are not familiar with Vernor's, it may or may not be the oldest soft drink still in production, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VernorsGot a call from an old girlfriend a while back, and was re-inspired to do a Vernor's project. Shelly is a Michigander, and introduced me to Vernor's back in 1983. Several years back I collected images of the original drugstore, vintage signs, old factories and headquarters. I also found old images of their delivery vans, including one that is horse-drawn. I found a better image after the idea was re-sparked Been down with the flu since Thursday, so got to work today. Granted, not the best photo to work from, but my main thought was to develop the geometry from the photo, and base the color scheme from the vintage signs. Trying to turn the writing into something useful, was probably more work than it was worth
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Post by Vermin King on Mar 24, 2019 15:50:29 GMT -9
That is actually a very small wagon, but sits awfully high. Unusual spring conformation-front back and sides. Interesting how the tree attaches to the fifth wheel, similar to how lightning did his wagons, sort of. Since paper curves in one direction, not two, I will keep the side arch of the roof and make the front and back flat. I had hoped to be able to play with the near horse to create a miniature, but I don't see that as a possibility, but I might be able to use the tack on other horses. I don't see this getting done in seven days, though
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Post by Vermin King on Mar 25, 2019 10:29:39 GMT -9
Doctor's office called me back in. Afraid I might have pneumonia or bronchitis. Even though I was running 102.2 F temp at 3:30 AM, I was back down to 98.7 at the office. Chest X-Rays show bronchitis, not pneumonia. Since the Walmart Neighborhood Market was halfway between there and the pharmacy, I stopped to pick up a few things. And look what I found I was under the impression from another grocery chain that it was no longer available in the Kansas City market. I guess it is unavailable in the Kansas City market except through Walmart Neighborhood Markets. They don't even have it at regular Walmarts here. Hmmm
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Post by squirmydad on Mar 25, 2019 11:06:53 GMT -9
Congratulations on not having pneumonia. You should think about sending your wagon to Vernors after you finish it.
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Post by Vermin King on Mar 25, 2019 11:11:32 GMT -9
Since they are owned by Dr. Pepper, I probably won't do that, but I might send it to the Detroit Historical Society. They have a whole section devoted to Vernor's EDIT -- Assuming I can get back to a reasonable level of health. Fever was back up again tonight, and I just can't concentrate. How are you doing now, squirmydad?
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Post by squirmydad on Mar 26, 2019 6:17:23 GMT -9
EDIT -- Assuming I can get back to a reasonable level of health. Fever was back up again tonight, and I just can't concentrate. How are you doing now, squirmydad? Slowly, slowly better. The weekend was very stabby in my head so I under-achieved by napping all of Sunday. Take care of your fever, sounds like you aren't having any fun either. I just remembered, there is a soda shop in Lawrence with over 1,300 varieties of sodas. Mass Street I believe it's called, you should pop in there and have them pick out the ideal root beer for your palette.
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Post by oldschooldm on Mar 26, 2019 7:22:50 GMT -9
Grew up in the Metro Detroit area, and became very familiar with this sticky sweet golden nectar.
Makes my teeth rot, just thinking about the stuff. :-)
Saw one of those carts at the factory. Brings back memories.
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Post by Vermin King on Mar 26, 2019 7:48:59 GMT -9
Grew up in the Metro Detroit area, and became very familiar with this sticky sweet golden nectar. Makes my teeth rot, just thinking about the stuff. :-) Saw one of those carts at the factory. Brings back memories. I wonder if the Detroit Historical Society inherited a bunch of the memorabilia from the factory when it closed down. Did you ever go to any events at Cobo Hall? It was built on one of the old Vernor's factory sites. The city and Vernor's did a land swap. Vernor's got a new factory on a larger site and Detroit got Cobo Hall.
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Post by oldschooldm on Mar 26, 2019 12:34:08 GMT -9
I remember Cobo. Not sure why I went there (as a kid), but I do recall the seemingly endless spiral tower up the parking garage...
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Post by Vermin King on Mar 26, 2019 18:00:28 GMT -9
Well, this may be helpful to someone who wants to jump into creating their own items. In this case, I wanted a Vernor's Delivery Wagon. The only image available is a splotchy black and white, and not a squared up view. I needed a color scheme that would be considered 'appropriate', so I looked up vintage advertising signs. I also looked up how old, but newer, vehicles were painted. Knowing I could not square this up, I decided to get a square edge and get the writing as level as possible. That way I can get the script transferred to a side-view pattern of my design. To get that design, I break up my available view and square up each division and stack them together, in this case I went top-to-bottom. What I have so far is definitely not final, but a good start. I keep the near original image where I can guess at what is going to create a plausible model. I'll get into this more as I move along, but I need to design the back end, roof and driver compartment and decide which way I am going to get it to sit on the ground. I think that the wheels were originally black, brown, or light gray, which would still be gray on the model, but this is looking awfully dark already. I am probably going to go with a light gray. All the colors will need to be adjusted as things move along
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Post by Vermin King on Mar 27, 2019 9:04:25 GMT -9
The rear suspension is unusual. The only other wagon I have seen set up this way was the Robbins Cage Wagon At the back is a leaf spring parallel to the axle (red outline). On the sides, the leaf springs (green outline) are inverted, with one end attached to the mid-point of the bed, and the other end linked to the rear spring. The axle mounts in the middle of the side springs. My thought is to handle the springs like I did the undercarriages of the circus wagons, only with separate axles and wheels. Under the driver is the fifth wheel (how the front axle rotates). You can see the ends of the supports. The 'wheel' is at the narrow point. Below that is the tree, and below that the front axle. I plan on a box with slanted sides for those supports. Buczinski's flat axle for the fifth wheel, and I still have to 'work out' the rest of the front undercarriage. I will look at the photo one time and see parts that go around the fifth wheel that connect to the tree. I will look again and the part somewhat resembles part of a leaf spring. I doubt I will get a conclusive answer, and it won't be all that visible, but I do want things 'feasible'
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Post by Vermin King on Mar 29, 2019 11:20:04 GMT -9
Color revision time! My white trim, guessed at from period ad signs, should be orange. The lower panels of the wagon should be brown. At least if you can trust the 1900 postcard EDIT -- But it is good to have a source, even if it is a touch questionable
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Post by Vermin King on Mar 30, 2019 5:05:49 GMT -9
Okay, that orange trim and lettering isn't happening. This is a hand-tinted image of a black-and-white photo. It almost looks like he was trying to capture a rosy glow of a sunset (but the sun angle is wrong). I haven't seen that orange used in any ads except sometimes in Woody the Gnome's hatband or beard, and sometimes as a shadow for the yellow. I thought that maybe it was a result of the tint aging, except the yellow on the Vernor's logo in the front window is correct. Whatever the story is, I'm ignoring the orange.
I am going to use a slightly warmer brown for the roof area and wagon panels as shown in the image. Those areas being brown make sense.
I really don't think the wheels should be quite that bright, either. But I do think this image makes a case for grey wheels.
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Post by Vermin King on Mar 31, 2019 17:46:51 GMT -9
Silly me. I thought I would have been to the point of doing a test build today. Only, since about 1:30 last night, it seems the bronchitis is back with a vengeance. Unless a miracle happens tonight, it is back to the doctor tomorrow. I have made a little slow progress, though. Rear spring set-up is done. I think I have the driver box insert done. I still have to add the front undercarriage assemblies, but the axles are done, and I decided to use the steam coach wheels, only grey. Back to the process. I started designing from that photo, and everything is scaled to it. Once I get to the WIP print, I will reduce it all. Sometimes I will do the WIP build before reducing, but usually I reduce before the WIP print. Now, every so often pure luck plays its hand. Pure luck. I pulled up the steam coach wheel page and needed to figure out how much the wheels would need scaled. Now in the photo, we are looking at an angle, but the height of the wheels is proportional to the photo and the wip design. Checked the rear wheel first. The exact same height. Pull up the front wheel and same thing.
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Post by Vermin King on Apr 1, 2019 18:15:57 GMT -9
Didn't get as far as I'd hoped. Gotta do the hitch, and the support between the hitch and front axle. Then decide on tab placement
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Post by Vermin King on Apr 7, 2019 17:51:07 GMT -9
Being so close to finishing this for too long, I pushed myself and finished the hitch and axle support, and scaled this for 30 mm. Sort of. I took the driver and dismembered him. I then took the parts and aligned them vertically to get an approximate height for him standing. Since this was all worked out keeping the scale the same as the photo, I will have this approximately correctly scaled by determining how much the man needed to be reduced. To get the reassembled man to 30 mm, he needed to be reduced to 79%, so I reduced the wagon file to 79%. Still have to decide on a few tabs -- the roof and the wagon bed. And then the outlines need to be enhanced, but it should be good for the wip build
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Post by Vermin King on Apr 8, 2019 9:11:45 GMT -9
In a way, I wish I hadn't did my franken-delivery guy. Needed to piece together something to estimate the scale, but now I think I need to create a standing mini of the guy. No, hardly a complete guy as is, but face, torso, enough of his jacket style over his bib overalls that I can actually visualize what he should look like standing. Probably keep his arms cocked that way. Like a swordsman or gunfighter have stances that indicate profession, I think a horse-driver probably naturally cocks his arms that way out of habit, too. Over lunch, I did tentative tab placement on the wagon. After work, I plan on putting less than an hour into the delivery man, and if it doesn't move well, I'll go ahead and start the wip build without him
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Post by Vermin King on Apr 14, 2019 14:57:22 GMT -9
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Post by lightning on Apr 14, 2019 22:14:11 GMT -9
Very nice build. Reminds me that I need to make an updated version of my wagons. I think I have improved my texturing a bit since I started. I love wagons!!! :-)
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Post by Vermin King on Apr 15, 2019 3:52:52 GMT -9
I do, too
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Post by lightning on Apr 15, 2019 5:25:57 GMT -9
It shows. The model is beautiful.
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Post by Vermin King on Apr 15, 2019 6:09:33 GMT -9
Really makes me want to do the old headquarters building or original drugstore to have it sitting in front of
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Post by missileer on Apr 15, 2019 8:18:33 GMT -9
VK,
Thank you for sharing this. My Dad worked for Vernor's when I was a wee child. Once a month, he would bring home a case of the brew (that was one of the bennies for working there). We were living in Pleasant Ridge, a small village near the Detroit Zoo. If you design the HQ Building, I will have to build a fleet of these to put in a parking yard next to it.
You just made my day!
John
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Post by Vermin King on Apr 21, 2019 18:06:30 GMT -9
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