Make your own Street Signs - Model Railroad
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- Making realistic street signs for you model railroad scenery is made easy by following these simple steps. It’s hard to beat the realism of a good model railroad that has fantastic street signs lining the street. More information can be found at:
www.bouldercreekrailroad.com
In this tutorial I will show you an easy way to make your own HO scale street signs, the technique can be applied to any form of sign and is most definitely not limited to street signs alone.
I recently watched a video from another model railroader, Matt, who runs a great TH-cam channel full of fantastic tips, advice and general model railroading. It’s well worth a look and if you want to check out his channel you can click on this link:
/ chessiefan2
Cheers and thanks for watching
Luke.
Roboskater by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Artist: audionautix.com/
For Americans modeling in rural areas... don’t forget to add bullet holes to your signs!
I don't even model railroad but I still love watching your videos. Great job!!!
+LMCSXurbex wow, that's a great compliment if I've ever heard one! Thank You :)
Cheers
Luke
THX
Me too, VicRoads have all the signs in their road rules section. This is so very relaxing. Thanks. I love the ute.
@@BoulderCreekRailroad SIGNS!
If you right click the image in word, you can bring up the image options and just set the size in mm there.
I was going to suggest that. lol
oh cool, I'll try that for sure..... THANK YOU!!
hey ,if anyone else trying to find out building model railroad scenery try Panlarko Amazing Railroad Planner ( search on google ) ? Ive heard some incredible things about it and my colleague got amazing results with it.
I've been using this technique to make signs for my local club layout, works like a charm. Only thing I do differently is to use a silver metallic Sharpie to go around the edges instead of paint. It's identical to the color of the can, and no mess/clean up needed.
I love working on my Christmas Village and lately, to get the realism I like in my layout, I have started watching tutorials like yours. I work with styrofoam mainly and like the idea of adding billboards and street signs. Thank you. I wish there were videos for people like me who are not war gamers or model train fans. I've gotten good ideas from you. - From 'round the Globe in Canada.
Are you Australian? If so do you call McDonalds ‘Maccas’
I do not build anything, would not even have the space to begin with it. But your channel is so great. Watching you building is like a meditation, calming me down and letting me sink into the beauty of details.
You are an artist no doubt about it Luke, You inspire me with these vids! Very well done.
+chris dav wow, thanks Chris, don't worry there are many failures before I make the final product... The good thing about TH-cam is I can keep those failures to myself :)
Cheers
Luke
+Luke Towan Maybe you should publish a "Blooper" video and allow us to laugh with you.......
You could also check your drivers manual. In the US, other countries as well I would guess, there are examples of road signs which can be scanned and manipulated with whatever graphics program. Just FYI.
MMCUSN I like your tip but... they may not be photo quality.
Love watching your videos! They're really high in quality, much better than many overrated youtubers! Keep it up 👍
wow, thanks for another fantastic comment :)
Cheers
Luke
Luke Towan are u Aussie cause I am and you keep mentioning Australia
Never thought of using a can for sign material. Thanks for the tip!
man you are awesome I've spent all weekend watching your videos
lol, thanks for watching :) Glad you liked them!
Thanks for sharing such a beautiful videos, from last 2 yrs I am watching and now prepared to make my own model railway.
Avinash N Jagtap.
India, (Maharashtra)
Cool, I'm glad you are enjoying the videos :) Good luck with building your model railroad.
Cheers
Luke
Could you please make a video on how to make electric power polls
What did he use for the Pole, i couldn't understand it (i'm not a native english speaker)?
Thanks
It's just a piece of styrene but you could also use a tooth pick or piece of electrical wire.
Cheers
Luke
Thank you.
The master himself answered me :D
Luke Towan great job and awesome scenarios! Very nice signs but I see that the image is somewhat pixelated. Try to save the Word document to PDF and print it in PDF format. I do it for small stickers that I manufacture and the quality is excellent. But are text, I do not know the result with images. Try it. Regards!
Very nicely done. The aluminum backing is a great idea. I use about the same process except for that. Rob
*Aluminium :D
i am new to model railroading, nd without a doubt your videos have explained things in great detail. thank you for the great tips.
2 people over here, twisted in agony, when you cutt in to the can with the knife......even without the corresponding sound
you can actually send stuff to heaven without destroying them all you need is a spellcaster. a spell caster is a person who casts a spell Spell-caster, a magician, that is, a practitioner of magic as portrayed in works of fiction Spell-caster, in gaming, a wizard or mage with the ability to cast and They can be found on different sites such as TH-cam, google, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and sometimes dating sites and plus you send them to the spellcaster by using the regular shipping companies then they’ll send them to heaven and a Spell-caster is a person who casts a spell Spellcaster, a magician, that is, a practitioner of magic as portrayed in works of fiction Spellcaster, in gaming, a wizard or mage with the ability to cast spells
Great work dude .. I feel like I`m 8 again and I think of staring some easy models.. Quick question: why do you use Paint and Word when you have Photoshop?
Peter Šipoš Isn’t Photoshop only used for fake photos? Like putting an Alien next to tRump? Oh yeah, no need to, just look at a photo of tRump next to his wife! 🤣
When you move the car in the beginning is is slow motion or is the car magnetic
You are very talented Luke, thank you for sharing your craft with us.
Excellent video! I agree with that can, good use for signs. I really enjoy your videos, keep up the good work.
+Jason B Thanks so much Jason for the great comment. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Cheers
Luke
Your all about saving money. I'm sure there are more uses for the coke can.
I'm going to take this and make some stuff for warhammer👍 thank you
DeNeefe also has a great catalog of traffic signs too!
Another great video Luke. Simple details cleverly explained. - I won't be throwing away so many cans in future. - David
lol, I actually had to go and buy a can of coke to make this video... I don't drink many cans of drink at home. But when I'm out I now make sure I bring a couple of cans home to use!
Cheers
Luke
As best as you *_can_*
don't judge me I'm an autistic teen girl who likes cats, foxes, drawing, creepy stuff, Japanese culture, anime, and Pokémon.
Fantastic work Luke! I used this to make street signs for my New York City layout.
It's great to see people using similar techniques on their layouts. I would imagine New York City would be full of street signs!
Cheers
Luke
Yes it is, thank you for all your Help Luke!
Hope those signs aren't a copyright of Australia or that company :P Well made video, clear instructions.
Random comment but maybe work on your typographic introduction for your name; your video intro is so good and it's let down by the stretched website title. Try lowercase and increasing size and it might be a bit more readable :)
+Ryan Blandon Thanks for the feedback :) I'll look into it. As for the copyright... I'm not really sure, I look at it this way, if I bought a magazine to cut out pictures and turn them into billboards on my layout I wouldn't think it's copyright however If I then sold the billboard I think I might have a problem... If nothing else it's good advertising for the company.
Cheers
Luke
I’m not sure if this is possible in model railroads, but I think it would be awesome to add some animals to an aussie road scene. You can put in some koalas crossing the road near a koala crossing sign (or any of our native animals of course).
Perhaps you could even do a car crash with a kangaroo!! Maybe that’s a bit morbid though. A scene with a car having just swerved around a kangaroo who is bouncing away.
This is great, ill have to give this a try
Would this method work for 1:20 signs?
There's soo many things I could say! If you use a piece of wire instead you can sotter the sign on which would look authentic. Also, in paint you can do alot. Explore your settings more. You can change your sizing and add rulers, even a grid depending on the year of your computer/paint.
What brand of miniature vehicles for your models ?? Thanks in advance for your answers
Hey Luke, I wanted to make electrical poles like the ones you see alongside the road. How would I build them?
WORD??? Really? Load that sucker into photoshop!
hey luke towan
i am big fan of you.
please upload some video on how to make ho scale vehicles from gypsum or plaster of paris oe any thing else
Vehicles from plaster? That won't work - there's a lot of manufacturers of H0 vehicles out there.
Finally someone who says aluminium and not aluminum.
or you know different countries have different prenounciations there no wrong or right way.....
Well, brits say "Aluminium" because soon after the discovery of aluminum, an english scientist went full autist with the logic of "'Aluminum' can't be correct, because there are no elements that end in 'um', but all other metals end in 'ium'". This was deeply flawed logic, because of "platinum", the name of which invalidates his pedantry.
TL;DR: Brits & Friends use "ium" because of one pedant's stupid mistake.
Haha thought about the same thing. Depends on the country 😊
Y'all missed the point of the joke
Thanks for sharing! :)
+Leonel Almeida No worries :)
Just starting out an HO city and airport, will need lots of signs. This was super helpful
thank you soo much :)
+Wacław Hajdukiewicz Cheers :)
The aluminum can for the backing is a nice touch. I was wondering if giving the sign a spray of gloss coating might add another level of detail. It might look too glossy however, and photo paper does have a nice look on its own.
I was also thinking that resizing the image in Inkscape might help reduce pixelation. Since it's a vector program, the sizing maintains the detail (to the limit of the computer screen pixel count), but the printer is also another pixelation source. Might be worth playing with though. I need to redo my logo for my videos and working with it in Inkscape first gives the best image to work with afterwards.
And I really liked the truck driving intro. :) Nice touch.
+Terranscapes Thanks Mike, I wasn't sure how the pixelation would go, to be honest I didn't realize until I watched the video back that there was quite a bit of pixelation! I haven't heard of Inkscape but now I'll have to go and google it :)
I tried spraying some of the signs with a Gloss spray but it actually took away from the 'glossy-ness' (if that's a word?) of the photo paper and I found the white turned slightly grey. But you're right that the photo paper on it's own does quite a good job of imitating a shinny sign.
The Stopmotion intro with the truck was quite fun to make although I tried shooting that scene 3 or 4 times due to getting half way through and then accidentally bumping the diorama!
Cheers
Luke
+Luke Towan The pixelation can be further controlled with inkscape. Your printer probably prints at 600 DPI, so you want your image document to match that.
Instead of reducing your captured image, get the largest, best quality you can, then import into inkscape. Using the bezier tool, trace the elements of the sign, and fill them in with colours. Some simple tutorials can teach you how to use those: they are not complicated tools.
You already have the meticulousness to perfectly recreate the signs this way.
Once you have a "traced" version, it can be scaled as much as you like, and should always print at the maximum DPI for the document, unlike the static sized original image.
You've done it again ☺ well done babe.
+Anna Meresi Towan Thanks gorgeous, thanks for the fantastic support.
This was perfect for a sign I'm putting in my friend's mom's Santa's Workshop gift. Thank you so much :)
Extremely nice video 😍😍😍, subscribed!
Awesome! Thank you!
so the sign is a paper with a can iron behind it..........COOL
Great video . thanks.
Very nicely done. The aluminum backing is a great idea. I use about the same process except for that. Rob
+Rob McCrain Thanks Rob, yeah I think this is quite a common technique.
Cheers
Luke
Using an clean empty for signs is a great way to re-use cans. ^_^
You ARE a creative bloke!!
I've been subbed here for a couple of years, and never cease to find new and interesting bits like this one.
I look forward to trying this, as soon as I can get cartridges for my Epson...
Cheers!!
lol.... I'm in the same boat! I can't believe how much ink costs... When we run out of ink I always put of buying new cartridges until we just cant wait any more!
Cheers
Luke
You have got talent that is expressed by your videos. Keep 'em coming! :) A modeler "Fishplate Films" is also an "Auzie" (Sorry I'm an American) and he has some good stuff too. You might want to check him out. Very talented individual too. Say "HI" to Lord Stan; what a character he is. :)
+Colin King ha ha ha :) yeah I watch his stuff as well, he has quite a bit of humor in his videos which is good for a laugh. Glad you're enjoying the videos, I've got some more interesting videos on the way very soon.
Cheers
Luke
Super!...for added realism, you might try adding a few bullet holes with a needle. Thanks and Cheers from Connecticut!
thanks for the fantastic idea 😉 cheers mate
...not that we want to encourage "vandalism" of that sort (and those holes would be pretty hard to see), but at the level of detail you work, I'm sure the rust circles you'd add around the holes would be visible without magnification! No man-crush here, but definitely a modelers crush(!)...your exquisite modeling work is the gold standard, and your video productions (lighting, camera angles, details, editing, even voice-overs and speech-tone) are relaxed, perfectly informative as well as entertaining...and second to none! Cheers
большая аккуратность во всех деталях урока. ты молодец мужик
Where do you get your cars?
Well done. How does the vehicle move? RC? Stop motion?
+Charles Smart Thanks Charles, it's a stop motion sequence. About 140 individual photos... I had to do it 3 times though because as I got close to the end of shooting the photo sequence I'd bump the diorama and accidentally move it as well as the car! Very frustrating.
Cheers
Luke
Another great how too. Never thought of using an aluminum pop can as the backing. Thanks for sharing.
+Peter CPRail8748 Thanks Peter, I find it better to use the can instead of styrene because it's much thinner and stronger.
Cheers
Luke
Your tecnic is really good
Greatings fron Mexico!
Quick tip: Since windows 7, there's an included program called "snipping tool." It basically condenses the print screen +paste into word + crop + save into one step. I usually open it by hitting the windows key and then typing "sni" and it should pop right up. You get to select the part of your screen you want to capture.
(And of course, I love your tutorials. You have a great eye for detail, which I suppose you have to have in this hobby!)
Thanks for the tip! I vaguely remember the snipping tool but have since long forgotten about it... Thanks for reminding me, I'll be checking it out right now 😉
Easy?
I'm glad I found this tutorial. I'm working on a diorama for 6 inch action figures, what size do you recommend I make this signs. Thanks in advance.
I think the best thing to do is print out some test signs on paper and put them next to your figures, signs can come in a wide range of random sizes. I'm not 100% sure what scale but if you do a few test prints you won't go wrong 😊
Cheers
Luke
So cool! You are incredibly inventive and resourceful, Luke.
Great way to make signs. I never thought of using cans for the backing. I use styrene.Scott
+Scott Downey I thought about styrene, I like the can because it's very rigid and also very thin. I just wish I could find thinner glossy paper to print on.
Cheers
Luke
Amazing detail and patience, your work is very professional
Great idea using the aluminum can for the sign back. I love your videos. I sure have learned quite a bit from them. I think you're a natural born teacher. You should have become a school teacher instead. You make the videos quite interesting. I've also signed up for your newsletter. Keep up the great work. Rusty
Thanks again Rusty. My mum was a school teacher! I don't send email newsletters very often but once in a while when I have something interesting to share I'll send an email :)
Hey Luke, Thanks for your amazing tutorials :) I was wondering because i can´t seem to find it anywhere: The foam you are using to cut out hills underlay etc. what is that? is it homemade? regards
Burnings stock it
LOL i only play diecast car like autoart or cmc stuff but i love this street signs video so i can make my own in the scale of 1:18!
Thanks Keep UP !
yeah that would add a lot of character to your models if you display them 😀 thanks mate
nice one luke, another good helpful vid
+boltuss2006 No worries :)
Cheers
Luke
Great idea, Can't wait to try this. Good reason to get color ink.
Hi Luke! Helpful how to's. Thanks for sharing
+Vladimir “Vlad” Kharinenkov No worries mate :)
Cheers
Luke
really I like your work .... it is fantastic work and you have a lot of skill . God bless you
thank you Dhafer 😀
You are welcome
another great how to luke. im gonna have to try using the coke cans for the backing. i like the look of that! G
+Gknos modeltrains Thanks mate, they look awesome from the back as well.
Cheers
Luke
Ti
Great video.
I need to sign in
your model car is 1:64 right?
That cool man
Do a give away
1 new subx😀
Jey
AMAZING!
Nicely done. I really like how you pay attention to the smaller details. Will definitely use some of these signs on my layout when I get to that point. Thanks for the idea. Boots
+B&G RailRoad Thanks Boots, glad you like it.
Cheers
Luke
Nice Video. But how did you made the driving car, at the beginning?
+chazy chaz stopmotion
+chazy chaz Troy was right, it's basically a set of 140 individual photos, each photo I slightly move the car forward and finally I piece it all together to make the final video. "Stopmotion" is the technical term.
Cheers
Luke
H
great "How To".. thanks for sharing.. vinny
+bnsf6951 Thanks Vinny, glad you enjoyed the video.
Cheers
Luke
Love ALL that you do Luke. Thanks for the tips and the hard work. I did miss the silly intro though. 😃
+Snappleton S yeah, I tend to go in waves, I'll have to come up with a funny intro for the next video! Thanks for the great comment.
Cheers
Luke
I think that am going to use juice straw🤨
This has given me great ideas for signs I want to make for my walking dead miniatures game, thank you
Cool 😊 Glad you liked it
Awesome video Luke - love the idea of using aluminium for backing! Don't know if you have them in Australia, but I found a great source of flat aluminium sheet in disposable baking foil trays you can buy - they often have large areas of plain flat foil on the base which I cut out and use for various things. Saves having to straighten out the curved metal of a tin can! :)
+tjf4375 thanks so much for the tip :) I didn't think about aluminum foil baking trays, I know the supermarket has them. I'll have to give it a try in my next round of making signs. As you can probably imagine I'm all signed out right now!
Cheers
Luke
Ha ha yes I can imagine you've probably got all the signs you need! I discovered the baking trays when I was making some elevator doors which I wanted to look just like stainless steel - I tried some drinks can metal first, but it was too thick to bend so I found these bacofoil trays and they're just perfect, thick enough to not get creased or crimpled but thin enough to be easy to cut and bend. Probably very handy any time you need to model any sort of metal sheeting! :)
I'll definitely keep that in mind. I have plans for an industrial area that will have lots of shinny metal.
nice video of the different signs for ho scale.
+Mike Troina Thanks Mike, they do a great job and very easy to make.
Cheers
Luke
Luke Towan your welcome Luke and you should check out my channel and please subscribe to my channel to.
Luke, is this a Patreon video?
I made my signs in a very similar way. The only difference being that I used thin styrene plank sheeting for the sign back as signs are often made of sections of metal sheet joined together here in the UK. I also used 1mm Tin copper wire for the pole, its not flexible but it very strong and not easily bent. My layout folds up against a wall so everything has to be sag proof when hanging at 90 degrees. Great job Luke!
+cbcdesign001 Good point, I suppose you'd need a strong sign pole as opposed to a flexible one. Generally people knocking them shouldn't be much of an issue and I suppose if they are copper you can easily bend them back into position anyway.
Cheers
Luke.
Yes, its pretty easy Luke but in 1mm copper wire is surprisingly tough and takes quite a bit of force to bend it when its only 24mm long (6 foot in 4mm scale). I have brushed the signs by accident a few times and it hasn't bent at all so far. Alan.
Another great video mate, this outside the box thinking amazes me!
+Nick Van Ingen Thanks heaps Nick, always good to get great feedback.
Cheers
Luke
song of 1:03 ?
What brand is that EK ute mate?
you are the best welcom from poland (midle europe ) :)
+Wacław Hajdukiewicz Thanks mate, glad you like the videos.
Cheers
Luke
Another great How to... Like the can idea... Thanks again
+njRRtrainer Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed the video.
Cheers
Luke
excellent - thanks for all the tips Luke!
No worries :) thanks for watching
Luke Towan w
Great tutorial video! Thanks for sharing!
+matt's modelrrchannel Thanks Matt, glad you liked it.
Cheers
Luke