PLEASE if this seems TLDR up front, bear with me! I like to share background, ideas and weakness before blindly seeking advice. Extra info up front usually saves even more time later (as I've learned for better and worse in my IT career, ha)
I'm developing a topper for a special game with local provenance and history (my resto thread is here: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/rip-the-parkette-diner-gone-but-not-forgotten-its-diner-still-lives) and one of the things I unquestionably *have* to do is re-create the sign from the place it came from:
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It was a historic and enduringly popular restaurant that opened in 1951 and was suddenly (controversially) closed and torn down by a ****head landowner/developer in June 2022 (It was also uncannily similar in most all respects to the "Diner" pinball...)
The sign was a huge landmark and no small (pun!) part of why the restaurant was so famously beloved. So I'd like to recreate it "topper sized" arout 10" tall or so. This would be "no big deal" except for the effects circuits which are tricky to recreate in scale: the cars "drove" (chase lit) along the top; the chevrons chased downward; and the waitress had a two-frame (blink or wig-wag) animation of extending the food tray.
I know there are various ways all of this could be done, so let's review my current skillset and knowledge:
- Graphic design
- Miniature fab and construction techniques (pro model railroading background)...
- ...application / modification of off-the-shelf lighting & effects pursuant to above
I know about 3D printing but have never developed models for that. But I have a friend who can help here, maybe.
I loosely know of DIY circuit effects via things like Arduinos, etc but have never messed with it (never had a need/desire til now!)
I know about some kinds of controllers, LED strips and bulbs, etc... but probably not all that's out there, let alone ideal for this project. I try to make use of what I find, adapting limitations and compromises, etc.
OK, so for the project. As I see it the waitress is the biggest challenge because her attachment point (feet) are so thin and fragile at scale, and really her whole body isn't that much larger, it would be difficult to build any effective animated lighting at scale, while hiding circuitry behind her, while maintaining an authentic unlit and standalone appearance. So for now my focus is on the main sign. We can develop and add a refined waitress later.
I'm aiming to have “something” done in time for a show one month from now... TALL ORDER for sure but I can make something effective for concept, and develop the quality version over however long that takes. So let me reveal what I've come up with so far. I'll copy-paste-edit my last update on the resto thread:
I initially decided on layered elements for a backlit approach. The main sign would be printed on opaque material such as vinyl, and the lettering and blue stripes would be die-cut out. Apply this to substrate material (plastic) of proper translucency. And behind that, apply layered films in the cutout areas to look white when the lights are off, but colored R-G-B where appropriate when on. Easy enough.
The X-factor in all that, is the cars and chevrons. Because in scale, their lines cannot cut hollow in a durable fashion, so no clear backlighting voids there. Which means their entire “flat print” area would need to be backlit, which means they can't be printed as opaque as the rest of the sign! Which otherwise needs to be absolutely opaque to avoid light bleed around the letters… but the cars and chevrons need to be translucent to be backlit at all. Which now means more/different materials need to be layered and assembly becomes trickier. Either way, the substrate needs to be cut to shape with a jig or scroll saw, which is no biggie, but caution warranted.
As for the lighting: one circuit for constant-on behind the letters, and a simulated chase effect behind the cars and chevrons. Using off-the-shelf components cuz I never messed with an Arduino and doubt I have time to learn all I'd need to right now. This could get as messy as the real sign if I let it, ha!
A guy at local print shop understood my dilemma and has the files, materials, and machines to provide me with options and alt-takes to mock all that out. Unfortunately he’s out sick now, so I’ll be waiting a bit.
So then I remembered something I forgot about: EL WIRE! Which could look *exactly* like neon. Still wouldn't solve the cars, chevrons, or waitress... but could remove the need to layer opacities and color films for backlighting. Bending and securing curves (like neon) would be a PITA, but maybe a tradeoff to the above? So I got a cheap EL wire assortment from Amazon, and used a quick home print glued to foamcore.
Mocking it out was every bit the PITA I expected, but came out well enough I wish I'd waited for the nicer, more durable vinyl print:
So yeah, they look like neon!
And the battery/inverter pack was the *exact size to the millimeter" as the base of the sign I'd merely arbitrarily scaled weeks ago. What are the odds of that free gift from the universe? A solid base to stand on, hidden perfectly, while looking like a deliberate part of the structure. Amazing.
Foamcore is incredibly easy to cut to shape, even around curves, after assembly. I was honestly surprised how stress free it was, just freehand following the lines on the laminate paper. So, based on that you’ll note I removed the core from behind the car and chevron areas to make them translucent (paper)...
....which I then filled with a cheapo LED string with a flash controller...
And presto...
I'm really kinda shocked at how cool it looks! But if I'm critically honest, I'm not sure I like how the EL wire color-fills the lettering when off. It looks a little strange. So the backlit concept might be the way to go.
Or maybe I just don't want to tear it all apart to re-wire a more durable version. The green lettering took almost 2 hours to thread and secure. There's thinner wire available that could be easier and look better though.
BUT there could be other options out there too that I don’t even know about.
Long term a 3D printed sign would solve a lot of issues with substrates and opacity and durability, and I plan to pursue that… but the lighting effects remain an issue.
And are there simple / cheap (ish) LED controllers that can be wired up for power (not batteries), with adjustable flash effects, or maybe even bulb addressing?
Any other bright ideas out there from those of you way smarter than me?