# Water Mill 2nd Building and Completed



## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

I have my second building for my mill done, for any person that has not seen the first part of the mill the link below will take you back to it. 
http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...fault.aspx










As for anybody that follows my building logs will remember my substructures are built from steel. I know most people can not do steel. the same thing can be built out of plexiglass. For me steel is easier than any other product, because I am a steel fabricator, and have the equipment to make the job easy. I make all my buildings to stay outside all the time. This structure is designed to be on the upper side of the river slope, this structures ground floor goes into the second floor of the mill by the way of a ramp. This structure has retainer walls to hold back the dirt, this will allow for a box car to be parked under the roof hang over.. Also there is a retainer wall to hold back the dirt that holds the track up. This wall will provide a vehicle road to the mill. 










Two overhead doors will be installed here. This building is a furniture factory, and represents to be in the era of 1920-1940.











This is the front of the office, porch will come later.












Other side










Front porch added and the roof of the factory with the vented top with the windows for light.










Dust tank Added

Dennis


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## livesteam53 (Jan 4, 2008)

Real nice work. Thanks for posting.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

The other building was magnificent--I'll be watching this one eagerly


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Astounding!


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

Incredable, it almost looks like stainless steel. Can't wait to see the magic cladding. Sounds like an industrial village is forming.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

The new building setting next to the mill to get the two ramps that connects the two building together, aligned up












Notice the new building is built up, this building will be set up the river bank. Bottom floor of the new building aligns up with the second floor of the mill. 






















I rip the siding from Precision Board, This product will last longer than most any building will be needed on a RR. The siding is ripped at an angle, 1/8" thick on one side 1/16" on other side, this way I can apply it to the substrate, I use the LEXEL brand glue. It comes in a caulking tube size. Some people will use clear silicone, I have had some bad experience, with silicone. 
This is the same product Rainbow Ridge makes their structures out of. 






















I really like how it goes on around windows and doors
Dennis


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

That is a great looking building. I have been looking at CNC engravers on E bay. I was thinking one could use a small engraver to make lines in the steel or plastic to simulate planking. Such as for warehouse doors and people doors.


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO These look so sweet, nice job. Cant wait to see them complete and installed.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

All goes to show: Build with the material you know how to use.

Love all that detail you've put in.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Siding added to the end, best to let the siding run wild on the gable end and cut with a sharp knife and sand smooth. The large finger nail emery boards are great for sanding small parts.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Stonework done for the office and the one end shop wall, I ran out of rock so I had to fill in with brick,







I really like the mixture of brick and stone. Notice the large TEE stone between the upper floor windows.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

The roof over the dock represents board and bat type roofing, quite common for areas that was open on the sides . The roof is actually made from Precision Board, I resaw with bandsaw to 3/16", then I routed the random grooves, In the real world they never had the exact same size of boards.


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

That is one SPECTACULAR looking building Dennis!!! 

Chris


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Thanks guys for all Your Compliments 
Dennis


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

Did you do all that in 2 days? You are the master of your universe. Is the shake/shingle roof also PB board?


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm just amazed!!!!


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

What did you use for Trusses for the roof over the two dock doors? 

Are you using a actually spot welder or are you doing that with your Wire feed as we discussed in a E mail ?


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

I wonder how all that stays stuck to the metal in heat and the exspantion of the metal base under it???


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

JJ 
that is the beauty of cnc plasma, the trusses are all one piece, it gives the same effect as a more modern day truss that is held together with the clinch plates, it sure is easy and saves lots of time. 
Marty 
Thanks for your above compliments, as far as expansion, the 16 gauge does not expand alot, the magic sculp and the precision board has a base of a plastic product, The roof, stairs, windows and doors are all made of acrylic, again a plastic base product, The acrylic and the precision board is glued on with a glue that looks and works like clear silicone, it is called Lexel, I get it at our local True value hardware store. The Lexel like silicone has movement abilities. I have had a bad experience with silicone, from what I gather it was probably a bad run of product. I have never had a failure of Lexel. I have had buildings outside over 3 years with magic sculp with no sign of any failure. I have used Lexel on cedar shake shingles for three years with no issue, had some issue with the silicone, The acrylic I use is exterior acrylic, I am confident it will work fine. I build a building to stay outside all the time. 
Thanks Dennis


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Dennis, your buildings blow me away! WOW! Can you post some info on your CNC plasma machine, like what model and where you got it? Or did you build it yourself?


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## ORD23 (Jan 2, 2010)

Wicked! The building looks awesome without anything on it. Just wicked!


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Thanks for all your wonderful compliments 
Jim 
My cnc plasmas are from EZcnc from Stodard Texas a suburb of Dallas. I have 2 plasmas, a 4x8 and 5x10, when we were busy before our polititions killed the economy, we were running plasmas 6-8 hours a day. 
My first unit was my very first cnc machine, I knew nothing about them. When I decided to purchase it, my shop forman and I could think of maybe 25-30 parts we could cut in it. One year later we had well over 200 different parts in the computer, and now 6 years later well over 600 files. As a fab business it allows us to build machine we could never build without the cnc plasma. After getting it and setting it up, since we build air cleaning equipment, I designed the smoke box under the XY bed, and it is virtually 100% smoke free in the shop, that is very important. Plasmas produce a lot of smoke, and a very nasty smoke. 
My first unit does not have an automatic height adjustment, I put a Bug-o-system rack and pinion system on the verticle machine torch head. It is very easy to keep the proper height set as long as you can reach it. 4 foot across is a hard reach, 5 ft is impossible. Anybody that will tell you, you do not need an adjustable height control, either by automatic or by manual methods is full of Crap, and I would not listen to anything else they would have to say on that subject. Metal is never, always flat, you will get build up on the support system that holds your metal, holding it higher on one side. The manual system actually has advantages over our automatic height control. We do use our automatic system more now, but there comes times the manual system is the best. If I was looking for one for either small business or hobby I would prefer the manual height control. For production give me the automatic height control. The manual system, the tip never needs to touch the part, the automatic height system, NOT ALL OF THEM, will touch the part to set the height, and will then adjust the height up or down as you are cutting. Manual system you have to watch and listen and adjust height as needed, quite simple after you get the hang of it. Here while back a guy brought us the simple coragated galvinized metal and we had to make over 400 cuts, the automatic height control made the head look like a sewing machine going across the sheet, impossible with the manual head. 
There are many different cnc mfgs out there, most are good machines, I can't not recomend any of them, mine does not have the limit switches that keeps you within the limits of the bed, mine has stepper motors and the limit stops are metal stops, occasionally when the gantry hits the stop no damage is done, because the motors will just slip. The automatic system if the heada drops down into a hole or a cut piece flips up and the traveling head hits, it will shut off machine ,then we just re0,0 it. 
John J is building a system, he is getting his program and controllers from a company that seems to have all the needed stuff at a resonable price, get with him and he can get you their name. 
We also have a EZ-CNC router, I donot use his programs, I use SuperTech out of Pheonix 
I also have two CO2 lasers for cutting plastics also can cut wood, I use Engrave Lab program with them. 
http://ezcnc.com/ezcnc_002.htm 
We use this equipment in business, I just get to play with it after hours, and it is fun.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Close up of the front office door


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

a classic build; I'm enjoying the construction shots


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Dust collector, fan blowing into cyclone












Looking at the front office
























Sluice on the right the water will dump into the sluice from a higher elevation through a tube












Close up of the rock


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

Beautiful!! Amazing. I am glad to see the Denray dust collection system. Is there a loading dock for the furniture?


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## brettmeg (Jan 15, 2008)

Very very nice!! I love it when buildings of this quality turn a toy train into a miniture wonderland
1


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

awesome, can't wait to see the sluice; I'll be building one this weekend and will be interested in your ideas 

dave


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Superb, as always! I really enjoy your builds.


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