Industrial backdrops?


KB02

Well-Known Member
Anyone have a good suggestion on where to find industrial backdrops? I've been searching google without much luck. Lots of scenic backdrops, but not much for industrial.
 
This guy's website is rather confusing, but he's got some nice backdrops. There's even some of Tacoma in there, and while they're not really visible in the photo, there's lots of tracks in there that I have worked on.

 
I bought a bunch of these flats. They are actual photos of buildings. I think they look pretty good. They are mounted on 1/8" to 1/4" cardstock.


Those are the same flats as sold here https://www.tracksideflats.com/ (I imagine it's the same people as on eBay.) I bought a couple of their flats and they are pretty nice. I added some depth to one of them: https://www.blackwingandwestern.com/2019/10/16/universal-scrap-metals/

They are photos of real buildings, but they also do some photoshop work to them. I looked through all their flats and some are the same buildings with different names on them. Regardless, they look pretty good and there are a couple more I might buy.
 
My flats came today. Guess I didn't pay attention to how large the "Selz" flat was. It's a little big for my town. I might cut it in half though. The bank looks nice.

Be a shame to cut that up. What size do you need? Maybe we can swap a few of mine for you big one??
 
Be a shame to cut that up. What size do you need? Maybe we can swap a few of mine for you big one??
I don't know. I just bought these two because I liked them and thought they might work for 1958 small-town Montana. But the Selz building is pretty large. None of the other flats they had for sale really suited.

I might be up for a swap, want to pm me and you could email me some pics or something?
 
Just came across this thread. I had posted this idea elsewhere but it appears there might be more interest on this topic here.
This all came about several years ago when I was rummaging thru my scrap wood pile. I noticed odd shapes and had that eureka moment.
Basically here are two pictures - the end result and some product pictures taken today. Todays pictures are the result of rummaging thru my scrap wood pile.
These are all readily available stock size lumber; 1x4, 1x6, 2x2, 2x4, 2x6 - you get the idea. The height, width and arrangement are completely up to you. Roof angles, bump outs, windows, doors whatever you want. All you need to do is clad the lumber forms with your sheet goods; wood, styrene, metal.
1592490075588.png

31" long. Starting at the left; 1x6 (horizontal) with 1x2 bump out, cut up 1x4 enclosed stairwell. Loading dock in front. Next building is 1x6 (vertical) with sloped roof. Next is an elevator tower (2x2) with sloped roof. Right of that is 1/4" plywood with sloped roof. (Trying to get as much recess to hold the 3 storage tanks). The next and thickest section is the pitched roof (2x6) with sloped roof (1x6) attached in front. The end is a 1x6 with roof access.
These are todays scrap box examples and quick arrangement that started it all;
1592490161985.png

Sloped roofs on the left; 1/4", 3x4, 2x4. Carrier sheet. Couple of elevator towers with connecting walkway. 2x6 with severe roof angle. The small piece of wood under the 2x6 shows the shadow (interest) that you create by bumping one piece out a bit more.
You could probably rearrange todays scrap pieces and form most of the finished example model.
1592490248490.png

Could be a city high rise flat. Just more scrap; 1x6 vertical with sloped 2x4 in front, 1x4 horizontal, high rise 1x6 with elevator shaft (old 2x2 deck spindle), 1x8 horizontal.
 
Just came across this thread. I had posted this idea elsewhere but it appears there might be more interest on this topic here.
This all came about several years ago when I was rummaging thru my scrap wood pile. I noticed odd shapes and had that eureka moment.
Basically here are two pictures - the end result and some product pictures taken today. Todays pictures are the result of rummaging thru my scrap wood pile.

Very nice.
 
Hello,
I bought some cd's several years back from larcproducts.com. They contain photos of buildings taken all over the country. I print them on matte photo paper, glue them to black 1/4" foam board, then trim them using an x-acto knife and use them like the ones shown above available on Ebay. I originally mounted them on white foam board and painted the edges black and then discovered I could save that step by buying the black. You can resize the photos at your discretion for various scales or for creating depth, with smaller buildings looking further away.

In the first photo below, the distance between the track and the blue-sky backdrop is about 6 inches, however, as you can see, because the photos are at different angles, they create depth to the scene. All the buildings you see in this photo are the LARC photos glues to foam board.

Mondo
 

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Very Nice. In your first photo - is the shadow (above "GATEHOUSE") part of the photo or did you add the covered balcony/extend the store front?
 
Very Nice. In your first photo - is the shadow (above "GATEHOUSE") part of the photo or did you add the covered balcony/extend the store front?
Thanks for the compliment! No, I didn't add anything....the photo is of the building as taken.

I think these larc photos add more than just using building flats, which as the title says, they are flat.
 
Hello,
I bought some cd's several years back from larcproducts.com. They contain photos of buildings taken all over the country. I print them on matte photo paper, glue them to black 1/4" foam board, then trim them using an x-acto knife and use them like the ones shown above available on Ebay. I originally mounted them on white foam board and painted the edges black and then discovered I could save that step by buying the black. You can resize the photos at your discretion for various scales or for creating depth, with smaller buildings looking further away.

In the first photo below, the distance between the track and the blue-sky backdrop is about 6 inches, however, as you can see, because the photos are at different angles, they create depth to the scene. All the buildings you see in this photo are the LARC photos glues to foam board.

Mondo
Nice job Mondo.

I hope I can get something half that nice for a few background scenes I want to create. But I need my own photos to make those flats from what I understand as they are specific structures and view angles?
 
My flats came today. Guess I didn't pay attention to how large the "Selz" flat was. It's a little big for my town. I might cut it in half though. The bank looks nice.


I like the weathered look of the buildings and they would be great for backgrounds when photo shooting models. May have to consider them for my expansion.

Greg
 



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