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Building Burger King from scrap materials

JerryGJerryGOGR Forum Member

 For whatever reason, you have to hit "show" at the bottom attachment section to see the pics.  Not sure why...

20190115_161922

Somewhere, I saw an old-style Burger King pic.  I really liked the colors on those old ones, and I had plenty of leftover stuff from building my two existing layouts.  I knew that hip roof was going to be a problem, but I started in, mostly because it's winter, and time for building train stuff.  I'm far from the craftsmen that many others are, but I try not to let that worry me.  I initially thought to order a bunch of stuff from Plastruct, but decided against spending close to $100 on it.

My dad bought this huge box of balsa 60 years ago.  I also had leftover basswood, poster board, 1/4 inch foam board, one sheet of Plastruct white stucco, lights from passenger cars replaced with LED's, clear plastic, various paints, photo paper, and printer ink.

20190102_230318

This trial piece was the start of the 6 1/2 inch by 10 1/2 inch model.  I didn't have a lot of space to work with on the table layout.  It's 1/4 inch white foam board, covered with the stucco sheet, and 1/8 inch balsa strip frame with 1/16 inch center strip.

20181228_193959

The red stripes were printed on photo paper and carefully cut out with scissors.

20181228_194105

20181228_194246

20181228_193945

The interior signs were downloaded, printed out, and sized.  The floor is my pic of our own kitchen floor.  The base is one of those thick picture frame inserts from an old 10 X 12 frame.  There would be no room for a drive-up window, or parking lot.

20190102_182038

Now came the key problem:  How do I make the hip roof, that will also provide me with the necessary overhang.  It took me over a week of asking guys, bothering my architect niece, web browsing, and just thinking about it.  My wife Tina, my son Michael, and niece Emily.

20171005_191051[1]

Emily said 45 degrees, but, when you cut a test piece of poster board and lean the edges forward, you have increased the hypotenuse of the triangle.  This leaves an unworkable gap.  This is a two inch roof rectangle, with a half inch line for the roof attachments.  Drilling holes for the four hips was out of the question, and those angled supports weren't going to help much.

20190102_182048

This 1 inch balsa rectangle would give me the overhang.  I eventually filled it with a leftover piece of black 1/4 inch foam board, which would give me a nice strong roof base.  I had the idea to line the edge with 1/16 inch balsa to act as a brace for the angled roof pieces. 

20190102_182104

None of that gave me the angle for the hips, so finally, and with no other reproducible option, I just guessed...my first cut proved perfect.  It gave me the angle for all the others, about 60 degrees, and it angled up to the 1/2 inch line at the top.  The pitch remained at 45 degrees.

20190103_105022

I had always figured on using something else beside poster board for the roof, but, this test proved plenty strong enough to hold the angle.

20190103_104855

20190105_101858

Rustoleum spray paint.

20190105_150817

This one shows the salvaged lights from passenger cars that run on the overhead layout.  The sign was the best I could do.  I wanted real letters, mounted the way the prototype is.  I would have paid for that new material, but could never find letters even close to being that small.

20190107_164149

Leftover molding made good booth seats.  They were too short, so I added 1/4 inch foam underneath.

20190107_173806

There is only room inside for a few booths.  The clear windows were made from packaging material.  I had saved the huge plastic cover from the Morton Salt factory.  I knew it would come in handy someday.

20190115_151125

Finally placed on the table layout.  More scenery work to be done on this area.

20190115_161922

20190115_162023

The new model replaces my first build, 30 years ago.  It's my fathers' store, my mothers' apartments above, and storeroom on the right side.  In fact, it was in that small storeroom that the big box of balsa was always kept.  This one has been on three different layouts.  A lot of material stuff wasn't available back then, and I hope I've gotten better at things.

20190115_142959

Also, the final cost of new materials equals $0.

Hope you liked it.  Feel free to ask questions/offer advice.

Jerry

 

 

 

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Images (20)
  • 20190115_142959: last pic
  • 20190112_164625: #1
  • 20190102_230318: #2
  • 20181228_193959: #3
  • 20181228_194105: #4
  • 20181228_194246: #5
  • 20181228_193945: #6
  • 20190102_182038: #7
  • 20171005_191051[1]: #8
  • 20190102_182048: #9
  • 20190102_182104: #10
  • 20190103_105022: #11
  • 20190103_104855: #12
  • 20190105_101858: #13
  • 20190105_150758: #14
  • 20190107_164149: #15
  • 20190107_173806: #16
  • 20190115_151125: #17
  • 20190115_161922: #18
  • 20190115_162023: #19
Last edited by JerryG
Original Post

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Sean007Sean007OGR Forum Member
JerryG posted:

Thanks, Dave.  I just reloaded all of them and posted the edits.  Try clicking "show" in the attachments section.  I've been posting for years.  Never had this happen before.  If that doesn't work, I give up.

Here is the first and last pic, so you can see the finished product.

20190112_164625[1]

20190115_161922[1]

Jerry

Very nice work - reminds me of the 1970s Burger King.

A AdriaticOGR Forum Member

 It looks great. But only the first and last pic.s show up. 

The "show" button just brought up the thumbnails.

The thumbnail viewer hasn't worked for me often in about a year on 4 different companies Androids and three different providers. Even video is a 50/50 shot anymore.  It's actually why I didn't post Feb till June last year. I was tired of fighting it and tired of all the companies blaming each other for the failures.  IMO, it's only gonna get worse without...brace for it... regulation  .

B BobbyDOGR Forum Member DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER
JerryG posted:

Thanks, Dave.  I just reloaded all of them and posted the edits.  Try clicking "show" in the attachments section.  I've been posting for years.  Never had this happen before.  If that doesn't work, I give up.

20190115_161922[1]

Jerry

Nice work!

Like the others, having a hard time with the images. Are they loaded on the OGR Forum website?

Last edited by BobbyD
JerryGJerryGOGR Forum Member

Thanks Bobby.

Yes.  I loaded them just as I have the other 100+ posts I've made with images.  I've reloaded all the pics.  They all show up in the post on my computer.  Maybe someone will come up with a reason, but, it's clearly not going to be me!

I love the colors of the building, that's why I attempted it.  The most challenging and difficult was getting that hip roof to work.  I'm happy with it, so I'll try loading just those pics again.

The key decisions were, first, not to build any hips.  Next, to make the overhang separate, with 1/16 inch balsa at it's edges, to catch the 45 degree pitched roof.  Last, to guess at the angle for the hip joints.  The pitch lengthens the hypotenuse of the triangle leaving a gap.  I lucked out on my first cut, which gave me the correct angle for all the others, about 60 degrees.

20190103_105022[1]

20190103_104855[1]

20190105_101858[1]

20190105_150817[1]

20190107_164149[1]

20190112_164636[1]

I sure hope these pics show up.  Getting tired of putting them in there!

Jerry

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Images (6)
  • 20190103_105022[1]: the overhang
  • 20190103_104855[1]: poster board pitch without hip joints
  • 20190105_101858[1]: framing and molding
  • 20190105_150817[1]: rustoleum spray paint
  • 20190107_164149[1]: roof bottom, showing 1/4 inch black foam insert and lights from passenger cars
  • 20190112_164636[1]: hip joint
A AdriaticOGR Forum Member

I've been there Jerry. Personally, I find anything more than 5 to be "risky" and a later post vs an edit of an older one, to be more successful.

The last ones are ok. The first is unchanged.  I'd leave the first one alone. Along with the interesting build up shots, the earlier photos I did see leave very little in the way of anyone questioning quality; it really does look great.

JerryGJerryGOGR Forum Member

Alan, coming from a master craftsman like you, it means a lot.  Thanks so much.

Sean and Dave, I've never even heard of Burger Chef!  Doubt if there are any in CT.  Anyway, anything I add means something must go. 

This one has been in the Santa Fe room of the table layout for several years.  I love those signs, and kids really like the animation.

20190118_093343[1]

Jerry

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  • 20190118_093343[1]
A AdriaticOGR Forum Member

"I think the King is closer to Wendy" 

  Lol, before my buddy's dad got his "new teeth" made, he was liquifying Whoppers "heavy all" (extra everything) in a blender   

...which actually wasn't too bad .  

My Burger Chef looked more like this at first. It got a later bigger remodel to a brick or stone and windblock hip roof and the new smiley-bun-chef logo (I think the Chef & Jeff were on the way out too)

   It is a family type dinner restaurant today that runs out of their best daily special meals near every night by 7pm and closes as early as possible.

defunct_12_freewebs

  Burger Chef pioneered the kiddie meal with the "Fun Burger" 5-6 years before the McD Happy Meal and began one of the first salad bars outside of a steak or lobster house I recall.

  I thought this ad was interesting, another spin on BK's "Have it your way" , both responses to late 70s-80s McD policy of "NO" if you asked for special anything... You couldn't get a plain or special order Mc-anything.... Mc-their way or the highway.   I thought the burger wars might sink McDs actually. The lot was bare for long time because of that... I think the fries saved them.

with or without ad

 

  Burger Chef wast started just to showcase the owners first business's products; food service equipment; while in use. And that was based on the McDs buisness model. 

 They made one of the first frozen custard machines, and made the broiler equipment for "Insta-Burger King" the Burger King brand's early name.

  They peaked at 850 or 1000 stores I think, so maybe #2 to #5 I'd guess.

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  • defunct_12_freewebs
  • with or without ad

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