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As mad as an Englishman - The Locomotive Works Diorama

Started by danpickard, May 13, 2013, 06:27:10 PM

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michael mott

QuoteWhat they didn't tell you is that they had to knock it down and rebuild it properly when he had gone !

;D ;D ;D

Michael

danpickard

Few more courses up this morning. Just using regular PVA glue to bond it all (seems to be holding well enough, and the polly filler mortar later on will also add some more strength).

So the card layer that forms the space for the mortar join later on.



Followed by the spacing out of the header bricks, as well as the end pillar that will be for the gate and overhead sign.



Then carefully pinch the bricks by the frog (indent, and on the mould about half the bricks are solid, the other half have the frog detail, so using solids for the headers which don't need to be picked up on the corner for glueing), and fill in the stretcher bricks between the headers.







And that completes another course of the wall. I leave this about 5 minutes for the glue to have some reasonable grab, before glueing on the next card spacer and starting the process again. More coffee...

Cheers,
Dan

michael mott

Dan I just went through your SBS of the brick casting again(sober) and something you might want to try that I used on the Minneapolis City Centre Model that I did commercially 32 years ago. I used some RTV moulds to create the curved precast look of the towers http://www.ask.com/wiki/33_South_Sixth?o=2801&qsrc=999  this reviewer doesn't have much positive to say about the main tower. but from a model building point of view it was extremely challenging. I cast the tower in sections out of a mixture of casting resin, and  auto body putty (white Lightning) and micro balloons (don't go there) This casting stood about 36 inches tall and then the plex windows were slipped inside as a box fabricated from a translucent plex sheet. Skidmore were good guys to work for as a contract Canadian Model Building Company back in those days.

Anyway what I want to get to is the casting in the rubber moulds I poured the mix into open face moulds just like yours but instead of screeding them the way you demonstrated I squashed a sheet of glass that had been sprayed with a release agent I cannot remember what at the moment. But it created a very fine casting with little flash and I could see that the mould was completely full and the backs of the sections were absolutely flat.

Here is where I am going, If you had a sheet of translucent poly that you could squash down onto your open face mould say 6mm poly with a sheet of 1/4 plate glass you could get bricks that were absolutely the same and the back would be the same as the moulded sides they would fall off the poly but be smooth as glass.

A long winded comment for sure but I thought that you might find it useful.

Michael

danpickard

Hi Michael,
I use a 12mm thick glass block (got a few different sizes cut at my local glass guy) for using when I cast resin, especially the very thin moulds, like wagon sides.  I use some silicon paper (ie the backing paper from a sheet of stickers) as the release layer, with the glass flattening on top of this.  The resin cast peels straight off the silicon paper with no release agent to worry about.  I occasionally get a few small bubbles trapped under the top, but with resin that will be painted anyway, they are easily filled with putty.  I haven't tried the glass on the plaster bricks, but should give it a go.  The benefit I see with screening is I can see straight away which bricks might have a top bubble and try to remove it before it cures.  Only one way to find out how constant the glass method is though...

Cheers,
Dan

Ray Dunakin

BTW, what is the purpose of the "frogs"? Does it produce a more secure bond with the mortar?
Visit my website to see pics of the rugged and rocky In-ko-pah Railroad!

Ray Dunakin's World

shropshire lad

Quote from: Ray Dunakin on May 22, 2013, 09:08:05 PM
BTW, what is the purpose of the "frogs"? Does it produce a more secure bond with the mortar?


  Yes . And it uses less clay .

  Nick

danpickard

This just sounds wrong, but I think I'm getting a typical labourer's crook back from laying bricks, or more so stooping over the model while building.  I was kind of hoping that being a brickie that lays bricks that probably weigh less than 1 gram each would avoid this sort of problem! ;)

Cheers,
Dan

Chuck Doan

Amazing. I was wondering if you had tried out some test laying before casting all those bricks.
"They're most important to me. Most important. All the little details." -Joseph Cotten, Shadow of a Doubt





http://public.fotki.com/ChuckDoan/model_projects/

jacq01


QuoteAmazing. I was wondering if you had tried out some test laying before casting all those bricks.

are you kidding ?? you believe he is smart enough to think about that  ;D ;D
put brain in gear before putting mouth in action.
never underestimate the stupidity of idiots
I am what I remember.

Mr Potato Head

Dan
Is it going to be strong enough to pick up ???
Maybe you need to imbed something stronger into it ???
Scale rebar :o
MPH
Watching so I can build my great wall
Gil Flores
In exile in Boise Idaho

shropshire lad

Welcome to the funny farm , Dan . You're gonna fit right in . Send some photos to Louise at DD to show her that I'm not the only loony around ,

   Nick

danpickard

Chuck,
Didn't do a test section, since I figured if Nick can do it, anyone can.

Gil,
Yes, certainly strong enough to pick up, and the rio would just make it too heavy for my now sore back from all this extra manual labour.

Jacq,
I looked at the little 2"x2" demo piece that Nick had at the NGC, and considered that my test piece.  Consider that outsourcing the research and design faze of the project.

Nick,
I had thought of sending some shots to DD, but was going to wait until I had a whole wall built and completed to make the package a bit more presentable.

Cheers,
Dan

PS - was given a slab of beer by a work mate the other day, so looks like I have enough fuel for a reasonably long night of brick laying after work tonight  ;D

Chuck Doan

#42
Would that be Fosters bond pattern?
"They're most important to me. Most important. All the little details." -Joseph Cotten, Shadow of a Doubt





http://public.fotki.com/ChuckDoan/model_projects/

danpickard

Fosters....I don't actually know any Australians that drink Fosters! 
One of my work mates husband does work at the local brewery though, so they bring home everything that has a crooked label and can't be sold...shame about that whole quality control thing, but more importantly, the free beer inside still tastes the same ;D

Dan

shropshire lad

Quote from: danpickard on May 23, 2013, 10:49:43 PM
Fosters....I don't actually know any Australians that drink Fosters! 

Dan

  No , they foist it onto us dumb Brits , some of whom actually drink the stuff .

  I had some good Australian beer ( man , that hurts to say that ! ) while I was there , but they keep that for themselves and don't export it .