Hi all,
Thought I'd start a construction thread for the next little diorama I am making a start on, but first, some background on how, who and why...
So, at the completion of the recent Australian Narrow Gauge Convention (of which I was one of the organising committee), I had been sharing accommodation with a fellow Australian modeller, Phil Badger. As some may know, Phil, as well as being a fine modeller, is also one of the partners in Ixion Models http://www.ixionmodels.com/ . Now Phil had previously produced some other brass locomotive kits (pre-Ixion days), including one of the Garratt "G42", as found now restored and running at Puffing Billy. Phil very generously offered me a good portion of one of these kits from left over etches following efforts at the NGC, to which I was very grateful. As I sat at the table thinking about the donation of all these brass etches I had just received, I knew I couldn't just simply accept them, and a little light globe went off in my head for the returning favour.
One of the competition categories at the NGC was the "Mantelpiece Challenge" (basically a long skinny maximum footprint diorama category), of which I earned first place. So the returning idea was for a new mantelpiece style diorama for Phil to use, and to give myself a bit of a different modelling challenge, I thought it appropriate to do one in an English flavour, and build it as a potential display base (in 1:48, O Scale) for some of the Ixion Models locomotives (and just to clarify, I have no connection, apart from friendships, to Ixion, or any of the other companies mentioned after this). It was a restless night that last night after the NGC finished, when I thought I'd sleep really well after an exhausting weekend, I instead lay awake with fresh new ideas to ponder.
I think by around 3 am, I had the idea worked out, and the start of "Ixion Locomotive Works" was happening. I had pictured a small British Locomotive Workshop, and the yard leading out of the compound with newly built locomotives. Picture a decorative wrought iron factory gate, heavy brick walls, cobblestones, out sheds, junk etc etc. I'd also just recent had the pleasure of meeting Sir Nick Odgen as one of the guest at the NGC, and been lucky enough to check out some of his fine "brick by brick" construction (with the clinic he presented, and the diorama he brought from the UK), and also purchased a number of the brick moulds he carried with him (but we'll get to them later). Biggest dilemma I kept thinking about was the large front gate, but that's where some good friends come in!
Luckily for me, John Hunter and Laurie Green from Outback Model Company http://www.outbackmodels.com/ are both very good mates, so I was able to spend some time sketching out the idea I had for the gate, hand it on to Laurie to do some CAD work, and about 2 weeks later, have some freshly laser cut gates arrive on my doorstep (that happened this morning). I was rather happy with the resulting cuts...
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Nice fine cuts, and far easier than scratching this up from either brass or styrene. The 0.6mm card this gate is cut on is also surprisingly stiff considering the width of the bars (the fine vertical bars are less than 1mm thick). To add some depth to the gate, I had Laurie cut some extra fine strips and curves so the could be laminated over the main gate section, to add some relief and weight to the design. Bit hard to see in these shots, but will probably show up better at a later stage when painting begins.
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The bricks I'll be using are to be made using the moulds as sold by Diorama Debris http://www.dioramadebris.co.uk/ . The moulds are very affordable, especially considering the amount of modelling material you can keep getting from the. I'll try to do a bit of a SBS when I get to that part, but there are some good instructional sheets on their website.
The other part I'm looking forward to using, are some of the new concrete sheets by Jimmy Simmons at Monster Modelworks http://monstermodelworks.com/ . I had plans to run a concrete footpath along the front of the main fence, and was thinking of casting them myself in plaster, but then Jimmy, with some excellent timing, released these nice looking cracked concrete sheets a week or two ago, so a bundle of them are in the post for me to test out.
Cheers,
Dan
A couple of shots of some progress..finished with laminating the three layers of card together on the gate and the overhead sign. Just used some of the scrap card to make the wall mounting plate for the sign, and added a few Grandtline NBW casting. The gates also got some hinges, made from a couple of short lengths of styrene tube, scrap card, and a few more NBW castings. The gates will be mounted in the open position, so the hinges have been mounted for attaching straight to the wall once its built.
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So, made a start with the insanity pills, aka 1:48 bricks, using the moulds from Diorama Debris http://www.dioramadebris.co.uk/ . Have cast about 1000 thus far, any perhaps another 9000 to go. Casting them isn't too bad, where you just have to be careful and patient with working the plaster, giving it enough time to start to cure before screeding the top to get a flat finish (I'll set up a SBS at a later stage). Casting can be done easy enough, but its the laying part that will be "interesting". I hold Sir Nick fully responsible for any mental illness issues that should occur to me during the construction of these brick sections ;D
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Cheers,
Dan
Dan, I have 2 molds in 1/48 scale from them I kind of played around with a couple pours months ago....just to see how they would turn out?? I didn't do to bad on my first try....but I did get quite a few that were not fully formed? Very interested in seeing how you go about it.... ;D
Hi Craig,
Just poured another moulds worth this am (=480 bricks per casting session). Just looking at them quickly as they are popped out of the mould, I'd say about 80% come out nice and clean. The other imperfections are fairly minor, such as a small corner bubble, but the other corners are ok, so it's only a matter of using the good face in the construction stage. I don't think I've really spotted too many which are completely dud casts, and if they were, they can go to the rubble pile as fillers, so nothing really lost.
Cheers,
Dan
Dan Please show me the way on the bricks! I just got my box of moulds today! Don't tell Marc their 1/35 Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I can't wait to start making bricks
MPH
I picked up some of the 1:35 mould sets as well (will save them for perhaps some experimental dio work at a later stage...must resist temptation to leave 1:48), which in theory, should be easier to fill properly with the plaster, given they are a bigger hole to push the contents into. I thought I'd start small at 1:48 and work my way up. Working the plaster into the mould with a small brush first up definately makes all the difference, before screeding the bulk of the fill back and forth to get even castings. I think the castings I tend to have the less success with are in the middle of the mould, under the first little puddle of plaster than gets poured on, and can't always see if there are any bricks that missed out on getting plaster brushed into them at the start of the casting session.
Cheers,
Dan
This looks like it will be a good project. -- Russ
This looks like it will be a wonderful project...and really like your progress so far. thanks for all the detail and info. I do really like te addition of the xtra layer on the gate, as it really does add that look of realism and dimensionality (before I read your text about it, I was really wondering how the heck this was cut :) )
Keep calm & make bricks.....
Marc
Ok, brick making SBS...
This is mostly just a repeat of the instructions as available on the Diorama Debris website. Use a hard plaster (regular plaster of paris, or hydrocal is just too soft for this, and will likely crumble when getting out of the mould).
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Colouring is best done by making the plaster the colour you want the bricks, instead of just staining the plaster after casting. The colour is more solid this way, and can cut bricks with knowing the colour is good all the way through. I have coloured mine with the same colour oxides that would normally be added to concrete mixes, bought at the local hardware for about $8/tub (which will last a lifetime). Other colour variations done with some Bradgon powders.
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The moulds need to be prepared with a quick bath in some "rinse aid", which helps break the surface tension for when the plaster goes in. This is just a mix of water:rinse aid (75:25), and then tap the moisture out on a rag.
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To add some variation to the brick colour when I cast them, I give the moulds a small randon sprinkling of some different shades of Bradgon powders (soot, light rust etc).
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Mixing the plaster is the next part, and it pays to be fairly precise with your measures, especially if doing multiple casts of the same thing, and want reasonable consistency with the results. Only making small quantities of plaster to fill two moulds, so for the plaster I'm using, 7ml of water, 20gm of plaster, and a pinch of colour.
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A little of the oxide colour goes a long way. Mixed with the dry plaster, the colour isn't very evident, but once added to the water (always add dry plaster to the water it that order, and let the plaster absorb most of the water first before mixing, which avoids too many bubbles), the colour really pops out.
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With the plaster mixed to the right consistency (I am going a fraction wetter with my mix, just to give a few more minutes working time), time to start pushing it into the mould. Use an old brush, and stipple it into the mould, which is meant to fill all the corners of each brick, and reduce the amount of bubbles.
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Once the first fine coating has gone into the mould, a second volume can be poured on and screed back and forth to fill the holes. You want to leave the mould overfilled at this point, which will allow for some plaster shrinkage as it starts to go off (tend to see a slightly watery top layer start to evaporate away). Keep slowly screeding back and forth every few minutes till the plaster starts to firm (work time with the plaster I have is around 20 minutes, but becomes firm and workable after about 12-15 minutes).
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You will see the plaster change from a moist glossy surface, to more of a satin finish as it starts to cure. It is just visible in the below photo, mainly around the edges of the mould.
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Once the plaster changes to this satin/matte colour and the brick shapes are still slightly overfilled, its time to do the final screeding off of the top layer, using a hard flat edge (ruler, or flat scraper as seen here). Drag across the top of the mould slowly at a fairly flat angle. Should take the majority of the excess plaster off, and expose the surrounds of the mould again. A fine film left around the edges is ok, as this breaks away easily at the de-moulding stage. I leave the cast to dry for half a day (or normally pour a cast before work, and then they are ready to pop out of the mould by the time I get home). Safer to leave them to cure longer than required to avoid breaks when removing.
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Once dry, the moulds can just be flexed to help the small bricks pop out. A slight roll of the finger across the edge of the brick is normally enough to release them (no release agent needed with the plaster in these silicone moulds). Give the mould a quick wash, and you are ready to go again.
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That basically concludes brick casting 101. Its not really that difficult, but is important to take the time to fill the mould well. You can expect to get good results from just slapping some plaster of the top and letting it dry.
*Get the plaster mix ratio consistent.
*Work with the plaster at the time frame its meant to be worked with (the first time I did a pour, I tried to work the plaster while it was too wet).
*Allow time to cure properly.
The harder part will certainly be building with them ;D
Cheers,
Dan
Just like I do it, except mine are bigger! ;)
Actually I use the glass & plastic on top (weighted) as shown on the DD site.
I find this produces a more consistent thickness.
Thanks for the SBS, hopefully others will join the loony ranks!
-Mj
That was an excellent SBS! Thanks, I can't wait to try it; I didn't know it would take that long to cure?
I would have screwed up and I wouldn't have known why
Thanks
Gil
Thanks Dan! Very good info.
Very nice Step by Step. Thanks a lot! :)
Dan, A big Thanks for posting your How-To ;D .... I was using Hydrocal when I did my pours. Ill have to find some of the stuff your using on this side of the pond ;) I tried to down load the info they had on Diorama Debris site when I got my molds but I was not able to do it >:(
I want to add my thanks for your excellent SBS. -- Russ
My method varies slightly. After 26,000 bricks I now know to mix very large batches of pre-coloured dry plaster to get consistent colour through 40 or 50 batches. The trick with powders sprinkled across the moulds is good though - I'll be pinching that idea! I use casting plaster and about eight jars of cement oxides to get the variations I like - from green and brown to sandstone and reds. I have always added the water to the plaster but your comment of doing it the other way round might help. I find most bubbles occur when mixing vigorously - I get a froth which needs to be skimmed before pouring. I mix stiff and work really quickly. The bricks are ready for popping out after two hours and I get at least four batches a day (480 bricks total). Most bubbles inside the mould are caused by not allowing the mix to pour and settle naturally at its own speed into the bottom. As you only really see one face of the brick when building, a bubble on the back side is not an issue. Black is the most intense colour to use - literally count the grains to a batch of white plaster to get the grey mortar colour you need at the end!
Have fun - I nearly went mad but the end result is well worth it. Cheap therapy!!!!!
Where the Brits lead the Aussies follow !
I'm looking forward to seeing you lay 1/48th scale bricks . That'll make you an utter nutter . Welcome to the club .
Nick
I'm not accurate or patient enough to try 1:48 scale individual bricks. I can manage what I am doing in 1:24 because I can see what I am doing!
What about H0 scale: http://www.stummiforum.de/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=65597&hilit=ziegelei (http://www.stummiforum.de/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=65597&hilit=ziegelei) ?
A prototype building has the same number of bricks, no matter which scale it is modeled ... so what? :o
Cheers,
Volker
Marc's thread on chip board bricks keeps coming to mind. As I recall the appearance was comparable .... -- Russ
As Nick discovered, creating a wall using a moulded brick of several courses is simply easier, faster and more accurate. If I were ever to get down to the smaller scales, I would be looking seriously at something like this - http://www.redutex.com/murosfp1.php
I just got a bunch of Diorama molds and I plan to make up walls from individual and course molds to make masters that way it will be faster to make big sections of walls. I have a module that is 2' x 5' that will be a down town city scene, that's a lot of bricks, so there's no way I am going brick on brick!
MPH
A great SBS but I couldn't help but think of my own gate
http://users.xplornet.com/~macton/works%20Gate.html (http://users.xplornet.com/~macton/works%20Gate.html)
Michael
Of course Michael...idea borrowed. I had looked at your gate many times (was actually one of the photos I sent to Laurie when working on the gate design). Kept thinking there had to be an easier way to do the gate. The hand built brass version is a much better finish, but the laser cut version was the option I took, knowing there was still all the brickwork to follow.
Cheers,
Dan
Michael, anybody who uses metal and can solder is cheating. Go stand in the corner. -- Russ
Which corner this time! ;D ;D ;D
Michael
Got a couple of thousand bricks cast up now, so thought it was time to put them to use, and made a start on the main wall for the diorama. Flemish bond since this is an English diorama ;) , with each course of bricks separated by some 0.6mm card to space for the mortar filling. Surprised this isn't as mind numbing as I thought it would be and got the first 2' of a about a 10' fence laid up in a couple of hours. A whole day of bricklaying might be a different thing though! So far, it's felt quite therapeutic...
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Cheers,
Dan
Dan the brick wall looks great so far, and remember that Winston Churchill made a hobby out of building a brick wall, it was probably a great stress reliever, apart from being an odd subject as a hobby.
Michael.
Wow ! Keep patience ...
Georges
Quote from: michael mott on May 21, 2013, 08:09:13 AM
Dan the brick wall looks great so far, and remember that Winston Churchill made a hobby out of building a brick wall, it was probably a great stress reliever, apart from being an odd subject as a hobby.
Michael.
What they didn't tell you is that they had to knock it down and rebuild it properly when he had gone !
Nick
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
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.
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Followed by the spacing out of the header bricks, as well as the end pillar that will be for the gate and overhead sign.
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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.
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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
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 (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
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
BTW, what is the purpose of the "frogs"? Does it produce a more secure bond with the mortar?
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
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
Amazing. I was wondering if you had tried out some test laying before casting all those bricks.
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
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
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
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
Would that be Fosters bond pattern?
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
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 .
Nick,
Would hope you had a few good drops while down on the visit. Beer is listed as an Australian past time and leasure sport, so there are plenty of good and interesting beers to be sampled, all be it slightly colder than your tongue may be used too ;D
Cheers,
Dan
Hey, City Center! I've been in there.
Quote from: michael mott on May 21, 2013, 06:14:41 PM
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 (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
Dan, great job! I love the rendering, the bond style bricks is random or you use a typical Australian (common) style bond?
Franck
Hi Franck,
It's a Flemish bond pattern, in a slightly rustic fashion. Have actually restarted the build for this wall. Got to about 18 courses high, and was experiencing some noticeable sag in the wall, especially where the wall met the pillar. Not all is lost though, as I was able to run a blade between some courses and salvage the current wall as a lower garden fence for a future project. I have not printed out some paper template sheets to build the wall over again. It will still be two sided, but the header bricks will be halves on each side of the paper print, instead of running right through the wall. The pillars are being built around a timber centre.
Cheers,
Dan
The sag could be caused by the glue soaking through the paper templates you are using as mortar courses. Try using pieces of throwaway styrene such as butter or yoghurt containers. I print the wall (brick pattern) onto address label and stick it onto a piece of scrap PVC foam board (available from outdoor sign makers). This is relatively waterproof. Building the wall both sides of this piece of plastic creates a rigid and waterproof model. Using plastics as a mortar course will also reduce the whole wall from changing shape when you add the mortar or spray it with varnish etc. I use a printed template (lines spaced 2.5mm apart and the length of the wall) for creating mortar courses that fit without being seen after the wall is finished.
Hi Ian,
There were sags and twists happening in a few different directions. Glue was minimal, but may have contributed. I think trying to build the without really using much form work was pushing things a bit (and wasn't using formwork just because it would have been too difficult to actual assemble the bricks into the wall I wanted, so pillar was twisting and leaning, and wall was sagging, which might have looked right for lots of the aged walls I have seen, but looked wrong in this instance). I had some time on my break at work tonight to start gluing up the brickwork on the timber spine of the gate pillars with the paper template attached. That went together much quicker and straighter than the previous attempt. Don't need to put mortar spacers in doing it this way either, because the edge face of the brick is the part that is glued, not the top/bottoms. My bricks are about 1.4mm thick, so my template spacing is 1.75mm, which is...about an inch-ish of mortar between courses :)
Cheers,
Dan
Quote from: danpickard on May 27, 2013, 05:31:31 AM
Hi Ian,
There were sags and twists happening in a few different directions. Glue was minimal, but may have contributed. I think trying to build the without really using much form work was pushing things a bit (and wasn't using formwork just because it would have been too difficult to actual assemble the bricks into the wall I wanted, so pillar was twisting and leaning, and wall was sagging, which might have looked right for lots of the aged walls I have seen, but looked wrong in this instance). I had some time on my break at work tonight to start gluing up the brickwork on the timber spine of the gate pillars with the paper template attached. That went together much quicker and straighter than the previous attempt. Don't need to put mortar spacers in doing it this way either, because the edge face of the brick is the part that is glued, not the top/bottoms. My bricks are about 1.4mm thick, so my template spacing is 1.75mm, which is...about an inch-ish of mortar between courses :)
Cheers,
Dan
Dan ,
I have the answer to your problem ... change to 1/35th scale !
Glad to be of help ,
Nick
Quote from: danpickard on May 26, 2013, 06:28:21 PM
Hi Franck,
It's a Flemish bond pattern, in a slightly rustic fashion. Have actually restarted the build for this wall. Got to about 18 courses high, and was experiencing some noticeable sag in the wall, especially where the wall met the pillar. Not all is lost though, as I was able to run a blade between some courses and salvage the current wall as a lower garden fence for a future project. I have not printed out some paper template sheets to build the wall over again. It will still be two sided, but the header bricks will be halves on each side of the paper print, instead of running right through the wall. The pillars are being built around a timber centre.
Cheers,
Dan
Hi Dan, thank you for these explanations, great job!
Franck
Dan, has this project ever been completed? Or did it send you over the edge? Thanks Pat
Hi Pat,
Not completed, and has had a bit more progress from last reports. A cobblestone road has been done and some concrete footpaths laid. I need to get into casting a few more rounds of bricks. I am sort of leaving work on this as "exhibition jobs" at the minute, since it is small and easy to carry to shows to work on. My next exhibition is in October, but have a heap of house chores to take care of in the mean time. Not to mention the other bigger distraction, like starting work on a new layout.
Cheers,
Dan
Should update where this one is at. Cobblestone road has been pressed in. DAS clay roughly squashed onto the road surface, and then stamped with a square brass tube stamping tool thingy. Primed, painted, given a few different washes and highlights, then dusted and glued in some fine dirt to fill the gaps. Still need to come back over this with leaf debris and perhaps some small rubbish scraps collected in the gutters. The concrete sidewalk and gutters have been done using Monster Modelworks cracked concrete laser cut sheets. They are actually HO, but I think the cracks scale out better in O. Once cut to shape, they have been given a couple of washes of some of the AK gear. Again, still a bit of surface detail to go in once the wall joins up with the path.
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi242.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fff122%2Fdanpickard%2FLocomotive%2520Works%2520Diorama%2FIMG_1319r.jpg&hash=cf028544c2d23cec6fd2216ad3beeaa8661ee895)
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(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi242.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fff122%2Fdanpickard%2FLocomotive%2520Works%2520Diorama%2Fcobblestoneandconcrete.jpg&hash=6305a0c0e715a615a66979d7602d1faff6d9c18a)
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Here are a couple of quick shots of the changes made with the brick construction as well. Ended up using a thin styrene sheet to mount the wall onto (just means header bricks need to be cut instead of just being placed across the wall). The gate columns have been built around a timber centre. I printed out paper templates with guidelines on them for the brick course spacing, and glued these to the styrene and timber first, before gluing on the bricks. Building up the columns was much quicker (about 1 hour per column), and was a matter of glue up in face, and then rotate the column to keep filling up the gaps in the jigsaw. Much straighter and stronger results.
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi242.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fff122%2Fdanpickard%2FLocomotive%2520Works%2520Diorama%2FIMG_1298r.jpg&hash=8685ac2bdea309de3ac2547d927c9a783825d720)
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I am leaving all the mortar work until the brick work is complete so the is some colour consistency in the mixing. Initial colouring of the track work has been done as well, but that's about it. A couple of parts on the "to do" list for the next exhibition session, such as a timber fence, paint the gates, work on some scrap detail parts etc.
Cheers,
Dan
Nice stuff! I especially like the cracked sidewalk, really looks terrific!
Those cobblestones look great! Gad, I can't imagine pressing all those in.
hey dan
i really like the concrete curb and gutter,there is something about the cobble stones a bit like bread in a bakery that throws my eye out.great job with the bricks.
kind regards kim
I think some spots on the cobblestones, the stamp was staring to clog a bit, which resulted in a bit of a rounded top on the stones. I've certainly seen cobbles that are a bit rounded from wear, but some of these do a that slight not quite right look. I intend to come back over the road with a second layer of fine dirt filler, and some of the spots (like the one framed perfectly in that photo >:( ) will probably get some of the leaf debris over to mask any issues.
Cheers,
Dan
hi dan
taking off the high spots with grit and grime sounds like a good thing.thinking about the whole process i feel that a lot of weathering is too perfect like pristine aging.let me explane myself.a lot of aging does not show what process ie the seasons or what physical location caused this process.it is either summer or sometimes winter that is it.your model would be helped with some direct physical location -eg water puddles or rubbish that has collected in the gutter .spring new hope and growth autumn reflection and closer.
kind regards kim
Quite satisfactory so far. 1:48 scale. You really are nuts. -- Russ
When I added mortar I found it more visually pleasing to mix small batches and add randomly to the wall. That way there is a very slight variation in the colour across the wall which I think makes the big picture look more realistic. Weathering the bricks helps as well.
Like your column construction. Nice result. Concrete looks excellent as well.
I made thousands of 1/48 scale bricks years ago and am still sane enough they let me out into the main room with the other inmates. Similar molds, similar results, although I cast in white and colored afterwards.
Those tiny bubbles mostly in the corners. What I did was bought a lost wax jewelers casting vibrating unit and mounted it under a small glass pane (leveled) to lay the mold on so that the vibration shook most of those bubbles loose. A tiny bit of soap solution added to the plaster mix also helped release the bubbles. The hard part is it tends to shift the plaster and make more water to come float up on the top. It has to be very level.
When I make plaster molds from aircraft windshields/canopies for vacu-forming, I always use the vibrating unit (not to confuse with vibrators) to get the tiny bubbles out. The only further step I know of is using a vacuum chamber (bell jar), which jewelry mold makers also often use, but never really felt the need. Often a tooth pick carefully worked around each casting into corners where bubbles tend to be will get them out. Tedious.
Looking forward to your brick laying.
Max in MI
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Hey Dan --
I'm reviewing your progress here (which looks great!) ... and wondering about a couple of things:
-- Did you make the curbs by joining the flat laser-cut sidewalk pieces at an angle and then sanding edges?
-- Any recollection of what you did on coloring the sidewalk pieces? (Looks good!)
Thanks in advance!
Dallas
Hi Dallas,
Hmmm, time for a memory test. Better pic first without as much fancy filter stuff...
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For the shaping of the curb, I mounted the vertical face in first, then butted in the base of the gutter (knowing the join would be covered by a bit of dust and debris). The top lip of the gutter overlapped the vertical face, with the join filled with Tamiya putty, sanded, and a bit of shaving of some worn edges with a blade.
Colouring was a base of Woodlands "Top Coat" Concrete, first coat a general wash, followed by a bit of a stippled coat to get some variance. Once dry, used an AK dark wash in a similar manor (general coat, followed by some spotted highlights). Used AK streaking grime as small pin washes into some of the laser cut cracks, and then a few spots of the AK slime around some wet cracks and corners. I think that was about it. Will still eventually come back to this with some weeds, leaves and gutter rubbish.
Cheers,
Dan
Thank you! Seeing as you've got it right, that info just might reduce the missteps on this end! -- Dallas