I would like to know a techniques for getting the mortar look in between the brick on HO plastic structures.
Thanks,
-RC
Here are the three that I have used.
1. Before assembly, paint each piece with cement colored paint and wipe it off before it dries. This leaves the paint in the morter cracks. I have had some good results with this but a lot depends on how the brick is embossed in the pieces. Works good for Walthers models.
2. Again before assembly, paint the structure with a cement colored paint and then using a fine grit sandpaper, sand the paint off the bricks. Don't sand too much or you will lose your bricks.
3. Assemble the basic structure and paint it again with morter colored paint. then choose the color you want to use for your bricks and dry brush it onto them carefully. (after the morter paint has dried of course). I have had really good luck with this on DPM products. This one was done using the wet wipe method
This building was done using the drybrushing method. The smoke stack was the wet wipe method.
I don't have any pictures of the one structure that I did with the sanding method.
Chef, Excellent work!
Thanks for posting your photos for reference. I have an HO Walthers Car shop building kit that I'm going to modify into a diesel locomotive shop. I plan on weathering it using your 2nd technique.
God Bless and thanks!
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
rcato I would like to know a techniques for getting the mortar look in between the brick on HO plastic structures. Thanks, -RC
Before any assembly, paint the wall your brick color and allow to dry throughly. Hold or lay the piece flat, then take talcum powder and sprinkle it over the wall piece. Use your finger tip to rub the powder into the cast in mortar slots. When you have it the way you want it, hold a can of hair spray (ask your wife or girlfriend for a type that leaves her hair stiff) and mist it over the wall. The lines will disappear until the hairspray dries. This also gives a weathered look to the brick. If any accumulated around details such as window sills, you can scrape it off with a scribe or small screwdriver.
With today's fine brick detail on many buildings, I'm not sure I like the idea of sanding the brick to show the color. It also doesn't allow you to change the brick color cast into the plastic.
My technique is similar to Tom's. I paint the walls before assembly, then lay them out flat and rub Hydrocal (the casting plaster) into the mortar lines. Then I spray water gently above the surfaces, spraying horizontally about a foot above the model, so the water just "rains" down on the model. (The pressure from the spray bottle will displace the Hydrocal, so the coverage won't be even.) After about an hour, the water will dry leaving the Hydrocal, now hardened, in the grooves. Wipe the walls with a damp paper towel to remove the excess. At this point the Hydrocal will be very, very bright white. I use a thin wash of a few drops of India Ink in water, brushed on. This tones down the Hydrocal and gives it a mortar-gray look.
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MisterBeasley My technique is similar to Tom's. I paint the walls before assembly, then lay them out flat and rub Hydrocal (the casting plaster) into the mortar lines. Then I spray water gently above the surfaces, spraying horizontally about a foot above the model, so the water just "rains" down on the model. (The pressure from the spray bottle will displace the Hydrocal, so the coverage won't be even.) After about an hour, the water will dry leaving the Hydrocal, now hardened, in the grooves. Wipe the walls with a damp paper towel to remove the excess. At this point the Hydrocal will be very, very bright white. I use a thin wash of a few drops of India Ink in water, brushed on. This tones down the Hydrocal and gives it a mortar-gray look.
- Does the hydrocal become brittle, and do you have to be very gentle when handling the wall/structure?
Mike
I use Polly S water base, (cement color) painted over the bricks, using wet q-tips to wipe off excess. Use your imagination as you wipe the Polly paint off...
Lefty
I use a method described by Marty McGuirk The Model Railroader's Guide to Locomotive Servicing Terminals. after you have painted your brick wall panels with the desired color you take a "copious" ammount of water and paint the surface with it. I keep a bottle of straight water on the work bench just for this purpose and then you take a color of your choosing I use either aged concrete or depot buff and I brush it over the entire wet surface. You will actually see the color wick into the mortar line between the bricks, you then wipe off the excess with either a soft cloth or I like to use a fresh foam brush and lightly drag it across the surface of the panel. Do this as many times as you need to to achieve the look you are going for. I then assemple the building and finish it off by weathering it with chalks and finally dullcoat. I have found this works the best for me as the wwater thins out the paint so as you odn't get too much in one application. forcing you to take your time something which I have a hard time doing myself. I want the structure finished 30 minutes before I open the box in most cases.
I have done a lot of brick building his way and I like the results I personally don't care for the brick color that Walthers and most manufactures use in their panels.
I've painted the wall with my brick color. When dry - next day or longer - I fill the mortar lines with very thin gray color.
If you want more you can color a few bricks with a brush or crayon.
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
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Thinned down cement colored craft paint dabbed on after the building is painted and assembled. If you do it right you don't even need to clean off the brick face.