Mortar lines

[NVSRR]

What are some methods and formulas for mortar joints?   Dont seam to be doing well with vallejo paints.  Either to thin and once dry they vanish or i end up with a paint coat that doesnt come off well.  I either end up removing all the paint even base color or blend the colors.  I do put flow enhancer in the mix.  I am  used to working with floquil 

 

thanks

Wolfie

[BigDaddy]

Enhancer is supposed to improve airbrush flow.  Most of us use a wash not an airbrush.  The subject comes up frequently

[NVSRR]

The enjancer. Does improve how the paint settles into the mortar lines.  Problem is the the vallejo paint cures and pretty much becomes invisible.   Have to try the grout method 

[mbinsewi]

There have been lots of threads in here on mortar joints.  Dr. Wayne has shown lots of pictures of his methods.

I'm sure a community search would find them.

My brick buildings all represent buildings that have been painted at some time, so no need to highlight joints.

Mike.

[dstarr]

I give molded plastic brick a wash and a scrub with dishwashing detergent, followed by a hot water rinse and a good long dry before painting.  I start off painting model brick walls with red auto primer from a rattle can.  Krylon or Rustoleum work well.  For molded plastic brick with mortar lines in the plastic casting, I can thin some white or very light gray paint down to a thin watery wash.  Capilary action will pull the wash down the mortar lines.  Where the wash slops over onto brick I wipe it off with a clean rag, or a paper towel.  Let dry.

[doctorwayne]

NVSRR

What are some methods and formulas for mortar joints?....

 

There's some info on mortar application starting HERE and continued on the following pages of that thread.

 

There's more, using the same technique, to be found HERE...

 

....and some more starting HERE, although mortar application doesn't start until near the bottom of the second page and it continues beyond that.

 

Wayne

[gmpullman]

dstarr

I give molded plastic brick a wash and a scrub with dishwashing detergent, followed by a hot water rinse and a good long dry before painting. —  Capilary action will pull the wash down the mortar lines.  Where the wash slops over onto brick I wipe it off with a clean rag, or a paper towel.  Let dry.

My method as well. Very satisfied with the results. I use inexpensive latex wall paint in tan/gray shades from the "scratch & dent" bin at the big-box store.

RH_grout1 by Edmund, on Flickr

Sometimes it requires a second application. I use a misting spray with distilled water and alcohol as a "flow enhancer" for the "mortar" paint to settle into the joints.

RH_lamp3 by Edmund, on Flickr

Good Luck, Ed

[jcopilot]

Wolfie,

I paint the brick sheet with my preferred brick color and let dry.  Then I make a very thin slurry of ordinary joint compound (Spackling) in water.  Thinner than skim milk.  I lightly mist the brick with water and then brush on the jc slurry.  The mist of water helps the slurry spread into every crevice.  When it's dry, there'll be a white coating on the tops of the brick.  Use a damp sponge and lightly wipe the brick surface to remove the slurry.  What's left is 'mortar' in the brick joints.  

2 more advantages - the jc accepts stains easily, I like India ink in alcohol   and   if you don't like the way it turned out, the jc comes off easily with water and a little brushing.

I think it's simple, effective and cheap.

[BuchananBucks]

Try Roberts Brick Mortar, works great, and available online. Cheers!

[NVSRR]

I forgot to mention. I am using walthers modulars for this building.  has the deep mortar lines.  

[wjstix]

I generally go the other way around - spray paint the wall gray or light tan to represent the mortar, then use a dark red or brown art marker to color the bricks. Good art markers have a hard enough tip that the color only goes on the bricks and not down into the mortar.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/m/mrr-layouts/2289595.aspx

 

[CRAIG MALIN]

Here is my $ .02. Get thee to a hardware store and pick up a container of Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty. This is a white powder which dries almost 'rock hard'  after being mixed with water. You can vary the amount of water and putty to get differing thickness based on the scale of the model and thickness of grout between the bricks. To color the mixture squeeze in some acrylic tube paint in your desired coolor into the mixture of putty and water. Based on the amount of stirring, the resulting color will either be uniform or of differing shades. Spread on walls, and wipe off when either wet, semi dry or completly dry.