Whitewashing Brick

[Anonymous]

I have a plastic building kit with lots pure red brick walls. I want to white wash lightly so the grout lines appear white, and some of the grout/cement has washed down the brick over the years. Whats the best paint and technique to use?

[Anonymous]

There's a 4 oz liquid called white brick mortor available thru Roberts products, PO Box 27057
Milwaukee Wi 53227, area code 797-422-1371.
$8.00 plus $3.00 S&H, approx This is not only for mortor but could serve as wash. Also neat on
exterior brick chimney. Is water based...

[Anonymous]

CORRECTION-That tel # is wrong. Will get back to you tonight.

[Anonymous]

CORRECT TEL # [phone] and you will get his answering machine

[BruceJob]

Here's a formula for a light mortar wa***aken from John Pryke's book "Building City Scenery for Your Model Railroad":

1 part Polly Scale Aged Concrete
9 parts alcohol
7 parts water
2-3 drops liquid detergent

For red brick, first paint with Floquil Tuscan Red. After the paint dries, apply the wash. It's best to lay the wall flat, apply the wash, and let it dry undisturbed. If you like a more faded look, apply a second time.

The alcohol tends to dry quickly, leaving some pigment on the brick surface. The detergent makes the water "wetter" and allows it to carry the pigment into the cracks to give the look of mortar.

Try this technique! You'll like the results! I highly recommend Pryke's book. It presents many construction and weathering techniques.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Charles!

[Anonymous]

Thanks Bruce!

[Anonymous]

Bruce: sounds great, just in time as I have a few of Design Preservation models to do up. Have a couple of questions: - instead of Floquil tuscan red can you use a water base paint, I use Delta's ceramcoat paints, but do have floquil tuscan. secondly, where do you get Pryke's book, have not seen it at our hobby shop, sounds like a good one to have as a referance. Thanks...Ron

[BruceJob]

Ron,
Re. your question about paint:
You don't want the solvent in the wa***o attack the base coat, hence the use of an enamel base coat and a water based wash. I don't have much experience with water based paints, so I don't know if the water and alcohol in the wash would attack a water-base base coat after its dry.
Re. your question about the book:
The book is published by Kalmbach. You can order online thru amazon.com or directly from Kalmbach Publishing (books.kalmbach.com). Your hobby shop might special order it for you.
Regards,
Bruce J.

[greendiamond]

Down and Dirty and CHEAP........... White shoe polish with a few drops of alcohol to make a wash. If you want to dull it (give it a more realistic appearance) add a drop of concrete, buff or grimy black.

[Anonymous]

In our kit instructions, we have advised modelers to use thin washes of white paint or gesso, brushed on red brick, then wiped for mortar effect. There are already some good hints but thought I would add my two cents!