Brick wall for Glenwood Springs depot

[satchman]

I just finished my first try at the sculpted wall. The clay is called DAS. Its from somewhere in Europe but is available at hobby lobby and other stores. This is practice, I know I can make it even better. Tell me what you think. How do I post a pic?

[satchman]

Hi I am doing the exact same build. I am in the cutting stage. Bought architect print from the GS Museum. My method is a little different. I am shooting for as close to the prototype as possible, not an easy task. I am using styrene wall, which I then plan to put a section I made from Dap clay and actually sculpting the brick into the clay. I will then glue that to the styrene for support. I am still testing on several brick types. One that I favor is from Micro-Mark. A printed brick pattern with an adhesive backing. Only thing the color is not right. This can be adjusted with color pencil.

[robert sylvester]

electrolove:

Yesterday you asked about block walls, so I went home and took some pictures this morning of what I have. These are samples of the Holgate and Reynolds styrene rock walls I have.

This painted grey the next is with mortar.

I use these walls for different scenes where I feel it will look good.

I am developing a canal that runs below a station, I use the wall to simulate support.

Another example below a power station.

Some kits, such as this warehouse use rock or stone walls in construction.

Details make the difference.  Below, I used this stone structure for a trucking warehouse.

These are just some examples.  The structures come from Model Power or Pola, and Pikestuff.

Hope that helps.

Robert Sylvester, WTRR

[robert sylvester]

electrolove:

Just a suggestion, but if you look at the rock wall behind this old wooden station, you will see a rock wall.  To me it looks almost like what you need.  It is made by Holgate and Reynolds.  Walthers may have it, some hobby shops carry it.  I ordered directly from Holgate and Reynolds back in 1992. I guess you could go to the web.

I will take better pictures for you of the sheets that I have tonight.

Robert Sylvester, WTRR

[chadw]

U-channel would be perfect to cast the strips of plaster.  You don't need to add any texture to the bottom or sides of the mold since you want the sides of the blocks to be smooth the faces get their texture when you snap the plaster along the scored lines.  It doesn't break perfectly evenly giving you the texture.  For the example I made large blocks since my camera doesn't focus well on extremely small objects.  You can make blocks almost any size although larger blocks will be harder to snap and smaller ones will be fragile.  Building brick by brick would get tedious, so I suggest making a few wall sections brick by brick, making a mold, and casting copies.

[electrolove]

This is a very interesting method. To build the depot brick by brick. I think I will use a Evergreen Styrene U shaped channel to cast the plaster in. The bricks are not completely flat, I need something to make the right structure at the bottom of the mold (rough cut stone). Any suggestions what to use? I see that your structure is not completely flat, how did you do that? What's the size of your plaster cubes in that photo?

Sorry about the late reply.  Ligtning hit the power lines in our front yard and a wire was down for hours.

Here's the pics:

First build a mold from styrene scraps.  The width and depth of the mold will be the size of you blocks.  A longer mold will give you more blocks for each batch.

Then cast plaster in the mold.  Once it has set up enough to be moved without breaking, put it in a miter box and score a line on all four sides around every eighth inch.  Then snap it along those lines.  If it's hard to snap put the saw in one of the grooves and push down until it snaps.  Once you have snapped the stick apart you should have a pile of blocks like this.  My blocks were already gray since I added a drop of black craft paint to the plaster.

Pick out the nicest blocks and assemble them into a wall section.  I only used one size of block for this example so I used a regular brick pattern.  For the depot you would need several sizes of blocks.  Here are pics of the wall section.

Then you would make a mold of the sections with latex or RTV and cast resin or plaster copies to make up the walls of the depot.  Constructing the walls will be easier if you design the masters so that the ends of two sections will interlock.  That way you minimize the number of masters and molds you'll need to make.

Good luck on that depot.  It will make a really interesting structure with the varied block sizes and colors.

[chadw]

Sorry about the late reply.  Ligtning hit the power lines in our front yard and a wire was down for hours.

Here's the pics:

First build a mold from styrene scraps.  The width and depth of the mold will be the size of you blocks.  A longer mold will give you more blocks for each batch.

Then cast plaster in the mold.  Once it has set up enough to be moved without breaking, put it in a miter box and score a line on all four sides around every eighth inch.  Then snap it along those lines.  If it's hard to snap put the saw in one of the grooves and push down until it snaps.  Once you have snapped the stick apart you should have a pile of blocks like this.  My blocks were already gray since I added a drop of black craft paint to the plaster.

Pick out the nicest blocks and assemble them into a wall section.  I only used one size of block for this example so I used a regular brick pattern.  For the depot you would need several sizes of blocks.  Here are pics of the wall section.

Then you would make a mold of the sections with latex or RTV and cast resin or plaster copies to make up the walls of the depot.  Constructing the walls will be easier if you design the masters so that the ends of two sections will interlock.  That way you minimize the number of masters and molds you'll need to make.

Good luck on that depot.  It will make a really interesting structure with the varied block sizes and colors.

[BigRusty]

Well Ben, You have picked a real DOOZIE! That will be a gorgeous addition to your fabulous layout. I have a similar problem with the Branford, CT station. I have obtained the original blueprints, but the devil is in the details.

The facade is definitely rough cut stone, laid somewhat randomly. I don't know of any available sheet in that pattern. The towers appear to be a rough brick. I doubt that they would have used common brick on such an ornate building.

I love the rafters supporting the eaves. You might make a pattern and cast them in resin because there are too many to make individually.  I have the same problem with the window frames on my Old Saybrook station, and they are the same on the freight house as well.

The roof is definitely Spanish Tile and there are several sources for that. The hard part is the stretches of individual tiles overlapping the joints, and the little clay turrets at the ends of the gables.

For the rain gutters and down spouts, I am considering Plastruct extruded members, and somewhere I saw a source for cast down spots with the bends cast in.

You will be getting a lot of suggestions from this forum, so be patient and you will end up with a masterpiece.

[electrolove]

That sounds interesting. Yes please post some pictures, I want to learn.

Instead of using styrene you could build it from resin or plaster wall sections.  You can make a master by scoring and snapping sticks of plaster to make blocks.  this gives you a cut stone texture on the blocks.  Then stack blocks into interlocking wall sections.  Make a rubber mold and cast as many wall sections as you need.  I'll post some pics demonstrating the method later.

[lvanhen]

Try this site for free printable stone/wood/etc patterns http://www.cgtextures.com/  .  On the first page is a "brick" pattern, but it looks more like stone.  Dozens of free patterns - copy/print an glue to foamboard to make a model.  My 

[MisterBeasley]

First, Plastruct makes a roofing material that should do the job.  It's called Spanish Tile.

Since you mostly have a deep overhang, you might consider using a brick paper product as an outer layer.  These can be very nice, and some are even embossed so the wall is not completely flat.  I did a quick look around, and didn't see exactly the pattern you're looking for in styrene.  You might check the casting molds at Bragdon Enterprises, www.bragdonent.com, and see if you can come up with a plaster wall you might like.

You might just try casting a flat sheet of Hydrocal, and then carving your own brick lines in it.  Do one wall, and then make a latex mold of that.  Then you can cast as many as you want.  Or, make your "sample" wall with modelling clay and use that to make a mold.

[chadw]

Instead of using styrene you could build it from resin or plaster wall sections.  You can make a master by scoring and snapping sticks of plaster to make blocks.  this gives you a cut stone texture on the blocks.  Then stack blocks into interlocking wall sections.  Make a rubber mold and cast as many wall sections as you need.  I'll post some pics demonstrating the method later.

[dehusman]

Since its a stone building I would suggest a stone wall. 

Dave H.

[Dallas Model Works]

You don't have a more dead-on photo do you?

EDIT: Now there's a dead-on photo but all the brick texture is in shadow.

 

[electrolove]

I need a HO scale brick wall that looks like the Glenwood Springs depot. Can someone please tell me how to do it as close to the prototype as possible?


I have the original drawing so the measurements is no problem. Just need the wall in styrene or a method to build it.

I also need a styrene sheet for the roof.