Scratch Building Brick walls??

[SPFan]

I'd like to build a scale model of the SP Roundhouse at Dunsmuir, California. I have scale drawings of the walls but the brickwork is complex with horizontal projections (corbelling?) along the walls and around the windows. Paper or plastic sheeting will not duplicate this effect. Has anyone scratch built a brick wall using individual "bricks" and are there shortcuts or seen this effect in any modeling books?

Pete

[Anonymous]

I built all the buildings on my layout. I used Plastruct sheets of brick. Using individual bricks one at a time I have never heard of.

[cwclark]

i once made individual bricks and glued them to the walls of the building...what a disaster!...when I painted it, the paint flowed into the mortar lines and the bricks practically disappeared!...better to purchase the ready made sheets of brick from evergreen or plastruct...not to mention that it took two weeks to cut enough styrene to make enough of the bricks to cover the walls on the building...Chuck

[areibel]

If you can draw the pattern on your computer with CAD or some other graphics program, you could etch the pattern into sheet brass? When you make the pattern, you have to make a "negative" image, so the mortar joints are the areas to be etched. You'll need to copy it onto clear plastic (like they use for an overhead transparency), then you'll have the pattern to expose the brass to.
It's not really hard, here are a couple links that cover the entire operation.
http://www.themodelmakersresource.co.uk/articles/article001.html
http://www.geocities.com/nigellawton009/Etching_for_Beginners_Version_5.htm
http://home.att.net/~ShipModelFAQ/ShopNotes/smf-SN-PhotoEtch.html

There are a couple things to remember-
You do need to be careful! Some of the chemicals are pretty nasty, so use precautions.
Don't be frightened by all the engineering some people go to, you're going to be cutting some lines in a brass sheet, not creating a finely detailed part. You probably won't need to keep the plate in the chemicals too long, you don't want them to eat too far through. And coat theback of the plate with paint or resist too!

Al

[Anonymous]

Is it possible to scratch build a small part of what you are looking for and then cast duplicates in resin?

[SPFan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dkelly

Is it possible to scratch build a small part of what you are looking for and then cast duplicates in resin?

That is my plan actually. I think I can make part of the wall and at least one window than cast a few of them, finish one wall and then make a casting of the whole wall.
As for the brass etching technique Al I've made made printed circuits over the years and have the chemicals but I would need to etch about two bricks deep to recreate the proper depth. I would kitba***he roundhouse but none of the commercially available ones come close to proper roofline or brick design. Here is a picture, albeit not very detailed, of what it looks like:http://www.snowcrest.net/photobob/dunsmuir605.html and http://www.snowcrest.net/photobob/dunsmuir501.html

Pete

[orsonroy]

I generaly use Plastruct brick sheet over a .030" building core when I need to scratchbuild brick buildings. Plastruct sheets are the largest brick sheets on the market, and come in the largest variety, so your choices of patterns are greater, and you'll have fewer seams.