I know I've seen threads about realistic bricks before. What is everyones best solution for applying mortar on an already built building? I've heard of baking soda being used. How do you make it stick? I also saw drywall compound. I just think that it will be diffecult to apply around the windows. Any ideas? Pictures would help as well. Thanks for the help. Here is a picture of the building I'm trying to redo.
I use Hydrocal. I always do it pre-assembly, but the principle is the same. For a pre-assembled structure, I would do one face at a time. If you've got glazing in the windows, take blue painters tape and mask over the windows with small pieces of tape, to keep the glazing clear. Then take pinches of Hydrocal and rub it into the mortar lines. Use more than you think you'll need.
Put the structure down with the mortared side facing up, and mist it with water from a sprayer. Don't point the sprayer at the model, but instead squirt it horizontally a foot or so above the model so the water "rains" down gently. Wet the Hydrocal thoroughly, and let it set for a couple of hours. When you look at it again, you will gasp because it will be a white mess. Take a dry paper towel, or maybe add a bit of water if it's not working, and rub off the excess hydrocal. Yes, it's still very white, but repeat for all the walls.
Once the Hydrocal is all set and rubbed in, make a thin wash of India Ink in water, and brush it on. You can do this to the whole structure at once, as the running ink will mostly be absorbed by the Hydrocal, and the excess will settle appropriately on low spots and window sills.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
If you don't mind repainting your structure, there was an article in the February 2007 MR. The technique was to paint the wall a mortar color then shade over it with a brick red colored pencil. The colored pencil would only go on the raised bricks leaving the grey paint underneath in the mortar lines. I haven't tried it yet but the results in MR looked good and it sounded a lot less messy than powders like flour and baking soda. Last time i tried them I ended up with a sloppy white mess on everything. No matter how you do it, good luck on your project.
Chad
There's an old method I use for the mortar lines and can be done before or after assembly. It also uses things commonly found around the house, or picked up cheaply at the dollar store. I normally do it with talcum powder and hair spray. Hold the building so the wall to be done is flat, then sprinkle on some of the talcum powder. Use your finger to spread the powder around and into the mortar lines in the plastic. You can use a screwdriver or scribe to clean it around windows or any other raised features (like the corner detail in your photo) on the wall. Once the mortar lines look the way you want them, hold the can of hairspray about a foot away and aimed up slightly. You want the liquid part of the hairspray to arc and fall on the wall, not spray directly on to it (this will blow the powder out of the mortar lines). The "mortar" will momentarily disappear while wet, don't panic, just let it dry.
The beauty of this method: 1. Touch ups are easy, just repeat where needed. 2. If it really looks bad, you can take a soft toothbrush and hold the building under running water and scrub it out. When dry, you can try again.
Thanks for the ideas everyone. I think I may try a few different approaches and see what I like best. Any other words of wisdow are always appreciated.
The only places that I have seen white mortar was some fancy brick school houses. Most mortar is gray, not white.
I first paint the wall with the brick color I use. I believe in the rule of three when it comes to painting. I use color 1 to paint the whole sides, then I use color 2 (a little lghter) and dry brush that around randomly. Then I use color 3 (a little darker than color 1) and do the same. this gets rid of the same color for every brick look.
Then I maked a thin gruel of plaster of paris which I tint to the gray color I want with black tempera paint. I smear that all over the side until the brick faces just have a white haze on them. After it has dried for a day or two I use some Kleenex to wipe off most of the haze which leaves the mortar between the bricks for the most part.
It sounds like your wash is too dark. I use yogurt cups for my wash mixing. I put a couple of drops of India Ink into a half-yogurt-cup of water. If it doesn't come out dark enough, I repeat the process after it dries.
The wash is my final step, unless I'm decalling the structure. If I do decal it, then I mask off most of the building and give it a quick bit of DulCoat to seal in the decals. Here's a building I did with this technique. The structure itself is from Model Power ("Annie's Antiques") and I grabbed the soup ad off the web and made my own decal for it.