My First Foam Board Building

[Graham]

Well after some head scratching and experimentation the final result, the Bank of POP and MOM for my western town. Due to limited space the buildings will be foreshortened to a sort of relief concept. It was created using my Stepcraft CNC machine to create the brick pattern with a polished 1mm domed projection turned out of some 3mm silver steel. A lot of fiddling was required to get just the right depth for the indentation of the brick shapes otherwise the surface of the board ripped through to the foam. Finally settled on 0.3mm in three passes.
Next challenge is the painting. First thoughts are to spray the whole thing with a dark gray Tamiya primer before sponging on the brick colours.

 

[a98087]

Very nice indeed, you could always make a small test square to test any painting technique.

I done a similar method to what you describe to paint kits and buildings, you do the brick colour first and when dry dap a few bits if the mortar colour on, and then rub smear it around, it gets in all the small gaps only.

It's a lot easier to do then to type

Dan

 

[LGB-Sid]

Looks good, I spray mine all over the color of the mortar white in my case and it primes and seals the board, then use three colors for the bricks applied via a sponge, I went for white mortar as it stands out more to my eyes

 

[Graham]

Looks good, I spray mine all over the color of the mortar white in my case and it primes and seals the board, then use three colors for the bricks applied via a sponge, I went for white mortar as it stands out more to my eyes

What make of paint do you use ? I was not sure for the mortar colour but was thinking white was a bit too bright and was thinking between the light or darker Gray primer. Do you overpay with a matt varnish?

 

[Paul M]

I've got a mug like that
Fortunately it doesn't detract attention from the great model, if that's a first attempt you've done really well

 

[Graham]

I've got a mug like that
Fortunately it doesn't detract attention from the great model, if that's a first attempt you've done really well

Thanks, the windows are 1/24 scale dolls house but the door is cobbled from styrene sheet and strip. The design is from a set of plans from a war gaming web site that I have rescaled. It was supposed to be clapboard but I thought that was a bit difficult at this stage to reproduce so I went for the "easy" option

 

[trammayo]

Looks good - and an interesting method of creating the brick effect.

Incidentally, are you the owner of the Bank - or just a customer?

 

[mike]

Fantastic

 

[Graham]

Looks good - and an interesting method of creating the brick effect.

Incidentally, are you the owner of the Bank - or just a customer?

I have 4 daughter's, 4 sons in law and 7 grandchildren hence the bank owner

 

[LGB-Sid]

What make of paint do you use ? I was not sure for the mortar colour but was thinking white was a bit too bright and was thinking between the light or darker Gray primer. Do you overpay with a matt varnish?

The base coat is Plastic primer, I then give it a coat of Matt white, the reason I used white was for lime mortar and then brick colors stand out well with a white base coat. The bricks are then done with masonry paint tester pots and a sponge, when finished the whole thing is then sprayed with a Matt sealer. The oldest station on the CBR line so far is 9 months old and still looks the same as it did when I first but it outside, so fingers crossed the matt sealer seems to protect the paintwork. probably a bit to well I had expected it to age a bit as I didn't add any real weathering at the painting stage.

 

[Riograndad]

Very smart,keeping an eye on this one,my western buildings are mostly dummy timber,but thinking of a brick warehouse,looking forward to the finished model

 

[Rhinochugger]

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The base coat is Plastic primer, I then give it a coat of Matt white, the reason I used white was for lime mortar and then brick colors stand out well with a white base coat. The bricks are then done with masonry paint tester pots and a sponge, when finished the whole thing is then sprayed with a Matt sealer. The oldest station on the CBR line so far is 9 months old and still looks the same as it did when I first but it outside, so fingers crossed the matt sealer seems to protect the paintwork. probably a bit to well I had expected it to age a bit as I didn't add any real weathering at the painting stage.

Just to be slightly nerdy and mildly off piste........................the colour of mortar can have a dramatic effect on the final brickwork. In the '70s, we built four blocks of flats with the same brick, two blocks in cream mortar and two in purple mortar. Even knowing that it was the same brick, I had difficultly convincing myself, because it looked so different.

If you look at Mike's buildings, where he sometimes wants to emulate a Staffordshire blue brick, his mortar background is always a fairly dark grey - I'm not sure what colours he adds for the brick facing.................


Mike !!

 

[Graham]

Today's experiment was to paint a spare bit of foam board them mill in the bricks with a 1mm cutter. This is the result

 

[Rhinochugger]

View attachment 228735 Today's experiment was to paint a spare bit of foam board them mill in the bricks with a 1mm cutter. This is the result

Now you will really start the debate - does the mortar keep the bricks together, or keep the bricks apart

Have a look at these

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...2-vWAhXB2RoKHcY8CLoQ_AUICigB&biw=1600&bih=794

If I was to be hypercritical, the mortar joints are too wide.

In 1:1 scale, the coursing is 75 mm so a brick is 65 mm high with a (nominal) 10 mm bed joint.

Similarly a brick is 215 mm long with a (nominal) 10 mm perp.

The BS for size of bricks is based on a number laid end-to-end (it's an awful long time since I dealt with this) but it means that an individual brick can be almost + / - 3 mm of the nominal size.

All this has an effect on the width of the mortar joints

OK, nerd mode off - if it looks right, it is right

 

[Graham]

Now you will really start the debate - does the mortar keep the bricks together, or keep the bricks apart

Have a look at these

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...2-vWAhXB2RoKHcY8CLoQ_AUICigB&biw=1600&bih=794

If I was to be hypercritical, the mortar joints are too wide.

In 1:1 scale, the coursing is 75 mm so a brick is 65 mm high with a (nominal) 10 mm bed joint.

Similarly a brick is 215 mm long with a (nominal) 10 mm perp.

The BS for size of bricks is based on a number laid end-to-end (it's an awful long time since I dealt with this) but it means that an individual brick can be almost + / - 3 mm of the nominal size.

All this has an effect on the width of the mortar joints

OK, nerd mode off - if it looks right, it is right

 

[stockers]

And, of course, we now use metric brick which are slightly smaller than those of old, but the spacing is still intended to be the same - so the mortor is now slightly thicker than it used to be.

 

[stockers]

and a little anecdote,
the new build estate near to me had a delivery of chimneys the other day as I drove by. Yes - full chimneys in one piece - bricks, pot and flashing. I am pretty sure these are cosmetic and non functional but there was about 20 of them on the back of a lorry. Fiberglass I guess.

I just googled and found this - http://litespeed.co.uk/prefabricated-chimneys/

 

[Fezwig]

and a little anecdote,
the new build estate near to me had a delivery of chimneys the other day as I drove by. Yes - full chimneys in one piece - bricks, pot and flashing. I am pretty sure these are cosmetic and non functional but there was about 20 of them on the back of a lorry. Fiberglass I guess.

I just googled and found this - http://litespeed.co.uk/prefabricated-chimneys/

Just what I'm looking for my station, they are 1;22 scale aren't they

 

[PhilP]

You need some 'wobble' in the milling machine..
They look way too symmetrical!!

Modern mortar and brickwork is carp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cement mortar is too hard (I reckon) no give in it, and way too thick courses..

Look at a Victorian building.. Razor-thin mortar-courses, and no cracked walls.
Modern stuff just cracks up.

(Ducks below parapet)

 

[Graham]

it's a CNC router so wobble is not permitted so will just have to assume the brickie in question is super accurate