PaperBrick

[jacq01]

   In H0 or 00 embossing gives very credible results, as seen in Pendon and some other layouts.
   In larger scales imho nothing beats Nick's method of brick by brick using scale size spacers and the correct bond.
   Finding the right bricks and colouring them is the biggest challenge.

   Jacq

[BKLN]

I don't think we are off track here. But we are not discussing anything new either. Dave's approach is neat, but not the answer. I think his experiments with the laser are way more accurate and his simple recipe for painting seems to work just fine. Again, I can only talk about O-scale and HO-scale here. Anything larger should be done with individual bricks.

But while Marc's approach is certainly more authentic, it also not efficient for everybody. I make city buildings - I need brick sheets. And yes, I did try to emboss printed paper in the same manner, but I was just not happy with the results. Embossing is exactly what it says it is. It is manually compressed material instead of cut , which means that the results is a "bubble brick". That effect can clearly be seen on Dave's sample.

So until I see the perfect laser engraving of a printed brick I will stick with styrene and and hand painting.

[BKLN]

Here is an interesting shot from "alainj" on a french forum. The craftsmanship is excellent, but despite all the three dimensional work, it is still recognizable as paper. The mortar lines are just not there.



http://teamtrack.xooit.com/t912-Traction-Avenue.htm

[JohnP]

If you want to spend a considerable amount of time (between naps of course) to make a prize-worthy donut hole of an individual diorama model then by all means put on the tri-focals and build the 1:48 or 1:87.1 wall brick by brick.

If a goal is to make a street scene or town street in addition to other endeavors (i.e. a layout) then another method is necessary. I think if someone like Dave could make sectional embossing masters that could be arranged in a box like strips from an old linotype machine one could have some flexibility with efficiency if embossing was the method of choice.

John

[Chuck Doan]

Not sure what is going on here:
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=35132

[eTraxx]

wowzers

[Malachi Constant]

Not sure what is going on here:
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=35132

If you click the link to his blog, there are more details ... he prepainted the material, THEN laser cut the mortar lines:

http://www.randomrailroad.blogspot.com/

[BKLN]

Nice work! And absolutely a step in the right direction.

[Ray Dunakin]

Wow! Looks to me like he's solved the "how to make realistic bricks using paper" question, at least in 1/48th scale. Too bad it requires having your own laser cutter.

[finescalerr]

I think you could come very, very close with a photo of a brick wall and an embossing tool. The brick faces, unlike those Dave created, are all on the same plane. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, depending on what you are trying to represent, but it does have its limitations.

I'll be gone for about 24 hours but if this subject is still being discussed when I'm back, I'll try to remember to shoot a photo of embossed printed brick so you can see what I mean.

Russ

[CN6401]

Here is a good example of Paperbrick done in On30 and unless you are less than 12'" from the building its hard to tell.
This is the layout of Troels Kirk, a Danish Artist living in Sweden modeling the US east coast, posted on the Railroad-line Forum. I've seen his work in person and it is very impressive to say the least.
This picture is part of vol. 4 of 5 in an ongoing thread of his ever growing layout. Have a look, the picture is about the fifth post down.
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=32687&whichpage=38&SearchTerms=Coast,Line,RR,vol.,4.
All his buildings are card stock or foam coreboard finished with laser-jet printed brick or hand painted paperstrips. I think this is quite amazing considering he's an artist not a model builder.
Ralph

[mabloodhound]

Ralph, as you know, since you've visited there, he hand paints over all his brick to get the desired results so it is not truly a printed brick.   It is more of a pattern guide  for Troels to follow when he improves colors or adds his weathering.

[CN6401]

Dave,
90% of the work on his brick walls is done in Photoshop,(the shadows the shading and enhancing the colour), the weathering streaks and rust are brushed on.
Ralph

[finescalerr]

I had promised some photos and last night I had a chance to shoot them. First is Jimmy Simmons' 1:87 scale "new brick" laser cut wood sheet. -- Russ

[finescalerr]

Next is Jimmy's "old brick" sheet, also HO scale. His samples arrived yesterday. The separate column on the left is how he handles corners: A two sided laser cut piece that abuts the main sheet. -- Russ