1/16th bricks

[eTraxx]

Hi guys

I came across these bricks after reading this thread and would like to know if anyone has used them?

Or would you recommend something else in 1/48 scale?

http://www.secretweaponminiatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13&products_id=435

Cool. Thanks for the link. While I might not want to build an entire wall brick by brick in 1:48 .. I could see these being used in addition to a brick sheet. Think I will order a package for the heck of it.

[Gordon Ferguson]

I too have got sucked into this 1/16 world, spent some time over the week-end experimenting with the Diorama Debris  1/16 brick mould, was really getting quite pleased with myself thinking that "Nick the brick" will be proud of me   .................... then I see he has taken brick building to a new level 

Anyway here are some shots of of my efforts, I basically followed the DD instructions with little tweaks . Used their terracotta plaster, 30 gms of plaster to 8g of water, with the addition of minute quantities of their iron oxide and /or their burnt umber to add some variety .

Used Nicks method for building the test wall but used strips of 30 thou plastic instead of wood to act as the mortar spacer ........ did not really fancy trying the DD's  method of of using polyfilla/Spackle to act as a glue/mortar.





(by the way I did get papal dispensation from Nick to use this bond)

Was a bit concerned that DD's suggestion for applying the mortar would stain the bricks so made up a test panel



Top left, the mortar was applied ( polyfilla ready mixed coloured with some cement dye buff oxide and a very small amount of black and thinned down slightly with water ) excess scraped of and the bricks wiped with damp cloth

Middle, bricks darkened slightly with thin water colour and then sealed with Dull cote. Mortar then applied as above , excess scrapped off and wiped with damp cloth.

Bottom applied as directed by DD, excess mortar kept damp and picked of with wooden toothpick no other techniques used other than a light brush at the end when all the mortar was dry ( did try to angle the mortar with the edge of a blade when it was still damp)

Their method is the best , IMHO

Final shot is the brick pillar built up a few more courses , 1/16 is big!, mortar applied as per DD's suggested method .... tried to leave a few places where the mortar has started to fail and fall out

 

That's as far I have got, now need to try and alter the basic brick tone as the terracotta colour while OK for some brick types is a bit too light in colour for what I am trying to achieve















 

[lab-dad]

Thanks Gordon!
Very helpful tests / results.
Glad I got the ball rolling!
Did you follow DD's instructions for "making" the bricks too?
the trowel, clear plastic & then glass.
Thanks for posting!
-Marty

[Gordon Ferguson]

Hi Marty,

Yes followed their instructions, sprayed mould with water and a little rinse aid, tapped on towel to take excess off, then plaster mix, flexible clear sheet of plastic and weighed down with glass.

To be honest still not got technique right, all the bricks are useable but still have a number with air bubbles on the back ........ however their method certainly gets uniform thickness of bricks.

[Junior]

Looking great so far!

Anders

[finescalerr]

Thanks for showing what worked best and what didn't. -- Russ

[marc_reusser]

On a posite note: great job, and thanks for al the expeiments and the SBS.

On the les possitive note: Damn you Ferguson...you're just trying your hardest to drag me sown int the festering muck and mire of your brick nightmare.

[Chuck Doan]

Looking very promising indeed!

[Barney]

Great stuff our Gordon this 1/16 scale is catching - nice colour and texture in fact they match the colour of the bricks I have just knocked out of house wall in the "loo"
Is this a project or just a "dabbling" in brick art ?
Barney

[Gordon Ferguson]

Just noticed the feedback , thanks folks

and to continue Marc's nightmare , the experiment continues;-

New colours and English Bond







Its gonna to take a while even to get to the first storey  

[lab-dad]

Now that is a proper bond!
cue NickO bemoaning here!
When I do mine I will only be going to the window sills!

What did you do different for the "new colors"?

how did you do the quarter brick slices?
I looked at the English but those little pieces made me reconsider.

-Marty

[Lawton Maner]

Now you know why masons get paid by the brick and not by the hour

[shropshire lad]

Now that is a proper bond!
cue NickO bemoaning here!
When I do mine I will only be going to the window sills!

What did you do different for the "new colors"?

how did you do the quarter brick slices?
I looked at the English but those little pieces made me reconsider.

-Marty

  Marty , you're such a lightweight , get yourself a club hammer and bolster and have a practice . If you dare do stretcher bond I'll have you banished from this forum and you'll only be able to post at the RRL forum !

  Nick

[Gordon Ferguson]

He never gives up does he ?



Marty, sorry should have added the detail after all this is supposed to be "sharing" about how it was done.

I managed to get 8 different coloured oxide powders of cement dye in sample packs of 100 gm ........... as 500gm will colour 25 Kg of cement its pretty strong stuff.

For these latest bricks I mixed 195 gms of the terracotta plaster from Diorama Debris + 5 gm of red cement dye  for the basic colour ( for each cast of the bricks used 36 gm of the plaster & 9 gm of water )
When I was about half way through using up the initial mix I added 4 gm of iron oxide and 1 gm of black cement dye  to get a a variation (slight)

for the second batch mixed 180 gm of terracotta plaster, 15 gms of  of white plaster and 5 gm of red dye. Again half way through using the dry mix I added 5 gm of iron oxide .............. same ratio of plaster to water.

If you are good at maths you will realise I had some of each of the dry mix left over after 5 pours from each ,so mixed what was left of the 2 mixes together so I ended with 5 different shades of brick ............... the shades are very close but it is amazing how even my eyes pick up the slight differences.

When building the wall I switched this time to 20 thou plastic card strips to narrow the mortar line.

The mortar mix was about inch long length of premixed filler from a tube, coloured with a few granules of deep buff cement dye and literally one or two granules of black dye. Pressed mortar mix into gaps, let go off .... literally seconds and then scrapped of excess with toothpick ....... this time I left mortar flush with brick surface.

When fully hardened, brush with stiff toothbrush ........ this provides a slight polish to the brick surface which might be useful for some types, I wanted mine matt so found wiping over the surface of the bricks with slightly damp brush returned them to a matt effect.

Barney

at the moment its sort of have experiment /  half project ................ that might turn into a full project but God forbid never a finished one.

[lab-dad]

Thanks Barney.
As noted i found a red powder they also have black and buff.
At $7 each it is not a major investment.
Where did you get your sample pack?
Marty