1/16th bricks

[Gordon Ferguson]

Marty,

I just looked up cement dyes on e-bay, and found a supplier who offered to supply sample packs of the various dyes so that people could experiment ........ With postage 8  x 100 gm sample packs cost roughly 8$

By the way i tried the club hammer and cold chisell recommended by you know who ........ found it a bit awkward on these size of bricks .

So I cut the bricks by scoring with knife blade and then pressing down hard along the score line with a heavy blade or tapping the back of the blade with small hammer .......... Because its plaster you can rub/ sand it with rough sandpaper for final adjustment if you need to .

Also for what it's worth I found it better to follow full size practice and build up the ends/corners first then work into the centre of the wall .......... That let me adjust the vertical mortar gaps as and if required

[mad gerald]

Gordon,

I'm really watching your report and progress with interest ...

...sprayed mould with water and a little rinse aid...

... just wondering, what's about this rinse aid ...

Cheers

Edited, because the the question "how to part" has been answered in the meantime (I did not recognise) ...

[lab-dad]

been casting bricks as of late.
had quite a tub - about 750
I decided to build some "masters" and make molds.
I wont embarass myself by showing my first attempt.
This small section is 6" tall and about 3 1/2" wide.



I am using 1/32 basswood as spacers.
The bricks are fastened to foamcore with waterproof carpenters glue.
Here is an in progress shot;



Also built a vacuum box to use when i make the mold.
Marty

[mad gerald]

Marty,

looks very promising ... just wondering, if you post-coloured them or if you casted lots in different colours ... or both?

IMHO the red(dish) colour seems a little bit pale ...   ... judging only from the two pics  ...

And I'm curious about the sandpaper (?) on the lower pic - was sanding necessary to even them out - or just planing the edges after having parted them?

Cheers

[lab-dad]

Well the red is the red. It is a little darker in person (picture shot on my phone).
I played with ratios of color and thats what I ended up with that I liked.
I thought the darker (red) ones were too dark.
Also FWIW I think they will get darker with the weathering, hopefully not too dark.

The colorant is meant for concrete and I use it in a 16:1 ratio to the plaster.
I also have black and buff that I sprinkle in the mold for color variations.
I vary the coloring from batch to batch, adding (slightly) more or less red.

No post coloring was done.
This is the master for a mold so all of this "color" is just for trials sake.
When I do cast the walls I am hoping for some variation but will need to go back and add more variety.
I'm hoping the gauche will work for this. (another experiment).

Gerald;
The emery board is there to square up the cut ends of the half bricks.
I could not figure any better way to make 1/2's so I used my NWSL Chopper and then sanded them square.
Scoring & splitting did not work.


-Marty

[Malachi Constant]

Is the pattern done?  Using the old electronics terminology of male and female connectors ... it looks like the male plugs are all on the same rows both left and right ... so, as is, this does not produce sections that would join together ...   -- Dallas

[lab-dad]

Ahhh. you are correct, BUT if I flip the next one it will!
Actually I do not intend to "join" these sections to each other (I think) but have them connect with a column (of individual bricks) if needed to avoid the dreaded "line" between castings..
I also think I can go around a corner with this set up - need to try.
I also think I can laminate two castings together for a double sided wall, but I am getting way ahead of myself.
Each wall section will have a window or door in it so the "inner" fingers will be removed for the opening.

Here are two photocopies of the wall not flipped.
And as you can see they "seam" right together!



-Mj

[Malachi Constant]

Oh yeah, duh ... in the words of Emily Latella ... never mind! 

[Carlo]

Marty ... I have a few questions.
1. Do you have a web link for the coloring sample pack?
2. What (and how thick) is the backing which holds all the bricks together as a unit?
3. Did you make a one-sided silicon rubber mold?
4. Tell me more about "building a vacuum box". Pics? Vacuum source? Shop Vac?
Carlo

[SandiaPaul]

Funny this doesn't look anything like a lathe....and I can't find anything wrong with it!

[shropshire lad]

Is the pattern done?  Using the old electronics terminology of male and female connectors ... it looks like the male plugs are all on the same rows both left and right ... so, as is, this does not produce sections that would join together ...   -- Dallas

It would be possible to join two sections together by stagging them one course up or down . This does mean that you potentially lose two courses or need to add bricks top and bottom to make both sections level . But , quite frankly , in this scale it is no hardship .

  Nick

[lab-dad]

Marty ... I have a few questions.
1. Do you have a web link for the coloring sample pack?
2. What (and how thick) is the backing which holds all the bricks together as a unit?
3. Did you make a one-sided silicon rubber mold?
4. Tell me more about "building a vacuum box". Pics? Vacuum source? Shop Vac?
Carlo

1. No. I did not get a "sample pack" I bought red, charcoal & buff from a company called Sakrete.
Their page for the colors is http://www.sakrete.com/products/detail.cfm/prod_alias/Cement-Colors

2. The backing is 3/16" foamcore. I just noticed some warping of it but I think (pray) I can glue it down to my glass when I pour the silicon.

3. the plan is to make a one sided mold.......

4. Here is the vacuum box;


It is 10" x 12.5" and 2.5" tall
I plan to use my a/c vacuum to introduce the vacuum; 29 in. Hg.

I still have a couple more masters to build then I will order the silicone so it is fresh.
Anyone have recommendations as to a brand/source?
Also I was thinking of "sealing" the master with a gloss clear enamel.

*Special thanks goes to Nick for all his help getting me this far.

Paul,
when I saw you posted I was thinking "now what!" LOL!
Glad you didnt find anything to complain about!

-Marty

[finescalerr]

A lot of work, but a fascinating project. Please keep us up to date. -- Russ

[marc_reusser]

If you flip it....wont the "frogs" be upside down!?

Love the 'Hannibal Lecter' box.

Marc

[Lawton Maner]

Guys:

All you want to know about using vacuum in the shop and a whole lot more. http://www.joewoodworker.com/veneering/v2-about.htm
Plus, if you muck around a bit, you will find a DIY section on storing vacuum.

Some of the military modelers use a spray paint pressure pot when resin casting.  First to pull a vacuum to de-air a casting and then throw about 120 psi onto it to force the resin down into the small details.  Also works when making the rubber moulds.

For small moulds (think 5cc or so), I've had good results with silicon tub sealer from the hardware store.  Down side is that you have to build it up in thin layers and since it is an adhesive, you have to carefully seal and wax the master.