Brick walls in Hydrocal

[Brent]

I want to build the Chama roundhouse in O-scale.  The west wall will be highly detailed and I plan to carve it in Hydrocal, C. C. Crow style.  Is there a better alternative?

[shropshire lad]

Don't ask me . I only lay my bricks one at a time , no carving involved .

  Possibly a bit ambitious in this case !

  Nick

[marc_reusser]

Very ambitious (and tedious) carving project.

If you want to try and make it easier, how about buying some blank/plain O-scale brick wall sections/pieces from a mfr. like New England Brownstone, C.C. Crow, or Downtown Deco.....cutting them to the sizes youwill need to assemble the desired wall dimensions...locating where the windows will go...maybe having to adjust just a slight bit to adjust for the brick module, cutting out the window openings....then carefully adding/filling-in hydrocal at the arced head...which you can when cured, carve to get the right brick detail. You will also need to carve the brick detail at the windoow opening cuts, so the return back towards the windows...and you may need  to cast some small rectangular pices that are the correct size for the sill...into which you can then carve the sill brick detail.

....just a thought...probably the way I would approach it just to keep my sanity 

Regardles of how you proceed, I hope you will share the process/progress.


M

[Marken]

Here is a wall which I carved. I used plain old plaster of paris and the build was in 1/2" scale (1/25th)



The metal is a piece of aluminum which is spring loaded that I used to lay out the bricks before carving. It held the plaster wall in place. The only other tools was a 6" rule and the carving device.

This is my practice piece after finishing.



The whole process was sort of fun, but there is always the realization in the back of your mind that if you screw up, well........

O scale would be the smallest I would attempt. Tried HO once. My eyes couldn't handle it.

Marc's idea about buying some walls is a good one, but doing it yourself will be more satisfying when the project is complete. Just my 2 cents...

[MrBrownstone]

Hey Marken,

Good Looking 1:25 brick walls

photo's 1:48 wall modules and new window module as well as a newer 1:87 window module for the 1:87 wall modules plus another style 1:87with drystack lower half and brick and plaster upper half "window module in photo"
(all castings are of hydro cal and vacume mixed with a hardening drying process)(working on corners modules and wall connectors)

any questions feel free to ask

Mike

[Ray Dunakin]

Marken, your 1/2" scale wall looks great. What kind of "carving device" did you use?

[Marken]

Ray, this is the tool I use. Just sharpened the tip to make carving easier.

[Ray Dunakin]

Thanks!

[MrBrownstone]

Hey Marken,

that is some pretty good carving... with that tool

This is what I am using..(see photo)
it is a varable speed dental tech dremel with some custom machined bits

Mike

[Brent]

Thanks for the tips!  It looks like I have my work cut out for me.  Perhaps I should switch to 1/2 scale, but then the Chama roundhouse would fill my entire basement!

[Marken]

Brent, just pour some small walls and practice. You need to let them set for at least a couple of days before carving though. Otherwise they are too soft.

And the longer they sit, the harder they get which makes carving not so easy.

Good luck and have fun.