Great work, Bruce!
Is it raining there, too?
I had never heard of Shorpy - It is fascinating!!! Thanks for referencing it…
Phil Anastasia said:
I had never heard of Shorpy - It is fascinating!!! Thanks for referencing it…
It is and this is why I avoid it !!!
Unless I want to blow a 1/2 of a day.
I thought I’d try something a bit different for the brick this time.
I bought 4 ounces of Roberts Brick Mortar. You just “paint” it on, making sure you fill the mortar lines completely.
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Structures/Strong&Son/IMG_2176.JPG)
It’s important to make sure that you only do one side at a time and let dry; otherwise it all runs out of the lines; I found that out easily enough, but it’s easy enough to just add more.
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Structures/Strong&Son/IMG_2179.JPG)
I let it dry for more than an hour, then wiped it off the bricks with a damp paper towel.
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Structures/Strong&Son/IMG_2182.JPG)
I need to touch up a few places, but I like the results; it’s a tad too white, so I think I’ll put my alcohol/India ink mixture over it to tone it down.
Note that it IS water soluble, so I will be putting a clear spray over it to seal it.
But, I like the results so far. Here’s a shot of the store front with a bit more detail added.
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Structures/Strong&Son/IMG_2181.JPG)
Nice, Bruce… Very nice…
Bruce,
Very nicely done to this point.
The mortar"paint" looks very good but I agree a toning down
with an overall wash will blend everything together.
Rick
Bruce,
Lookin’ mighty fine. I am still amazed that you’re able to “bend” the brick sheet to go around corners, as I have had sketchy results trying to do that–using a hair dryer. Question: is the Roberts Brick Mortar solution a model railroad product or something sold in hardware stores?
BTW, the store window looks pretty slick.
It’s looking good !!!
Bruce , have you tried mixing a little (very little) grey water colour or water based acrylic in before applying ? I would caution against using black , the colour is more readily controllable with grey .
I’ve used that technique on my own buildings ; cement used in brickwork is rarely white .
On the overall toning down wash , adding a little green toward the bottom gives the impression of damp . It has to be just a little ; tipping a load of colour in is difficult to recover from because you have to start adding white and then lose track of what the mixture should be when you come to do a repeat wash on another building .
Mike
Why do products to simulate mortar come in white? Mortar of any age is usually either gray (not too old) or a sand colour (old).
Thanks Bruce, good info here.
I do hope that I will be able to attend the grand opening. I always prefer the small shops over the super stores.
It’s nice to think that Bruce has found a new hobby, running a community grocery store, to keep him busy. I guess Jean will handle the cash and greet the customers, while Bruce stocks the shelves.
Good work, Bruce…!!
Nice work Bruce. I like that mortar for the bricks. I’ll need to pick some of that up. Is it thick enough to fill the grooves or does it just coat them ?
Joe Rusz said:
Bruce,
Lookin’ mighty fine. I am still amazed that you’re able to “bend” the brick sheet to go around corners, as I have had sketchy results trying to do that–using a hair dryer. Question: is the Roberts Brick Mortar solution a model railroad product or something sold in hardware stores?
Yes, I am also amazed at how well the Plastruct brick bends. Surprised even. I ordered the mortar solution online. (http://robertsbrickmortar.com/) I haven’t seen it anywhere else.
David Maynard said:
Why do products to simulate mortar come in white? Mortar of any age is usually either gray (not too old) or a sand colour (old).
Isn’t that the truth? I guess you could argue that being white it allows you to add any tint you like? But the only time mortar ever looks that white is in an old B&W photograph.
Mike Morgan said:
Bruce , have you tried mixing a little (very little) grey water colour or water based acrylic in before applying ? I would caution against using black , the colour is more readily controllable with grey .
I didn’t try that…a bit too late now, I’m guessing. 
But, I’m anxious to see how it looks with the India ink solution applied on top of it.
Dave, N.B., Marconi said:
Nice work Bruce. I like that mortar for the bricks. I’ll need to pick some of that up. Is it thick enough to fill the grooves or does it just coat them ?
Dave, it’s pretty thin and it runs in the lines very nicely. However, it does tend to fill them a bit.
Here’s a closeup. You can also leave a bit on the brick surface if you don’t wipe it down completely.
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Structures/Strong&Son/IMG_2183.JPG)
Thanks for the close up. That is what I hoped it would do. Gives a more mortar like finish over paint
Wow. That stuff is great.
David Russell said:
Phil Anastasia said:
I had never heard of Shorpy - It is fascinating!!! Thanks for referencing it…
It is and this is why I avoid it !!!
Unless I want to blow a 1/2 of a day.
Oh, Shorpy is like crack on steroids - but they have the coolest images.
David Russell said:
Phil Anastasia said:
I had never heard of Shorpy - It is fascinating!!! Thanks for referencing it…
It is and this is why I avoid it !!!
Unless I want to blow a 1/2 of a day.
Been there. Done that. Many times!
Nice work Bruce, as usual! I see in that last close-up of the bricks that some kid stuck a wad of used chewing gum on them. You’ve thought of everything!
A rainy day, so enough with the outside work; it’s time to get back to the grocery store.
I created some trim with some styrene and then painted it. Next, the brick - I applied my alcohol/India Ink mix, then sprayed it with some dead flat.
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Structures/Strong&Son/IMG_2238.JPG)
Boomer sent along some details for the store - among them this neat Coke sign. I decided it would look pretty neat on the side, but first put some Krylon clear on it. Thanks again, Boomer.
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Structures/Strong&Son/IMG_2239.JPG)
Nice one , Bruce .
Mike