Mortar lines

I'll start off by saying that getting good mortar lines is challenging in any scale, so my comments are not negative.

The piece in the picture looks like  a rear wall where the masons weren't trying for even mortar and it has been weathered for many years.

Some suggestions are to use a thin coat of mortar paint, let it pretty much dry and then wipe/buff off the paint on the surfaces.  You probably wiped it off while it was wet and where you pressed down it wicked more of the paint off the surface.  If you let it dry more it won't wick out of the cracks.  Using a really thin paint makes it easier to buff.

Sometimes priming the wall with paint can affect the how the mortar paint sticks and flows through the cracks.  I often have used regular old primer red paint for bricks.

If you decide you don't like the effect you have, use some very fine (400-600 grit) wet-dry sandpaper to remove the mortar paint from the plastic surface without digging into the brick.  Or hit it with a can of primer.

You can also use tans and browns for mortar.  On the front of buildings the mortar has very smooth, even lines and sometimes is even tinted to match the color of the brick.  On the sides and the back there is often more brown or tan, rougher brick with less care on getting the mortar even.

Thanks Dave

I appreciate the suggestions. I have given the wall section a good scrubbing with some warm water and soap and applied another coat of paint. Waiting for it to dry before I clean it off.

I have some of the sand paper and will use that too if it looks like it will help.

Jack

I use plaster powder, just

I use plaster powder, just rub it in good the brush off the excess. Then I set with hair spray. IF you don't like it add more.

rich

2nd Try

Rich I'll have to give that a try. Did you ever try setting the plaster with water and a spray bottle?

Ok below is a 2nd try. Came out much better by letting the paint dry 1st, wiping it down with a wet cloth and then a real light sanding with 600 grit. Definitely cleaned the tops of the bricks. Not to easy of a time trying to clean up around the curved brick trim.

Jack

That 2nd try

looks great.  I'd be happy with that....DaveB

Looks good

2nd shot much more even than the first.

Yup

It did come out much better. I fixed the bits around the window trim using my rag and a small flat screw driver. 1 or 2 little scrapes took off the excess.

Down side is it looks a whole lot better in a photo then in reality. It is N scale, 1.5" x 2", and from any sort of distance it mostly looks like a grey wall with red under tones. That is because the mortar lines are so close together.

This is an extra wall section from the DPM furniture factory that I had started so long ago I don't even remember. I might be better off skipping the mortar and just doing some light weathering.

Any thoughts while I think about it?

Jack

Next time,

try watering down chart paint to consistency of milk, lay wall flat and let watery paint flow in mortar lines, let it dry, you may need two coats this way, but it slowly fills in, not too heavy.

Mortar

That's the problem with mortar on a small model, it overpowers the brick.

One way to deal with that is to not mortar the front of the building and mortar the sides and back to create a visual difference between the "finish" brick and the "common" brick.

Here is a a small building, about DPM size, in Omaha.  Note the difference between the mortar on the bricks facing the street and they walls that are not facing the street.

You might also want to test using a tan or brown mortar

Dave

Thanks for the photo.

The side facing the camera looks like it has the white stuff that used to show up on bricks. There's a name for it??? Looking at the front and the edge of the side that meets the front it looks like it has been power washed.

Anyway whether it has or not the white or grey tinge looks a lot like what I have on my wall piece. I have seen that effect on other models also.

I have a few old photos that I need to pull out and take a look at. And I suspect it is time to go play tourist and check out some old buildings downtown.

Jack

Efflorescence

We see it here all the time, being a town with brick sidewalks, and a penchant for using rock salt for deicing.  The salt migrates back to the surface and "blooms" when the brick dries out.

Tim B.