Bricking it. Update 21st July

[Mason]

Wonderfully detailed.
Most excellent.
 

The patience of a saint must prove very useful, sir.
 

[pocoloco]

Excellent work! 

[6milPhil]

Thanks fellas! 

Lovely work....did you peel one side of the foamex to be able to scribe it ?

Nope, it's not like foamboard it doesn't have a core it's all one piece.

Excellent Phil. Are you planning to cast a whole town's worth?

I'm looking at doing a few, but not all scribed.

The patience of a saint must prove very useful, sir.
 

Well it's more the desperation of an old man trying to catch up...  

[mcfonz]

Bloddy 'ell Phil, that's looking fantastic! MORE WE DEMAND MORE!

[6milPhil]

  Thanks Fonz.

I thought I'd try a different approach today.

Started by cutting out the basic building shape in 1mm plasticard.


And a backing sheet for that.


Test some the fit of some windows which in true Blue Peter style I'd made earlier. Also add a block of foamex and a sill above it.


Then tested the fit for these bricks which I mainly used for rubble or bases, you know the type. Had a good look at them and realised how laid out as a traditional brick only one long side is square to the bottom, so rather than sort them out I decided to use them as stonework and lay them botton to the wall.


Decide to see if there was any warping against a piece of sheet steel. Despite only being two piece of sheet with a couple of bits stuck on there's the start of a warp.


I tape it to the steel to keep it flat for the next stage...


... of gluing on the bricks and using the glue as a mortar.


I'll see how well this goes...

[OSHIROmodels]

Haha! Individual bricks, you can't beat it 

cheers

James

[Thunderchicken]

The man's gone insane  At least you're not alone.

I like the concept and it looks good. As you've mentioned, my only concern would be warping. It's a pity no one offers these size bricks in foam. Seems like there's a growing market for them.

[Dr. Zombie]

It is getting to the point where LAF needs to have a "may lead to individual brick laying" warning attached. Perhaps there ought to be a brick layers self help group.

[fastolfrus]

If you get any miscasts or rejects can I scrounge them for school?

[6milPhil]

Thanks guys. It's not as much fun as scribing to be honest... so I'm glad I'm only laying the top half of the building.

It is getting to the point where LAF needs to have a "may lead to individual brick laying" warning attached. Perhaps there ought to be a brick layers self help group.

I own this book, I may be beyond help... not simply because I own it but because I think there's too much about kilns in it and not enough photos of bricks.

I like the concept and it looks good. As you've mentioned, my only concern would be warping. It's a pity no one offers these size bricks in foam. Seems like there's a growing market for them.

I'm hoping that strapping it down for the bricklaying will minimise it. When I come to make a mould I will glue it down to the base board so it won't be a prob. These at a trifle large too, I'm thinking 1/72nd might be better... perhaps these: http://www.modelscenerysupplies.co.uk/scratch-build/model-bricks

Foam for me would be a pain as it'd have to be doped before mould making, and therein lies a chance of filling in all the lovingly crafted detail.

If you get any miscasts or rejects can I scrounge them for school?

Sure, unlikely for such a large fill mould but sure. 

[roadskare63]

PURE INSANITY in the making.......1:48 scale bricks!!!! 

[6milPhil]

Well it's worth seeing which works best.

Had a little play doing the base of some brick pillars:


Cut a tile course for the finishing of the brick laying because it's such a nice little detail and not because my measurements were a little out.


And viola finished! Around six hours to do, it's very fiddly and unlike the scribing remains so throughout, whereas with scribing once you've completed the basic layout you're freehanding. Scribed bricks for the repairs top right, I'll come back and detail those later.


And a shadowed photo so you can see all the detail of the bricks themselves.


Not sure what to try next, to have laid a whole brick wall like the scribed one would have taken at least as much time but would have been more difficult. Next up I'm trying some Cranson foamboard, it's meant to be tougher than standard foam core board and has to be easier to work than foamex... 

[Silent Invader]

Well Phil, you're doing a great job of convincing me that when I make my Georgian house I shall have to do so brick-by-brick. Most cool. 

[Burnin Coal]

  major doffing of cap as jaw hits floor...outstanding work

[carlos marighela]

Individual bricks, the sure sign that someone is serving ten to twenty at Her Majesty's pleasure or more likely, sectioned and detained on an indefinite basis. Eventually  they end up shanking a fellow inmate with a craft knife or scribe they've snuck back to their cell. An all too common story.

Lovely work though.