Scratchbuilding Questions 1, 2 & 3

Paul,

Consider using styrene plastic as the backer for the brick. This way you will be using similar materials and will be able to use Plastic Weld Cement to glue the brick to the styrene sheet. If you use styrene,I would suggest .040 or .060-inch thick. Weather you use basswood or styrene, cut the opening in the base material before gluing the brick to it. I find it easier that way.

You can paint the brick patterned sheet any color you would like to obtain a certain type of brick color.

If you use basswood with the brick material, CA would be an acceptable choice.

Alan Graziano

Alan, thanks for your info. I guess I feel more comfortable using wood over plastic. If I do another scratch-built, maybe I'll try plastic.

Paul, think like your building a scale house with the exception that you can space your studs as far as you like...or just a solid balsa sheet if you wish. Door and winodw openings are to be treated two ways;

- set the openings by the premade{plastic or resin} times you have

- per what your scratching, door or window wise, for them

The brick color of your choice is as easy as picking out the wanted color from a bottle of paint and applying it{rattle can/brush/air brush} how you wish. Afterwards I'd suggest a flat clear coat to prep the grout lines for a wash of the color you wish for the grouting.

Be carefull as to what type of CA you use to attach things-

-standard CA is known to leave a foggy white area

-"foam safe" CA doesn't do that but this comes at a price as it's adhesion strength is lessor than regular CA{tiny bit}

-epoxy is a good choice for tweeking time and the longer the time is needed for any epoxy to set{label shows the curing time}, the more fudge time you have and better strength you get   

Guess I'm running in reverse order of your questions- sorry.

I'd build the frame sides as per your specs, then cover with the brick layer, then trim out the openings...that's what I would do.

When I do a building where the backing to the plastic fronting sheets is not another plastic (which for me is 100% of the time ), I have used 2 different techniques and products.

For my earlier builds, I used GOO.  I still use GOO when applying roofing shingle sheets to the wood support sheets.  I used to use GOO for walls too but haven't been doing so lately.

For my last 3 builds, for the walls, I have used spray adhesive.  It's permanent.  I lightly spray both materials, let set for a few seconds, and they bond together well after that.  Use a quality brand.

On cutting openings for windows and doors: I never use the backing material as a frame and it's never visible, so for me it doesn't have to match to the exact size of the opening.  I cut the plastic openings first and then trace the openings on the backing material.  I then cut the opening over-sized on the backing material.

- walt

I would cut cut the opening on the backing material first. That way if you do make a mistake, you can always cover it up with your outer skin. So, do the cuts in the base, then glue the sheets together and finally cut the bricks from the back. 

I would like to add my two cents to this discussion as someone who has created over 125 scratch built buildings over the past 40 years and learned the hard way from experience.

Walt I too have used GOO to adhear Holegate and Reynolds sheeting to a stryene base. Initially it looked good however over the years the GOO has chemically changed and the siding is beginning to curl off the building. I had another incident with "Permanent " spray glue from a very respectable company a few years ago.

I was setting up my building display at a train shown and one of the wall panels droped off. I looked it over carefully and there was no trace of glue having been sprayed on the wall or the siding. I grabed some CA I carried and tacked it in place. When I arrived back home I called the company and spoke with the product manager. Permanent spray glue is NOT permanent. If you are spraying a photo which is kept in a photo album and for the most part not in the sun or open air it will hast a 'long'  time. However its a chemical, like GOO, which does not form a true bond to the materials and will over time undergo a chemical change which eventually removes all the stickey qualities. Thus about 10 years ago I started building using styrene bricks bonded to a styrene backer with Weldon which creates a chemical and not an adhesive bond. Also I use a minimum of .125 (1/8) backer which as resisted warping. Over time .040 will begin to dry out and start to warp.

I recommend you check my post on city houses, switch tower and my web site  www.westportmodelworks.com for my techniques.

MilRDPaul, I can see from your photos that your putting a lot of effort into your project and the thought of starting over would not be very appealing. However understand that basswood is soft and has a grain that makes it very unstable over the long haul. Also as Walt suggested mixing different building materials with non chemical bonding glues will reduce the models life.

Les Lewis 

Oh my gosh Les, ALL of my buildings are going to fall apart sooner or later?????

My most prized ones are models of family members houses which I plan on giving to them 'eventually'.  I'm blame them for "unacceptable atmospheric conditions" in their house if they fall apart later

I have had GOO react when I took pictures outside in the sun - the GOO under the H&R shingle sheets bubbled.  My guess was it "gassed up" somehow.  I no longer take my outdoor pictures in bright sun.

OOPS, almost forgot to say thanks for the heads up.

- walt

This is a very interesting and useful thread.  My thanks to the contributors - I'm learning a lot.

What do you think of using something like E-6000?  That is a thickened CA (I think).

George

There's residual acetone (carrier solvent in the rubber cement of Goo) trapped in the matrix of the Goo that you used that can take just about forever to depart and delayed even more if its egress pathway is blocked to some degree.

I won't address all your questions, but will offer some general guidance based on way too many years in the hobby. Painting plastic brick: i use plain white brick, spray it with a quality FINE pigment primer, then paint with acrylics, and finally seal with Dullcote.

Windows: the time tested scribe and snap method; scribe only the exact opening in the plastic, then make two diagonal cuts (all the way through) the plastic in the window openings, now snap out the four pieces and you have a perfect window opening ready for Grandt Line, Tichy, etc. window frames. Opening in backing material is usually a rough cut larger than the one on the finished outer plastic material.

Inner material: whatever is lying around that will work; .040 sheet styrene for small bldgs., foamcore, 1/8" & 1/4" masonite, 1/4" luan ply, etc. for larger ones, all usually built on a piece of 1/2' pine with corners reinforced with scraps of 1/4" to 3/8" square scraps.

Adhesive: Originally i used to use 3M spray adhesive, but, as Les said, found over time the outer material came off the inner material; then i switched to Goo (which i still use for many applications) but found it too lost its holding power over the years when used on large expanses of material. My current product of choice is Liquid Nails Projects Adhesive.

jackson

I glue the Plastruck on first and then cut. 

I use rubber cement and it holds well, IF you follow the instructions but do the wood twice (that is the key, the first time is soaks in) and paint it on plastic only the once.  Not forgiving though - better get it lined up the first time. 

For "brown" brick, I like the browner primers I can find at the hardware and auto stores.  Some are red - also good for "red" brick" but some are distinctly brown.  They go on easily on just about any surface and dry to a nice, flat, bricky finish

Here is the way I construct my scratchbuilt buildings. I use 1/8 " luan for the building structure. "Sidenote" I replaced all my interior doors in my house with solid wood doors.

    After two failed attempts of selling off my luan hollow core doors at yard sales; the light bulb went off! Here was a free ample supply of model building material.

    I cut the window/door openings out before I attach the siding material. My scroll saw works great for this  step. Clean up the openings with a file. Then press fit the window/door for proper fit. Reinforce the corner of the walls,roof, floors with 1/4" wood strips.

    I apply DAP Weldwood Contact cement to the luan surface. Then attach my plastic siding. I use carpenters wood glue if I am using a wood siding.

    I then cut out my openings in the siding with an x-acto.