Started first building kit- need brick mortar advice

Yes there is. Try Robert's Mortar. Goes on with any brush or rag. Then you can wipe it off the brick face with a damp rag after it dries, 15 minutes after or days after. And u can keep wiping it until you like the effect. 

Jerrman

Looking at their site, it says you can stain with diluted India ink wash. How would I do this without staining the whole building? Sorry for the noob questions 

I've tried many techniques, including the paint technique. That never worked out too well for me. One dried it was impossible to get off and left too much in corners. What I have found to work very well is vinyl spackling. This is completely water soluble, even after it dries. It can be completely washed off if you don't like the results. You wipe in on, let it dry, and wipe off the excess with a damp cloth.

However it may not work too well on a surface painted with a water based paint. This is also true of the paint technique you describe. When wiping these off with a damp cloth it may remove some paint also. Using these techniques over flat paint may also be a problem as the flat surface tends to permanently grip some paint. Mortar is best done on a gloss surface. One completed, spray the model with a flat finish to remove the gloss sheen and seal the mortar in place.

I'm sure many others will give advice using other techniques. Give them all a try. I use "junk" building pieces I get at railroad shows to experiment on. You will learn what works best for you as you build buildings over time. Don't be discouraged if your first few building don't look perfect. Skill comes with practice.

Attached are photos of a couple of recent buildings I added mortar to using vinyl spackling.

Thanks for replying- pics aren't showing though

They show on my system, but I may have messed up the post. I have attached again. Hopefully you will be able to see them.

All of the above suggestions are good.  Practice is, perhaps, the best suggestion of all.  Ameri-Towne sells an all-brick wall...e.g., #712...that's a good practice piece. 

A couple additional thoughts from 'The School of Hard Knocks'...

The walls are not resin cast; they're injection molded.  Nonetheless, they can have some oils, dirt, residue, etc., on the surface for which a good detergent washing/rinsing/drying can be of help before any finishing.

Then, I always paint...rattle cans of enamel work well...the walls a basic brick color of choice before doing any mortar washes.  It may seem counter-intuitive, but I favor a semi- to gloss paint, if it's in a color I like.  If it has to be a flat paint, then I'll follow up with a clear gloss coat. 

The reason I favor a glossy surface is because I've found that the mortar washes....Roberts or thinned acrylic with a drop of detergent...will settle into the mortar grooves more easily, and provide an easier brick surface to wipe the excess from.  Besides, subsequent washes to age the surface will deaden the gloss, and there's always a final spray coat of matte or flat clear finish to unify it all and kill any residual shine.

I know some use spackle, others use chalks.  I haven't tried them........yet.  But I'm impressed with the results of those that do.  Someday I'll give them a try.

.....Which really sez TEHO.  Practice.  Find a technique that's comfortable with you.  Stick with it.  Practice more variations on your test wall......which you can always wash/strip clean and re-use!.

Of course, there are building kits from other manufacturers that use materials other than plastic; Laser-cut wood/MDF from Laser-Art (Branchline) and River Leaf, and cast plaster from Downtown Deco, for example.  These have some unique characteristics for finishing, often covered in the kit instructions with good suggestions/results.

FWIW, always....

KD

Andrew B. posted:

Looking at their site, it says you can stain with diluted India ink wash. How would I do this without staining the whole building? Sorry for the noob questions 

Not sure which site u mean. If it's Robert's, then yes, I often use a light India ink wash after application as it tones down the residue on the brick as well as in the mortar lines. If it's the Ameritowne site u looked at, I always prime the walls with gray, then paint with a flat or satin spray or a flat acrylic with a wide brush. The as-is finish on those walls are too toy-like for me. I'm always trying for an older, realistic finish so I don't want a gloss at all. Depends on the look u want. Roberts is my go-to for all mortar effects and has always worked really well on these surfaces and finishes. if there's any issue it is that it may take a few washes/wipings to get the residue off the brick face. But it's a minor problem as the India ink/alcohol application does a fine job. 

If if you are hesitant about it, trying it on a scrap wall may be a good idea. 

Jerrman

I had used a diluted solution of latex paint and water.  Consistency of thick milk.   As applied with the wall panels laying flat on the work bench, it will first appear that very little has been applied.  Let dry and do again, it took 4 times to get this effect.   Part of the problem, is that these mortar joints are very small lines, not very deep.

The Ameritown solid wall panel that KD mentioned. (Cut (1/2) for smaller side panels)

Again you are detailing very small lines, take your time.    

 Mike CT

Detail trim work on each of this models was done with the panels, flat on the work bench, before assembly,  brush work with Testors acrylic paints.  The panel can be moved to accommodate the best brush angle for each sill, sash, window frame, door jam, etc.   Again take your time.

Bases are fabricated from 1/4" Masonite.  Model bases are very important, IMO.   Have fun with your project.

I'm still messing with this, got the spackling to try to make that work. I'm finding when I wipe it off it comes out of the mortar joints as well, and when I let it dray and wet a rag to wipe it off the surface it's taking it out of the joints as well.

I painted the walls, so I don't want to use the diluted paint again...

Otherwise, I'm happy with where I am on the kit. 

I have an Ameri-Towne building kit I have not started, so I tested the spackling process on it.

Here is a wall section straight out of the box.

I wiped on the spackling and let it dry completely.

Using a *slightly* damp paper towel, I lightly wiped across the surface to remove spackling. The "secret" is to not make the towel too wet or it will simply wash off the spackling. And I wiped lightly so that the towel did not get into the mortar cracks - I am just removing the spackling from the surface of the bricks.

Here is a close up of the brick section. (The lighting makes the mortar look heavier/thicker in the photo than it really is.) By wiping harder I can remove more of the mortar. After I was done, I easily removed all the mortar by washing in water and lightly brushing with a toothbrush.

Finally got the spackling method working, but ran into another issue- it's turning yellow. Once I weather with an India ink solution will that be less visible?

I have used spackling technique as well as  white chalk. Both have worked well for me.