298 Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I'm building a couple of walls for a low relief warehouse using Slaters P0401 Stretcher bond brickwork (The prototype has an uneven American bond with a varying number of rows between the header rows, but i'm prepared to accept a compromise). I've noticed the sheet has uneven vertical mortar joints which lean to the right, which is less noticeable for large areas but annoyingly obvious now i'm adding the additional external columns. So are all the sheets, whether the P0401 or other types of bond like this....? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jim s-w Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Hi Andy My experience is most slaters isn't square, is it too late to switch to SE Finecast? Cheers Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted January 22, 2011 Author Share Posted January 22, 2011 Hi Andy My experience is most slaters isn't square, is it too late to switch to SE Finecast? Cheers Jim Not really Jim, i'm just using what is easily available as a temporary fix until I get round to making a proper job of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David C Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Unfortunatey, my experience echoes Jim s-w's - on almost all Slaters 4mm brickwork sheets, the vertical mortar joints aren't at 90 degrees to the horizontal. They used to be when they first came out back in the 1980s or whenever it was, but nowadays, they aren't - are the dies worn or distorted? Although SE Finecast brickwork is, the edges of the bricks appear rounded and rather unrealistic to my eyes. Wills sheets are overscale and are even worse than Slaters as far as the vertical/horizontal problem is concerned. I contemplating using brick paper in future .... David C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 I think a custom brick paper is the way to go for the more permanent structure. Another issue I have is one of the rows has a chequerboard pattern which closely matches a Slaters sheet but not alot else: Unfortunately the real building burnt down in 2004 so the only photos I have were from a visit two years earlier. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jim s-w Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Hi David I agree about the rounded ness of SE Finecast but to me that looks like an older wall. (I tend to sand it a bit too). I still use slaters when I want new brick Cheers Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted January 23, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2011 Presumably the roundedness of the SE Finecast product stems from it being vacuum-formed, whereas the Slaters sheets are injection-moulded? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hale Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I thought that the Slaters sheets were vac-formed and Wills are injection mouldings hence the feed nibs. DesA Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
industrial Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Will are injected but Slater's is embossed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I prefer SE Finecast to Slaters on other grounds - it comes in larger sheets! The other product worth looking at is 'Howard Scenics' brickwork. Lovely product - if you don't mind working in card. Regs Ian B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mucky Duck Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 The other product worth looking at is 'Howard Scenics' brickwork. Lovely product - if you don't mind working in card. Regs Ian B I agree. Even though I've yet to work with it, I'm looking forward to it. The pointing looks more subtle and you can create well-worn, uneven surfaces by using a scalpel blade to alter individual bricks. I've posted these images before but here they are again anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave777 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Hmmm, that looks interesting. As much as I like some of the card products (scalescenes for example) it's the lack of relief that puts me off, hence I usually end up using the Slaters stuff. Can't seem to see this available online, does one purchase at a show or eBay? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alant Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Hmmm, that looks interesting. As much as I like some of the card products (scalescenes for example) it's the lack of relief that puts me off, hence I usually end up using the Slaters stuff. Can't seem to see this available online, does one purchase at a show or eBay? Dave, Freestone Model Accessories in Witney stock Howard Scenics, not sure if they have a website though. Their number is 01993 775979. The embossed card is available for both 4mm and 7mm scales. Alan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I had some Slaters that was out of line, and sent it back, and got replacement sheets from them, it must be quality control slipping. They were never totally exact, but that only makes a little problem, but the sheets had drifted to almost two bricks adrift across the sheet, forcing breaks in the courses to re-align. Stephen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mucky Duck Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Dave, Freestone Model Accessories in Witney stock Howard Scenics, not sure if they have a website though. Their number is 01993 775979. The embossed card is available for both 4mm and 7mm scales. Alan. There is a rather cosmic-looking website: Freestone Model Accessories . It's still under construction and not showing Howard Scenic products but it does give Jerry's email and postal addresses if you'd prefer write to him than phone. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poor Old Bruce Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Hmmm, that looks interesting. As much as I like some of the card products (scalescenes for example) it's the lack of relief that puts me off, hence I usually end up using the Slaters stuff. Surely the material you use depend on the finish you want to portray. On well pointed brickwork, there's not that much relief anyway is there B)? especially when scaled down to 4mm so brick paper (if you can find the right bond, colour and 'age') is well worth considering. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 As I see it, the only reason for using 'relief' card or plasticard is so that it can be filled in (washed) with a different colour to depict mortar joints. As has been said, good mortar joints are flush with the brickwork anyway. As an N gauge modeller I see little point in spending an arm and a leg on these products when a good brick paper, such as those which are available from Scalescenes, will give me a much better range of colour tones in individual bricks and mortar than I could ever achieve with paint. In addition, lets face it, any impression of texturing virtually disappears at anything above about 4ft viewing distance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyk Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I was looking two nights ago at a freelance 00 model of a red brick finish factory made by a fellow club member using Scalescenes texture sheets, and it looked absolutely superb from just a couple of feet away. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gastwo Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Thanks, Mikeky! Wish I'd taken some pics of it now... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyk Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Thanks, Mikeky! Wish I'd taken some pics of it now... Surprised the good doctor didn't take some photos of it actually! Lovely looking building anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave777 Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Each to their own chaps. If brick papers suit you, you go ahead - I'm not trying to talk you out of using them. Thanks for the links Alan + Mucky Duck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 There is another plastic alternative in HO as opposed to 4mm. Plastruct have a small range of vac-formed brick sheets. EMA models Not sure if they do anything other than plain stretcher bond but the couple of sheets I have are very sharp and crisp, with no curved corners or wonky mortar lines. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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