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Brick work


Littlebirdieb

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Hi all! I have been busy cutting thousands of tiny rectangles for bricks on foundation and chimney. I started with paper egg carton but had difficulty because the only cartons I have available have open vent indentations in them. The online tutorial cartons did not making it much easier to create straight lines for cutting down. Not to be defeated I searched for a material I could use at both Lowe's and Home Depot. I found what I hope will be the perfect solution but wanted to get some feedback before I begin any gluing. Home Depot carries a linoleum that looks like brick and even has the texture. I did not want to pay $ 14.99 for a 1x14 cut and so the very helpful associate gave me tons of the samples and an additional length that was cut to straighten a previous purchase. Score! So I've got a lot of bricks cut and it is just almost impossible to get them the exact size with every cut. I've gone through and trimmed any that were glaringly obvious to be different sizes but my question is whether this will be less noticeable on finished project. Was hoping someone had experience with brick creation/applivation and would share some insight. Also, any ideas on creating a template for uniform spacing. I've purchased tiling (non-sanded) grout to use as mortar. I plan on gluing them first and then applying grout to fill spaces but not actually hold the brick on to the wood. Then sponge w water as you would do with any tiling project. I appreciate your help and advice! Thanks!

Edited by Littlebirdieb
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I think you will find that small inconsistencies in size will not matter so much when you start gluing. For spacing, I've found that it's helpful to draw horizontal lines a little wider (taller?) than your bricks.  When you glue them on, glue them so that the top of the brick is on the line.  This will help ensure a straight line nicely spaced above the line below.  (You won't see the lines once you grout).  

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FYI-HD and Lowes sell individual linoleum tile squares.  The only template I can think of would be to draw lines onto your board leaving space for the mortar. Spread a bead of Aileens Tacky glue and set each brick to your lines. 

I have a large paper cutter, the one with a large blade to make cuts for this type of material.

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40 minutes ago, Debsrand56 said:

I think you will find that small inconsistencies in size will not matter so much when you start gluing. For spacing, I've found that it's helpful to draw horizontal lines a little wider (taller?) than your bricks.  When you glue them on, glue them so that the top of the brick is on the line.  This will help ensure a straight line nicely spaced above the line below.  (You won't see the lines once you grout).  

Thanks! Sounds like a good idea.

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30 minutes ago, Sable said:

FYI-HD and Lowes sell individual linoleum tile squares.  The only template I can think of would be to draw lines onto your board leaving space for the mortar. Spread a bead of Aileens Tacky glue and set each brick to your lines. 

I have a large paper cutter, the one with a large blade to make cuts for this type of material.

I tried my paper cutter on the egg cartons but the pieces were too small to hold into place and cut. I'm wondering if my cutter would work on the linoleum? Worth a try. I still have about a bazillion to cut. My hand has been tired and hurting!

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I have had the best luck with mount board and a mount board cutter, for making tons of uniform bricks or blocks, mine tend to be bigger blocks though. I made uniform sizes then trimmed them according to the pattern I wanted. on this house. http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/?app=gallery&module=gallery&controller=view&id=119841&browse=1

On other houses I kept the same size through out. I am sooooo happy I invested in the cutter. [ slicer ]

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Hi there! I have recently bricked the foundation and chimney of my Fairfield with clay bricks. I was also having problems with egg cartoon, so I started searching for alternatives and clay seamed like the best solution for my problem. You can use a mold to cut evenly sided bricks out of clay with very little effort, and even after baked is easy to cut and sand and can be painted to add effects. My only problem was I don't have access to an oven to bake the clay at the moment so I ended up custom ordering them, it took about 2 months for my bricks to arrive but was well worth the wait. If you are working on 1:12 scale you might even find packs of pre-cut bricks ready to use for a decent price. 

I've attached a pic of what they looked like while I was gluing. To glue them I've used pva wood glue, to keep them straight I just kept squaring each row with my metal ruler while the glue was wet. I also had premixed tiling cement at home but frankly I couldn't use it, the grains of sand in it were sticking out like a sore thumb so best to find thin cement powder and make your own mix if you can. Forum members also advised me to mix a little bit of pva glue in the mortar mix for the grouting, it worked really well. I mixed a couple of spoons of cement with a small amount of water and tiny bit of glue then applied the paste gently over the bricks with a pallete knife, wiping the excess off with a wet cloth. You can see more pics of the finished bricks on my gallery. 

wip_brick.jpg

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On Tue Jan 24 2017 19:54:46 GMT-0600, wormwoodz said:

Hi there! I have recently bricked the foundation and chimney of my Fairfield with clay bricks. I was also having problems with egg cartoon, so I started searching for alternatives and clay seamed like the best solution for my problem. You can use a mold to cut evenly sided bricks out of clay with very little effort, and even after baked is easy to cut and sand and can be painted to add effects. My only problem was I don't have access to an oven to bake the clay at the moment so I ended up custom ordering them, it took about 2 months for my bricks to arrive but was well worth the wait. If you are working on 1:12 scale you might even find packs of pre-cut bricks ready to use for a decent price. 

I've attached a pic of what they looked like while I was gluing. To glue them I've used pva wood glue, to keep them straight I just kept squaring each row with my metal ruler while the glue was wet. I also had premixed tiling cement at home but frankly I couldn't use it, the grains of sand in it were sticking out like a sore thumb so best to find thin cement powder and make your own mix if you can. Forum members also advised me to mix a little bit of pva glue in the mortar mix for the grouting, it worked really well. I mixed a couple of spoons of cement with a small amount of water and tiny bit of glue then applied the paste gently over the bricks with a pallete knife, wiping the excess off with a wet cloth. You can see more pics of the finished bricks on my gallery. 

wip_brick.jpg

I decided to order pre-made clay bricks off of Ebay today. I'm so picky and I really want this project to be exactly as I have designed. I will use the bricks I've cut for another project or once I trust myself with the brick process. I cannot wait for them to arrive!

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I love the way the egg carton bricks turn out, but yes, they are a pain to cut and get enough since there are not many flat surfaces.  I use large seedling pots (at Walmart in the Spring) that are the same material, but easier to cut into flat lengths.  And cheap, too!  Good luck working with the pre-made bricks and share pics so we can see how it turns out!

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12 hours ago, kreativitea75 said:

I love the way the egg carton bricks turn out, but yes, they are a pain to cut and get enough since there are not many flat surfaces.  I use large seedling pots (at Walmart in the Spring) that are the same material, but easier to cut into flat lengths.  And cheap, too!  Good luck working with the pre-made bricks and share pics so we can see how it turns out!

I thought about the seedling pots too. Had them in my hand but was worried they would disintegrate since they are designed to be planted. I will definitely try those in the future if you've had luck with them. I really wanted the egg cartons to work bc they did look beautiful. But I'm itching to really get started and they were a bit too tedious right now. Thanks for tip! 

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On Wed Jan 25 2017 05:04:18 GMT-0600, havanaholly said:

Amber, I make my bricks from sandpaper, and I discovered a garnet sandpaper at our Robertsdale Ace hardware that is a lovely brick color.

What are you using to cut the sandpaper? I had considered sandpaper but knew it would destroy my scissors. I got a new saw and I bet that would work! 

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On Tue Jan 24 2017 20:23:11 GMT-0600, Shakyshaky said:

Plaster of Paris also works very well as a grout for bricks. It has a very fine consistency and looks good also. You can tint it with paint if you want a colored grout also. 

There are two different types of grout depending on the size of spacing between the tiles. For smaller spaces non-sanded grout is what is used for tiling. This keeps the grout between the spaces without the sand taking up too much space.I learned this at our hometown hardware store this week! If I can find a brick mold I'm going to attempt to color the Plaster of Paris and make my own. I might just sell them too. I haven't had luck finding a mold but I've not checked any bakery supply stores which is where I think I might find them. 

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1 hour ago, Littlebirdieb said:

What are you using to cut the sandpaper? I had considered sandpaper but knew it would destroy my scissors. I got a new saw and I bet that would work! 

I have a pair of paper-cutting scissors I use for sandpaper.  Years ago I read that cutting sandpaper helped keep scissors sharp.

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21 minutes ago, havanaholly said:

I have a pair of paper-cutting scissors I use for sandpaper.  Years ago I read that cutting sandpaper helped keep scissors sharp.

I've read that, too.  I never worry about cutting sandpaper or tinfoil, because they're both supposed to have a sharpening effect.

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Caution with molds. You have to wait for each batch to completely dry before removing them from the mold if using a no-bake medium. That could mean a lot of batches  and a very long time before you have the quantity you need.  

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  • 2 months later...
On Tue Jan 24 2017 19:14:57 GMT-0600, Debora59 said:

I have had the best luck with mount board and a mount board cutter, for making tons of uniform bricks or blocks, mine tend to be bigger blocks though. I made uniform sizes then trimmed them according to the pattern I wanted. on this house. http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/?app=gallery&module=gallery&controller=view&id=119841&browse=1

On other houses I kept the same size through out. I am sooooo happy I invested in the cutter. [ slicer ]

I know that I have already read and liked this post but I think re-reading just now made me stop and think about what you were using. Photography mount board is what you were referring to correct? I was about to ask where you got a cutter but I believe I may already have one in some old small picture framing tools that belonged to my husbands grandfather. It is a small silver mouse shaped tool that has a little weight to it? I'd take a pic but I don't have it at this house. The mount board would have texture for bricks or could be made to have texture. If your cutter is different than what I described please let me know. I ordered bricks off of eBay after this original post and after spending over a week hopefully checking the mail each day, I received a notice from seller that they were either "damaged or not enough of the quantity selected at point of sale." My money was refunded by I was still disappointed. I've received news that I need an operation on my shoulder and I have moved within the past month so my mini house has been on the back burner. I have kept the brick ideas rolling around in my mind during my many recent trips to home improvement stores. Sorry I didn't clearly process the first time. Thanks again! 

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Sorry to hear about your shoulder. Yes photography or artwork mounting board. I purchased my mat cutter at Hobby Lobby, and waited until it was 50% off or they always have a 40% weekly coupon, but it was well worth it! its large but so are the textured  mat board sheets that I buy also at hobby lobby. Both the mat cutter and mat boards do come in smaller sizes though. Both items are in the framing part of the store. The one bought helps keep the sheet straight while cutting it.http://www.hobbylobby.com/Art-Supplies/Project-Supplies/Mat-Cutting/Compact-Mat-Cutter/p/4197

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On 1/27/2017, 3:37:49, Littlebirdieb said:

There are two different types of grout depending on the size of spacing between the tiles. For smaller spaces non-sanded grout is what is used for tiling. This keeps the grout between the spaces without the sand taking up too much space.I learned this at our hometown hardware store this week! If I can find a brick mold I'm going to attempt to color the Plaster of Paris and make my own. I might just sell them too. I haven't had luck finding a mold but I've not checked any bakery supply stores which is where I think I might find them. 

Minaco sells brick molds.

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