# HO bricks? Please?



## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

*Tweezer fodder*_
A longtime yearning._

I've long wanted to make a brick wall or structure in a partially crumbled state.

The only model bricks I've seen are offered only in O scale and 1:35. They're sold in packs of hundreds, and are fairly reasonable.
I fully realize the difficulty of attempting such a tedious and arduous project, but I have a plan that would simplify it dramatically.
I just wish somebody would produce bricks in HO scale.
The ones on eBay that are claimed to be "suitable for HO & OO scale" are far bigger, and not even close to 1:87.

This photo is from an O scale layout:


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## Jscullans (Jul 8, 2019)

You may look into walthers cornerstone. I know that they made models of a brick yard so maybe they have bricks. Worth a try anyway if you haven’t looked yet


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Jscullans said:


> You may look into walthers cornerstone. I know that they made models of a brick yard so maybe they have bricks. Worth a try anyway if you haven’t looked yet


Yeah, I checked them first.
They list brick sheet, (which is very good) and stacks of bricks with pallets, but not individual.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

I might have found them.








100 Extremely Tiny Miniature Bricks HO N scale Red railway model wargame diorama | eBay


Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 100 Extremely Tiny Miniature Bricks HO N scale Red railway model wargame diorama at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



www.ebay.com


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## Jscullans (Jul 8, 2019)

If they aren’t right maybe styrene cut to length? Let me know if you buy them. It has my curiosity now


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

I ordered these...
1,200 for $38 w/free shipping.








1200 HO N Scale Tiny Model Bricks Red Miniature railway wargame diorama scenery | eBay


These are the smallest individual real bricks in the World! Give your small scale dioramas or railway sceneries a wonderful detail, with these REAL individual bricks! Use them in all your professional dioramas to scatter the bricks in scenes like ruins, cargo for trains, brick yards...



www.ebay.com


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## Jscullans (Jul 8, 2019)

I personally wouldn’t be building with them but that would be cool to have some to use as details to scenes. If you like them and remember I would appreciate it if you update the post. I’m not to that point yet but I think it would be cool to have some by my engine shed and roundhouse


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

The stone walls and things of that nature that I've seen made with foam sheet, indentions for each stone, a bit of joint compound washed over the surface to "stone it up" and various paint techniques to bring forth the seams and crscks and color seem to produce fantastic results. 

Intuitively that seems like it would work here... But it won't produce the results you want?


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Severn said:


> The stone walls and things of that nature that I've seen made with foam sheet, indentions for each stone, a bit of joint compound washed over the surface to "stone it up" and various paint techniques to bring forth the seams and crscks and color seem to produce fantastic results.
> 
> Intuitively that seems like it would work here... But it won't produce the results you want?


I think you should probably read the O.P. again.


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## flyerrich (Feb 17, 2014)

LateStarter, be sure to let us know how these worked out for you. Thanks


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

I don't see the obvious issue. From what I've seen of the "foamers"... They could reproduce the pic with expert ease.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Severn said:


> I don't see the obvious issue. From what I've seen of the "foamers"... They could reproduce the pic with expert ease.


Then be my guest... have at it.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

No my question is why do you reject it. I'm not arguing you should or should not do it that way. 

Certainly you have a different idea.


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## Don F (Dec 5, 2015)

Is there a scale sized trowel and level to go with the bricks?! I am amazed at the size of those to be scale for HO, that is really cool. I look forward to seeing how your project turns out. That O scale deteriorated wall looks great. Being a bricklayer, I can attest to the authenticity.


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## coblesan (Sep 28, 2019)

LateStarter, 

I was intrigued by your post and started my own quest to find an answer. You are correct in stating that you can find as much bricks that you want in larger scales. I came across a guy who built a mold out of silicone to create his own bricks. I know that is not what you were looking for but, it is an option. 

Good luck with your wall. 
Mike


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Standard American brick is 8"x4"x2-1/4".
An HO scale brick needs to be about .092" long, 046" wide, and .026" thick.
1:1 mortar is about 1/2" thick... or .006" paper.

Yeah, it'll be interesting.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

This photo is from a general 'discussion' about laying individual model brick, in which I found very little information, except that the horizontal spacers appear to be styrene strips.

My first impression is, it appears to be a challenge to get the overall face of the brick surface to be flush.
Perhaps as the rows are glued, they could be coaxed outward against a held-in-place surface.
Or... the courses could be laid face down in a jig.
Or maybe I'm overthinking it.

My one major concern is, I believe they're made of a ceramic material. I'm not sure how easy it'd be to cut them.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

I like it but can't believe there's not a short cut of something pre molded to produce similar results.


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## Don F (Dec 5, 2015)

Having been a bricklayer, I will give this some thought. This example is really extreme, as the modeler is using Flemish bond. This consists of a header, or half brick between two full bricks. The bricks aren't all flush, or flat.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

I found this site with several options but... Not the same depth... 





__





Plastruct Rough Brick Patterned Sheets Model Railroad Scratch Supply #91607


This is the Rough Brick Patterned Sheets from Plastruct



www.hobbylinc.com





My instinct is to build a form. Stamp it out using maybe clay sculpture and paint. 

If that is far too much my instrict is to build some small repeating form. And press/carve into foam .. then apply something like a joint compound wash, then paint.

After that my instinct is to pay Don 87 time his normal rate to do it right. Unfortunately that's just a bit expensive... That was supposed to be funny, that part of it..


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Severn said:


> After that my instinct is to pay Don 87 time his normal rate to do it right. Unfortunately that's just a bit expensive... That was supposed to be funny, that part of it..


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

What Don F said.

Now go back and look at the pic in the OP. The wall is more than one brick thick. 

One course is two bricks deep laid long-ways. The next course is one brick turned 90 deg. @Don F , wuzzat called?


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

__ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/683491680925695792/


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## Don F (Dec 5, 2015)

Stumpy said:


> What Don F said.
> 
> Now go back and look at the pic in the OP. The wall is more than one brick thick.
> 
> One course is two bricks deep laid long-ways. The next course is one brick turned 90 deg. @Don F , wuzzat called?


We called those header courses. In a common bond wall, every 7th course would be a header course. This gave strength to the wall by tying in the inner and outer courses of the wall. Walls were also 12 " thick, 16" thick and so on. The inner wall would use cheaper "common brick" while the outer wall, that which is seen and exposed to the weather would most often have a harder burnt, or kiln fired brick to withstand water. Common brick are usually very soft and absorb water easily. When laying common brick, they were often dipped in water, as they would absorb the moisture from the mortar, which resulted in a weaker bond. In the good old days before the advent of cinder and concrete block, bricks were laid by the millions. Stone was also a common building material, and were often used together. I could go on for days! I was just discussing a similar scenario on another model train forum concerning the ornate old buildings of the past.


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## Don F (Dec 5, 2015)

LateStarter said:


>


If we lived closer, I would jump in at no charge! I am always up for a good challenge.


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## Bonz85 (Sep 16, 2019)

Looking at that picture I thought of something, I'll probably explain it wrong. But what if instead of having the bricks on the outside of the mold/cardboard you assembled the bricks on the inside of it. That way you simply press the bricks against the mold/cardboard, you wouldn't have to do much trimming of the bricks and when you pull the cardboard away all the bricks would be flush. The inside wouldn't look good but typically you don't see the inside.


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## Djsfantasi (Mar 19, 2019)

Probably what the TS doesn’t want, but here’s my two cents.
Instead of building up the crumbling brick wall, in an additive process brick by brick... use a subtractive process. Like how the original wall fell apart.
Using brick sheet, mark out where the bricks have fallen from. Drill out the openings and finish with sharp blades and a file. Back the cutout piece with another brick sheet. 
Detail with individual bricks either cut from strip styrene, scraps of brick sheet or even a few scale bricks.


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## 65446 (Sep 22, 2018)

I'd rather try to make a sheet of simulated bricks look realistic, in HO anyway, than stack HO bricks, one by one.
What I immediately do to plastic structures made to be brick is to take sand paper across them all.
It' dulls them and gives em scratchier texture and to make grouting come out and look a bit powdery..
But O and larger scales I think it works great; individual brick laying here and there....


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## Andreash (Dec 30, 2018)

Wow, what a challenge you have picked....seeing your previous work, I’m expecting something spectacular....cheers


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

LateStarter said:


> I ordered these...
> 1,200 for $38 w/free shipping.


And here they are. All 1200 came in a rolling paper.

I won't be building any walls with these.



















Also got the stone blocks for a gon load. See here...Second HO Layout


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

Interesting. Which reminds me. I ran into this Noch brick overlay. It has some texture to it.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Stumpy said:


> And here they are. All 1200 came in a rolling paper.


Good on you for posting a photo...
I intended to, but I got sidetracked.
Got beat on my own thread!


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

They look about the size of a pez candy. I wonder if they'd fit in a pez dispenser...


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## Andreash (Dec 30, 2018)

I only counted 1167 bricks in the photo....you might want to count them to verify that you got 1200.....I can see the bricks being useful for scenery (ie like of bricks, or some on a pallet, etc)....cheers😀🍩


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Severn said:


> They look about the size of a pez candy. I wonder if they'd fit in a pez dispenser...


Probably don’t taste very good though......


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## afboundguy (Jan 10, 2021)

Andreash said:


> I only counted 1167 bricks in the photo....you might want to count them to verify that you got 1200.....I can see the bricks being useful for scenery (ie like of bricks, or some on a pallet, etc)....cheers😀🍩


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

_*About ready to give up*_
I wanted very much to duplicate the O-scale wall...
But with bricks half the size, it makes the project more than twice as difficult.
A veritable tweezer nightmare.
_Eeesh!_


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## Djsfantasi (Mar 19, 2019)

LateStarter said:


> _*About ready to give up*_
> I wanted very much to duplicate the O-scale wall...
> But with bricks half the size, it makes the project more than twice as difficult.
> A veritable tweezer nightmare.
> _Eeesh!_


That’s why I create my own latex forms for brick walls. I pour a wall in stripwood forms. With an X-acto knife and dental picks, I carve in mortar lines. Then, I make a latex mold. As in my previous post, I create negative space by removing bricks with a drill and knife. I back that with. A full casting.

The individual bricks can be piled up and glued with dilute wood glue. If you want (and I suggest that you do), make another latex mold of the loose bricks.


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

LateStarter said:


> A veritable tweezer nightmare.
> _Eeesh!_


Yeah, as soon as I saw them I knew they would be never be anything more than part of a load of rubble in a gon. At least you tried.

I wonder if you could carve up brick stacks.









Brick Stacks -- Kit - 1/2 x 1/2 x 11/32


Product Number: 933-4103UPC: 616374147984 Manufacturer: Walthers CornerstoneCategory: SceneryScale: HODescription: Bring a classic industry to your HO layout with the Cornerstone Brickworks Series. Typical of facilities producing brick and similar products from the 1880s to the 1990s, the series...




www.bluerailhobbies.com


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

Some kind of tool or form or both to more easily lay down the bricks... But you'd have to invent that first.


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## Jscullans (Jul 8, 2019)

I’m sure it was a valiant effort though seeing your modeling skills. Live and learn I guess


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## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

Is the gap between the bricks the problem? If I were trying this I'd make a box form out of scrap with the outside of the wall on the bottom, pile the bricks in, sort them into whatever order you want then pour some kind of glue on top (which would be the inside of the wall). The glue would have to be thick enough that it doesn't puddle underneath the bricks. If you need it doublethick make two sheets and glue them back to back. I saw a video about a guy who builds huge models out of toothpicks and that's what he did, glued toothpicks together into giant sheets then formed the sheets into the shape he needed for the model.
That wouldn't make the gap though.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

_*Gotta start somewhere*_
Okay, so I'm determined to make use of them.
I'm starting small... nearly went cross-eyed.


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

Wow. What did you use for mortar?


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Stumpy said:


> Wow. What did you use for mortar?


3M Patch+Primer.
I should have added more gray to it.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

I was going to say "Frosting", but I think the color is fine. Just highlights the bricks!


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## afboundguy (Jan 10, 2021)

LateStarter said:


> _*Gotta start somewhere*_
> Okay, so I'm determined to make use of them.
> I'm starting small... nearly went cross-eyed.
> View attachment 559035


I can imagine I'm going cross-eyed just thinking about putting them together but it looks awesome!


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

_*Built a fire pit*
Taxing on the brain._

I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm only able to take small bites so far.
Maybe I'm just lacking imagination.


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## Don F (Dec 5, 2015)

I like it!


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

That looks good.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

_*Another view*_


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

_*Using some more up*
On a burned out structure._

Because I think I'm getting better at it, I try more a little at a time.
Then eye-fatigue kicks in, and I have to take another break.

Like the previous postings, this is a tiny diorama.


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

That looks really good.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

So I just happened to run into this bridge project by Luke Towan.

The bridge may be the star but second fiddle goes to the bricks for the abutments. In it he makes 100s or more bricks out of foam for it. 

There's several steps to it and ... If you are getting paid by sponsors, perhaps all the more easily accomplished.






So I admit I thought hand laying each one was kinda crazy way back but maybe not.

The other approach I've seen in vids with foam is to build a small tool to press the brick outline in row by row.


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## Jscullans (Jul 8, 2019)

I have used some of his techniques working on layouts. I think the trees he makes are awesome. I kind of follow his direction on making them


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