Downtown Deco Build Syzek Manufacturing

[TomW]

I just finished  The Syzek build. I am going to use it for a clinic for the Sunshine Region Oct. convention in Plant City. Coloring brick on plastic and plaster model is one of the hardest to make it look real . Following are the pictures and step I used for the Plaster Model.
Cleaned Flash, Had to open up the windows to make the Tichy windows fit. I used emory board and the back side of Exact knife to open them. Coat of white flat spray paint lightly covering a couple
of times. I flat sanded the back of the casting so they where flat using 80 grit sand paper. I also square up the end. This did not take much.
Wash of Georgia Clay paint was applied. A lot of water. You can add more but removing is a bear. Added some pictures for inspiration for doing the model

[TomW]

Paints that I used along with Vallejo Washes of all three grays , olive green, black, and European earth.
I thinned the craft paints using Terra Cotta as my base color. I added different red to the base color and made piles of paint then with small brush start painting in groups of at least threes. I did make some bricks darker than all the others. but not too many. After painting this took about 3 evenings. I used 1500 grit sand paper and lightly rebbed the brick only taking off paint on high brick sticking out. Do this very lightly. Then using Terra Cotta paint( mine is really thick which I like I dry brushed along the edge of the windows , brick sill ,pilasters if there are any.
Next step is using the Vallejo washes. I thin them down a little with water and Very lightly mist the whole casting and then in the mortar joint touch the wash and let capillary action work.

[TomW]

I also used thinned light gray and tinted white for mortar joints. My idea is that a old brick building stood next to the other two but had been torn down. The contractor or who tore it down could not get to the back side to remove the bolts for the roof so he left it there. The brick was attached to the existing building and left them there. Being a building inspector I saw this a lot.
I used some black cardstock for the roofing paper , and nut & bolt casting attaching it to the building. Some 2x10 was used to make the trusses. The side wall was attached but the back was had a gap of about a foot between the walls. I used to see this in Pittsburgh. I used Liquidtex Ceramic Stucco for the brick with Georgia Clay added to it 2 drops. I also used so of the material gray color for mortar. Masking tape defined the walls. I used the Liquidtex material for the plaster on the wall. I just painted lightly white paint on the brick which would be the store room. I did not bring the plaster up all the way as the ceiling would have stopped at about 10'.

[TomW]

I used abc blocks to keep the walls square and glued them together with Titebond Ultimate 3 glue. Reinforced the corners with strip wood. Use the biggest you can. I used 1/8 x1/8 and went larger when it came apart. Do only two sides at a time and let it dry before attaching other walls together. I used strip wood for the supports for the roof. On the main part of the building I used stryene strips glued with canopy glue to the plaster walls to make a new cornice at the top. This was done to reduce the thickness of the wall when  looking down at the roof. 600 git sand paper cut down to 3' wide was applied to the roof using transfer tape. Canopy glue mixed with black paint was used to attach the chimney , roof vent, roof hatch to the roof.

[TomW]

Hiding the wall joints, I made power line conduit with a meter at the bottom to hide one side , Roof drain using 1/16 styrene tubing for roof drains with square tube at the top to collect the water, and roof gutter on the rear flat roof the downspouts going down to the ground.

[TomW]

When I ran the electric line for the sign I was not sure what I was going to do. I decided to make it a Electric Company specializing in electric motor repair and rebuild. My old boss had a electric company and I thought Ken's after him would be fitting. Plus I had a nice casting of a large motor. I united States steel the motor repair was next to our shop and i got to see this a lot rebuilding motors. The sign was made out of cardstock wrapped. The card stiock was applied to .020 styrene with transfer tape. The sign was wrapped with small styrene channel. I left a small piece sticking out at the top and bottom .Brass rod where pushed into the the sandwich of cardstock and styrene. Holes drilled into the plaster and signed attached with ACC. I added two lights from Tichy glued back to back  and attached to the top of the sign.
Back of the building with downspouts and foliage added

[PRR Modeler]

Very nice Tom.

[TomW]

The addition I added screen in the corners to keep the leaves out and added a skylight . I had to make the skylight fit the angle of the roof to make it straight. A vent was added to get the fumes out when they coat the winding with varnish.
I added a I beam with hoist from my scrap box to the freight door to move the motors around

[TomW]

All the ground foam and weeds from Martin Welberg. was added and power lines strung to lights and details added. I used the ceramic stucco for the concrete and stained it.

[Janbouli]

Wow, looking great , superb brick walls.

[TomW]

Thanks You, another prototype picture

[vinceg]

great modeling, Tom. Brickwork looks excellent.

[tom.boyd.125]

Tom,
Nice modeling !
Fan of the plaster brick kits here too.
They help balance out all the wood, stone and concrete structures.
Tommy

[Zephyrus52246]

Very nice work.  Great brickwork.

Jeff

[Opa George]

Excellent work, Tom, and thanks for the detailed step-by-step.  I have worked with a lot of plaster rock castings, but no cast brick walls yet, so this will be very instructive.

Really enjoyed this.

--Opa George