Question -Re: Glass Block Windows

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

OK, for a while I’ve been wanting to model glass block windows (for those uncertain what glass block windows are, here’s a link :http://www.nag-glassblock.com/f_main.htm), and the November 2004 issue of Rail Model Craftsman (we can mention competitors on this forum, right?) has an article on “kitbashing an addition to Diljak A-1 Container Company”, where the author Gerry Leone does just that. Yea! - except that there really isn’t much in depth info on this in the artilce (well, I know this isn’t ‘Rocket Surgery’ we’re talking about here, but still…)
OK - pulling the bits and pieces togther (from the article body, and the photo caption), I get this so far:
1.) Lightly score a piece of acetate (w/ knife); matrix of lines each one spaced apart by width or height of a scale glass block.

  • So far, so go…
    2.) Make glass block section translucent by placing frosted tape behind it.
  • I tested this on a sample section, and it look more or less like glass block window - but, something was lacking - namely this…
    3.) “and then diluted white glue used as mortar”
    While this would probably do the trick - the problem is I really can’t seem to interperate this correctly - use white glue as a wash, or paint white glue in, or what? And why white glue anyway, and not white paint? And does this glue go on the outside (facing viewer) or the inside (between the acetate and the frosted tape)?
    Any one have interperations of this article, or ideas of their own on the subject?
    I hesitate to e-mail the author (as he didn’t give an e-mail address), or e-mail RMC to bug the author to get a clarification , if I can help it.
2

Glass block is usually kind of wavey on the surface. White glue will dry clear. I’m thinking it should go over the outside facing surface, the side with the scoring, not the side with the tape. Worst case, experiment, the materials aren’t that expensive.[;)]

3

Glass block walls are built from ‘bricks’ of glass like a regular brick wall. The glue should go in the score lines on the window like you would wash white paint intot he lines on a regular brick wall. Why white glue? Because it dries with a hazy clear color that closely simulates the clear adhesive (caulk?) used to build glass block windows and walls.

4

With regard to rrinker’s comment that a clear adhesive is used to join the blocks of exterior glass block windows/walls, at least in the NYC area I have never seen anything but regular very light grey concrete mortar used.

I suspect the white glue was used by the article’s author because 1) scale mortar lines would be too fine to represent with a wash of actual paint but when dry the white glue gives the impression of some vague division between blocks and 2) it was used to dull the modeled feature, as the reflectivity of actual glass block is decidedly less than normally seen with window glass or acetate.

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