DPM Building Question

[haasmarc]

I have a question for the collective.  Most people use buildings from the DPM line.  When you place a taller building next to a shorter one, you often have windows partially showing on the taller building.  I need to fill those in with brick and was going to use some brick from a cut off section, but I wanted to ask the question in case someone else has an easier method.  I don't want to put alleys between every building and I want the varying heights for interest.

[Bobster]

Haasmarc,

Have you considered using Plastruct brick sheets?  You could use it to brick up a window or build a whole windowless wall very easily with a straight edge and an E-xacto knife.

Happy modeling,

Bobster

[Dave Schneider]

You might consider replacing the entire side with new plastic sheet. I don't know of any exact matches for the DPM brick size, but it wouldn't be very noticeable at a foot or two away.

I use this brick sheet, as it has a relatively small brick size and good shape (ie. it isn't a loaf shape like some brick sheet).
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221100655826

You might also consider the old brick from Monster Models for the rougher texture frequently seen on the sides of buildings.
http://monstermodelworks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15&products_id=118

It would be great to see some pictures of your project.

Best wishes, Dave

[PAL_Houston]

...When you place a taller building next to a shorter one, you often have windows partially showing on the taller building.  I need to fill those in with brick and was going to use some brick from a cut off section, but I wanted to ask the question in case someone else has an easier method.  I don't want to put alleys between every building and I want the varying heights for interest.

In Chicago, where I grew up, the alleys were behind the buildings and the streets were in front.  Spaces between buildings were called "gangways" if they were wide enough to walk thru, and these spaces were used not only to provide access to the rear of buildings, but frequently to provide access to coal-chutes, or filler tubes for bunker oil.  It was very common to have windows facing the "gangways" from both adjacent buildings whether they were taller, shorter or the same height, and the windows in residential or commercial structures would almost always have curtains or window-shades.

It was also not uncommon for windows to be bricked-over during the life of the structure.  This was not so common for residential buildings, but was not unusual for commercial or industrial structures.  Rarely would the brick colors match when this was done, although a good job would frequently see the brick courses well aligned.  What this means is you could create interest by filling (some of) your windows with brick from the cutoff section, as you suggest, but painted a slightly different color which I suspect would've been a shade or 2 lighter, and with new-looking mortar.

[gpumph]

I have used Plastruct brick sheet but it is 1:200 not 1:160.
I may not have enough posts to PM but I would gladly send you some if you think you could use it.
As I said I'm not sure of the restrictions since I only have a few posts.
Gene

[eja]

If you were going to "brick it in", I would consider plain styrene sheets covered with one of the paper selections available at this site

http://scalescenes.com/scratchbuilders-yard

[gpumph]

I have some paper brick sheets too. fwiw

[Catt]

You can also get brick paper (actually a PDF) from Clever Models for less than $2.00.

[Zox]

Or you could tile this at 600dpi to fill a page:

[haasmarc]

Keep the suggestions coming!  I will try and post a picture tomorrow of what I am working on.

[rogergperkins]

  Not to belittle the question, but I have never sweated this situation.
I try to rework the buildings until I am satisfied with the overall view of them.

[haasmarc]

Here are a couple of pics of what I am doing.  The road is curved as well as climbs to the left.





As you can see, the upper floor windows of the red building and the unpainted building are partially blocked.

I saw some JTT brick sheets in Hobby Lobby but they didn't have N scale.  I might need to get some to try.

[One of One-Sixty]

For future buildings you might want to try DPM modular sides, they come in plain brick sides as well

[wazzou]

Switch the locations of the un-painted building and the one to the left of it.  Problem solved.

[pnolan48]

You could also just sacrifice one DPM building wall to fill in the openings. This would have been easier in my time, when the DPM buildings went for $4-7 each.

Or you could stairstep the building foundations, so the floors match. This was often done in "hilly" urban places (such as Brooklyn Heights or Breeds Hill ). I did this to keep everything vertical (i.e., "plumb").

Or you could build the neighborhood with common walls, a difficult solution, but one I used to save some of the walls (or pieces of walls) for other projects. That probably depends on each building. Using the modular walls, it was pretty easy, as the brick spacing on the modules was regular. The buildings, IIRC, often have different spacings and foundations.

Or, as I did, you could stairstep the sidewalks, and thus the foundations. This way you could have two or three buildings at the same sidewalk height (instead of every building at a different height).