Most suggest the use of mold materials that require you to be a chemical engineer in order to have access to them. Once the mold is made you can produce hundreds, even thousands, of copies of the original. Measure and cut the basswood strips and very lightly glue them in place around the outside edge of the wall plan. These common steps may be fine if you are a model manufacturer, but the average modeler just wants a single copy. Over the years I have tried countless ways of producing single molds and all but one have led either to failure or less than acceptable results.
Nothing gives the depth, feel, and porous look of real masonry walls like hydrocal plaster.
Before you turn the page to the next article because you think that making walls from plaster is too difficult, read on. This method will produce a perfectly flat and square wall every time and, best of all, it is easy and inexpensive. The main concept behind this technique is to make a mold of the wall with basswood strips on a sheet of glass over a copy of the plans. The mold is then filled with Hydrocal plaster. Let me explain it in more detail.