I've been using Robert's Brick Mortar for many years...I use to purchase directly from the guy who made it, and then purchased it from my local hobby shop, and then they went out of business. I recently purchased it from the Yankee Dabbler hobby shop in NJ. From the internet, its apparently being made from a shop in WI. I am trying to contact both shops and will relay any useful info.
I don't know if they changed the formulation, but this latest batch is not working as it should - just goes on and evaporates - leaving no white residue in the mortar lines. And, it smells like strong dish detergent...don't ever recall that odor before. I've shaken and stirred to a maximum degree, so that's not the problem.
As this is my 8th bottle in as many years, I am confident I know what I am doing, and given this stuff is not cheap I am a bit frustrated. The whole point of using this stuff is to make it easier than using diluted white paint (I've done that too, and it is much harder and takes much longer to achieve consistent results for a given building).
If anyone has purchased this product in recent months (such that it would be of the same batch), have you had good results? Unlike previous bottles, there's no batch sticker on this latest bottle. And, what's up with the strong dish determent smell? I know that reduces surface tension, but this product never smelled like that before.
I sometimes wonder if I am the only person that has these kinds of problems...
