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Seatbelts

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  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Everett
Seatbelts
Posted by markuz226 on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 10:51 PM
So far as i have experienced, the lowly seatbelt has always been the most obvious interior detail often overlooked by model kit firms. I know resin and and photo etch details are already available but I want to know how to make them on my own. I tried using masking tape with painted on buckles. Although I really liked the textture and effect the masking tape gives, I don't quite appreciate paint buckles. What are your suggestions for scratching your own seatbelts/buckles? Are there any article out there that my help me? Thanks!

~~MarkY
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Pominville, NY
Posted by BlackWolf3945 on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 11:35 PM
Hey Mark!

My fave technique for scratchbuilding buckles is to take some thin soft wire, usually 0.10 solder, bend it into the shape of whatever buckle I'm trying to replicate, then gently flatten it out.

This is a rather poor photo as I can't get really good close-ups with my digicam and, yeah, the buckles may not be entirely accurate, but this is an example of some scratched belts & buckles. The belts are foil from a wine bottle, by the way.



Fade to Black...
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Iowa- USA
Posted by toadwbg on Thursday, March 13, 2003 8:49 AM
I agree this is a overlooked detail and an important one when you have an open cockpit. In 1/48 scale your cockpit looks pretty naked without them or weak when they are just painted buckes (in my opinion).

Assembling belts and buckles together can be a real pain! I've really enjoyed some of the aftermarket photoetched brass belts wtih buckes. I recently got an edwards 1/48 German Luftwaffe bombers set. It includes enough betls (belt and buckles together) for about 10 or so seats. This is a nice way to go.

Toad
"I love modeling- it keeps me in the cool, dark, and damp basement where I belong" Current Projects: 1/48th Hasegawa F-14D- 25% 1/48th Tamiya Spitfire- 25%
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 13, 2003 6:30 PM
i just close the windows and hope no one notices... if i have to, i would take decal seat belts and put them on aluminum foil or bare metal foil and superglue them on. another way is to emboss brass. theres an article on hyperscale. its on seats but u can use it for seat belts.
  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Poway, Ca.
Posted by mostlyjets on Thursday, March 13, 2003 11:18 PM
blackwolfscd, excellent technique. I'll try that. However...the photo made me cringe seeing the model on top of the decal sheet!
All out of Snakes and Nape, switching to guns...
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Pominville, NY
Posted by BlackWolf3945 on Friday, March 14, 2003 10:27 AM
DOH! At least it's in the bag! LOL

That technique takes alotta practice, so be patient!

Fade to Black...
  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Netherlands
Posted by propfan on Monday, March 17, 2003 9:18 PM
There is linnen tape available gave it a colour and use a silver pensil to make your own seatbelts.
Bert

Happy modeling

Bert   IPMS SIG Airliners and Civil Aviation 90002

  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Everett
Posted by markuz226 on Monday, April 28, 2003 7:25 AM
How about seatbelt decals? Do they work on painted masking tape or wine bottle foil?
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 28, 2003 10:20 AM
I make my belt buckles out of card stock with a razor blade. I just make a kind of "Y" shape for one end, and a strait piece for the other. I would like to try the wire buckle idea though.
  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Brazil
Posted by Fabio Moretti on Tuesday, April 29, 2003 9:27 AM
I use masking tape or aluminium foil (as the seal of powder milk can) for the belts, and I make the buckles with a fine wire..

Next on the workbench 

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 29, 2003 9:34 AM
Blackwolf's method works very well. The foil off of a wine bottle is perfect for making seat belts. I usually use PE buckles, just for convienence.

N.
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Niagara Falls NY
Posted by Butz on Tuesday, April 29, 2003 10:46 AM
Another method of making seat straps is using "non porous" surgical tape(found at the local hospital supply store).
You just cut the tape to size and width you need using a a new #11 blade and a lil superglue to attach.
If I get board I'll take the buckels from a photo etch set and apply them to the tape straps(a lil longer to apply and time)
Once everyrhing is done you can either leave it the color(off white) or repaint it(paint sticks well).
The over all appearence has a nice look to it. I have also tried Blackwolfs method and his to is a great way to represent the straps and buckels.
Flaps up,MIke

  If you would listen to everybody about the inaccuracies, most of the kits on your shelf would not have been built Too Close For Guns, Switching To Finger

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: New Zealand
Posted by nzgunnie on Tuesday, April 29, 2003 4:18 PM
I like using maskng tape, with photo etched buckles. I have a couple of sets of Reheat buckles, but I'm not sure if they are still in production. They came with a little piece of textured material, but it was a kind of nylon, and nothing will glue it, but using masking tape instead worked really well.
  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Everett
Posted by markuz226 on Thursday, May 1, 2003 10:23 AM
Great advice guys! Thank you very much.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Seattle, WA
Posted by RonUSMC on Thursday, May 1, 2003 11:15 AM
I wish someone would do a photo tutorial of how to make them out of foil or masking tape. :(
http://finescalegallery.com Active Kits: 1/48 AM Avenger 1/35 Sd.Kfz 251 Ausf C
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, May 1, 2003 12:10 PM
I have a friend who's a (highly paid) professional modeller, and he uses painted paper for belts, usually with etched buckles. As the Black Wolf noted, lead foil works well, here.

This might stray a little from the topic of scratching them, but have any of you seen the new Eduard pre-painted belts up-close and in-person? Yes, I was plenty sceptical upon hearing about them - but they are beautiful! You have to see them to believe them...
  • Member since
    May 2003
Posted by anrcox on Friday, May 2, 2003 9:54 AM
I found thin staples, twisted around the tweezers work great. Just make a loop and and a long thin loop and go to town. For the belts, painted duck tape looks great.
Ive tried A, I've tried B....
  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: South Central Wisconsin
Posted by Daywalker on Thursday, November 6, 2003 4:58 PM
I have a set of those Eduard belts/buckles, and they are awesome! However, I would also like to try the lead foil technique. Does anybody know where to find lead foil? I have asked numerous people about it, but nobody seems to know where to get it from. {:(

Frank 

 

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Posted by maddafinga on Thursday, November 6, 2003 5:58 PM
There's a great article about this on Aircraft Resource Center. Go to Tools 'N Tips, then on to Cockpit Detailing. You'll see it right in front of you there. An excellent reference page for seats and seat belts is linked there as well.
Madda Trifles make perfection, but perfection is no trifle. -- Leonardo Da Vinci Tact is for those who lack the wit for sarcasm.--maddafinga
  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: South Central Wisconsin
Posted by Daywalker on Thursday, November 6, 2003 8:50 PM
Where do I find the Aircraft Resource Center?

Frank 

 

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Posted by maddafinga on Thursday, November 6, 2003 10:19 PM
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/
Madda Trifles make perfection, but perfection is no trifle. -- Leonardo Da Vinci Tact is for those who lack the wit for sarcasm.--maddafinga
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Central USA
Posted by qmiester on Thursday, November 6, 2003 11:21 PM
daywalker - check with your local dentist - as they use small x-ray film they end up with a lot of 1 1/2 x 1 sheets of lead - I got a box 8"x8"x8" full of them about 15 years ago and it is still about 1/2 full (wife worried about germs so we boiled them in water) - they make great seat belts and LBE harness for 1/35 figures.
Quincy
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 7, 2003 3:29 AM
also just use the foil of a wine bottle.
must agree though that PE belts and buckles are really nice.
Plus they give jobs to a few nice people....
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: New Zealand
Posted by nzgunnie on Saturday, November 8, 2003 4:50 PM
I have both the waldron and re heat PE buckles, and have used masking tape for 1/32 seats belts. I like the idea of the medical tape, as it has a good weave, so I'm going to go and track some down.

For 1/72 I've used Airwaves PE belts with buckles (after all in 1/72 it's a little hard to thread straps and buckles together.)

Another kind of tape I've found good is fineline tape used for marking out the masters for printed circuit boards, it is available in a variety of fine widths and so is ready to go straight off the roll.
  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Lafayette, LA
Posted by Melgyver on Saturday, November 8, 2003 8:26 PM
I have taken a pair of cheap needle nose pliers and filed the tapered points to flat rectangles the size of the interior of the buckle were the belt threads through. Then used fine copper wire to wrap in the correct shape then flattened them to make some realistic buckles. I usually use masking tape doubled over on it self. I stepped the pliers so I can make 1/48 then drop down and make 1/32 buckles. Can drive you crazy sometimes, but are there any sane modelers out there?

Clear Left!

Mel

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