Mud/rope/chains?

This depends of a lot of things. Setting, scale, action of the scene. But some things to try might be thinned plaster, sculpy, or scenic landscaping materials designed for model railroading. For ropes, again its what will work. String, thread, maybe even wire would be something you could try. For netting, you can fabricate your own from thread/string. I've even seen hair nets or vegatable/produce bags that might work. If you need chains, look in the craft/beading section of some local stores. I've seen chains that would work well with 1/35 scale as tow chains and such.

If your going to start scratch building as your posting seems to suggest, take a good look around you local stores and pay closer attention to those areas that you may have just passed by before. You'll start seeing possibilities for all kinds of things.

What kind of project do you have in mind? This might help us in suggesting something more specific.

Don

Don's got quite a few of the basics alread covered so I'll just add a couple of things.

camo netting - cheesecloth soaked in a 50/50 mix of white glue & water
tarps - kleenex tissue treated the same way as the camo netting
mud - mix of modeling putty, earth tone paint for colour, white glue, touch of model R.R. ballast, mix in some hair clippings to simulate grass
dirt & dust - pastel chalks, grind them into a dust and apply to the finished model

cable is something else you might want to add. A lot of kits have the string, but I think it looks crappy when painted. You can get brass/copper wire, but that too has to be painted. Aber sells lengths of scale cable but at $5 for 8 or 9 inches....... my friend says check out fishing line leader at a sporting goods store. Haven't doe this myself yet but he says its metal woven wire and thinner than the 1/16th you get at hardware stores.

You can always go to a local model train store to find lengths chain, cable, or rope. O gauge is 1/48 scale and the variety of accessories is almost endless.

For camo netting, gauge pads can represent camo netting or be torn apart for smaller ropes. Sewing thread works better since you don't have to pull it apart to make ropes.

As for mud and dirt on the tracks, I've seen others use dried paint form the bottom of a paint jar, celluclay, or putty.

for wire ive got some from a picture frame shop
for chain ive got some broken necklaces
and for mud im going to try Roberts advice

QUOTE: mix in some hair clippings to simulate grass

Robert,
I like that idea. I've never heard that one before. I'm going to shave my head tonight just so I have some on hand.

What works for me for mud is talcum powder mixed with MM leather for a semi wet appearance, or flat brown drybrushed with armor sand for drying mud. Rope is also easy to do and fairly inexpensive, you probably have the basics for it hooked up to your stereo... I use the copper strands of speaker wire, 2 or 3 wound together and painted flat brown, washed with a thinned darker brown mix, then drybrushed a few times with tan; It results in a very convincing rope.

Another thing that works well for camo netting is medical gauze soaked in 50/50 water and elmers glue, then painted od green... You could also enhance it by adding some crushed dry leaves or even basil or oregano to simulate actual fallen foliage on it.

In addition to using fine jewelry chain, again you can use speaker wire strands, but don't wind them too tightly; When you get it to the length you want, use a set of pliers to flatten the wire... You will see it replicates link chain well, especially for 1/35 scale.

Hope this helps

QUOTE: Originally posted by RAF120 QUOTE: mix in some hair clippings to simulate grass Robert, I like that idea. I've never heard that one before. I'm going to shave my head tonight just so I have some on hand.

[:0] No! Don't do that, leave it on your head and let it grow. That way, it won't dry out, it'll stay fresh and leafy...

Don

QUOTE: mix in some hair clippings to simulate grass

So...Now we all know what REALLY happened to your hair, Robert. It's in your models!! lol

(Now if I could just figure out what happened to mine!...)

Bill

For rope I use the Model Shipbuilding stuff. It's available in Black & Hemp colored

QUOTE: Originally posted by wipw QUOTE: mix in some hair clippings to simulate grass So...Now we all know what REALLY happened to your hair, Robert. It's in your models!! lol (Now if I could just figure out what happened to mine!...) Bill

I guess I should give credit where credit is due on this one ..... I owe it all to a Basset Hound who used to allow us to live with her. If any of you know Bassets, you'll know they that constantly shed hair. While working on a mud finish one day I noticed a big hairball laying around (no, I'm not referring to the Basset here though the desciption is fitting) and decided to experiment. Worked like a darn.

I've also gone so far as to pluck single hairs from my daughters heads to use as tie downs for antennas. Mine was far too short. I suppose I could have just taken them from their brushes and combs, but where would the fun have been in that.

QUOTE: I suppose I could have just taken them from their brushes and combs, but where would the fun have been in that.

Too cold, Robert...way too cold.

Bill

QUOTE: Originally posted by shermanfreak mix in some hair clippings to simulate grass

Here kitty, kitty, kitty! [:0]


I've also mixed actual dirt (microwaved first to get rid of bugs and sifted to get the finest particles.. sometimes leave a pebble or two in) from areas like Fort Knox etc. with white glue to make up a good 'mud'.

Ron.

Ron,

Anyone would think you have something against cats!! lol

Bill

Everyone else has pretty much hit everything but it's better late than never... For ropes I use Upolstery thread, it'd heavier than regular thread and you can get it in light and dark colors (it simulates about 1" hemp), I make my own cables out of picture hanging wire... Seperate the strands and depending on the size cable you need twist them back together (3 strands for 3/4" tow cables... 4 for 1"... 5-6 for 1 1/2")... And for mud I have used Celuclay mixed with brown paint, white glue, and a little fresh step kitty litter... Just slap it on where mud would be and let it dry paint and finsh as you need... This works best for heavy coats of mud...

hi guys , i'm making my cable from the coil of electric motors (small ones) you get them in different sizes. just take 6 stings of copperwire from the motor (the same lenght ) and put them all together on one end in a vise or something else to hold them, on the other side tie the strings together in a knot and put them in you electric drill(dremel?) now stretch the lott and start your drill at low speed and stop when sattisfied with the result . now when the lot is turned , pass the cable trough the flame of a paintstripper ( that does two things : - it's removes the insolation and softens the cable also so you can bend it the way you want) and gives it a gunmetal colour to, just give it a rust wash and finished.

oh well biologically we can have everything under our skin for miniature modelling .

for rope i use nylon and cotton tread sometime mini steel tread from local flower shop.

for chain well some one taugh me to use small thin copper wire and tight it around a steel nail and cut on the contact of both ends of the steel wire then wrap another round of thin wire around the cutted thin round wire and continue for most end until u got a chain . but stand by a good eye sight , the diameter of the roudn wire depend on wat size of nails u using

thanks

now see if i can make use of my hair or cats hair from neighbour

I've used a thick mix of construction plaster to simulate mud. I then paint it with various shades of green, brown and black. For small puddles of water (emphasize SMALL) I've used 2-part epoxy allowed to harden in hollows in the mud. The underlying paint on the mud base makes the puddle look realistic in color and it needs no further tinting.
Armor track can be laid into the plaster while still tacky to the touch. It'll wash off of the part after you're done making the tracks.