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how to replicate canvas

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  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Adelaide, Australia
how to replicate canvas
Posted by zapme on Sunday, August 14, 2011 4:17 AM

Hi all,

I guess the title says it all. What medium and techniques do you guys use to replicate canvas. I need to cover the barrel of my  Leopard.

Cheers

Leo

 

My Blog - leoslatestbuilds.blogspot.com

On the workbench: 1/72 Airfix De Havilland DH88 Comet , 1/35 Trumpeter M1A1, 1/35 Tamiya Tyrannosaurus Rex, 1/8 (?) vinyl C3PO brand unknown

 

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Allentown, PA
Posted by BaBill212 on Sunday, August 14, 2011 4:53 AM

Hi Leo

My preference would be painted tissue. It is plyable and very easy to work with.

Best of luck with the cover.

 

Bill

Enjoy the ride!

 

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Adelaide, Australia
Posted by zapme on Sunday, August 14, 2011 6:09 AM

Bill,

Thanks for the quick reply. Do you mean the stuff you blow your nose with? How do you seal, paint it & get it to conform to the shape required?

Cheers Leo

 

My Blog - leoslatestbuilds.blogspot.com

On the workbench: 1/72 Airfix De Havilland DH88 Comet , 1/35 Trumpeter M1A1, 1/35 Tamiya Tyrannosaurus Rex, 1/8 (?) vinyl C3PO brand unknown

 

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Sydney, Australia
Posted by Phil_H on Sunday, August 14, 2011 6:40 AM

Leo,

Perhaps not facial tissues (eg Kleenex) but tissue paper for gift wrapping - The stuff you often find wadded up and stuffed into new shoes works pretty well. Just paint it with a flat paint.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Utereg
Posted by Borg R3-MC0 on Sunday, August 14, 2011 7:26 AM

I used tissue paper (like Kleenex) soaked in some white glue, dilluetd with water, colourd with acrylic paint.

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Adelaide, Australia
Posted by zapme on Monday, August 15, 2011 5:55 AM

Thanks guys,

I will try different mediums, and see which one works best.

Thanks again

Leo

 

My Blog - leoslatestbuilds.blogspot.com

On the workbench: 1/72 Airfix De Havilland DH88 Comet , 1/35 Trumpeter M1A1, 1/35 Tamiya Tyrannosaurus Rex, 1/8 (?) vinyl C3PO brand unknown

 

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: Piscataway, NJ!
Posted by wing_nut on Monday, August 15, 2011 6:37 AM

I've used THIS METHOD and it works real well.

 

 

Marc  

  • Member since
    March 2008
  • From: The Bluegrass State
Posted by EasyMike on Monday, August 15, 2011 6:51 AM

Kleenex, white glue, and water.

Smile

  • Member since
    February 2011
  • From: San Antonio
Posted by MAJ Mike on Monday, August 15, 2011 7:27 AM

Aluminium foil works for me.  It retains wrinkles and texture and is cheap.

 

 

 "I'd "I'd rather be historically accurate than politically correct."

"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc!"

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: New Jersey
Posted by redleg12 on Monday, August 15, 2011 9:11 AM

I prefer airplane tissue...."jap tissue" as it is sometimes called. It is easy to cut, can hold a fold, but once wet can wrinkle nicely. Usaully you can get a sheet at the hobby shop for around $1 which will last forever. Some landscape cement of watered down PVA and you are all set. 

With airplane tissue you never have to worry about fuzzing or ripping while wet and especially that major problem of using a tissue that has already been used Ick!.

Rounds Complete!!

"The Moral High Ground....A Great Place to Emplace Artillery."

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Allentown, PA
Posted by BaBill212 on Monday, August 15, 2011 9:48 AM

Hello Leo

Yes I actually use they type of tissue for your nose. Don't use the scented or cream type... just plain old kleenex (white not colored).

My method is to take a full sheet and lay it out on an oversized piece of foil. I liberally paint it with acrylics in the color I want the cover / tarp(s) to be. Thin your paint so it flows all over the tissue without ripping it.  After you paint you will need to hang it up to dry. I use the same foil as a "drop cloth" in case there are any drips. I use an alligator clip (or something similar) and clip each end and hang it above the drop cloth. Give it enough time to dry. Once dry you can cut it, fold it, mold it, etc. It becomes very sturdy at this point.     Use some thinned white glue to get it into the shape you require, and let dry again. You can then add highlights, lowlights, dry brush.

Hope this helps.

Enjoy the ride!

 

  • Member since
    May 2011
Posted by panzerbob01 on Monday, August 15, 2011 10:19 AM

Another approach: I use plain white copier paper, with or without PVA glue treatment!

Copier paper is more robust than tissue, and has a much tighter fibre and grain - so does not suffer as much frizzies as tissue, while having a more in-scale surface tecure from the git-go.

Depending on the texture you want...

A "canvas" with a dull cloth finish is readily achieved by wetting the paper with water, followed by brushing the damp paper liberally with acrylic paint of your choice, hang to semi-dry and form onto your racks, surface, etc., or roll and fold just like a tent or tarp.

A "tilt" or other "oil-cloth" or rubberized fabric can be created by wetting the paper with dilute PVA (white glue), let semi-dry, and either follow up with acryl paints and then fold or fit to surface, or fit to the surface first and then let dry and paint with any paint you want.  The PVA will seal the surface of the paper and actuully (when painted over with acryls when still damp) yield a satiny sheen that looks nicely like oil cloth.  Similarly, when painted over after it is dry, enamels (such as Testors ModelMaster) will yield a slight satin hardness or sheen.

IF I can figure out how to post a pic here... I'll post one tonite of a recent project (Horch 1A) where I scratched a folded and rolled "rag-top -on- frame" and some cloth frames for the "celluloid" "soft" side windows used on these cars. Both items used the "oil-cloth" model with PVA soaking.

BobBig Smile

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by T26E4 on Monday, August 15, 2011 11:19 AM

I recommend against using facial tissue (Kleenex) because the final product has too much texture.  In 1/35, very visible texture is just not to scale, IMHO.  I go with aluminum foil.  But I'll try out the copying paper -- that sounds interesting.

Roy Chow 

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  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Allentown, PA
Posted by BaBill212 on Monday, August 15, 2011 11:22 AM

That is good thinking too Bob.

While I have never had any tissue issues with fraying or frizzing, it is always nice to have options.

Here is a pic of one of my tissue tarps. Once they are painted they become very strong (for modeling of course).

Enjoy the ride!

 

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Bethlehem PA
Posted by the Baron on Monday, August 15, 2011 11:23 AM

I use facial tissue and thinned white glue, too.

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

 

 

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Allentown, PA
Posted by BaBill212 on Monday, August 15, 2011 11:27 AM

Yes

Enjoy the ride!

 

  • Member since
    January 2010
Posted by CrashTestDummy on Monday, August 15, 2011 11:34 AM

I, too, have had great luck with tissue and white glue.  I did the folded top of a SdKfz 7 many, many years ago, and was very pleased with the outcome.  I have had no issues with fruzzing.  I took the folded top kit assembly and loosely-wrapped it with some tissue.  I then coated it with some thinned white glue.  I used the brush to assist with making folds and wrinkles where I wanted, and to flatten them out against the plastic assembly as needed for effect.  After that was dry, I painted it with regular enamel.  It looked pretty real to me. 

Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas

 

G. Beaird,

Pearland, Texas

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Adelaide, Australia
Posted by zapme on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 4:53 AM

Thanks for all the great advise. I'm going to try pretty much all the different types of paper stated on this forum.

I'm close to completing the leopard and will post pics soon, so you will be able to tell me how the canvas turned out.

Cheers

Leo

 

 

My Blog - leoslatestbuilds.blogspot.com

On the workbench: 1/72 Airfix De Havilland DH88 Comet , 1/35 Trumpeter M1A1, 1/35 Tamiya Tyrannosaurus Rex, 1/8 (?) vinyl C3PO brand unknown

 

  • Member since
    August 2008
Posted by tankerbuilder on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 7:03 PM

Hi , I am somewhat new to this genre. I normally do ships in larger scales . When I need canvas I use NON-PATTERNED BOUNTY paper towels.WHY ? well , I bet most folks didn,t know it,s two ply . When you get one damp you can seperate the plys .Then take the ply ,cut to shape and soak in white glue , THEN , BEFORE mounting squeeze most of the glue and water mix out of it (You do have to thin the white glue a lot) When you mount it and stretch it a little it keeps the wrinkles and then stretches at the tight points and when dry looks just the real thing, with stretch wrinkles and nice sags.         tankerbuilder

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