1/35 helmet straps?

Agree great work and good tip. Painting the molded in helmet band just don't cut it. I;ve got steady hands but in my 50's now ( not that steady )  lol

Incredible work!!! Thank you for sharing...looks like you do have alot of uses for it, have not tried it but now I know the applications...thank you much

SternO, I use masking tape.  It's cheap, and you have more than a lifetime's worth in one roll.  I lay it down on my cutting board, paint it the desired color (leather, OD, etc), then using a new No. 11 X-Acto blade and a straight edge (or sometimes, just eyeball it) cut the width I want for the strap.  I attach it to the model with a toothpick tipful of super glue, then when dry, paint the sticky side. 

I use this technique for all my straps (and a few other items) that I fabricate--weapon slings, helmet chin straps, the little leather strap that keeps the liner in the steel pot, bandoliers, web gear, .30 cal spent ammo belts, surgeon's aprons, etc.

Here are some examples: 

Stern0 wrote:

Thanks again Col. Foil tape is now a fixture in my kit.

You're welcome, Sterno... There's almost as many uses in modeling for that foil duct tape as there is the other duct tape in the real world, lol..

Wine bottle foil is more rigid than aluminium foil but is still malleable and takes primer well.

Hope this helps!

Thanks again Col. Foil tape is now a fixture in my kit.

Huxy, LOL! In the corps is was more pain if you were caught with it undone...A John wayne crack then a powerful blow on your kevlar with another bucket....The liners in those puppies are tourture!!!

Oh indeed...  But at that moment I had the "steel strap" fastened to the pot itself along the back...  Stupid mistake    I made a jump, both hands on the weapon, the steel went off and the edge off it hit my anckle..  Just on the achilles... had a limp for days...

And no, It was not in any combat exercise or combat at all... I'm just 17... It was the good old fashioned "WWII in the woods at home"  

Huxy wrote:

I've runned alot with the american M1 style helmets.... If that liner "chin"strap isn't there, the steel usually bumps off and hit my anckle..  It's not pretty...

The strap on the steel pot is supposed to fastened, Huxy...  Or you run with one hand on your head...  There's a reason you always see the German Troops with the chinstrap fastened, ya know...

I even own two steel pots with liners, neither has that strap. Newer models maybe?

Definately.. The chinstraps on the liners remaining intact much past the original "owner" is pretty rare... They're a lot thinner, of poor quality, and broke easily.  The neck band was much better in keeping it on your melon...  I had one parade liner with the strap, but every steel pot liner I was ever issued from 1976 to 1984 was missing it...

Regarding the foil tape, yeah, it holds up to the knife a lot better... It's thinner than lead foil, thicker than heavy duty aluminum foil, and sticks like mad... It DOES leave residue behind tho, so I wouldn't use it for masking canopies or the like, but it'll work great for the framework itself...  This is pretty useful for bare-metal aircraft.

It comes in a roll about of about 15 feet x 1 & 7/8ths inches, IIRC, and will last a Loooonnnggg time if you're just making straps, slings, belts, & the like... Think I picked it up at Wally World... It was expensive as tape goes, but not THAT bad, considering you'll have enough to work with for several years..

Hans von Hammer wrote:

BTW, that strap in front is just the chinstrap for the liner...  It helps hold it in, sometimes, but usually gravity is about the only thing holding the helmet together.

I even own two steel pots with liners, neither has that strap. Newer models maybe?

Thank you guys for the suggestions. I think maybe aluminum foil may just be too thin, even with a straight edge it still sometimes bunches at the cut ruining it.(so damn small) I like the foil tape idea Col. May have a little more strength for cutting. Masking tape has always seemed like a good item for rifle slings, looks like leather when painted so i hear, Never used it. I came to the realization this weekend that I have done very few GI figs, (Dozens of Germans) It's a whole new ball game! Working on both now,have a very clear view of the differences. Thank goodness the GIs have a little less equipment on their person.

Huxy...OUCH!

lead sheet works well

copper foil used in stained glass caning is excellent

electrical tape works pretty good

masking tape when dry brushed looks similar to webbing at that scale

Foil from wine bottles is another source.

I still use foil... The alumium foil tape used on furnace ducts...  I lay out a piece of it on a metal backing, like a steel ruler, and use a straightedge to cut the strips of tape with m' knife... 

BTW, that strap in front is just the chinstrap for the liner...  It helps hold it in, sometimes, but usually gravity is about the only thing holding the helmet together.