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Another fine mesh....

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  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Sydney, Australia
Another fine mesh....
Posted by Phil_H on Friday, October 3, 2008 12:53 AM

Ok, we know about using etched brass mesh for grilles.

We also know about using "tulle" as an alternative to brass.

But what do you do when tulle isn't fine enough and PE brass isn't an option?

I found a roll of mesh ribbon at my local "dollar store" in the arts and crafts aisle.

This is what it looks like (bottom) compared with tulle (top) - each square on the grid of the cutting mat is 10mm.

And this is what it looks like as a grille on my M113 FSV.

 

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Tulsa, OK
Posted by acmodeler01 on Friday, October 3, 2008 1:50 PM
That stuff looks pretty good! It looks metallic, but I'm guessing it's cloth, right? Is it easy to cut, glue, etc?
  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Sydney, Australia
Posted by Phil_H on Friday, October 3, 2008 6:39 PM

It's slightly translucent white synthetic fabric (polyester?) with a bit of a glossy sheen, which, I suspect is why it appears metallic. Cuts easily with sharp scissors and glues down with just about anything - thinned PVA glue, or even clear flat coat. It also has a very regular square weave pattern.

  • Member since
    June 2008
  • From: Iowa
Posted by Hans von Hammer on Saturday, October 4, 2008 2:31 AM
I use a copper mesh (Coppeform, I believe it's called... Not sure right now, I threw away the package) that I found at Hobby Lobby, used for making photo-book covers... It's super-fine, I got about 4 square feet for 12.00...  It's way finer than anything I've seen on the AM pegboards, almost as flexible as cloth, and will hold any shape you want, or you can easily straighten it back out without risking any "work-hardening" that comes from bending brass or aluminum screening material... The stuff goes a long way for little money and can be soldered or super-glued...

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Neenah, WI
Posted by HawkeyeHobbies on Sunday, October 5, 2008 8:41 AM

The one distraction of using any product to use mess is the quality and uniformity of the mesh pattern. Some of the fabric or crafty mesh doesn't maintain the uniforn squared up pattern. Brass products tend to be more consistant as do some of the synthetic materials. Fabric meshing, tend to have errant threads that detract and look wrong.

One of the other things I've noticed...some mesh covered vents have a diamond pattern to them and the mesh used by the model is square...or round...again it has that "it just don't look right" appearance. 

Gerald "Hawkeye" Voigt

http://hawkeyes-squawkbox.com/

 

 

"Its not the workbench that makes the model, it is the modeler at the workbench."

  • Member since
    June 2008
  • From: Iowa
Posted by Hans von Hammer on Sunday, October 5, 2008 6:31 PM
Cut 'em at a 45 degree angle to the runs of the mesh to get the "diamond" look.... And IIRC, the screens are under the grilles, not on top...

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: California
Posted by rabbiteatsnake on Saturday, October 18, 2008 12:26 AM

Coincidentally I've been grappling with this same problem on my Italeri tiger1. Though I hav'nt yet compared it to the grilles to be sure. Some (not all) paper cone paint strainers have a fine (nylon?)screen that looked to my minds eye like it would work.  Also when it comes to stuff like this, try a train store they have zillions of chingaderas like this, including tons of PE bits that cross over well.

The devil is in the details...and somtimes he's in my sock drawer. On the bench. Airfix 1/24 bf109E scratch conv to 109 G14AS MPC1/24 ju87B conv to 87G Rev 1/48 B17G toF Trump 1/32 f4u-1D and staying a1D Scratch 1/16 TigerII.
  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Saturday, October 18, 2008 1:41 AM
I have this 'wireform' mesh stuff I got for dio building.  I have used it on my mecha kits as fine mesh, but I also stretched it out and it makes an amazing fence material.  Its actuially to scale with 1/35

 

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