What do y'all use to "strap" stuff down on your tanks..or do you strap it down?

I have some bedrolls and was thinking of using some index card and cutting straps out of that but what do you use for the buckle?

I use the foil tops off yogurt containers cut into stips and if a buckle is required a piece of fine wire. For ropes I use some of my wife's crochet cotton which comes in various thicknesses and then paint it the color I want.

[What do y'all use to "strap" stuff down on your tanks..or do you strap it down?

I have some bedrolls and was thinking of using some index card and cutting straps out of that but what do you use for the buckle? b][/b]

I primarily do 1/35 myself, and the best thing that works (at least for me) is stretched sprue rolled flat with an Exacto knife handle, and really thin wire for buckles... If you need anything large (for instance, using .015 evergreen sheet), set it in boiling water for about 10 minutes and then work it to your liking... For scale rope and such, I use small gauge braided speaker wire to simulate large diameter cables, etc... However, trying to represent buckles in such a small scale has A TENDENCY TO BE frustrating!!! LOL

I use lead foil from wine bottles for straps. It's properties are a little different from the previously mentioned foil. i guess it's just personal preference. I've seen places where you can order lead foil online if you're not a big wine drinker. Some companies also make photoetched buckles, which are very nice. I have Royal Model's set and you can see an example here on the strap keeping the jerry cans in place:



Nic

Does it look bad when you don't have any staps on something?

To add to what Nic has said about lead foil: I get mine at the dentists office. They use lead foil to back the xrays they take and then peel it off to develope the xrays. It is normally thrown away but if you ask your dentist to save you some he will be happy to do so. Mine even autoclaved mine to clean them. In two visits I got enough lead foil to last a lifetime. And it is so good for anything flat you want to scratchbuild, especially straps and sheet metal fenders.

Rob

I'm with Folgore on this (lead foil from wine bottles). I tried once, it worked fine, it's easy to shape it, it's easy to add buckles made out of copper/brass wire and the overall look is very realistic...





Ciao

Agreed on wine bottle foil for straps and thread for rope. Plastic does not drape well at all and both these media can be made to drape and be affected by the weight of the item.

Sladog asks "Does it look bad when you don't have any staps on something? " Well, if it's just for you and you're happy with, no problem. However, if you plan to compete or show it, you really should consider how the item is being held down on the vehicle.

Hmmm wine drinking and modelling.A great way to reduce stress!
Use very fine wire,and tweezers to make little squares for buckle representations.super glue on top of strap at the required location.then paint the strap.Then carefully paint hte buckle if is black. (++)

Lead foil is really the only way to go in my opinion.