AFV Painting & Weathering
Answers to questions about the right paint scheme or tips for the right effect.
Answers to questions about the right paint scheme or tips for the right effect.
Hosted by Darren Baker, Matthew Toms
Painting cables
imatanker
Joined: February 11, 2011
KitMaker: 1,654 posts
Armorama: 1,565 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 12:37 AM UTC
What can I use to paint cables with?I'm building an M-26 and need them to stay flexible.They seem to be made out of white nylon or cotton thread.Thanks,Jeff
Spiderfrommars
Joined: July 13, 2010
KitMaker: 3,845 posts
Armorama: 3,543 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 12:59 AM UTC
Unfortunately if they are made out of nylon or of PP plastic you CAN'T paint them 
Furthermore you can't glue it (also CA glue is not effective with them)
There are particular properties of these materials
Otherwise, if they are made out of cotton (or some other else) you should prime them with Mr Surfacer 1000 and then you'll be able to paint without any problem
You should make some trials before
Furthermore you can't glue it (also CA glue is not effective with them)
There are particular properties of these materials
Otherwise, if they are made out of cotton (or some other else) you should prime them with Mr Surfacer 1000 and then you'll be able to paint without any problem
You should make some trials before
imatanker
Joined: February 11, 2011
KitMaker: 1,654 posts
Armorama: 1,565 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 01:19 AM UTC
Mauro,Yes I will have to do some tests.After thinking about it ,I thought maybe a sharpie marker might work.The cables are wound on winch drums that rotate,so the cables can be deployed to load the trailer.Jeff
flippen_waffles
Joined: June 01, 2010
KitMaker: 143 posts
Armorama: 116 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 07:07 AM UTC
Just dip the cables in paint and pinch it with your finger tips while running down the length of it to remove any excess. It will be stiff once dry, but once to move it around, crumple it up, etc, it will go back to being flexible. I've done this many times and have had great results.
imatanker
Joined: February 11, 2011
KitMaker: 1,654 posts
Armorama: 1,565 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 08:24 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Jonathan,sounds like a good idea to me,enamel or acrylic?Just dip the cables in paint and pinch it with your finger tips while running down the length of it to remove any excess. It will be stiff once dry, but once to move it around, crumple it up, etc, it will go back to being flexible. I've done this many times and have had great results.
CMOT
Editor-in-Chief
Joined: May 14, 2006
KitMaker: 10,954 posts
Armorama: 8,571 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 09:13 AM UTC
Jeff I would suggest you look out for a picture hanging kit. I bought one yesterday for £2 and I have 3 metres (10ft) of wire cable that when flexed hods its position. Alll you need to do is cut the towing eyes off of the kit supplied items and then drill a suitable sized hole in each cable eye to accept the cable then secure with super glue. This provides a very realistic cable and droop that will accept paint.
flippen_waffles
Joined: June 01, 2010
KitMaker: 143 posts
Armorama: 116 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 12:41 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Jonathan,sounds like a good idea to me,enamel or acrylic?
Acrylic.
imatanker
Joined: February 11, 2011
KitMaker: 1,654 posts
Armorama: 1,565 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 01:02 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Darren,I know the type of wire you are talking about.I am concerned that the wire will have enough memory to not stay tightly coiled on the winch drum.The towing eyes are not made on to the cables,so that will be no problem.JeffJeff I would suggest you look out for a picture hanging kit. I bought one yesterday for £2 and I have 3 metres (10ft) of wire cable that when flexed hods its position. Alll you need to do is cut the towing eyes off of the kit supplied items and then drill a suitable sized hole in each cable eye to accept the cable then secure with super glue. This provides a very realistic cable and droop that will accept paint.
pseudorealityx
Joined: January 31, 2010
KitMaker: 2,191 posts
Armorama: 1,814 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 03:38 PM UTC
I haven't had problems with painting the white rope 'tow cables' provided in kits. Superglue works fine, and paint works. Not sure what others have experienced...
pseudorealityx
Joined: January 31, 2010
KitMaker: 2,191 posts
Armorama: 1,814 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 03:40 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted TextDarren,I know the type of wire you are talking about.I am concerned that the wire will have enough memory to not stay tightly coiled on the winch drum.The towing eyes are not made on to the cables,so that will be no problem.JeffJeff I would suggest you look out for a picture hanging kit. I bought one yesterday for £2 and I have 3 metres (10ft) of wire cable that when flexed hods its position. Alll you need to do is cut the towing eyes off of the kit supplied items and then drill a suitable sized hole in each cable eye to accept the cable then secure with super glue. This provides a very realistic cable and droop that will accept paint.
Yeah, picture framing wire is a poor choice for 'cable' on a winch. Stick with the string. Once painted, it'll stiffen up, but as said, work it with your hands and it will become flexible again. When you do start to install it onto the winch, you may need a little dab of superglue every so often to hold it down tight.
imatanker
Joined: February 11, 2011
KitMaker: 1,654 posts
Armorama: 1,565 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 03:47 PM UTC
If you guys noticed in one of my posts ,I thought that a "sharpy"type marker might work,Any thoughts 
Will do some tests tomorrow and let you know what happens 
Jeff
Will do some tests tomorrow and let you know what happens Jeff
swingbowler
Joined: December 03, 2005
KitMaker: 162 posts
Armorama: 52 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 05:28 PM UTC
Hi Jeff,
I used cotton thread, and then used white glue diluted with water and brushed it on. After it dried, it stiffened up real nice like this:
And then I hand painted with acrylics like this:
Hope this is useful
I used cotton thread, and then used white glue diluted with water and brushed it on. After it dried, it stiffened up real nice like this:
And then I hand painted with acrylics like this:
Hope this is useful
pseudorealityx
Joined: January 31, 2010
KitMaker: 2,191 posts
Armorama: 1,814 posts
Posted: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 - 01:04 AM UTC
Quoted Text
If you guys noticed in one of my posts ,I thought that a "sharpy"type marker might work,Any thoughts
Sharpie's tend to have a purple'ish gloss black when used on plastic. You're looking for more of a steel color.
imatanker
Joined: February 11, 2011
KitMaker: 1,654 posts
Armorama: 1,565 posts
Posted: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 - 01:47 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Jesse,yes I know,but they come in about a million colors,I was thinking of a brown (for rust) and maybe a dark grey for steel.Will just have to spend some time and find out.JeffQuoted TextIf you guys noticed in one of my posts ,I thought that a "sharpy"type marker might work,Any thoughts
Sharpie's tend to have a purple'ish gloss black when used on plastic. You're looking for more of a steel color.
Plasticat
Joined: September 03, 2003
KitMaker: 448 posts
Armorama: 245 posts
Posted: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 - 02:08 AM UTC
Quoted Text
What can I use to paint cables with?I'm building an M-26 and need them to stay flexible.They seem to be made out of white nylon or cotton thread.Thanks,Jeff
Maybe you could soak the thread in black ink??? I would think that it would stay flexible. Or maybe some dye from the fabric store.
panzerbob01
Joined: March 06, 2010
KitMaker: 3,128 posts
Armorama: 2,959 posts
Posted: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 - 03:24 AM UTC
Jeff:
Here's an example of a cable I made up for a E-10 paper panzer I built back in 2009.
The "cable" is a multi-thread strand pulled from some nylon twine, inserted into the cable eye-ends taken from the kit styrene cables. The plastic "cable" was drilled out of the crimp end, and the nylon strand glued into the eye with wood glue / PVA.
The nylon cable was coated with diluted PVA to smooth it down and hold some stray fibers in. After drying, I coiled it around and worked it a little to soften it some - it was at first a little stiff. After being twisted it became reasonably pliable and was easy to position and drape on the build.
The nylon cable was painted in-place starting with a flat black enamel, followed by dilute gun-metal enamel followed by some dilute acryl rust and brown, followed by pastel chalk dust.
Pretty much the same route I've done other cables - some more rusty and some more oily-black with brown hi-lights. All eventually dusted with chalk.
Cheers!
Bob
Here's an example of a cable I made up for a E-10 paper panzer I built back in 2009.
The "cable" is a multi-thread strand pulled from some nylon twine, inserted into the cable eye-ends taken from the kit styrene cables. The plastic "cable" was drilled out of the crimp end, and the nylon strand glued into the eye with wood glue / PVA.
The nylon cable was coated with diluted PVA to smooth it down and hold some stray fibers in. After drying, I coiled it around and worked it a little to soften it some - it was at first a little stiff. After being twisted it became reasonably pliable and was easy to position and drape on the build.
The nylon cable was painted in-place starting with a flat black enamel, followed by dilute gun-metal enamel followed by some dilute acryl rust and brown, followed by pastel chalk dust.
Pretty much the same route I've done other cables - some more rusty and some more oily-black with brown hi-lights. All eventually dusted with chalk.
Cheers!
Bob
Spiderfrommars
Joined: July 13, 2010
KitMaker: 3,845 posts
Armorama: 3,543 posts
Posted: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 - 07:43 AM UTC
I apologize, I did a huge mess between Nylon fibers and Polypropylene fibers so, what I wrote in my first comment was wrong
Actually you can paint and glue Nylon fiber cables. Othervise you can't paint and glue absolutely Polypropylene fibers
Sorry again
Cheers
Actually you can paint and glue Nylon fiber cables. Othervise you can't paint and glue absolutely Polypropylene fibers
Sorry again
Cheers
rebelsoldier
Joined: June 30, 2004
KitMaker: 1,336 posts
Armorama: 757 posts
Posted: Monday, July 25, 2011 - 01:50 PM UTC
on string cables i use a number 2 pencil to color then, usually about 3 applications as i use a tissue to wipe excess graphite off, and the wiping even helps.
reb
reb
Removed by original poster on 07/26/11 - 12:42:31 (GMT).
imatanker
Joined: February 11, 2011
KitMaker: 1,654 posts
Armorama: 1,565 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 - 01:59 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Reb,what I ended up doing was cutting the string to length,rubbing it with a burnt umber artists pastel stick,leaving some white places.Then I filled in the spaces with a light grey Crayola marker on string cables i use a number 2 pencil to color then, usually about 3 applications as i use a tissue to wipe excess graphite off, and the wiping even helps.
reb
Lastly I dipped the string in isopropyl alcohol and squeezed out the excess between my fingers,I let it dry and rolled it onto the winch drum.It did not stiffen up at all.I think it came out pretty well. 
Regards,Jeff
 |
WEB HOSTING BY
Copyright ©2021 Armorama and Kitmaker Network, a subsidiary of Silver Star Enterprises
All Rights Reserved. Please read our Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.
All Rights Reserved. Please read our Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.