Brendan Hughes

Anyone know anything about modelling material? Particularly a sheet of plasticky material of, say, 0.5-2mm thickness, perhaps a foot square?

I'd like to create a cape and hood for an action figure that's 8 in high. The cape design means it won't be flat but pleated, and the hood means the material should fold in 3D to assume the form of the ball it covers, rather than only folding in 2D and then leaving creases/excess (like when you have to wrap a tennis ball with paper, if you get my drift).

I want to create the form, and then "fix" it so it becomes hard and doesn't deform in future - so the pleated cape would remain pleated, it wouldn't straighten out.

Any suggestions? I've worked in fibreglass before, a bit, which is great for patching stuff but a PITA to create a new, complex shape out of thin air. I could make a wood mould first I suppose, but that's a lot of effort. I think some of you are into design modelling and might know what I need. I'm hoping I don't have to buy a packet of 50 sheets just to get the one though.

cheers in advance

Patt@firstime

http://www.supermodelscouts.com/

cos I'm bored on a Friday afternoon

boxst

And who says you don't have to be intelligent to be a model...



Steve

EddScott

I've been doing alot of scenery modelling for my model railway and slot car track.

If my local art shop hasn't got what I need I try here for scenery base making materials.

http://www.yellowcatshop.co.uk/shop/...d=14&gid=4dmod

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Any decent model shop will sell styrene sheet in various thicknesses, but it's very rigid.

They MAY also have stuff for military/dollshouse etc modelling with something that suits, try www.yell.com

Alcazar

Chip Sengravy

Polymorph is what you want

from:

http://www.mutr.co.uk/prodDetail.aspx?prodID=576

how to work it here, you want page 2 of the PDF:

http://www.mutr.co.uk/pdf_files/LIT0048.pdf

Jap2Scrap

If you can draw it in 3D on a CAD program I can rapid prototype it using selective laser sintering in a nylon material. Must be 0.75mm thick though

Chip Sengravy

LOL...there's always one!

prodriva

Why not make it out of a whole pack of milliput? Modellers use this to great effect when making stuff such as a rolled up sleeping bag or tarpaulin on the back of a tank (sp?).

Chip Sengravy

Brendan, if you can get me the mould or a similar design, I can get it 3D scaned it for you on my mates digitiser ( cylinder head development at the mo' ), he can then knock you up a CAD output file which you can send to jap2scrap

should only cost about 2K

Jap2Scrap

PMSL

Brendan Hughes

thanks all!

J2S - kind, but I have a slight problem with your "If"
Edit - wow, even Chips helps! Teamwork

Polymorph looked great until I see it can't handle more than 65C. This thing is going to be in my car windscreen in hot sunshine, I think it needs to handle higher temps than that.

(Bit concerned about the Polymorph manual, at the end: "Security locks - e.g. security car wheel nuts - are often based on “keys” and mating sockets which have an arbitrary non-standard profile. This concept can be easily replicated using a formed metal key which is pressed into softened Polymorph to form the mating socket." Watch out for your gold alloys boys )

Milliput looks like it could be the answer, if I can work the stuff in time. Suppose I'd have to roll it out into a thin sheet, then pick that sheet up and form it. I have a picture of it being a horrible, gooey mess. Watch this space for "Cnt typ mch, fngrs stk tgthr"

Chip Sengravy

So what is it for? some kind of Obi Wan Kenobi / Scooby Doo crossover?

Jap2Scrap

How about muslin (the material, not a typo'd suicide bomber) on a wire frame then paint on fibreglass resin?

Brendan Hughes

Also feasible. I'd wondered about a wire mesh, hadn't considered the muslin. Maybe they even do fine wire mesh where I don't need the muslin. Tricky to keep the thickness though.

Chips - don't laugh, but I'm supposed to be getting a hands-free kit fitted today, and the phone will be mounted high on the dashboard. As I don't want the sun to cook it (about 38C here for the last week, and that's not through a windscreen) I thought I'd rig up some sort of shade. As it's almost impossible to blend it perfectly with the dash material, why not make it look like something interesting per se?

I've no modelling skills whatsoever, so I might just go back to the chopped-up ice cream box, but it's a fun project and I appreciate the suggestions on here which make it seem more feasible than I'd first thought.

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

I was just looking at a sunshade cover for my Tom Tom Go for around $20, it crossed my mind that I could probably make some kind of shade myself so this thread popping up is pretty timely, thanks

Brendan Hughes

Great minds Sal

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

This is what I was looking at http://www.bidnutman.com/TomTomVisor.html. Just noticed the free worldwide shipping bit..