Chain Link Fencing

[mikebonellisr]

I have a lot of tulle that I want to use as chain link fencing-1,Would it be a good idea to spray starch the tulle to make it easier to work with and cut with a xacto knife? 2,What size dowel to use for the posts [HO] ? 3, What adheasive to attach the posts to the material?

[Dbcxyz123]

Its easy to make using window screans. +Long nales as fence posts.[:D]


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[cacole]

What scale are you talking about? In HO, tulle can be used for chain link fencing, but it would be too large for N.

I read somewhere about spraying it with starch to stiffen it and make cutting easier, but I cut it without spraying. The biggest challenge is getting it securely fastened at the ends and holding it down with a metal scale ruler or some such so it doesn't move.

As far as the posts are concerned, when you get something down so small that it would really be in scale, it's going to be an extremely small diameter. The Walthers kit I assembled had plastic posts, and I used CA to fasten the tulle to them. The smallest diameter brass tubing you can find might be okay for posts, but piano wire would be closer to the right diameter and would also be stronger. A round toothpick would probably be close to 6" scale diameter, which is too big.

[orsonroy]

I'd use some sort of spraypaint, rather than spray starch. Test the paint on a scrap piece first, to make sure it doesn't melt the tulle!

As for posts, brass wire works well.

[mikebonellisr]

THANK YOU -----I guess I'll get started.

[leighant]

Would it work to spray your tulle with aluminum paint? I can't recall if I've ever tried it or not,...

[snowey]

what's tulle?

[cacole]

Tulle is bridal veil material. It's the only product other than perhaps a nylon stocking that has a gridwork small enough to look like chain link fence.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by leighant

Would it work to spray your tulle with aluminum paint? I can't recall if I've ever tried it or not,...

I use Accuflex SP Lark Gray to spray tulle for chain link fences. I start with gray tulle and give it a quick shot with the Lark Gray. I also use piano wire for posts and paint them Lark Gray.

BTW, when I was buying the tulle at a fabric shop, the shop clerk asked if I was making a veil. She looked at me strangely when I told her I was using the tulle for fencing.

[cacole]

I don't know if white nylon stockings are still made or not, but medical nurses used to always wear white nylons. A nylon stocking would be even closer to proper scale for chain link in HO than tulle; however, it would also be far more difficult to cut because it would not have the stifness of tulle.

[jrbarney]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cacole

I don't know if white nylon stockings are still made or not, but medical nurses used to always wear white nylons. A nylon stocking would be even closer to proper scale for chain link in HO than tulle; however, it would also be far more difficult to cut because it would not have the stifness of tulle.

Haven't tried it, since I don't need any chain-link fencing, but think you could make a frame of thick wire in the shape of a leg outline, slip the stocking on that, paint it and then cut it to size. The idea is to stretch the stocking and keep it from sticking on itself. Might be closer to scale for the smaller scales as well. Try it on the next pair, of any color, in which your significant other gets a run
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[Anonymous]

I remember growing up using scrap pieces of screen from a screened door. It was already silver material so all I had to do was get some balsa wood, paint it silver and attach it to the screen material....from what I remember it looked pretty real.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried TermiMesh? OK, that's its name in Australia, but I am sure you would have similar products in the USA. It is a stainless steel wire mesh - a bit like mosquito netting - with a mesh width of 1/32" and is used around drainpipes, house stumps etc, to stop termites from entering through the holes in the foundations, etc. I don't know what 1/32" is in HO scale as I am more used to metric measurements. I used a small bi-scale ruler to find out the Imperial measurement for you guys! I'm sure you can convert that into whatever it represents in full scale Imperial - and post it on this topic, as I would like to know, too!
I was out for a morning walk and found a pile of off-cuts on a building site which gave me enough material to make miles of fencing! It trims easily with scissors and does not need painting. If it is too shiny when new, probably a soaking in vinegar would dull the surface. Try entering the term "termite mesh" or "stainless steel mesh" in Google and see what comes up. Many manufacturers are quite happy to send you small samples of their products if you ask nicely (see the topic on Cheap trees recently!) . Most craft shops have ribbons of fine mesh fabric in metallic colours which are admirable for scale chicken coop wire mesh.

[trollw]

2.7 inches in HO! A litle large for true scale chain link but it might look ok.

[jrbarney]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Bilby2k

Have you tried TermiMesh? OK, that's its name in Australia, but I am sure you would have similar products in the USA. It is a stainless steel wire mesh - a bit like mosquito netting - with a mesh width of 1/32" and is used around drainpipes, house stumps etc, to stop termites from entering through the holes in the foundations, etc. . . . I was out for a morning walk and found a pile of off-cuts on a building site which gave me enough material to make miles of fencing! It trims easily with scissors and does not need painting. If it is too shiny when new, probably a soaking in vinegar would dull the surface. Try entering the term "termite mesh" or "stainless steel mesh" in Google and see what comes up. Many manufacturers are quite happy to send you small samples of their products if you ask nicely . . . .

Bilby2k,
Followed your suggestion to do a Google search, using TermiMesh as the search term. Took the short tour at the American site:
http://www.termi-mesh.com/frameset.cfm?main_page=site_map.cfm&page_title=Site%20Map
Seems that thus far there are contacts only in the states of Florida, Texas and Hawaii, so the folks living in those states are most likely the ones who will have the easiest time requesting a sample.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[locomutt]

I'd appreicate any info on chain link fences in "O"scale.
The only thing I've found,are the mesh bags;such as onions come in.
And I have used brass tubing for the frames,but you do have to alot of soldering[:)]