I am planning a project where I require scal(ish) metal mesh (HO Sclale), like what K&S used to sell - example (Sold Out) - the problem is that K&S seems to have discontinued it's metal mesh line (at least the products I used years back). Yeah, the 1/32" was a bit large scale for HO, but it looked fairly good. Now I need some more metal mesh, and I wonder if anyone can suggest mesh of about that scale - no fabric netting like Tulle or the like. Searching so far brings up full-size expanded metal mesh, and a lot of dead ends like odd-sized craft items.
Diamond mesh is preferred, but square will work (if turned 45degrees - close enough) - HO scale 1-3" is good.
Thanks
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
Detail Associates offers Chicken Wire Grills for F- and E-units. They come in two strips, about as long as an F B-unit, as I recall.
I used them on this E7B, built from two Model Power E7As (after you enlarge the photo, click on it to get an even larger view, which should show the screen detail better):
Wayne
I don't know how it would scale out, but how about the screen from a dryer lint trap? I was eyeballing the one in our dryer when I was looking for N scale chain link fencing. No, I didn't take it! Maybe you could get a lint trap from someone who is throwing out a dryer.
..... Bob
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A fabric store will have a mesh used for bridal veils and such. I have used it for chain link fence material. It would probably work well in many applications.
ROAR
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Not sure of the sizing/ scale you're looking for. Some of the finest mesh I know of and is readily available is the screening used for auto transmision filters. Stop by a "Tranny" shop and see what they may be throwing out. Drier lint screens as mentioned and also the fine brass screens used water pipes, smoking that 'funny" stuff. Walked in one of those shops for a pack of fine screens for HO tractor trailer platform and also to use as painted over detail for manhole covers. "Like they really believed me!"
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
BroadwayLion A fabric store will have a mesh used for bridal veils and such. I have used it for chain link fence material. It would probably work well in many applications. ROAR
The OP said he's not interested in tulle. Probably needs something stiffer.
Steve S
Chutton:
Try Clover House. They have (or list, anyway) brass woven square mesh screen. They show 100 mesh, and state that the openings are 0.010 inch. See the "Screen" listing on page 5 (of 78) in the catalog at the following link: http://www.cloverhouse.com/downloads/catalog13_20110428.pdf.
The company was recently sold, but the former owner was very accomodating and good to work with. I ordered some PC board ties from them and shipment was prompt.
Good luck.
Hello All
Thanks all for the suggestions so far.Doctor Wayne w/ his mention of the Detail Associate E-unit "Chicken Wire" is pretty much what I require, except it's a bit too narrow. But it looks like the old K&S Engineering mesh - flat, with holes that suggest expanded metal mesh (or perforated metal) - this stuff is used in a surpising number of places in transportation, industrial structures, safety equipment and the like. The scale mesh I seek needs to be strong enough to not only support itself, but various styrene shapes attached to it, so metal is my first choice. It occured to me that there might be plastic mesh of such finest, but Google is not coming up with anything - does anyone else remember such a beast?The "Woven" mesh I have seen has too much "texture" to mimic the mesh (especially in HO scale), so I'm a bit leery of the Cloverhouse product mentioned by Maxman, although if all else fails I can contact them. I would guess - and I could very well be wrong - that transmission and dryer lint filters would be the same - woven, not stamped*. In that vien: bogp40: "also the fine brass screens used water pipes." - was this woven or stamped? If stamped,while I'm not sure about walking into a Head Shop (as we used to call them in the '80s), but if the screen sheets are big enough (approx 2" x 1.5" real dimension or larger) and the mesh fine enough (3/64" openings real dimension, or less), hey, Model Railroading is fun...And BroadwayLion has been behaving himself so well on these forum - as opposed to the old SubChat days - that I don't have the heart to bust on him for not reading the OP. Luckily Steve did it for me.
*Actually, a bit off topic, now I'm wondering - in the days before "LASERS" as seen on many 'How It's Made' episodes, how did K&S and other make that scale metal mesh? I guess they punched it out with a die (with lots of little nubs to form the holes), and sanded the resulting sheets down flat - seems quite intensive even with automated stamping equipment as would be available by the 1950s...
Steven S BroadwayLion: A fabric store will have a mesh used for bridal veils and such. I have used it for chain link fence material. It would probably work well in many applications. ROAR The OP said he's not interested in tulle. Probably needs something stiffer. Steve S
BroadwayLion: A fabric store will have a mesh used for bridal veils and such. I have used it for chain link fence material. It would probably work well in many applications. ROAR
ok, but LION has (had) no ideal what tulle is. Ach.... but it does make good chain link fences. It even sags nicely like the kids been trying to climb over it.
I should point out that the Detail Associates material is not self-supporting - it may be for small areas, but would require a framework around it. It is brass, but very finely-done.
I think that the suggestion of a transmission shop may yield the best results.
chutton01
Scale Scenics makes brass and aluminum diamond mesh. 3" x 6" sheet of brass is $6.95 at Walthers:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/652-3501
Walthers doesn't show a picture with the listing but I am looking at a sheet of it as I write.I believe it has the correct appearance and size.
The transmission screening is really great for fine details, but it might be too fine for HO scale walkways.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critterScale Scenics makes brass and aluminum diamond mesh. 3" x 6" sheet of brass is $6.95 at Walthers: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/652-3501 Walthers doesn't show a picture with the listing but I am looking at a sheet of it as I write.I believe it has the correct appearance and size.
Circuitron/Scale Scenics used to carry Brass Micro Mesh etched sheets (about 4x6").
I did find some copper woven mesh here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Scratchbuilding-Supplies-COPPER-Fine-Micro-Screen-Woven-Metal-80-Mesh-Fabric-/230725229966?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b84b9d8e
Jay
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http://www.ngineering.com/micromesh.htm
Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer
Sounds as if you've found what you're looking for, but Component Supply Company, (863)512-2995 sells nylon mesh material in various mesh/micron sizes in quanity. Helpful folks too.
regards, Peter
I recently bought some of the Scale Scenics/Circuitron brass screen mesh and their website shows it as still available (in brass or aluminum, which I have not seen), although the page is dated November 2013
http://www.circuitron.com/index_files/Scale_Scenics.htm
By the way I recently needed a mesh in a circle to represent a protected belt on a motor (too complex a modeling project to explain here) and was surprised to find in my scratchbox some small plastic cannisters of dessicant where the ends of the small plastic cannisters were a perfect very fine mesh. I no longer recall where I got the cannisters but a Google search suggests it may have been a pharmaceutical bottle. Until I found those small cannisters I was going to cut up that Scale Scenics mesh material.
https://www.clariant.com/en/Innovation/Innovation-Spotlight-Videos/Desiccant-Canister
Dave Nelson
With the huge range of mesh sizes available with tulle I don't even concider using micro mesh anymore.Plus the pricing is downright cheap.