SOLVED???!!! Screens on a house window

Walt, not sure if this would be fine enough, but you could inquire about getting a free sample:

http://www.alibaba.com/product...cro_mesh_filter.html

 

Bruce

Walt, I would think at some point the hole size becomes to small to detect, and as such an actual screen is unnecessary to make the look your after convincing to unassisted eyesight. The gray film, if it is at least translucent, should be the ticket.

 

My opinion.

 

Bob

Silk screen? I think it comes in white, maybe a little Rit dye?

How about panty hose material?

 

Steve

I do remember someone else that used panty hose quite convincingly.

 

You might want to start with Knee-highs.

Vulcan: I agree that having 'holes' won't be needed for the reason that you gave.  That's why I thought some smoked, see-thru material, what you called 'film', would be a good solution.

 

I'll be seeing my family on the 4th so I'll have to ask one of the women/girls to bring a ruined pair so I can check out using panty hose.  Wonder how it could be dyed.

 

I've been looking in Michaels and everywhere else I've gone for a greyish see-thru product but no luck yet.

 

- walt

Walt, I think you meant me, not Vulcan, but as long as you agree with the logic, that's all that counts.

 

Bob

This isn't the best picture but it's using the hose material.

 

If you get some material to work with and see that you like it, they sell it in all kinds of colors.

 

I wish I could be there when you walk up to the check-out counter.

Bob,  I feel terrible that I messed up on the originator of the comment.  I took the lazy way out and instead of re-looking I relied on memory - not too good of one apparently!

 

Vulcan: yeah, I was thinking that too, especially in today's world where coming out is no longer a big deal.  Being an old-timer myself (63) I will feel VERY awkward at the checkout. 

 

So in the picture that you posted, are those screens using stockings?  They look good to me!

 

As always, thanks.  And again, my apologies Bob.

 

- walt

Yes, Walt. I'm not sure if it was pantyhose or knee-highs. I didn't build it and it was done in 2010.

A slightly different approach would be to use lighting gels (aka color gels) - these are the plastic sheets that come in different colors that people in show business put on their lights to get different colors.  They come in various formats, but I think the sheets would be best - they run a couple of bucks for a decent sized sheet.  Shipping might be more expensive, although if you search for a place that rents stuff to showbiz types, you might be able to show up and buy some gels off them.

 

In addition to screens, you could also use it on your own lights (ie track lighting) to get different colors into the room, want night - use blue, morning - orange, evening - red, different planet - any color you want.  :-)

 

http://www.stagespot.com/gel.html

 

As far as embarrasement at the counter, go to Victorias and buy a whole outfit and they will assume it is for your lady friend.  :-)

 

-John

Thanks Vulcan for confirming

 

John: I looked at that site.  They do have various shades of grey and the price isn't punishing.  I'll pursue that as one of the options - only have 2 so far that I am considering.

 

- walt

The one negative that does occur to me is that it might have a slight shine to it - which might not work well - although it you take the grey and then hit it with 500 grit sandpaper that might both remove the shine and get you some hard to see "screen" - just don't go in a circular motion - up and down and left and right only.

 

I wish I had kept some around from when I did theatre in college to see if it would work!  (For those on a tight budget, you might also check with your local college groups - many times they have to cut them out to fit different light fixtures and might have scraps laying around - I know we always did in college (less so in high school))

 

-John

 

I'm afraid gel material will look like well...gel material. I believe screening would be best simulated by panty hose as others have suggested.

Thanks for the heads up John (and Dennis).  I hadn't thought of that but you know what, I should have!  Not thinking.

 

I haven't gotten to a store yet to look for shaded panty hose.

 

- walt

Walt, if you have a Michael's nearby, look in the section for wedding material. I did find white fine mesh material there that made great screening material. 

Walt, I was walking around in P&D yesterday and saw this:

 

http://www.precisionscaleco.co...rder%20Online%20Now!

Ranger Rick: I saw it but, assuming I looked at what you are describing, the holes or gaps seemed pretty big.  But also I was thinking "How would I get it dark grey?".

 

Norm: thanks for that site.  I'd go broke buying the stuff - have about 35 windows to do.  But I'm going to keep it and reconsider if I draw a blank on any other solution.

 

Now Norm, your next assignment should you choose to accept it, is to find me 'O' scale dimensional (sometimes called Industrial) shingles!!!!!

 

as always, thanks - walt

Walt, the stuff I used was not wedding veil material but much smaller mesh. It was actually used to hold something, but I forget what it was. I chose it because of the size of the mesh. I am attaching a photo of the "screen door" I used it on. It was very inexpensive too.

Ranger Rick: thanks for including that photo - it sells it!  I will check it out and see if I can find it.  Maybe I can tint it somehow.

 

Dyed Silk screen (not sure what this is though)

Panty Hose

Norm's screen site

Dyed Michael's mesh

 

All sound workable!  Thanks

 

- walt

I'm telling you--panty hose. You can find it in various shades. Almost any shade will do. 

I'm leaning towards using panty-hose.

 

I haven't started the build yet but I'm mentally figuring out how to attach it to the styrene clapboard.  The screens are on the outside of the windows and cover from top to bottom and side to side. 

 

Do you think it will 'sag' over time?

 

- walt

 

Walt,

 

Think about it! If it doesn't sag much in its normal use (and sometimes abuse depending on the wearer ), I don't think you will have any sagging problems over the 2 square inches or so of your window!!!

 

Listen to Dennis - you'll be happy with it.

 

Of course, you may get that same quizzical stare from the saleslady that I get when I buy hair spray for gluing scenery.

 

Jim

Walt, better go ahead and pick up some clear fingernail polish, too. In case you get a run.

 

 

LOL

Any time my various modelling hobbies require me to buy something bizarre that feel awkward buying in a store, I usually just buy it on eBay.  Half the time it's cheaper than stores for stuff like that.  Generic clothes can be had really cheap from China, but most of the time it takes a month to get through customs.

Yep, that can be embarrassing, buying panty hoses as a gent. I know that's old fashioned but I don't feel great, looking around in the lingerie department. I've been there once with a friend who's a professional photographer. He needed a special kind of panty as a filter on a camera lens. My friend is a character who doesn't bother at all. Taking out all kinds of panties and hold them trough the light and so on. I think the older saleslady held us for a couple of perverts. There were lots of bra's and other underwear too. I never felt that unhappy in my life, as a hard boiled Calvinist.

 

Sorry for digressing, Kieffer

I think I'll have my daughter-in-law go with me and she can buy them - after all, it is HER house.

 

John: the screen will be applied OVER the regular windows (will mullions) that I have to build first so that technique of spraying won't work in this case.  Interesting idea though.

 

BTW: on that topic, I did try painting the windshield and back window on a model car in azure blue (I think - whatever the recommended color was in an article that I read) and, well, the success of that can be judged in this: it was the last one that I did!

 

- walt

 

KD: thanks for taking the time to add some comments.  I'm not going to spray the windows though because I build my models to stand up to close inspection.  

 

These are my family's houses so I don't want/like to take any short cuts - unless there's no other solution - a situation that I have yet to bump into while making my 5 houses.  I even create shrubbery to match.  I'm sick

 

This house MAY be the first one that I will be forced to "compromise" though - it has dimensional shingles and I'm not finding any plastic sheets of them.  I had some suggestions in another thread but didn't particularly care for the product after viewing it.

 

I display them in my game room on individual shelves under home-made plexi-glass cases that I've made.  here are just 2 of them:

 

- walt

 

 

 

This reply is to show you a product that I found that I think will work perfectly.  I got it at JoAnn Fabric - it's called CREPON SHEER. They carry many colors and even had several grey shades.  I picked what to my eyes was the darkest grey - but it turns out it's called "Platinum Crepon Sheer" on my bill (all of 95 cents!).

 

I had a very difficult time trying to get a good picture to reflect both the color and the porousness of the material.  Some of the pictures below are of the product folded up multiple times to try to capture the color (it really is a darker grey than these pictures show).  Some of the shots are single layer to try to show that you can see thru it.

 

I tried to find panty hose - boy, now that was not fun at all let me say!  They seem to have "Midnight Black" and "Off Black" but both seemed way too, well, black.  The 4 stores that I went to did not carry anything close to grey, which I wanted.  One lady clerk did find a single, loose, knee-high in a dark grey that she let me keep. 

 

I realized that the problem with hose is that it needs "stretched" to make it sheer and have the right color.  I couldn't resolve how I could stretch the material and keep it in place while whatever adhesive I would use dried.  That's why I went to JoAnn Fabrics and hoped.  Maybe panty hose would have been "bigger" and not need stretched, but I think even they would have to be.  For those that have tried, how did you handle "stretching" while the adhesive dried???

 

So here's some pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- Walt

I would use CA to hold the panty hose. Cut it oversize. Lay it over your frame and tape down one side of the panty hose to your work surface. Then pull/stretch gently over the frame and tape down the other side. Apply a miniscule amount of CA starting at the corner and working your way across and down. I use a toothpick to apply and then spread the CA.

Dennis, forgive my ignorance. What is CA?

 

Thanks

Bruce

Cyanocrylate - super glue

Thanks Dennis for the suggestion.  I'm still not completely convinced that I won't use panty-hose.  Taping it while some adhesive dried, as you mentioned, was the only thing that I could think of.

 

Dennis: you sound like you've used the panty-hose for screen.  That being the case, I have a couple of questions:

 

1. what color did you use?  I only can find black and it looks too dark.  But maybe stretched some it wouldn't.  I would like grey.

 

2. how much did you have to stretch it?  I know that's hard to answer, but if you can relate it to how you taped it, maybe that would help answer the question.  For the one knee high that I have, I have to stretch it fairly taut and that's why I didn't think that I could find anyway to hold it in place.  I am even leery of the adhesive not holding it over time due to the stress of the stretching.

 

3. darn it, I can't remember the 3rd question and I think it was more of a concern than the above 2!!!!

 

thanks - walt

 

CyanoAcrylate

Maybe buying ones in your size would help?

I honestly don't remember the exact stretch amount because it was a long time ago. However, I'm sure that I just stretched it until it looked right. I used a grey color but I'm thinking you could rub some chalk over a darker color. 

mwb: good one!  Actually though I was wondering if old, worn pairs might be the best to use because they've been stretched and maybe don't have the tension that a new, unworn pair would have.

 

Dennis: thanks for keeping involved and answering questions!

 

- walt

Why do I find conversations by modelers about old, worn pantyhose to be somehat disturbing,