Oz Digger...Matt...make your own mat thread... (2 Viewers)

[mikemiller1955]

Matt...

you asked me about making your own inexpensive mat on a B-A-R thread I opened...
I have had some success with this...pretty inexpensive and pretty easily...with decent results...
Ken Osen from H&A kindly taught me this many years ago...

you go to a fabric store...
buy some black grizzly fur...
it's sold in increments of 1 yard (3 ft x 3 ft)...
I bought a 9 foot piece to try...
pretty cheap...about $5 a square yard...
$15 for a 9ft x 3ft piece...

you will need some spray fabric paint...
it has to be fabric spray...
Design Master is the best...they have many shades of green and tan (earth colors)...
found in many hobby stores and on Ebay...here is a link to their product...their is a color guide on this page...

https://dmcolor.com/products/#!/color_families=28

fabric spray paint won't make the grass stick together like enamel spray...
it's not cheap...about $8 per can...
you will need a wire brush to work it when you get ready to start...and throughout the entire process...

the fabric...you can leave it untrimmed...which I think is too long...
or trim it...
you can use scissors...but it's a slow process...
an electric trimmer is faster...
I purchased a cheap used "robocut" and it worked perfect...
it has a depth guide to adjust your cut and attached to your vacuum cleaner to suck up the trimmings...

I stapled my mat to the wall and trimmed it at different lengths...
that way I had easy access to it and stays put when you suck the hair off with the robocut...

here is a small piece I did with some figures on it...
I did a staggered cut in depth...short and long mixed together...

 

[mikemiller1955]

Matt...

here are some of the items I'm referring to...

the frabric itself...
a robocut...or any similar product the sucks up the fabric and cuts it...
a wire brush...
Design Master fabric paint...Basil is the best green...Mossy and Hunter are good also...

 

[mikemiller1955]

the robocut is so strong...
it has a tendency to suck the fabric up...
so I suggest stapling it to a wooden surface to keep it in place...

after it's trimmed to your desire length...
fluff the remaining grass on the mat up with the wire brush...and start painting...
you can use different shades and paint over any colors if desired...

let it dry then fluff it up again and repeat with paint til satisfied with color...

it's easy to trim to size with a pair of scissors...

I don't think you can create your own roll up mat cheaper than this...

the results are pretty good and the mat can be glued to your base if you want it permanent...

I'm sure I missed a lot of info...if you have any questions...just ask...

 

[OzDigger]

Wow, thanks for all that info Mike, and I'm sure it will also help a lot of other members. I'll have to check out local fabric stores for black grizzly fur, should be an interesting conversation {sm4}

 

[Horus]

That's great info and instruction Mike ! :salute::

I kind of done similar using green fake fur and a brush which I then sprayed with Humbrol Green grass paint, which ok isn't the best paint for this job for sure, so I may give it another go with an idea of what I'm doing another time ! ^&grin

Steve

 

[bradleyl30]

Wow, thanks for all that info Mike, and I'm sure it will also help a lot of other members. I'll have to check out local fabric stores for black grizzly fur, should be an interesting conversation {sm4}

I agree. This is awesome info.

 

[desk11desk12]

Matt...

you asked me about making your own inexpensive mat on a B-A-R thread I opened...
I have had some success with this...pretty inexpensive and pretty easily...with decent results...
Ken Osen from H&A kindly taught me this many years ago...

you go to a fabric store...
buy some black grizzly fur...
it's sold in increments of 1 yard (3 ft x 3 ft)...
I bought a 9 foot piece to try...
pretty cheap...about $5 a square yard...
$15 for a 9ft x 3ft piece...

you will need some spray fabric paint...
it has to be fabric spray...
Design Master is the best...they have many shades of green and tan (earth colors)...
found in many hobby stores and on Ebay...here is a link to their product...their is a color guide on this page...

https://dmcolor.com/products/#!/color_families=28

fabric spray paint won't make the grass stick together like enamel spray...
it's not cheap...about $8 per can...
you will need a wire brush to work it when you get ready to start...and throughout the entire process...

the fabric...you can leave it untrimmed...which I think is too long...
or trim it...
you can use scissors...but it's a slow process...
an electric trimmer is faster...
I purchased a cheap used "robocut" and it worked perfect...
it has a depth guide to adjust your cut and attached to your vacuum cleaner to suck up the trimmings...

I stapled my mat to the wall and trimmed it at different lengths...
that way I had easy access to it and stays put when you suck the hair off with the robocut...

here is a small piece I did with some figures on it...
I did a staggered cut in depth...short and long mixed together...

So, that's how it's done...Thanks Michael.

Carlos

 

[mikemiller1955]

So, that's how it's done...Thanks Michael.

Carlos

Carlos...
I have known you personally for a long time...
and I know you're a brilliant guy...
and I'm not comparing you to Steve Martin...
so don't take this the wrong way...

but when you said..."So, that's how it's done"...
I had to laugh...
it reminded me of that scene in The Jerk...
hahaha.........................

"aaaaah...it's a profit deal"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L7DxnwkiVs

 

[OzDigger]

I checked out my local Spotlight store today which has a good range of dress making material, craft stuff etc. Yeah, not really a guy type store ^&grin I asked about Black Grizzly fur and was directed to the faux fur shelves in the material section. FYI if you're asked by a young female assistant what you intending doing with the fur, 'playing games' may not be the best response. I thought a gaming type answer would sound cooler than toy soldiers. However the look she gave me suggests I'm now on the 'dirty old man' watch list {eek3}

They did have some black fur as well as white etc. I wonder if white would be easier to color? Also noted they had coloured PVC and other material that may be suitable for bases.

 

[mikemiller1955]

I checked out my local Spotlight store today which has a good range of dress making material, craft stuff etc. Yeah, not really a guy type store ^&grin I asked about Black Grizzly fur and was directed to the faux fur shelves in the material section. FYI if you're asked by a young female assistant what you intending doing with the fur, 'playing games' may not be the best response. I thought a gaming type answer would sound cooler than toy soldiers. However the look she gave me suggests I'm now on the 'dirty old man' watch list {eek3}

They did have some black fur as well as white etc. I wonder if white would be easier to color? Also noted they had coloured PVC and other material that may be suitable for bases.

Matt...

man you move fast...^&grin
never tried any other color than black..
to color the roots...the white may require considerable more paint...
if any white does show...it's not a natural earth color...
black...brown or dark green would be my choice...

when you say PVC...do you mean polyvinyl chloride?
PVC over here plastic piping for plumbing...
is that what you are thinking of using as a base...if so please explain to me how you would do that?
or does PVC mean something else there?

yea...I don't brag about my hobby to women too much...lol...
if I do mention it...they often kind of roll their eyes and say with indifference..."cool"...

 

[OzDigger]

Matt...

man you move fast...^&grin
never tried any other color than black..
to color the roots...the white may require considerable more paint...
if any white does show...it's not a natural earth color...
black...brown or dark green would be my choice...

when you say PVC...do you mean polyvinyl chloride?
PVC over here plastic piping for plumbing...
is that what you are thinking of using as a base...if so please explain to me how you would do that?
or does PVC mean something else there?

yea...I don't brag about my hobby to women too much...lol...
if I do mention it...they often kind of roll their eyes and say with indifference..."cool"...

Good point Mike, white would standout more than a darker colour if repainted. BTW the older assistant said they didn't have any spray fabric paint and reckoned ordinary spray paint should be ok if you didn't have to wash the mat as fabric paint was more for washable items. I have no ideas myself but thought it was worth mentioning as maybe there are other considerations. PVC is short for Polyvinyl Chloride, used for multiple things including pipes. In this case I guess most people would just call it vinyl. The vinyl material I looked at was similar to that used for flooring, like the old Lino, but not as thick. It wasn't very expensive and being stiffer and heavier than material it may be suitable for dios representing concrete, bitumen etc like runways. They also had colours that would be ok for desert scenes.

 

[mikemiller1955]

Matt...

I'm pretty sure that spray enamel...
when dry...
is gonna make the fur clump together and you won't be able to brush it out...
you can try it...
you can also order Design Master Fabric Paint on Ebay...
good luck with your project...

 

[thebritfarmer]

HAHA a brilliant movie Mike, step right up and win some crap HAHA

Carlos...
I have known you personally for a long time...
and I know you're a brilliant guy...
and I'm not comparing you to Steve Martin...
so don't take this the wrong way...

but when you said..."So, that's how it's done"...
I had to laugh...
it reminded me of that scene in The Jerk...
hahaha.........................

"aaaaah...it's a profit deal"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L7DxnwkiVs

 

[OzDigger]

Matt...

I'm pretty sure that spray enamel...
when dry...
is gonna make the fur clump together and you won't be able to brush it out...
you can try it...
you can also order Design Master Fabric Paint on Ebay...
good luck with your project...

You could be correct Mike, personally I don't know the differences between the paint types. I intend to stick some plastic plants into the 'grass' base to add some interest, same as I've used on my shelf displays. I buy these plants locally from 2 dollar discount shops. They come in tiles approx 12 x 12 inches, only cost AU $3 each tile. There are a lot of plants on the tile, you just pull them off and stick them into the mat/base.

 

[mikemiller1955]

Matt...

you do good work...
just play with it...
whatever you decide...
I'm sure you will make it look good...
have fun...

 

[OzDigger]

Matt...

you do good work...
just play with it...
whatever you decide...
I'm sure you will make it look good...
have fun...

Thanks Mike, I'll post some pics when I've progressed some more.

 

[OzDigger]

Hey Mike, sorry for the delay, here are some pics of my Vietnam Display. I purchased the grassy base from Treefrog as couldn't find anything decent locally. I may get around to making a road and coloring the grass etc at some stage.




My 1/32 scale S-Sugar Lancaster now lives under the Vietnam table as the special display cabinet/coffee table I had it in proved to large for my lounge room. Anyone want to buy a used display cabinet? Postage rate to the US may be high :wink2: ^&grin

 

[jason foote]

That matt looks awesome, doesn’t need any colour

 

[OzDigger]

That matt looks awesome, doesn’t need any colour

Thank you Jason, I decided not to recolour the mat. That hobby room is a converted single garage approx 6 x 3 meters. However it must also function as a guest room for my eldest Son now in his 30s plus Girlfriend. Sadly I had to dismantle that large Vietnam display and split it into several shelf displays to make room for a Queen size bed, apparently sofa beds aren't suitable for your children after a certain age, who knew :rolleyes2: ^&grin

 

[jason foote]

Thank you Jason, I decided not to recolour the mat. That hobby room is a converted single garage approx 6 x 3 meters. However it must also function as a guest room for my eldest Son now in his 30s plus Girlfriend. Sadly I had to dismantle that large Vietnam display and split it into several shelf displays to make room for a Queen size bed, apparently sofa beds aren't suitable for your children after a certain age, who knew :rolleyes2: ^&grin

Kids, gotta love them!! As soon as the fussy kids are gone you could get a big composite board and put it on the bed and then it will be Good Morning Vietnam again.
Jas