I was wondering if anyone has tried anything with dryer lint for creating tree foliage or ground cover. I’m going to be trying a few things in the next few days to see if it might be worth using. If anyone has used it, what techniques did you use?
Lorne
Interesting idea. You might want to dye it first, unless you have some from a blanket or such that is a usable color. I would think you could do bushes with it, not sure if the fibers would be long enough to stretch them over trees or not.
Let us know how it comes out.
Good luck,
Richard
It’ll be interesting to see how this comes out and what techniques are used. I have this special shrub I’ve always wanted to model. I’m thrilled to know that if I start “saving” now, I’ll soon have enough belly-button lint to build it…[;)][:O]
HUMPH. Dryer lint is rather flammable. Well, so are lotsa things on a model layout. No point in adding more.
ROAR
I have not died lint, but have died clothes. Different fabrics take on the color differently so if the lint is a combination of fabrics you should have some variety of colors after you’re done. I would soak the lint first(required for dying too) and then let it dry to see how it behaves, ie if it collapses.
Richard
The wife is a Vet, we have a half dozen or so (I lose count) Golden Retrievers wondering around the joint so our dryer lint is mostly DOG HAIR!
The last thing I need is more dog hair on the layout.[(-D]
Richard (Trainmodeler). Lint has never been alive, so it can’t have died…although, being cloth, it could be dyed. Sorry! Cheap shot. Seriously, the fibers in lint are very short, and lint tends to pill up when it gets wet. I would think that its use on a layout would be minimal. The only thing I’ve ever found it good for, as Lion says, is tinder for making campfires.
I agree with a lot of what you guys have mentioned. Not to concerned about the flamibility of the stuff. I don’t smoke and have no intention of lighting my layout on fire when it’s done [(-D]. It does have a bad tendancy of collapsing when it gets wet. Hopefully I’ll be able to work it back to life when it’s dry again.
I’ve tried using dryer lint a bit before, undyed, as simple ground cover with the intention of just painting over it. Didn’t turn out so well. This experiment will be dyed, dried, and used as shrubs or something similar. I was thinking of holding it in place with white glue then spraying a very light “dusting” of hairspray. Then adding some dyed MDF sawdust (already have that waiting to be used) sprinkled on top to help hide some of that, uh…dog hair texture. It looks really good in my head. So far you’ll just have to take my word for it, lol.
Lorne
Today I cleaned the lint filter and as is often the case there was a mat of white lint on the screen. It reminded me of this thread and I thought the white “blanket” would be good if you were modeling a snow scene.
Other than that I don’t see any possible use as has already been said.
Bob
The lint screen in my drier collects something like felt. Now, what is felt good for on a layout???
Maybe as a sound-deadening layer under the cork roadbed I don’t use…
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I guess some people here, seem to lack imagination, thankfully others have imagination aplenty Your idea seems to me to have merit and I see it as a possible replacement for WS’s Poly Fiber; or, Foliage materials. The problem may be the dying process. Give it a try! I’d be interested in the outcome and may give it a try myself.